Category Archives: Announcements

Feb 10 2013

PQ and PCF Forms for New Schools


Recently I’ve been asked questions about schools who are new to IB and do they need to submit the PQ (Programme Questionnaire) and PCF (Programme Completion Form). These forms fall under old requirements that no longer exist. If you’re reading The Handbook of Procedures 2011 throw it away and download The Handbook of Procedures 2013 from the OCC. Here is what I learned:

PQ (Programme Questionnaire)

The Handbook of Procedures 2013 states: “Newly authorized schools are no longer required to complete a CAS programme questionnaire (form CAS/PQ) and submit it to the regional office for approval. Consequently, this form has been removed from the handbook. The procedure for approving initial CAS programmes has been incorporated into the new global school authorization processes, therefore CAS implementation will be evaluated every 5 years.” (page 279, B9.4 CAS programme approval, The Handbook of Procedures 2013)

New schools do not have to submit the PQ form anymore. Awesome sauce!

PCF (Programme Completion Form)

The Handbook of Procedures 2013 states: ”Schools are responsible for evaluating candidates’ CAS activities and performance according to the performance criteria given in the Creativity, action, service guide. Coordinators must notify the IB office whether or not candidates have completed their CAS programme by completing the appropriate electronic form on IBIS by 1 June/1 December in the diploma year.” (page 280, B9.7 CAS programme evaluation and completion, The Handbook of Procedures 2013)

So no PCF to send in either, you just need to report whether or not your students completed their CAS requirement on IBIS. Good news for new schools! Woot woot!

The IBIS website is the only thing CAS Coordinators need to know about; this is where you will electronically submit a form about your students’ CAS status. Your IB Coordinator will need to give you access to IBIS.

To sum up: If you’re a new IB school, you don’t have to submit the PQ. It’s dead. You also don’t need to submit the PCF because it’s now submitted electronically through IBIS.

Jan 30 2013

My Interpretation of CAS


I was asked the other day how to motivate students to complete their CAS activities. My reply to this CAS Coordinator (who is more awesome than she knows) was to make sure your students understand the importance and meaning of CAS. The following is my own interpretation of CAS and it won’t be found anywhere in an IB document, but this is what I tell my students. And I explain it in the order that makes sense to me: Creativity, Service, Action: CSA
 
Creativity
Creativity is what made the first caveman turn a rock into a wheel. Creativity isn’t just poetry, singing, dancing, art, or writing. Although these endeavors bring beauty and meaning to our lives, creativity is much more. It’s innovation, it’s progress, it’s new discoveries, new inventions. It’s the advancements in medicine that kept my dad alive for many years longer than he should’ve lived through his battle with cancer. It’s the iPad in my hands as I type this post. Creativity is certainly being involved in the Arts, but it’s also a better life in a better world through different thinking, new thinking, new ideas.
 
Service
But this creativity would all be for nothing if we didn’t use it to serve and assist our fellow man. Creativity and progress doesn’t do anyone any good if its foundation is not born from a desire to help each other, to make someone else’s life better and more enjoyable. The majority of us will not serve in big ways and change the world, but all of us can serve in some way, even small ways, by using our time and talents to change the world for someone. CAS is at the heart of the IB program, and service is at the heart of CAS. We need to keep creating and using our creativity to serve our community and the world at large as best we can. 
 
Action
But if we don’t stay healthy then we can’t maximize our creativity or our service to others. Our lives may even be cut short. There are many health issues not in our control, but staying active and exercising the only body we will ever have is one small area of health that is in our control. Brain research tells us our bodies need physical exertion to keep the brain AND body healthy, so exercise has a two-fold benefit. Remember this: Move more, eat less. 
 
This is why IB wants students, our future adults, to physically exert themselves. I like to think that IB boiled down the three most vital elements of being a responsible member of this world to these three elements: Creativity, Action, and Service: CAS. Or as I like to call them: CSA. :)
 
And remember: Move more, eat less.
Dec 6 2012
Aside

A friend of mine, Aundrea Croft, Coordinator of Community Service & CAS at Lake Wales High School, was asking me to help her brainstorm ideas on how her students could develop truly meaningful reflections for their CAS activities. After many email exchanges, we decided that I had no useful ideas and that I was utterly no help to her. Haha.

So this brilliant young lady developed her own sample reflection (with explanations) on how each Learning Outcome was met. It is a really, REALLY good example for students on how they can show that they met the Learning Outcomes that they said they were going to meet through an activity. Aundrea even shows how students can meet the hardest Learning Outcome of all time, Learning Outcome #7: “Consider the Ethical Implications of Their Actions.”

Check it out on the documents page on this blog. I don’t think I’m being hyperbolic when I say it’s amazingly awesome :)

Happy Holidays!

Sample Reflection with Explanations

Oct 21 2012

Learning Outcome #6 Questions


I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately about Learning Outcome #6 (Engaged with issues of global importance) which the CAS Guide defines as: 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).

Lot’s of people have been asking me how caring for the elderly can be considered a global activity, and my answer is: I don’t know. For my students here in the USA it would not be considered a global activity, but perhaps somewhere else it could be. I guess the IBO knows of enough instances where caring for the elderly can be considered a global activity, but this doesn’t mean it will count as a global activity for all IB students.

There are many gray areas when it comes to CAS activities; what counts for one student may not count for another. This is why the CAS Coordinator plays such an important role.

For definitive answers to questions like this, I suggest you login to the OCC (Online Curriculum Centre) and ask the IB experts there. Maria and Michael are CAS experts and will give you friendly, helpful direction :)

Sep 10 2012

10th of Every Month


Hello CAS Coordinators. I wanted to share with you something I’m doing new this year and that is this: I’m having students submit something CAS-related to me on the 10th of every month. This is my IB Coordinator’s idea and, so far, it seems to be working awesomely.

I used to let students submit their CAS stuff whenever they wanted, even if this meant waiting until the end of the year and then flooding me with a bunch of activities that needed final approval. But this year they are required to submit something to me on the 10th of every month, whether it’s just an update of what they have planned, activities that are in progress, activities that need approval, or evidence of completed activities.

This strategy seems to be keeping students more engaged with CAS and creating an atmosphere of “CAS is super important to being an IB student.” I know some of you already have such a system in place, but I didn’t so I wanted to share :) Have a great school year!

Apr 10 2012

CAS in Kansas City


Who’s going to the CAS workshop in Kansas City from April 14-16, this weekend? I shall be there ready to learn from all of you CAS Coordinators. Don’t forget all the materials they’re asking us to bring. So far I have downloaded to my iPad: the CAS Guide 2010, the Handbook of Procedures 2011, the Assessment Procedures, and a couple other items. Or don’t bring anything at all and I’ll share with you :) See you in Missouri!

Jan 1 2012

2011 in review


The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 20,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 7 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.