creativity, action, service

NEW GUIDELINES FOR STUDENTS GRADUATING IN 2010

AND THEREAFTER

Creativity, Action, Service

Learning Ouutcomes

Highlight of Changes

Inquirers Knowledgeable Thinkers Communicators Principled

Aims of CAS undertakings must connect to the IB Learner Profile

Open-minded Caring Risk-takers Balanced Reflective

Learning outcomes are KEY...experience & reflections must evidence a minimum of 2-3 learning outcomes per CAS undertaking


Emphasis on CAS as experiential learningPLAN

Identify GoalsDecide how (using

previous experience & knowledge)

ACTReal Tasks

Concrete experience

OBSERVEThink about feelings &

interactionsAnalyse perceptions

ReflectIdentify achievements &

outstanding issues; personal strengths &

challenges

Evaluate actions

Synthesize new understandings

APPLY LEARNING

IN NEW SITUATIONS


Reduce paper form-filling & mechanical administration Yep...paper is BACK-UP...we are moving to paperless...

Emphasis on nature of evidence (more on this later...)

Emphasis on nature of reflection (more on this later)

Even distribution of: Learning outcomes across all undertakings Duration of undertakings/nature of the commitment made:

Short term (<30 days) Medium term (31-120 days) Long term (120+ days)


As evaluators we are instructed to discount undertakings that are repetitive, “routine” or do not personally challenge (extend the student)

Political activity: Essential to take into consideration if a CAS undertaking

will put the student at risk or will cause, or make worse social/cultural/political divisions.

Religious: An undertaking must be very CLEARLY secular and the

supporting the experience must demonstrate a greater understanding of different social, cultural backgrounds.

DEMONSTRATE 3 DURATIONS OF COMMITMENT

EVIDENCE 2-3 LEARNING OUTCOMES PER UNDERTAKING

FOR EACH UNDERTAKING THERE ARE 3 REQUIREMENTS:

GOALS, EVIDENCE

REFLECTION

The Rule of 3’s

EXAMPLES

The Nature of the Commitment

But I don’t understand...what about the hours?”

Example of a short term: 2 weeks of working with Habitat for Humanity in a foreign

country “hours”: 10-12hrs per day for 14 days...140+hrs Action & Service BUT

Under the new CAS rules: does not have equal distribution of a medium or long term commitment (lacking in “C” too but I am sure you may have found a way...)

CONCLUSION: You still need a short term commitment & protracted

commitment You still need to demonstrate an equal distribution of all

learning outcomes Put down your calculators...Hours don’t count!


Example of a medium term: Running Room: instead of being paid, you volunteer

to help with the “Learn to Run” clinic 10 weeks; one night (1hr classes) per week + the

occasional email to clients about 10-12 hours

But... think of the learning outcomes

For me it was new challenge, planning & initiating, worked collaboratively, shown perseverance & commitment, new skill

It is a medium-term commitment...despite the low hours...


Example of a long term: A camp for kids

Annual camp for kids: booking for subsequent years, 1 or 2 weekends of planning with other organizers, preparing and posting application forms on the web, administrative organization, etc...

For 7 days in July: 24/7 (168 hours) You plan the menu Help with the prep & cooking Act as an LD – group sessions on community & reading, etc... Teach – maybe you help kids learn to paint or take them on a

hike You take scuba diving lessons

Have you successfully met the requirements of CAS if you do only this undertaking?

NO

You have only committed to ONE projectIt was only one of a long-term commitment

whereby you could defer, juggle, etc...until the major deadlines (a good skill...prioritizing)

But you have not demonstrated stepping into “immediate action” or “we need you for a few weeks”

PROJECTS

ACTIVITIES

TASKS

Learning Outcomes

Projects, Activities, Tasks

Project #1 Project #2 Project #3

Activity Activity Activity

Task

TaskTask

TaskTask

Task

This is another way of looking at short, medium & long-term undertakings:

“Typically”: a “project” is of a protracted duration and can include “activities” of medium duration and/or “tasks” of short duration

The CAS definition of “project”:

“Think globally; act locally.”Students should be involved in at least ONE

project involving: teamwork that integrates two or more creativity,

action and service activities and tasks. is of significant duration issues of global importance

As a school we will be examining possible “projects” and inviting IB students to step up for the purpose of CAS

Learning outcomes

Increased their awareness of their own strengths and areas for growth They are able to see themselves as individuals with

various skills and abilities, some more developed than others, and understand that they can make choices about how they wish to move forward. Ask yourself: what are my strengths & abilities? How can I improve?

Undertaken new challenges A new challenge may be an unfamiliar activity, or an

extension to an existing one. Ask yourself: What will I try that is new? How will I improve on an existing talent?

Learning outcomes

Planned and initiated activities Planning and initiation will often be in collaboration with

others. It can be shown in activities that are part of larger projects, for example, ongoing school activities in the local community, as well as in small student-led activities. Ask yourself: How can I plan, direct & collaborate on a

project, activity or task?Worked collaboratively with others

Collaboration can be shown in many different activities, such as team sports, playing music in a band, or helping in a kindergarten. At least one project, involving collaboration and the integration of at least two of creativity, action and service, is required. Ask yourself: how can I build better collaborative

relationships/skills? At a minimum ONE project must involve collaboration & must

involve 2 of: C, A, S

Learning outcomes

Shown perseverance and commitment in their activities At a minimum, this implies attending regularly and

accepting a share of the responsibility for dealing with problems that arise in the course of activities. Ask yourself: Do I attend all meetings regularly? Do I help

work through difficulties & challenges when they arise?

