More Teachers Speak Up Against IB
Below this article you will find Debra Niwa's comments posted 3/4/11,
http://verdenews.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=40685&SectionID=36&SubSectionID=1192&S=1
Posted: Friday, March 04, 2011
Article comment by: Deb N
On 3/3/11 Emma Goldman wrote ". . . talk to teachers in the schools where it has been adopted and ask for their opinions."
Here are some IB teacher opinions about IB programs (Note: DP=Diploma Program MYP=Middle Years Program PYP=Primary Years Program):
". . . MYP has no educational value – even if it is implemented skilfully. [ . . . ] MYP . . . is very very intrusive all through the 5 years of its existence (grades 6-10). (In passing, I’ve often wondered why, if it is so educationally important, MYP suddenly stops in Grade 10. There is no articulation between MYP and IB Diploma . . . ). When an MYP teacher teaches a topic or a book, he is supposed to frame the topic in terms of the 5 MYP ‘Areas of Interaction’: Approaches to Learning, Homo Faber (pretentious Latin for ‘creativity’), Community, Health, Environment. UNDER MYP, AN ENGLISH TEACHER IS NOT FREE TO TEACH PURE ENGLISH."
-- Excerpt from “MYP: a Refutation,” 10/31/10
http://internationalschoolsreview.com/v-web/bulletin/bb/viewtopic.php?t=1322&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
“The MYP, however interesting in theory or even practice (depending on your school/leadership/whatever), doesn't really provide the opportunity to hone the skills needed to be successful DP students.”
-- Excerpt from the comment section (posted 11/4/10 3:26 am) for “MYP: a Refutation,” 10/31/10
http://internationalschoolsreview.com/v-web/bulletin/bb/viewtopic.php?t=1322&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
"IBO operates with the stated goal to develop global citizens, taking stands on everything from environmentalism to international diplomacy to population control. At my training, in a subject as seemingly objective as Calculus, I was encouraged to fill my curriculum with word problems that demonstrate an underlying agenda for the program – declining animal populations, the dangers of pollutants, global warming, etc. Would this technique be viewed innocuous by the school board if I were to give word problems that focus on the percentage of international terrorists that is Muslim or examine the statistical the correlation between higher gun control and higher crime levels?"
-- Excerpt from “A place in Public Education,” 9/1/08
http://tmilz.blogtownhall.com/
“I work in an IB elementary school in Virginia. My school system is implementing IB starting in primary school (where ALL students are required to participate in the program) and the program will gradually progress to middle and high school as these kids move up, . . . From what I’m seeing, the IB program has NO place in elementary school. It takes too much emphasis off learning the basics, it takes the teachers out of the classroom for too many meetings, and it takes our administrators on expensive cross-country business trips. The program is costing my county untold sums of money and I see absolutely no return on the investment. This program should be offered no earlier than middle school, and should be voluntary. Parents of students who choose to participate should help foot the bill for all the costs of the program.”
– Teresa, 3/20/08 (See comment section for "International Baccalaureate is Anti-American & Anti-Christian?", 2/22/06
http://pittsburgh.about.com/b/2006/02/22/international-baccalaureate-is-anti-american-anti-christian.htm
“Having taught in an IB elementary school for the past three years and having read all of the IB employee documents pertaining to the pedagogy, along with three day trainings into the concept of IB, the anti-American teaching in the primary years program is done in a very subtle way. It's more about the "right way" to be or the "right way to do things" or the "right way to think" and a lot of it is not the American way. Keeping an "open mind" is always pushed. Anyone who isn't "open minded" isn't considered an enlightened human being.
[ . . . ] I also learned more about rigor although I often found it developmentally inappropriate. It's all about taking action, putting these thought processes into action. My question was always: Should a 7 year old take action when they don't really understand the issue completely? I don't think so. Also, there was so much time spent on the IB stuff and time taken away from the true academics -- very frustrating when you have some low students that you need to help on academics but can't. The parents are all clueless, they have bought into something they don't really understand.” -- From a private email, 1/22/11 5:43 pm
"They also change the curriculum around every few years, requiring a teacher to be ‘retrained’ over the summer . . . I went to two ‘re-trainings’ in 6 years, and chewed through about $8000 in flight, food, and hotel, to listen to a guy doing a presentation that I could have done myself (only better).
I taught many students in an AP class (and I went ‘beyond the test’) who went on to great success at MIT, Yale, WPI, RPI, FIT, and WTF -- a good student will do well if you give them the goods, and those goods do not need to have the IB stamp on them.”
-- Excerpt from the Thread for: IB ("International Boondoggle"), 2/10/11, 12:20 PM
http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?p=3130142
“I taught IB and AP chemistry and biology at several international schools. IB and AP should not be seen as the same, especially the SL courses, which are very rudimentary in both chem and bio. The HL courses are only slightly more difficult and only touch on college level topics. These topics are not at the same depth as those in the corresponding AP courses. The IB is getting far too much credit (undeserved) for being at the cutting edge in education. However, my biggest problem with IB is their internal assessment portion of the course. The process is contrived, very subjective and is in my opinion an enormous waste of time for both students and teachers.”
-- “Teacher Knows Best,” 8/18/10,
http://www.truthaboutib.com/breakingnewsopinions.html
(Note to readers: “SL” refers to “Standard Level” “HL” refers to “Higher Level.”)
http://verdenews.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=40685&SectionID=36&SubSectionID=1192&S=1
Posted: Friday, March 04, 2011
Article comment by: Deb N
On 3/3/11 Emma Goldman wrote ". . . talk to teachers in the schools where it has been adopted and ask for their opinions."
