当前位置： 首页 > 专栏 > 淼淼时间(English)

The Inquisitive IB Student?

作者: 淼淼    人气: 3086    日期: 2014/6/14

The Inquisitive IB Student? "The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.” (www.ibo.org/mission/) I decided to try to do something new today. I felt like the film and TV musing can get a little depressing and serious-it being so far removed from daily life at times, so I’ve decided to focus back and talk about something I am more involved in-High School. Therefore, with this new arrangement, I will still keep the TV/film musings going but add more of my own personal life and maybe some free verse in the future, we will see.  With any re-telling of the bits of life, it would make sense to go chronologically, so here we go… The International Baccalaureate (or the IB) Yes, those who know me and read will know that I moaned, complained, whined and cursed at it regularly for the whole 3 years I suffered under it, one year of Pre-ib and two years of the IB Diploma. Now looking back at the mission statement of the IBO (Internal Baccalaureate Organisation) sourced from its website, (never fear IB I did reference it is after all one of the things drummed into you by teachers and the IB coordinator), I think back and wonder if I really did become that person, through my education. Before, I start jabbering on about whether I am that student or not and whether it was worth it, let me give a short run-down about the IB Diploma: It is a 6 subject-course for the last 3 years of high school, where by each student or candidate as we call them must take 2 languages, Mathematics, one humanities/social science and one science, with the option to take another subject from the previous groups or take one in the arts. In addition, you have an extended essay (self-directed 4000 word essay), Theory of Knowledge-how and why we think and Creativity.Action.Service hours (volunteering) for 150 hrs minimum. After completing all of that, I started thinking was it all worth it, the money, effort, time, sweat and tears spent for just one piece of pretty paper. I guess, the only way to answer that is through a series of self-posed questions, for today, I thought I would focus on being an inquisitive learner. What does it mean to be an inquirer? Perhaps, I’ve already answered this question by asking it. Humour aside, I took some time to think about whether I had an inquirer within me. IB has taught me not to only ask questions, but also to teach me how and in what ways to ask any questions. Let me expand on this. Coming from an Asian culture, and I would say Chinese more so, we’ve been taught from a young age to defer and respect our elders, following the well-worn and often true adage and formula of Age=(More Experience)=Wisdom. Indeed, this is often if not always true, wisdom is gathered via the school of life not via academia. However, an unfortunate side effect is that we, the young ones are quickly shot down or encouraged and persuaded that we aren’t able, right or a mix of both to question authority-those “uncles” and “aunties” and grandparents. So, I was taught never or rarely to voice my opinion over others and that to question others meant a challenge of sorts. Living and growing up in a foreign world where, the opposite philosophy lived, it took awhile to get used to. IB was able to coax this inquisitive side out of me by making class participation compulsory and part of our grade thereby making “asking questions” necessary. Nevertheless, when you begin to think about this more clearly, asking questions isn’t enough. Anyone can ask questions, right? Yes…… and no. Gathering the courage and confidence to ask questions in front of a class of 10, 20 or more is the first step. What makes me a true inquirer and not just merely a questioner is that of the way I was guided to ask a question. To go from broad to narrow and then to narrow again, as a way of introducing the topic to the audience, drawing focus to certain areas and then leave the audience with and open ending-a chance for thought and reflection to continue on from the topic areas. To formulate questions that wouldn’t just yield yes or no closed answers but yet weren’t so open that the answer was vague and unfocused. Perhaps, here an example would serve best. For each subject, we had a self-direct investigation and essay, directed by our own questions. E.g. English Literature Draft 1: The symbolism of the mad and insane in Ward No. 6 Draft 2: To what extent are insanity and delusions a sign of societal constriction in Ward No. 6 Draft 3: The Role of Sickness, Lunacy and Death in Ward No. 6 To what extent to they serve as Chekhov’s mouthpiece for social and political criticism. So there you have it, I may not always be an inquirer but at least I have learnt the hows and the whys because of the IB. Follow me on: http://mywonderingsouls.blogspot.co.nz/