myp guide to the personal project - atlanta public schools · 2012. 8. 31. · the personal project...
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This guide was compiled from the MYP Guide to the Personal Project (© IBO 2011) and guides prepared by Concordia College, Australia as well as Suzhou Singapore International School.
MYP
Personal
Project
Guide
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The IB Learner Profile The aim of all IB programmes is to develop internationally minded people who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world. IB learners strive to be: Inquirers They develop their natural curiosity. They acquire the skills necessary to conduct inquiry and research and show independence in learning. They actively enjoy learning and this love of learning will be sustained throughout their lives. Knowledgeable They explore concepts, ideas and issues that have local and global significance. In so doing, they acquire in-depth knowledge and develop understanding across a broad and balanced range of disciplines. Thinkers They exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to recognize and approach complex problems, and make reasoned, ethical decisions. Communicators They understand and express ideas and information confidently and creatively in more than one language and in a variety of modes of communication. They work effectively and willingly in collaboration with others. Principled They act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness, justice and respect for the dignity of the individual, groups and communities. They take responsibility for their own actions and the consequences that accompany them. Open-minded They understand and appreciate their own cultures and personal histories, and are open to the perspectives, values and traditions of other individuals and communities. They are accustomed to seeking and evaluating a range of points of view, and are willing to grow from the experience. Caring They show empathy, compassion and respect towards the needs and feelings of others. They have a personal commitment to service, and act to make a positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment. Risk-takers They approach unfamiliar situations and uncertainty with courage and forethought, and have the independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas and strategies. They are brave and articulate in defending their beliefs. Balanced They understand the importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance to achieve personal well-being for themselves and others. Reflective They give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and experience. They are able to assess and understand their strengths and limitations in order to support their learning and personal development.
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Brief Introduction Why do I have to do the Personal Project? The Personal Project is a mandatory project in the Middle Years Programme. It is an opportunity to explore a topic that is of interest to you, to develop your approaches to learning skills further and to create something unique to you. Will anyone help me do the project? You are responsible for your Personal Project. It is an investigation that you do alone to show your skills as an independent learner. However, you are not entirely alone in doing the project. You will be assigned an adult supervisor who will be available to offer you advice and guidance as and when you might need it. Your supervisor can do a number of things to help you in the process including: • Advising you on whether or not you are undertaking an achievable project • Helping you to create a schedule for completing the project • Discussing your area of interaction and topic to ensure they complement each other • Meeting to discuss and review your progress with your project • Advising you should any part of your project start to present difficulties Being an independent learner does not mean you have to work in isolation. In fact the best independent learners recognize how important it is to collaborate with other people when undertaking a project because a wider range of ideas can lead to a better outcome. Apart from your supervisor, you will talk with and seek advice from your parents, friends and other adults. However, the work you do in the project must be your own work. So what is the Personal Project? The Personal Project is different from many of your other subjects because you have to:
• complete your investigation within the context of one area of interact • work independently throughout the course • interact with an adult supervisor whose role is to provide guidance and advice only
The Personal Project is exactly what its title says – a personal project. Basically, you choose a topic that interests you personally and an area of interaction that helps you develop your project with a clear and specific focus. Deciding on the goal of your project can begin with the topic or the area of interaction, but at some point both need to come together and form the goal. The Personal Project is the major interdisciplinary project you do to show that you are an effective independent learner with the range of necessary skills to be ready to progress to the next stage of your learning. You have to complete and submit a Personal Project during the final year of the MYP. It is also required if you want to enter the IB Diploma Program in 11th grade.
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What exactly do I have to create for the Personal Project? You must create three items: � A process journal (similar to the developmental workbook in arts) � A product or outcome for display that shows other people what you did � A project report The Process Journal Your process journal is the record of your involvement in the Personal Project process. It should record all your ideas, your planning, your discussions, clippings of readings and concepts, diary excerpts, meeting schedules and outcomes with your supervisor, photographs – whatever you do that is part of the process should be kept in this document. You choose the format of your journal. It might be a scrapbook, a note book, an electronic site for example. Attached to this handbook are the requirements for the e-journal and for the process journal. The Product or Outcome The product you create is how you show other people what you have investigated. Apart from your journal, which will be part of the display, you need to have some way of showing what you produced or achieved for your goal. This might be the actual product such as a model, electronic article, artwork or it might be visuals of the outcome such as photographs of an event you organized. The Project Report The report you produce can be in different formats; it can be written, oral or in multi-media form. You will need to think carefully about how you report your project and how you work best. To prepare an oral report will take as long to prepare as a written report. This guide has more information about the report later on. The important thing to think about for your project is to identify something YOU want to explore and find out more about. What will be assessed? All of the three items are assessed: the use of the process journal, the product or outcome and the projects report. How will I be assessed? The Personal Project is assessed against seven criteria. Each criterion is of equal value and has 4 levels of success. The criteria are: A: Use the process journal You show that you have used approaches to learning skills (see appendix) when completing the project. This is shown in part through the use of the process journal, as a record and organizing tool for your project. You show commitment to completing the project through meeting deadlines, organizing your materials, interacting with your supervisor, and dealing positively with challenges that arise. You record your thinking and ideas as you progress through your project.
