MYP CAS Student Handbook 2011-2012

8/2/2019 MYP CAS Student Handbook 2011-2012

1/12

MYP CASIncorporating Community & Service

STUDENT HANDBOOK

CREATIVITYACTION

SERVICEGrow. Discover. Dream.

2011-2012


2/122

MYP CAS Habk

in every year of the programme.C&S has three elements, which arerelated to the building knowledgeand understanding, opportunities to

reect upon learning experiences,and the action-orientated activitiesthat students engage in.

Our teachers use the C&Sframework to raise awareness ofthe different types of communities,the issues that communities face,and the roles that we all play inour communities. C&S also hasa service component, which isdesigned to encourage empathy

and respect for the needs of others.We believe that this also bringsindividual benets to students,

which include:

A avenuefor takingaction onissues learntabout in class

Increased

awareness of theneeds of differentcommunities

Sharing anddeveloping of onesskills, talents andresources

Developing leadershipand team-orientated skills Gaining an insight into differentsocial patterns and ways of life

Consideration of the ethicalimplications of action and inactionin their communitites

Creativity, Action and Service, or CAS,is a framework for experiential learning,designed to involve students in newroles. The emphasis is on learning by

planning and then doing REAL tasksthat have REAL consequences, and thenREFLECTING on these experiencesover time. The purpose is for studentsto be involved in activities that will makea SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE to theirlives and to the lives of others, as wellas CHALLENGE students to participatein activities that they would not normallydo.

CAS is an integral part of the

International Baccalaureate (IB) DiplomaProgramme; to receive a Diplomastudents must f u l f i l lthe requirementsof CAS. AtD i s c o v e r yCollege, wehold thebenets ofparticipatingin a fulllingC A Sprogramme

in such highr e g a r dthat wealso setC A S

requirements inthe MYP. MYP students mustcomplete these requirements in order toreceive the MYP Certicate.

The MYP CAS Programme is inclusive of

Community and Service (C&S), one ofthe ve MYP Areas of Interaction that isa part of all students MYP experience

AiMS of

tHe CAS

ProgrAMMeThe CAS programme aims to develop

students who are:

reective thinkersthey understand

their own strengths and limitations,identify goals and devise strategies for

personal growth

willing take risks in the form of new

challenges and roles

inquire into the nature and needs of

different communities

able to clearly communicate

their growth as individuals through

engagement with CAS

principled in their choice of action

as members of communities who

demonstrate deep care towards eachother and the environmen

active participants in sustained,

collaborative projects

balancedthey enjoy and nd

signicance in a range of activities

involving intellectual, physical, creative

and emotional experiences.

WHAt iS CAS?

C

AS

Cr

eativity,Action

,Service


3/123

MYP CAS Habk

The MYP AreAs Of

InTerAcTIOnThe Areas Of Interaction (AOI) provide the MYP with its unique core. Within theclassroom, teachers use these contexts to guide learning and understanding within

planned units of inquiry. CAS offers an additional opportunity for students to engagewith the Areas Of Interaction to explore real-world issues. The following key questionsin each Area of Interaction can be used to assist in student engagement in CAS in eachof the phases of planning, doing and reecting.

Key Questions for MYP CAS:AOI Community & ServiceHow does this activity serve the needs of different communities?What impact does my community have on the content of this activity?Why did I choose to serve this community?Which communities does this activity affect?What issues does this community face?How can my learning in this activity help my communities?How can my communities help me learn?

How can participation in this activity inuence my thoughts aboutwhat I should do in my community?How can my knowledge about communities drive my participation inthis activity?What aspects of a community can be reected in this activity?What will be the ethical implications of my involvement in thisactivity?

AOI Health & Social EducationHow can I look after myself and others?How is my involvement in this activity helping me develop?What skills do I need to make the right choice?How did my choice of activity help me grow emotionally/spiritually?

Why is it important to engage in activities that help me grow emotionally/spiritually?What are the consequences of making poor choices in regards toparticipation in physical activity?Why is it important to be physically active?