Here are some IB teacher opinions about IB programs (Note: DP=Diploma Program MYP=Middle Years Program PYP=Primary Years Program):
". . . MYP has no educational value – even if it is implemented skilfully. [ . . . ] MYP . . . is very very intrusive all through the 5 years of its existence (grades 6-10). (In passing, I’ve often wondered why, if it is so educationally important, MYP suddenly stops in Grade 10. There is no articulation between MYP and IB Diploma . . . ). When an MYP teacher teaches a topic or a book, he is supposed to frame the topic in terms of the 5 MYP ‘Areas of Interaction’: Approaches to Learning, Homo Faber (pretentious Latin for ‘creativity’), Community, Health, Environment. UNDER MYP, AN ENGLISH TEACHER IS NOT FREE TO TEACH PURE ENGLISH."
-- Excerpt from “MYP: a Refutation,” 10/31/10
http://internationalschoolsreview.com/v-web/bulletin/bb/viewtopic.php?t=1322&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
“The MYP, however interesting in theory or even practice (depending on your school/leadership/whatever), doesn't really provide the opportunity to hone the skills needed to be successful DP students.”
-- Excerpt from the comment section (posted 11/4/10 3:26 am) for “MYP: a Refutation,” 10/31/10
http://internationalschoolsreview.com/v-web/bulletin/bb/viewtopic.php?t=1322&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
"IBO operates with the stated goal to develop global citizens, taking stands on everything from environmentalism to international diplomacy to population control. At my training, in a subject as seemingly objective as Calculus, I was encouraged to fill my curriculum with word problems that demonstrate an underlying agenda for the program – declining animal populations, the dangers of pollutants, global warming, etc. Would this technique be viewed innocuous by the school board if I were to give word problems that focus on the percentage of international terrorists that is Muslim or examine the statistical the correlation between higher gun control and higher crime levels?"
-- Excerpt from “A place in Public Education,” 9/1/08
http://tmilz.blogtownhall.com/
“I work in an IB elementary school in Virginia. My school system is implementing IB starting in primary school (where ALL students are required to participate in the program) and the program will gradually progress to middle and high school as these kids move up, . . . From what I’m seeing, the IB program has NO place in elementary school. It takes too much emphasis off learning the basics, it takes the teachers out of the classroom for too many meetings, and it takes our administrators on expensive cross-country business trips. The program is costing my county untold sums of money and I see absolutely no return on the investment. This program should be offered no earlier than middle school, and should be voluntary. Parents of students who choose to participate should help foot the bill for all the costs of the program.”
– Teresa, 3/20/08 (See comment section for "International Baccalaureate is Anti-American & Anti-Christian?", 2/22/06
http://pittsburgh.about.com/b/2006/02/22/international-baccalaureate-is-anti-american-anti-christian.htm
“Having taught in an IB elementary school for the past three years and having read all of the IB employee documents pertaining to the pedagogy, along with three day trainings into the concept of IB, the anti-American teaching in the primary years program is done in a very subtle way. It's more about the "right way" to be or the "right way to do things" or the "right way to think" and a lot of it is not the American way. Keeping an "open mind" is always pushed. Anyone who isn't "open minded" isn't considered an enlightened human being.
[ . . . ] I also learned more about rigor although I often found it developmentally inappropriate. It's all about taking action, putting these thought processes into action. My question was always: Should a 7 year old take action when they don't really understand the issue completely? I don't think so. Also, there was so much time spent on the IB stuff and time taken away from the true academics -- very frustrating when you have some low students that you need to help on academics but can't. The parents are all clueless, they have bought into something they don't really understand.” -- From a private email, 1/22/11 5:43 pm
"They also change the curriculum around every few years, requiring a teacher to be ‘retrained’ over the summer . . . I went to two ‘re-trainings’ in 6 years, and chewed through about $8000 in flight, food, and hotel, to listen to a guy doing a presentation that I could have done myself (only better).
I taught many students in an AP class (and I went ‘beyond the test’) who went on to great success at MIT, Yale, WPI, RPI, FIT, and WTF -- a good student will do well if you give them the goods, and those goods do not need to have the IB stamp on them.”
-- Excerpt from the Thread for: IB ("International Boondoggle"), 2/10/11, 12:20 PM
http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?p=3130142
“I taught IB and AP chemistry and biology at several international schools. IB and AP should not be seen as the same, especially the SL courses, which are very rudimentary in both chem and bio. The HL courses are only slightly more difficult and only touch on college level topics. These topics are not at the same depth as those in the corresponding AP courses. The IB is getting far too much credit (undeserved) for being at the cutting edge in education. However, my biggest problem with IB is their internal assessment portion of the course. The process is contrived, very subjective and is in my opinion an enormous waste of time for both students and teachers.”
-- “Teacher Knows Best,” 8/18/10,
http://www.truthaboutib.com/breakingnewsopinions.html
(Note to readers: “SL” refers to “Standard Level” “HL” refers to “Higher Level.”)
Hearing from teachers who articulate extremely well what IB does (teaches idology and esoteric concepts) and does not teach (math, science, english, reading as well as practical..not esoteric..approaches to learing) is very enlightening in itself. Being pro-active in keeping IB out of schools is what the school boards need to step up to...it seems as if only a few members of school boards are willing to step up and really research the IB programme at all levels, and when they do, they are opposed to implementation. The nationwide challenge, therefore, is to get the elected school board members to do their jobs and not depend on the opinion of ONE superintendent, possibly a few others in administration, and not to just jump into implementaion based on a few opinons.
Reply to this