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B: Define the goal You show that you have a clear project goal associated directly with an area of interaction and a topic that interests you personally, and that you have defined specifications to be able to evaluate your goal. C: Select sources You show that you have accessed a variety of sources and that you are able to evaluate these sources, for example in terms of whether they are reliable. D: Apply information You show that you have used the information you gathered from your sources in order to complete the goal. This might be through the development of techniques, problem-solving strategies or analysis of the information you selected. You show that you have thought about the information you selected and used it in some way to further your project. E: Achieve the goal You complete the goal and evaluate the outcome or product. You award yourself a level of achievement using the specifications you created at the beginning of your project to guide you. You get input from your supervisor for the final level. F: Reflect on learning You show that you have developed a new understanding of the topic and area of interaction through deep and detailed reflection on what you have done and what you have learned by doing it. You show that you have developed a clear personal understanding of, and response to, the project topic and area of interaction because you have carefully analyzed the information you have gathered. G: Report the project You show that you have organized your project report by using appropriate presentation and linguistic conventions, in whichever format you have chosen. You meet the requirements for the word or time count of the text. Your supervisor will use these seven criteria to assess your project at the end of the process, and your supervisor will also invite other supervisors to check the result to ensure that it is consistent with the international standard set for projects.
Stage 1 the Process Journal What is a Process Journal? The process journal is a notebook or e-journal to document process and in this way you show working behaviors and academic honesty. The media for documenting the process can vary depending on your preferences. It can be written, visual, audio or a combination of these and might include both paper and electronic formats.
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The process journal is… • begun at the very start of the process and used throughout the process • a place for planning • a place for recording interactions with sources, for example, teachers, supervisors, external contributors • a place for storing useful information—quotes, pictures, ideas • a means of exploring ideas • a place for reflection on stages of the project • a place for evaluating work completed a place for reflecting on learning • devised by the student in a format that suits his or her needs • useful for the student when receiving formative feedback • used by the student to produce the project report.
The process journal isn’t… • used on a daily basis (unless this is useful for the student) • written up after the process has been completed • additional work on top of the project; it is part of and supports the project • a diary with detailed writing about what was done • a static document with only one format.
Assessment of the Process Journal This documentation of the process is assessed using Criterion A. In assessing the process journal, your supervisors will need to consider how you have demonstrated the use of ATL skills, including responsibility for your own learning in achieving your personal project goal and completing your personal project. When assessing the use of the process journal the following questions can be considered. l Have you included evidence of personal goal setting and planning, such as a plan of action? l Do you have the relevant materials during meetings with your supervisor and during work periods? lDo you follow meeting arrangements with your supervisor? Do you initiate meeting arrangements? l Do you use the meeting time productively to ask questions and seek information? l Is there dialogue between you and your supervisor? l Do you record sources consulted? l Do you include extracts of relevant information? l Do you show evidence of brainstorming ideas and use of organizational tools such as flow charts, diagrams or lists? l Do you anticipate and identify problems as they emerge? l Do you create solutions? l Do you include reflections at various stages of the process? l Do you include feedback from the meetings with your supervisor?
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It is important to remember that the process journal is personal to yourself, in the sense that you are also exploring ways of recording your process. There is no one single model and there is flexibility to record your process. However, you do have a responsibility to be able to produce evidence of use of the process journal in order for a level to be awarded for criterion A. The minimum requirement for each due date is 3 entries, 3 paragraphs each showing evidence and reflection.
Stage 2 Defining the Goals Identifying the topic Now, begin your project by identifying areas or topic of interest to yourself. Having the opportunity to think and brainstorm ideas is useful for you, as well as discussing ideas with other people, for example, other students, friends outside the school, relatives and teachers. You should document your process at this stage, including ideas discussed and your thinking.