AOI Human IngenuityWhy do humans create, develop or change products or solutions?What are my challenges and what solutions can I come up with?How can I have a personal involvement as an innovator, creator anddeveloper in CAS?What are the consequences of my creativity the community?How can I use my thinking in this activity to help me in other areas?How can we celebrate endeavour and achievement in CAS?

AOI EnvironmentsHow does participation in this activity affect my environments?How can I affect my environments in a positive way?What difference can I make as an individual?Through CAS, what have I learnt about the impact (positive ornegative way) my lifestyle has on my environments?

AOI Approaches to learningWhat aspects of my organization do I need to develop?What planning tools do I have or need to develop? How do I work with others?How have my reections helped me learn? How do I reect?What communication tools do I use? What organizational tools do I have?What other reection tools and resources can help me?

Which ways of communicating do I need to improve on?What successes have I had when I have worked with others?How can I access the information I need to prepare for CAS?When working with others, what agreements need to be in place?When working with others, what factors will I have to accept? Which ones can Inegotiate?


4/124

MYP CAS Habk

To extend student understanding of communities To extend student awareness of their role within a students place in a community To challenge students to participate in new activities, learn new skills, and take on new roles. To ensure a balance between academic and non-academic activities To encourage participation in physical activity To offer students opportunities to solve problems To enable students to make a difference in the lives of others To develop individual attributes of the Learner Prole To present opportunities for students to be in positions of leadership Because CAS activities can be rewarding, enjoyable and fun!

Aside from the worthwhile aims of the CAS programme highlighted above, it is important to point out that participatingin a signicant CAS programme can also benet students in pursuits later in life. Presenting a meaningful CASportfolio to a potential employer or as a part of an application for a university placement or, even more importantly,scholarship, could be very benecial in obtaining placement. Because of the many positive outcomes it can develop,participation in purposeful and successful CAS programme may well be the difference between achieving a desireduniversity placement or not; between being successful in a job application or not; between receiving a universityscholarship or not.

Why

CAS?

Students can fulll their MYP CAS requirements

through undertaking activities at school and withinthe community, aiming to be involved in a range ofactivities: those that they initiate, projects/activitiesinitiated by others, and by joining the many Co-curricular Activities at DC. It is important to notethat prior approval from the Learning Advisor orthe CAS coordinator is required for all activities.

Although serving others is an integral part ofCAS, when planning CAS Activities students mustask how will this service benet me? Whenwell carried out, CAS should build self-esteem,collaborative skills/teamwork skills, self-condence, autonomy and self-reliance. Itshould offer students an opportunity to developan understanding of their own strengths andareas for development, develop new skills throughparticipating in challenging activities, challengetheir perspectives, and, depending upon the natureof the activity, offer students the chance to serveothers and make a difference in a community.The most meaningful CAS experience will leadstudents to GROW, DISCOVERand DREAM.

MYP CAS

Individual Programmes


5/125

MYP CAS Habk

Service includesparticipation in activitieswith an environmental,community developmentor educational theme,either within theschool community or

the community atlarge. Some of theseactivities providean opportunity toaddress global issues.

Examples: peertutoring, educational or environmental projects, astructured series of visits to assist at an orphanage,physical assistance to the disabled, teaching basicliteracy, Creating and sustaining a community group,service related initiatives, participating in studentcouncil, teaching the use of computers, organisingcompetitions/tournaments for the school or local

community, running a website for a non-prot organisation...

Action can include activitieswhere some form of physicaleffort is involved, such asteam or individual sports,recreation, and expeditions.It can also include manual

labour completed whencarrying out

creative andservice projects.Examples: sports, dance, self-defense classes,

environmental restoration, squash, aerobics,refereeing, trekking, clean-up activities, manual

labour, cycling...

Creativity should be interpreted asimaginatively as possible to coverthe widest range of arts, hobbiesand interests and activities.

