Friday, September 24, 2010

Lingo yo!

So, I figured since I'm doing IB, therefore using IB terms, and some people might not know what IB is, I've compiled a list of words which you might see on this blog.
In no alphabetical order.

HL: higher level
Three out of the total six subjects undertaken by an IB student must be HL. Higher Level subjects included more content and depth than a Standard Level subject, and also involve more hours, assessments and and extra exam paper. They also have more credit (eg: if a student takes Maths HL, a 4 or 5 is equal to a Maths SL 6 or 7). Mark boundaries are also lower.

SL: standard level
Out of six subjects, three must be SL. SL subjects require less hours and assessments than HL subjects. The course doesn't have as much depth as a HL subject and there are two exam papers to be done. Mark boundaries are higher than its HL counterpart.

EE: extended essay
Generally a 3500-4000 word essay (for science subject this varies) on a very specific topic of the student's choice. The student completes this essay over the time period of their diploma.
Successful completion of the EE component adds one point to the maximum of 45 points. Failure to do so results in failing to receive the full IB diploma.

TOK: theory of knowledge
A philosophical class, similar to epistemology. How do we know? Can we trust the things we know? The roles of perception, language, reason and emotion effecting what we know and how we know. Know, know, know...
A maximum of 2000 word essay on a question (provided by the IBO) is to be completed by the second year of IB in order to gain one point out of the total of 45.

CAS: creativity, action and service
150 hours must be divided equally between creative, physical and service activities. Journal entries/logs must be made for each activity and outcomes must be achieved. Completing the CAS requirement gives one point out of the maximum of 45 possible points.
Some see this as a forceful way of going out into the community to learn about others and yourself. Others see this as a great opportunity to do schoolwork but having fun too.

IA: internal assessment
Assignments and pieces of work which contribute to the final subject grade. These are marked by the teacher who teaches you that subject. A random sample of selected students work (names chosen by the IBO) are then sent to the IBO for moderation (to ensure teachers are marking fairly).

Commentary
A hideous requirement of IB English. It is a time-suck and requires the student to analyse literary devices and techniques and provide their own response to an excerpt or poem. Most students like to practise BS skills whilst completing a commentary.

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sorry for my bad english. Thank you so much for your good post. Your post helped me in my college assignment, If you can provide me more details please email me.