Identifying the focus area of interaction First, and most importantly, you MUST choose an area of interaction to be the context for your project investigation. Basically, your choices for your context are: • Human ingenuity – you are interested in investigating how and why inventive and creative genius can solve problems, improve the human condition or change how we view our world and beliefs. You want to identify and explore the responsibilities we have when we make changes • Environments – you are interested in investigating how and why particular environments (natural, built, virtual) operate, face challenges or need improving. You also want to identify and explore our responsibilities towards those environments • Health and social education – you are interested in how and why people live as they do, the relationships that exist, the health and social issues individuals and groups must face and our responsibilities to ourselves and others through our lifestyles • Community and service – you are interested in investigating how and why communities exist and how and why it is important that individuals and groups offer services within communities ●Approaches to learning – you are interested in investigating how people learn and the variety of different ways in which different people can learn effectively Here are some questions you might consider as you choose an area of interaction through which to focus your project. • What do I want to achieve through my personal project? • What do I want others to understand through my work? • What impact do I want my project to have? • How can a specific area of interaction enrich my project?
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Inquiry Question So far you have an area of interaction and you have a topic of interest. Now you create a question to guide your investigation. Your question should definitely contain: • your topic • your area of interaction Your question should also demand inquiry, and not be a question that can be answered simply in a sentence or two. Examples of inquiry questions include: Human ingenuity questions: • What ingenious ideas will enable householders to reduce their carbon footprint on the planet? • What ingenious processes are involved in authentically rejuvenating an antique wardrobe? • How have ingenious humans developed human flight over time and what might the future hold? • What can be done to improve access to all areas of our school for students with physical movement disabilities? • What factors and clever strategies enable a performer to excel in a performance? Environments questions: • What materials can surfboard designers use to ensure that future surfboards are friendly to the environment? • Is the school’s use of resources efficient or wasteful and what can be done to improve the existing situation? • What are the best environmental conditions for rearing cockatiels in captivity and why are those conditions effective? • Why should all Australians be concerned about the Murray River system and what should be done to repair it? • How can I positively improve the current environment within my family’s home? Health and social education questions: • Is it important to have single gender classes at school or should everyone be in coeducational classes all the time? • What exactly is a healthy lifestyle and is it the same for everyone? • Why is it important to have a school transition program for new students and what should it involve? • How effective is the existing drug awareness program in our community, and what could be done to improve drug awareness and the dangers of substance abuse among our peers? • Does the existing homework program help or hinder students’ relationships with family and friends, and are there improvements that could be made to the program? Community and service questions: • How can school students really help people in need in the international community?
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• What actions should the general community take to enable older citizens to live safe and comfortable lives? • How can a person change the world for the better through service without spending money? • What can we do to bring the international community together to fulfill the International Baccalaureate mission? • How does my church actively serve the wider community and how might I get involved? Approaches to learning questions: • What strategies and techniques can students use to more effectively manage and complete homework? • How can a coach effectively improve the individual and team ball-handling skills of junior baseball players? • How might our school enable all students to become proficient with Information and Communication Technologies? • What could teachers do to make learning experience more enjoyable and effective for students at our school? • Why is it important to train a dog and what are effective ways to achieve this aim? Creating a good question is not easy. Adults have difficulty with the task, so don’t expect the first question you think of to be the best. Brainstorm possible questions first. Then talk to other people about your inquiry question ideas – your parents, friends, your teachers. Make sure that the area of interaction is obvious in the question or can be clearly connected to the question. Then, make a decision.
Engaging with the Areas of Interaction Your personal project must have one (and only one) focus area of interaction. This must be justified for criterion B and you must reflect on how your understanding of the area of in-teraction has developed through your project for criterion F. This section includes, for each AoI, a set of sentences called Student Learning Expectations. You should be able to match at least one of these expectations from your focus AoI to your project. Apart from Approaches to Learning, every AoI is built around a version of the inquiry cycle. Expectations from any section can form the basis of a personal project, but those relating to action normally make good projects! Deciding on the outcome or product With your topic, focused area of interaction, and inquiry question in place, you need to think about what your outcome or product will be; you have to decide the format that you will create to show your response to other people. How do you plan to answer your inquiry question? So for example, if your inquiry question is “What exactly is a healthy lifestyle and is it the same for everyone?”, and in what form do you plan to answer this? You decide that you will answer the question, for example, through producing an information board for healthy living that will be displayed in an area of the school for a period of time. You might have decided to answer it in another way such as creating a short film or writing a report for the school online newspaper. You decided on a goal that you think is achievable for yourself as well as being challenging.