Creativity in designing andcarrying out action or

service projects also t in this category.Examples include: project development, organising competitions, learning amusical instrument, musical productions, drama, choir, dance, newspaper,yearbook, debates, organising an event, arts courses, learning languages,developing a neighbourhood recycling program, planning teaching/coachingprogrammes...

Types of CAS Activities:Creativity, Action, and Service.


6/126

MYP CAS Habk

CAS ProjeCtSCAS projects involve one or more of the C,A and S areas and tend to be conducted on a greater scale. Due to theirlevel of commitment and involvement, CAS Projects provide more scope for students to achieve the objectives ofCAS. An example of the difference between a CAS activity and a CAS project representing the school in basketballis a CAS activity, while organizing a basketball tournament for local children is a CAS project. It would be bencial forstudents in the earlier years of the MYP to include a CAS Project as a part of their particiaption. Students the nal twoyears of the MYP should aim to include at least one CAS project in their MYP CAS programme.

Examples of CAS projects:A Virtual Tour (creativity, service)Create a school-orientation video that prospective students and their parents could view online, giving them a glimpseinto the day-to-day school routine, including its curriculum and policies. Narrate the video in different languages.

Preventing Infectious Diseases (creativity, service)Spread news about how to prevent a chosen infectious disease by creating a brochure containing information on thedisease and how to reduce its transmission.

Become an instructor/coach/teacher (creativity, service)Pass on knowledge and skills on to others, allowing them to develop while having agood time, by becoming a sports coach, language teacher or swimming instructor for

others. Plan a curriculum and lead others in their development.

Journalism (creativity, service)Write articles and take photos for the school online website. This could be extendedby submitting articles to the local media.

Paint murals (creativity, action, service)Plan and then create murals on various locations in the school and in the community.Murals may be decorative, or educational.

Become a builder (creativity, action, service)With some assistance, build household furniture for a local school or orphanage.

Go on a virtual expedition (creativity, action, service)Measure the distance it would take to run around Lantau, and then run theequivalent distance on a treadmill at the local gym. Ask people to sponsor you,then donate the money to a worthwhile cause, all the while increasing awarenessof your chosen cause.

Organise a fundraising event for an organization protecting Chinas wildlife.(creativity, service)Plan and implement a fundraising event, publicise it while making people awareof the cause you are supporting.

Involvement in a theatrical production (creativity, service)

Assist backstage for a local production. Design and create sets and costumesand assist with the lighting.

Create an environmental poster competition (creativity, service)Devise and advertise a competition for environmental poster competition for PYPstudents. Devise rules for entry; set up an area to display entries; seek prizes;promote the event; create an exhibition.

Make a short lm (creativity, service)Film and edit a short documentary that has a message about global issues or humanitarian issues here in Hong Kong

To ensure that students gain the benets that a meaningful CAS programme has to offer, there are certain activitiesthat cannot count towards CAS. These activities include (but are certainly notrestricted to : Mundane, passive involvement that offer no benet to the student Raising money with no well-dened goal and without raising awareness The teaching of personal religious and/or political beliefs Any activity that is not supervised by an appropriate adult Those that have not been approved by Learning Advisor or the CAS Coordinator

What isnot CAS?


7/127

MYP CAS Habk

Student exPeCtAtionSWhat to students need to do in MYP CAS in order to gain theirMYP CerticateMYP CAS Learning outcomesThe Learning Outcomes act to guide student involvement in MYP CAS. Each Learning Outcome will have four levels ofachievement, namely: Dormant, Emerging, Developing, and Procient.

Learning Outcome D E D P

Develop an awareness of their own strengths and areas for growth

Become aware of their various skills and abilities and consider how they may wish to better them.

Being challenged

Extending participation in a familiar activity or involvement in a new one.

Being involved in planning activities

Individually or as a part of a team, show a degree of planning for activities on either a small or large scale.

Work as part of a team

For example, in organising an event, playing in a team sport, playing a role in an organisation (e.g. DB Green,

Greenpeace or Amnesty International) or being a part of a musical group.

