Diploma Programme September Update
The growth in the DP unit is happening rapidly which means that all our activities have had a double impact on our work load. Our priority is to be supportive to DP schools (interested, candidate and authorized) in our region, and we try our best to meet that need.
We received our largest number of application forms for Part A in the authorization process, which began arriving at the regional office in February 2008. We processed those that met the deadline of May 1, and have thus scheduled over 100 schools to be authorized in the academic year 2008 – 2009.
Professional development and Athens 2008
The DP unit hosted its largest summer workshops with over 2200 participants spread over 3 weeks in Athens. We know that Athens was not the ideal venue with its soaring temperatures, but we are also aware of the fact that with global warming, summer temperatures are not always guaranteed across the region. The Professional development unit in our office is looking for means to identify venues that will be more acceptable to participants for the future (a survey was sent to all IB schools in the region a few months ago on this issue). The overall feedback from these workshops has been positive, and the regional office is constantly looking at ways to improve in the areas that had low ratings as we move forward in improving our workshop offering.
In February 2008, Proserpina Dhlamini-Fisher, regional manager for the DP unit in our regional office was invited to attend a conference in the UK by the Universities and Colleges’ Admissions Services (UCAS), in Nottingham. The main purpose of the conference was to introduce the new Diplomas in the UK. Together with two experienced DP Coordinators in the UK from state and independent schools), she gave a brief presentation on the DP and how it is perceived and recognized in the UK. We have received another invitation from UCAS on Curriculum for Higher Education in the UK. Our presentation this time will focus on what the DP framework is and how it has been recognized in the UK.
Subject guides
We also have a few new subject guides that will begin implementation in DP schools this term, and we hope that most authorized schools were able to send their teachers to the workshops that we offered in the winter of 2008 to meet this need.
Our training for new workshop leaders held in Geneva in April was very successful, and we would like to thank all those colleagues that took the time to apply. Unfortunately, we only had places available for 30 participants, and we had very specific subject needs for our workshop offerings. Applications will be opening soon for training to be held in April 2009.
DP also hosted a successful training session in December 2007 for team members for the authorization visits to help the regional office increase the number of collaborators we have from DP schools across the region. The next one will be held in December 2008.
Someting new...
The DP Unit will be hosting its very first DP Think Tank on the workshops offered in the region, in Geneva in September. Ten experienced workshop leaders from different subject groups and across the region have been invited to participate in this event. The agenda is based on plans for 2020 in the IB, a look at what has happened over the years in our workshops, and discussions and ideas will be shared on how we may learn and what we may do to improve our workshop offering. The Think Tank will last for 2.5 days.
Goodbye to
Svante Ingler left us this summer to take up employment in Sweden, where he will be working with a local government in improving educational offerings.
Marianne Kristensen leaves the DP to join another department still within the regional office.
We look forward to seeing all our enthusiastic Group 5 teachers at our conference on September 5 – 7, 2008 in Stockholm, Sweden, as well as in Marbella Spain in November 7 – 9, 2008 for TOK in all 3 official languages in addition to some workshops from our other subject groups offered specially in French and Spanish.