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You can choose from an almost endless list of possibilities for your product – choose to create an item that will best demonstrate what you have learned through your investigation and will show other people what you have learned. Examples include: Performances play, dance, song, speech Published writing creative prose, collection of poetry, major essay, extended article, script, review Events Fund-raising evening, service in action, celebration, major event Static visual displays photographs, art, poster, model, artifact, drawings, statistical data Interactive displays web site, video, audio-visual, animation Depending on your project you might combine two or more of these ideas to create your product in response to the inquiry question. Creating specifications You will need to create specifications for your outcome or product. The specifications are the way you will know you’ve achieved your goal. You will need to ask yourself different questions in order to define the specifications. The questions you ask might change depending on the type of outcome or product. Questions you might find helpful: � What will my outcome or product look like? � What type of materials will I use? � What techniques will I use? � What type of information will I include? � How will I present the information? � Will I include visuals? � Do I need to consider any copyright or intellectual property issues? � Who is the audience? � How will I get feedback? Talk to other people about your specifications – your parents, friends, your teachers. You can always refine your specifications later as you discover more about your personal project goal, but create some now to kick-start your Personal Project and record them below. Please be noted that it is most likely that you will not be able to define the specifications until you have spent some time researching the goal and this aspect is determined once you have begun your investigations. Once you are clear on what you want to achieve and the outcome or product of their project, you will be in a position to determine the specifications.
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You may want to use the following ISMART Goal form to support your decision.
You will use these specifications to evaluate the quality of the outcome or product as assessed in criterion E.
With your area of interaction, topic, inquiry question and specifications in place, you should take time to plan your time management over the period allowed for the Personal Project. Managing time is one of the most crucial elements of the project. It is essential that you create a timeline of what you plan to do. To help you plan, you should remember that the Personal Project has at least five phases:
THINK This is the phase involving the first five steps – you develop your personal project concept through your choice of area of interaction, topic and inquiry question
INVESTIGATE This is the phase you undertake next – you gather as much information as you can on your topic.
PLAN This phase is when you plan your response to the inquiry question – sorting through information and designing your product / outcome.
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CREATE This is the phase when you actually create your product or outcome for the Personal Project.
PRESENT Finally, you present your Personal Project for viewing and assessment.
Stage 3 Select Sources / Investigation Now, it’s time to take the action of finding out information in order to respond to an inquiry question. Using your inquiry question, you will: • gather all the information you can from a variety of sources • evaluate the sources: work out which information is really useful as well as reliable and which isn’t for a response to the inquiry question What sources do I use for my investigation? You have access to a variety of information sources: • your prior knowledge • subject area content • significant/expert people • survey data • Published media (books, internet articles from magazines, journals, newspapers etc.) • internet resources • video or audio recordings • images • Web sites You should use them all, initially, to find out as much as you can on your topic. Record all of the sources you read, view, and listen to, interview in your process journal. This will form a valuable resource for later in the project process. Below is a guide for you to use. BOOKS I’VE READ ON MY TOPIC Record your books in the order – author surname, first name, Title of book in italics, city where published, publisher, year published, print or online. For example: Diner, Stephen J. A Very Different Age: Americans of the Progressive Era. New York: Hill and Wang, 2005. Print. MAGAZINE ARTICLES I’VE READ ON MY TOPIC Record your magazine articles in the order – author surname, first name, title of article in quotation marks, title of magazine in italics, Issue or volume number, pages, year of publication.
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For example: Ratnersar, Romesh. “The Homework Ate My Family.” Time. 25 Jan. 1999: 54-63. Print. WEB SITES VIEWED ON MY TOPIC Record your web site visits in the order – author surname, first name, title of web page in italics, publisher or sponsor of the site, date of latest update or copyright date, medium of the publication, date that you viewed the web site. For example: Heinrich, J. Cloning the Future. Futureconcepts.org. 2008. Web. 15 September 2008. If you cannot find the web page author, you record the web site visit in the order – title of web page in italics, publisher or sponsor of the site, date of latest update or copyright date, medium of the publication, date that you viewed the web site. For example: Cloning the Future. Futureconcepts.org. 2008. Web. 15 September 2008. PEOPLE I INTERVIEWED IN REGARD TO MY TOPIC Record interviews and significant discussions with people in the order – person’s surname, first name, kind of interview (personal interview or telephone interview), date of interview For example: Ury, Connie. Telephone interview. 2 Nov. 2002.
How do I choose what information to use? Having investigated your topic by reading, viewing, listening and interviewing to gather information, now you have to sort through what you have gathered to choose what is most useful or appropriate for your project response. There are many techniques you can apply to choose which information to use and which to leave out. Some examples are identified below as guides or reminders of what to do at this point. Sometimes one technique will work. More likely you will have to use combinations of them to finally choose what information to use. Straight logic This technique requires you to simply select information by thinking about its relevance to your inquiry question. You label pieces of information as either ‘Relevant’ or ‘Irrelevant’ and then use the ‘Relevant’ information for your project. Degree of importance You make four categories and go through your information labeling each piece of information according to the category that best describes what you have found. The categories are: Absolutely essential You cannot respond to the inquiry question if you don’t use this information. Keep it and use it.
