mb implementation new ib school - gary craggs -...

Faria Education Group | ManageBac User Group Conference Berlin @managebac| #mbconfberlin| 1

Gary Craggs

Qatar Foundation


Implementing ManageBacat a school new to the IB

for administrators and leaders in completely new schools, or established schools new to the IB.

Gary CraggsQatar FoundationPre-University [email protected]


Introduction: Background and Biography• UK• Humanities and social science degrees• Printing industry• English middle school generalist• English middle school humanities• USA, Ghana, Dubai, Qatar• GCSE History• DP ToK and Coordination• Assistant Principal• District coordinator• Implementation of ManageBac in 3 organisations

Introduce yourselves to your table-mates


Contents• Introduction: background and biography.• Contexts, experiences and case studies.• The elements and stakeholders of the ManageBac world.• Strategic planning and leadership.• Learning platform implementation.• Unit planning implementation.• Resources.• Pitfalls and hold-ups.

We will focus on the introduction, implementation and buy-in processes.This session: completely new schools, or established schools new to the IB. Not detailed guides to platform functionality.

Discuss: What would you like to get out of this session?


Contexts & experience = case studies• 2 schools, two approaches: • Learning platform and CAS first then reports• unit planning first, then Learning platform

• Secondary Grades 6-8, then 9, then 10. MYP.• Simultaneous MB, Atlas and other systems • Will be adding MB to PYP and DP next year.


• 3 x bilingual Arabic-English • 3 x PYP, 2 x MYP• ManageBac for unit planning- expectation, now• Learning platform – voluntary, next year


The elements of the MB world

• Service, CAS, core, portfolios and projects• Curriculum unit planning• Learning platform (LMS) for subject classes• Reports• Communications• Behaviour• IBIS connections

Decide and plan: Which elements are you adopting, and in what order will you implement them?


Strategic planning and leadershipWhere does MB fit into the school?• Part of the establishment of a new school: everything is new• Part of the change to the school: everything is being replaced

Establish expectations and timeline• Minimal completion• Optional additions

Phased roll-out and adoption• Organic growth at grass roots, or planned and stated implementation process?• Spring trial, new school year adoption• Full-on wholesale adoption

Decide and plan: What challenges will you face in gaining ownership and encouraging agency?


StakeholdersOwnership and agency in the change/ establishing process.• School leadership and management• Teachers• Students• Parents

Initial and ongoing training: when and how:• MB trainers, online, in-house• Teachers teaching teachers• Parent workshops• Student education and instruction

Decide and plan: At what stage and level will you engage each of the stakeholder groups?


• ….• Atlas Rubicon, … portal, My Learning.• Teacher workshop on setting up classes: importance of nomenclature.• Advisory sessions and experienced teachers using classes to teach

students.• Regular parent workshops plus open door.• Phased expectations: • T1 all summative assessments (one per per subject per 4-6 weeks)• T2 all formative assessments (one per week per subject)• T3 all significant homework.

• Each launched with coinciding teacher, parent, student workshops.• All PD from experienced admin leaders, with novice teachers.

Case study: Learning Platform first: MYP


Case study: Unit planning first: PYP• ….• Google docs and Word documents• Candidacy phase of one or both programmes• Using ManageBac to help learn and understand the IB• PYP unit planner wizard• 2 hour PD workshop demos and classroom activities.• Building teacher and leader capacity at the same time using external sources

and self-directed exploration• Identify fast learners or devotees who become support for colleagues• Reinforce with further PD workshop sessions.• Long timeline, paced expectations, linked to PYP accreditation timeline.• One trial unit near end of first year, then unit-by-unit collaborative planning in

Y2, then analytics and revisions in Y3.


Additional components: reporting, communications, attendance, behaviour…

• Whether/ when to use additional functions: to launch, replace or combine?• Whether/ when to add reporting function:• In addition to, or instead of, existing/alternative systems?• Comments & details in MB reports; transfer grades to Oasis, PowerSchool…• Comments and grades in MB only; stand alone reporting system…

• Parent education to understand both IB and MB grades and terminology• IBIS connections

Discuss:Which approach or process would work best for your school?


Resources

Online Support Center


Q and A, Pitfalls, hold-ups• Tech support and infrastructure• Sign-ups and logins.• Building a new curriculum in a new system.• Transferring curriculum plans from an existing system. • Class lists, nomenclature, organisation.• Managing/ policing expectations.• Student access at home• Parental engagement• Understanding IB terms, assessment processes, grades and reporting, progress.

Discuss:What roadblocks, diversions and earthquakes do you anticipate?And how can you prepare your school to avoid or overcome them?

mb implementation new ib school - gary craggs -...

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