Show perseverance and commitment in their activities

Efforts over a time in attendance, participation and persistence.

Play a role in addressing an issues of global importance

Dealing with a global issue on either a school, local or broader level.

Identify the ethical implications of activity and inactivity within their community

Articulates the consequences of being, or not being involved, as well as the individuals role(s) in a community

Develop skills

New skills may be enhanced by participating in new activities, or by developing those skills in a familiar activity.

Discovery College strongly values the benets that participation in a meaningful MYP CAS programme offers bothstudents and the community. As such participation and achievement requirements exist at each of the ve years ofthe MYP, as outline in Table 1. A student will receive their MYP certicate at the completion of Year 11 once theyhave fullled the CAS graduation requirements.

To gauge progress in the Learning Outcomes, towards the end of each year students will be required to perform aself-assessment of their MYP CAS achievements. An essential part of the self-assessment process is being Principled,which the IB Learner Prole states as seeing students act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness taking responsibility for their own actions and the consequences that accompany them. Although students willbe relied upon to be Principled and act in the essence of Academic Honesty, students self-assessment will also bechecked by Learning Advisors and will be discussed with parents during student-led conferences.Table 1. Graduation Requirements (inclusive of school set MYP Community & Service requirements)

Year/s Achievement in Learning Outcomes

Minimum requirements per year

Additional Requirements

7-8 Emerging in at least four, and Developing in at least

four Learning Outcomes

A minimum of one Creativity activity, one Service activity, and one Action

activity plus a minimum of two additional activities in any area.9-10 Developing in at least four, and Procient in at least

four Learning Outcomes

A minimum of two Creativity activities, two Service activity, and two Action

activity plus a minimum of three additional activities in any area.

11 Procient in all Learning Outcomes A minimum of three Creativ ity activit ies, three Service act iv ity, and three

Action activity plus a minimum of three additional activities in any area.

*A CAS Project can count in more than two areas, for example planning and implementing a tutoring progamme cancount as both Creativity and Service.

Types of EvidenceEvidence is to be recorded by the student throughout the year and may take the form of:

Reections (written, audio or visual recordings) A reference of student engagement from the activity supervisor (the activity supervisor review)

Photographs Videos Documents (planning, meeting minutes, publicised material) Certicates of Achievement and participation


8/128

MYP CAS Habk

Navigation Guide

TheC&S Worksheetorganizes all of your C&S activity records in one place.

GuideProvides a

quick introductionto C&S

ActivitiesLists yourcurrent activitiesand status

OutcomesDisplays howactivities arebalanced acrossthe 8 learningoutcomes

Documents

Organizes C&SForms

C&SAdvisorYour primarycontact

Managing CASTo assist in managing your involvement in MYP CAS, the school will use an online system calledManagebac. Managebac will be used in the following ways:

Submitting activity proposals

Approving / not approving activities by Learning Advisors / CAS Coordinator Communication between the school and activity supervisors Communication between students and Learning Advisors / CAS Coordinator Student reection and the collection of other evidence of CAS involvement Activity Supervisors can submit reviews online Monitoring CAS progress

You should receive an email with details about logging in to Managebac (see Mr Muir if you do not). Oncelogged in, click the IB Manager tab and choose C&S to begin.


9/129

MYP CAS Habk

4) When adding a reflection, you must link it

toone or morelearning outcomes.

3) The activity will be reviewed and, if suitable,Approvedby the C&S Coordinator. ClickAdd

New Reflection to provide evidence of the activity. Reflections can encompass written

journals, photos, websites and videos and are linked to learning outcomes.

2)Select an activity from a group or

enter activity details.

1)ClickAdd C&S Activityon the right

menu to add the first activity.

Quick TipTo edit or delete theactivity, simply hoveryour mouse over theactivity name

5)Once you have completed your activity and

submitted reflections, you can click

Request Supervisor Review.