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Very useful This is information that should be used in the response because it makes very clear to everyone what you have learned or want other people to learn about your topic. Keep and use as much of this as you can. Interesting This information does refer to the inquiry question, but if you did leave it out it wouldn’t radically change your response. Use it if you don’t have enough of the two levels above. Irrelevant When you look at your inquiry question this information doesn’t really help. It is related to the topic only, but not the area of interaction. You ignore this information. The Checklist For this technique you have a series of question that you apply to each piece of information. If it receives ticks against all questions then clearly you should use the information in your response. • Is the information source reliable and is the information accurate? • Is the information current or still valuable if it is older? • Does the information help me respond to the inquiry question? • Does the information connect clearly with the area of interaction or aspects of it? • Does the information belong to my topic? • Will the information help me to develop my project product?
Stage 4 Applying Information Application of information takes place throughout the project as you decide what actions to take and when, and as you keep records in your process journal. You need to be aware of recording your decision-making which has been based on information from sources. You will make connections with prior knowledge and new knowledge in potentially unfamiliar situations and identify solutions. When you come to report the project your records will be particularly important. As mentioned in Using the Process Journal, these records do not need to be lengthy but appropriate to the needs of you and a reminder of what you have achieved along the way. What should I keep in my Journal? Your journal is a complete record of EVERYTHING you do for your Personal Project, from START to FINISH. You should use your journal to store: • Notes and ideas on your project area of interaction • Concepts for your project • Drawings, pictures, clippings, photographs • Information gathered from your investigations • Copies of interviews and discussions with people • Plans for your project • Timeline(s) Above all else you should use your journal to make regular and detailed REFLECTIONS on your ideas, progress and challenges. Record your responses to other people’s feedback, your good experiences and your disappointments. Your journal will be the most important
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document in your Personal Project experience because from it you will be able draw all the kind of information you will need to write your statement. What should my journal look like? Whether you keep a journal notebook or an e-journal you must satisfy the checklist. MYP Journal Checklist Completion
1. Do I have three entries? 2. Does each entry have a minimum of 3 well-developed paragraphs?
Authentic Evidence
1. Have I included websites I have visited? 2. Have I included receipts for resources I bought (if any)? 3. Have I included photographs? 4. Have I included video or audio recordings (if appropriate)? 5. Have I included other items?
Reflection Have I answered these questions? 1. How satisfied am I with the project? 2. Have there been any surprises? 3. What is next? 4. Have I had any problems? How will I overcome them? 5. Do I need to expand the scope of my project? 6. Do I need to make any adjustments?
Stage 5 Working on the Product / Achieving the Goal Now you have completed your research and selected the information you need and the techniques you will use to create your product. Describe the techniques you have used to make your product. Make your product/outcome While making your product you will be using your Process Journal continuously to record each task you undertake in order to document everything you do, including things that go well, things that go wrong, things that can be improved and things that just make you smile. It is vital that as you go through the creation process, you reflect seriously in terms of your Area of Interaction focus and in terms of whether you are making progress to achieving your goal/specifications. Evaluate the product/outcome
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Now your product/outcome is finished, it’s time to evaluate the outcome/product against your own specifications for success. You must create your own rubric for the final product.
Stage 6 Reflect on Learning At this stage, you need to reflect the 4 items as listed below: l Your knowledge and understanding of the topic l Your knowledge and understanding of the focus area of interaction l Learner Profile characteristic l ATL skills that can transfer to other further research These are questions you might use to help you think about. You don’t have to answer each question as a checklist but they are to give you an idea of the type of information to include. • What exactly did you learn from your investigation? What was your response to your inquiry question? How did you reach your conclusion or hypothesis or point of view or expression of ideas? What aspects of your investigation really helped you to reach a better understanding of your topic? • What new understanding do you have the area of interaction you chose to use as the context for your project? How did the area of interaction context give you a different or better understanding of your topic? • How well did you do the project, according to your self-assessment? What did you feel you did well? What would you improve next time you do a similar project? • What specific skills did you need to develop/apply to investigate and complete your project? What new skills did you learn, or what existing skills did you improve? • What format did you use for your Journal and why was it your preferred format? • What did you learn about yourself as a person through undertaking the project process? Which of the Learner Profile qualities did you find yourself exhibiting at different times and why? Have you improved in any of these qualities? • What action should be taken by yourself and others as a result of what you discovered through your investigation? Why should that action occur? How might that action be implemented? • Final comment about your experience with the project?