Engaged with issues of global importance Students may be involved in international projects but

there are many global issues that can be acted upon locally or nationally (for example, environmental concerns, caring for the elderly). Ask yourself: “What global issues can I impact from A minimum of ONE project of global concern

Learning outcomes

Considered the ethical implications of their actions Ethical decisions arise in almost any CAS activity (for example,

on the sports field, in musical composition, in relationships with others involved in service activities). Evidence of thinking about ethical issues can be shown in various ways, including journal entries and conversations with CAS advisers. What ethical concerns arise in the activities? How do I resolve

them?

Developed new skills As with new challenges, new skills may be shown in activities

that the student has not previously undertaken, or in increased expertise in an established area. What new skills will I need to carry out my intended activities?

How will I demonstrate (evidence) the new skill in a meaningful way?

Short Duration

Medium Duration

Extended Duration

Learning Outcome 1

(A) (S)

Learning Outcome 2

(S)

Learning Outcome 3

(A)

Learning Outcome 4

(C) (S)

Learning Outcome 5

(C)

Learning Outcome 6

(A)

Learning Outcome 7

(A)

Learning Outcome 8

(A) (C)

Don’t worry, I’ve created a really cool excel spreadsheet to help you track the balance between:

C, A, SDurations

Distribution of learning outcomes

RELAX

Until you get comfortable with excel and/or embedding hyperlinks, you will be able to print one off and manually fill it in...

THE KEY COMPONENTS FOR EVERY CAS PROJECT, ACTIVITY &TASK

Goal, Evidence, Reflection

Goal

For each CAS undertaking the student must identify goals... Connect these to the learning outcomes Decide how the goals will be met...plan

These must be written up and stored in an electronic CAS folder: NB: do not store your folder under your student number on

the Peel Server…get a USB! For organizational purposes

consider a sub-folder for each unrelated project/activity/task Consider a consistent file name:

Example: GOALS – coaching little leagueEVIDENCE – coaching little leagueEVIDENCE 2 – coaching little leagueEVIDENCE Supervisor’s report – coaching little

leagueREFLECTION – coaching little league

Evidence

Think beyond the signature...with the focus on experiential learning a “signature” is not hard evidence of learning outcomes experienced/met...

Evidence is: An email trail A letter of thanks you received Photographs; an electronic scrap-book... A time-chart with your volunteer schedule A picture of your hospital volunteer ID A plane ticket (if you end up in Peru with Habitat for

Humanity) A web-log journal

...you get the ideaMUST connect directly to the learning outcomes

identified in your goals...Electronic...scan it in if you must...(“gif” or “pdf”

format)

Documenting CAS:

Templates for the following will be uploaded to the website:

http://www.turnerfenton.com/Programs/ib/index.html

Tracking excel spreadsheet Setting goals Supervisor’s report Interim report

THE WEBSITE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE NEW PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS OVER THE NEXT WEEK OR SO… Check each of the following sites:

Look for these to say:UPDATED

Reflection

What did you plan to do? Why?Briefly summarize the activity. Who else was

involved in your project?Did the activity proceed as anticipated? If not,

what was different? Better? Worse?How do you feel about the project, activity or task?Do you agree with the supervisor's feedback? What did you learn? How did this project, activity

or task make you feel?If you could start over, what would you do

differently? How could you improve?Who benefited? In what way?

Reflection

Currently you type out your reflections, while still acceptable it is “old school”

You can: have someone interview you (recorded or type out the

interview) Electronic photo essay DVD montage w/voiceover Weblogs On-going journal

For the final overall reflection consider: Making your own documentary Writing your own eulogy Writing your autobiography

All in electronic format of course...

Final thoughts about your Final Reflection

Cumulative CAS Reflection must document and evidence successful adherence to the aims of the CAS component and captures the student as: A reflective thinker – who understands their own strengths

and limitations, identify goals, and devise strategies for personal growth & gain better awareness of self.

One who is willing to accept new challenges & take on new roles

One who is aware of themselves as members of communities with responsibilities towards each other and the environment

An active participants in sustained, collaborative projects; a greater sense of commitment and responsibility; develop stronger inter-personal skills.

One who gained time-management experience & better problem-solving skills

One who saw their TOK in action; gained meta-cognition One who established a habit of mind for life-long learning.

COMING TO CASSEPTEMBER 2009

ANGEL

Why ANGEL?

It is the Blended e-Learning vehicle for PeelIt can support the uploading of CAS folders to

on-line repositoriesIt will be the main point of communication for

both students & CAS supervisorsBUT

It is being upgraded this summer and as such we will not be going live on ANGEL until the fall

So yes...we will have a brief meeting to launch ANGEL in the fall

In the meantime...just keep your electronic CAS folder up to date – AND BACKED UP!

Until then, if you have any questions...

[email protected]

creativity, action, service

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