Reporting the Project-Draft What is the project report? The project report is the formal record of the entire process you undertook to complete your Personal Project investigation. It will explain clearly to whoever reads, listens to or watches it: l Your area of interaction context l Your specific topic l Your inquiry question and the product or outcome you created l Your plans and the process you implemented
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l The resources you used l The techniques you applied l The challenges and issues you faced and perhaps solved l What you learned about your topic and area of interaction from your investigation l What you learned about yourself as a learner from the Personal Project experience What should the project report look like? The report is the place where you bring together and summarize your thinking, process and creation that helped you to complete your project. It can take different formats depending on what has been agreed with your supervisor. You need to think about how you will report your project early on in the process and build the report into the whole timeframe. You can start drafting the report at any stage or begin when you have completed the outcome or product, however make sure you plan in enough time to produce the report. You can choose to report the project through: • a written report in the format of an academic report, a website, blog, or similar • an oral report that includes visual support • a multimedia presentation such as a short film or a website that includes both written text and an audio-visual component • any other format that is suitable for you and is approved by your supervisor. The information you include in the report is organized into specific sections, whichever format you choose. The report doesn’t replace the product or outcome of your project, so think about how you personally will communicate the information you want to in the best way for you. Whichever way you decide to report your project, you will need to plan and organize the information. Your process journal will be extremely important at this point as it will contain all the information you need to complete the report, if you have used it consistently. Structure of the personal project report Written format The report MUST include: Title page; Table of contents; body of the report; bibliography or reference list; appendices. The title page must include the following. • your name • Title of the project • Length (word count) • School name • Year The body of the report is structured around the objectives and assessment criteria and it must include these sections. • The goal (criterion B) • Selection of sources (criterion C) • Application of information (criterion D)
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• Achieving the goal (criterion E) • Reflection on learning (criterion F) Length of the report The length of the personal project report must be a minimum of 1,500 words and a maximum of 3,500 words, not including appendices or bibliography. Other formats If you decide to report the project in any other format, it MUST include a title page; summary of the project (no more than 150 words); bibliography or reference list. The title page must include the following. your name • Title of the project • Format of the report • Length (word count/time) • School name • Year The report itself must be clear and have a structure that follows the objectives and the assessment criteria. • The goal (criterion B) • Selection of sources (criterion C) • Application of information (criterion D) • Achieving the goal (criterion E) • Reflection on learning (criterion F) Length of the report The report must not exceed 3,500 words or 15-minute oral presentation or audio-visual recording.
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Requirements For MYP Electronic Journal Entries Appendix 1 * If you really struggle with technology, this is not the choice for you. Please choose the paper option. Set Up (This Step Must Be Completed By August 29. If it is not completed by the 29, you have to complete the paper option) 1. Go to Blogger.com 2. Set up an account or use your already set up Google ID. Blogger is Google’s Blogging Service. If you
have a Google Docs, YouTube, or any other Google Service account you can log into Blogger using the same password
3. After you log in, Click on the New Blog button in the top left hand corner. 4. In the title box, type your name followed by MYP Project. Example…… David MYP Project 5. In the address bar, you should type your last name followed by MYP without spaces.
Example…………. Smithmyp. If that address is taken, add a number after your last name. Example………..Smith1myp
6. Choose the template you like 7. This will take you back to the home screen. Click on the View Blog Button that is with your blog title
on the right hand side 8. Copy the Blog Address that is listed in the url bar at the top of the page 9. Paste the Address into the message area of an email addressed to myppersonalproject@yahoo.com.
In the subject line, write your first name, your last name, and MYP Personal Project. Example…….. David Smith MYP Personal Project
To Post A Journal Entry 1. Go to Blogger.com and log in 2. Click on the Button with the Orange Pencil 3. In Post Title, type Journal plus the number of the journal and number of the submission.
Example………… Journal 3 Submission 1. MAKE SURE YOU ONLY PUT 1 JOURNAL ENTRY PER BLOG POST!!!!
To Add Evidence
-‐ Links -‐ On your Blog Post, about 2/3 of the way down on the format bar there is a button labeled link. Click on that button. In the Text to display box type why the link is significant to your research. In the box to what URL should this link go type the link to your resource. MAKE SURE THESE LINKS ARE SPECIFIC!!! IT CAN NOT BE JUST CNN.COM, IT NEEDS TO BE THE SPECIFIC LINK TO THE ARTICLE
-‐ Pictures -‐ Click on the button of the picture that is right next to the link. Find the digital picture on your computer, choose it, and click add selected.
-‐ Videos -‐ Click on the movie marker button that is to the right of the picture button. Click on the choose a video to upload button . Find the Video on your computer, and then click the blue upload button at the bottom of pop up screen. PLEASE DO NOT USE THE YOU TUBE OPTIONS!!! Teachers need to be able to view these on campus, and YouTube access is unreliable on campus.
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For Help With Technical Issues (THIS IS ONLY FOR TECHNICAL ISSUES ON ELECTRONIC JOURNAL!)
1. If it is a small issue or question, email myppersonalproject@yahoo.com for answers. 2. If you need technical help, see your SLC technical advisor.
Examples of Challenging MYP Personal Projects: Appendix 2
Project Appropriate Challenge Higher Challenge
Learn how to create a website
Research to discover the most helpful site for webpage design. Locate tutorials within the site to help you
build your page. Designate a target audience to help determine content and provide feedback along the way.
Select a meaningful cause such as cancer research or a clean water project. Research to discover notable
organizations as well as practical and effective ways to help. Find a useful site for webpage design and locate tutorials
to help you create a page which informs readers of the need and connects them to appropriate websites if they choose to
get involved.
Learn how to cook Identify your favorite meals. Interview cooks and consult cookbooks in order to discover
various ways to prepare each meal and then try the different versions to determine your preference. Once
you have experimented with all the recipes, compile your list of favorites into a recipe book.
Identify your favorite meals. Interview cooks and consult cookbooks in order to discover various ways to prepare each
meal. When purchasing ingredients, compare nutrition charts and prices in order to determine the healthiest recipe
for the best value. Once you have experimented with all the recipes, compile your list of favorites into a recipe
book. Also, estimate a weekly budget necessary to cook these meals.
Learn how to make
a documentary film
Find and view notable documentaries
and locate critical reviews in order to understand the strong components of these films. Research an
interesting subject matter and create a film in which you explore every aspect of the subject. Include
interviews.
Find and view notable documentaries
and locate critical reviews in order to understand the strong components of these films. Survey classmates in order
to determine a topic or subject matter which interests the majority of them even though they have different opinions
on the subject. Create a film in which you explore every aspect of the subject. Include interviews representing various
views.
For International Studies and Arts: Mr. Lockhart For Business and Entrepreneurship: Ms. Grant
For Global Broadcast and Journalism: Mr. Reagan
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Sample Journal Essay: Appendix 3
In the past, I watched movies in order to escape and for sheer entertainment value. I did not watch them to make myself think, yet that is exactly what happened when I saw Michael Moore’s Bowling for
Columbine. It wasn’t a summer blockbuster or a romantic comedy; rather it was a thought-‐provoking look at the causes and effects of violence in our culture. It made me think, and I appreciated that-‐-‐-‐so much so that I started watching other documentaries, such as the Planet Earth series on the Discovery
Channel.
I want to show others that you can stretch your brain and be entertained simultaneously, but I quickly discovered that just because I enjoyed several documentaries doesn’t mean I automatically know how to make a good one. I went to a website (cited below) to get a list of Oscar-‐winning
documentaries so that I could watch a few more and figure out what makes these non-‐fiction films so captivating. Here are the ones I want to watch to pick up some tips:
• Spellbound • March of the Penguins • Super Size Me • Tupac: Resurrection I’m also lacking the key component to my documentary-‐-‐-‐my topic. I gave surveys to a bunch of
friends in order to find out what they would actually be interested in. I’m a little worried that I’m getting in over my head, so I only listed topics that I personally want to know more about. I’ll go with what the majority decides, and once I know the topic, I’ll start my research. Here is a copy of the survey
I gave them, which they’re turning in tomorrow:
If you had to watch a movie on one of the following topics, which would it be:
_____ Bullying
_____ Religion in schools
_____ Cliques
_____ High school dating
I feel like this topic addresses multiple areas of interaction, so my focus is going to be on both environments and health and social education. My documentary will examine how high school students
think and act, but I also hope it will make them more aware of issues in their environment. And ultimately, it would be nice if that awareness leads to some sort of positive action.
Website for Oscar-‐winning documentaries:
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http://documentaries.about.com/od/recommendeddocumentaries/a/oscarwinners.htm, viewed August 24, 2012.
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Examples of AoI centered projects with specifications Appendix 3 Topic Goal Specifications Process Outcome/Product Learning how to motivate others
Inspire children to become responsible for their local environment through a workshop.
The workshop: • has clear and measurable objectives • is of the right length for the targeted students • includes a suitable number of activities for the purpose of the objectives • includes a post-‐workshop evaluation questionnaire.
The student uses the focus of approaches to learning to research how a workshop environment can motivate others to take action. She decides that the focus of the workshop will be environmental issues. The student researches how to plan a workshop The student plans, delivers and evaluates the workshop. She reflects on what she has learned about how others learn and the planning of learning for others.
Workshop pack produced containing plan and materials. Delivery of workshop to children on the topic.
Building community
Bring members of the community together through an event, for example, music performance.
Specifications are based on the student’s decision to hold a music performance. The event: • includes countries represented in the school— France; Germany; India; Iran; Poland; USA • provides seating for 50 people • uses four spotlights; four microphones • provides refreshments: a suitable drink and snack (50 people) • includes volunteers: four on doors and seating; four on refreshments; six behind the scenes.
The student uses the focus of community and service to research how communities can be strengthened. She considers current opportunities that exist in the school that bring members of community together and researches types of local events. The student identifies a new event for the school community and produces a plan for the event, which is approved by the school leadership. The student identifies support for the event and recruits volunteers. The student advertises the event, holds the event and evaluates its success. The student reflects on her new understandings of community and factors that impact on communities.
Specific event held at a pre-‐arranged time during the school year.
Fighting prejudice
Create a short play to raise awareness of impact of prejudice on individuals; work with social studies teacher to use as part of unit of work.
The play: • must be 20 minutes long • must be appropriate for students aged 11 (defined further after research) • must include the main theme of the impact of prejudice (defined further after research). There must be a tool to evaluate the play such as a questionnaire.
The student uses the focus of health and social education to research prejudice from the perspective of how people think and act. He is interested in the definition and impact of prejudice and how people might be influenced to change their thinking. The student looks at ways of communicating with others and through research decides that a play is an appropriate media for his message. The student identifies his target audience, writes the play, organizes rehearsals and stages the play. The student evaluates the impact with the help of the social studies teacher who issues a questionnaire in class. He reflects on new understandings of how people act and how an individual can have an impact.
The play.
Working To improve The location of the plants The student is interested in the effect of Arrangement
Approaches to Learning
Community and Service
Health and Social Education
Environments
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environment and health
the school environment in a simple, cost-‐effective way.
take into account health and safety policies of the school. The plants are easy to maintain. There is a range of plants that provides a mix of foliage and color. There is a system for ensuring the plants are cared for.
environment on health and how she can make a difference in her own school environment. Through the focus of environments, she researches findings relating to health and environment in public buildings. The student identifies a way that she can benefit the school environment, which is providing specific plants for certain classrooms and public areas. She discusses this with her school administration. The student organizes a variety of ways of receiving plants and pots from parents and local organizations. The student organizes the planting and arrangement of plants in rooms. She seeks feedback from peers and teachers. The student reflects on her learning both in relation to how human-‐made environments can be manipulated as well as her own learning in managing such a project.
of plants in areas of the school.
The value of bamboo
To show the value of bamboo in Vietnamese daily life.
The painting: • includes images of how bamboo is used in daily life • is acrylic on canvas in observational style • is mixed media and realism— bamboo products attached to the canvas • is on a canvas size 1m x 1m.
Through the focus of human ingenuity, the student decides to explore the uses of bamboo in her local community and in daily life. The student identifies how the material is used in many different ways and decides to produce an artwork to communicate her findings. The student experiments with ideas and plans her artwork to reflect how the material is used in ingenious ways. On completing the project, the student reflects on her own learning about the uses of bamboo and new discoveries, as well as how she developed her artistic skills.
Three-‐dimensional painting.
Hum
an Ingenuity
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MYP Personal Project Due Dates ****All assignments are due by 8:30 am of the due date.
10th Grade meeting during advisement August 13
10th Grade meetings by SLC during advisement August 14
Phase I Due Dates
Oral Interview with proper citation of source is due and documented in your journal. You must follow the interview guidelines.
August 29
Journal entry 1 about the process of determining your topic, the Area of Interaction under consideration and the development of the goal(s)
for your project.
September 5
Topic notification form is due and must be kept in your journal as page 1. You must follow the rubric
for this form.
September 19
Phase II Due Dates
Journal entries 2, 3 and 4 October 3
Journal entries 5, 6, and 7 November 7
Journal entries 8, 9, and 10 December 5
Journal entries 11, 12, and 13 January 9
Journal entries 14, 15, and 16 plus the rubrics for the final project and final report that you create
February 6
Journal entries 17, 18, and 19 plus deadline for
meeting with advisor to finalize rubrics for the final project and final report
March 6
Phase III Due Dates
Final project April 3
Final report April 3
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