C&S Step-by-Step

COPYRIGHT 2011 FARIA SYSTEMS INC.ManageBac.com


10/1210

MYP CAS Habk

TheMYPCAS

Process

Keeping in mind the aims of theMYP CAS Programme, the LearningOutcomes you need to showevidence in, and other programmerequirements, make a plan for theCAS activities you will be involved in.Consider also activities available at

school (CCA, ECA, C&S Committeeactivities), activities you couldinitiate and plan yourself, activitiesavailable in the community, theneeds of the community, problemsfaced by people in Hong Kong etc.

In Managebac, submit an activityproposal. Make sure you includefull details about the activity (yourrole, why you want to participate inthe activity, what goals you hopeto achieve, dates) and full detailsof your activity supervisor (must be

an adult and not your parents)

Once your activityhas been approvedby either yourLearning Advisor orCAS Coordinator,

start participating.

Participate in your activity and makethoughtful, ongoing reections.Reections should be saved as a worddocument and copied into Managebac,linking the reections to Learning

Outcomes.

Add otherevidence inManagebac

videos,

photos, andr e l e v a n tdocuments.Link evidenceto theL e a r n i n gOutcomes.

Talk to otherpeople f r i e n d s ,t e a c h e r s ,

L e a r n i n gAdvisor -about yourinvolvementin the activity.Research forinformationconne c t edto yourparticipationand theactivity.

Once you have completedyour participation, click on

send supervisor review sothat your activity supervisorcan comment on yourparticipation.

Once you havecompleted yourparticipation, clickon send supervisor

review so that youractivity supervisorcan comment on yourparticipation.

Once your activity supervisorhas completed the supervisorreview, your Learning Advisoror CAS Coordinator will notethat the activity has beencompleted.

C o n t i n u a l l yreect upon yourparticipation inCAS to help direct

involvement infuture activities.


11/1211

MYP CAS Habk

Reecting On ActivitiesReecting is a major part of experiential learning, and assist students in gaining more out of

their CAS experience. It is more than just stating what you did; it involves discussing yourfeelings, thoughts, and observations that have come about through participating in the CASactivity. In addition to the Key Questions on page 3 of this handbook, consider the followingquestions when writing your reections:

How did you feel during the activity? What obstacles did you encounter? How did you overcome them? What did the activity meant to you? What did it mean to others? What did you nd out about yourself? What are your strengths

or areas that need developing? How has your understanding of communities developed?

What did you learn from the activity and how could youapply this learning? Have your thoughts or values been challenged by

participating in this activity? What did you nd out about other people? What feelings and perceptions surrounded the

experience?

When writing reections it is important to note that you arenot writing a narrative and you are not merely reportingon what happened. Reections are personal and shouldexplore in depth the impact that your participation had

on yourself and upon others.

To ensure that students fulll their CAS requirements, it is important that they plan their year ofactivities. Planning is the rst stage of reection and should involve the student considering theirown attributes in order for them to plan for a meaningful CAS experience. They should also considerthe needs of the community and the impact that participating (or not participating) in a plannedactivity will have on them and on others. The following questions may help students in their MYP

CAS planning: How will my activities allow me to learn more about myself? How will my activities challenge me? Will I be active and involved in planning and decision making in my activities? How do my activities involve me collaborating with others? Do I have a long-term (greater than 3 months) activity in my planning? Which global issues are addressed in my planning? Which activities will force me to think about my role in my community? Which activities see me learning new skills?

Planning for CAS Activities


12/12

MYP CAS Habk

Can one activity count in more than one area (eg. C plus S)?Yes, as long as it complies with the criteria for an MYP CAS activity. An activity that covers more than one area ofCAS is referred to as a CAS Project. CAS Projects may allow more scope for achieving the goals of the MYP CASProgramme. An example may be Habitat For Humanity awareness and fundraising (Creativity) and participating inthe house building (Action). As this activity is aimed at benetting the community, it is also Service.

What is my activity supervisors role?Ideally your supervisor will be able to witness all of your participation, and be able to guide you in your involvement.

At the very least they must be aware of all that you do in that activity, witnessing most of your participation. Thisthen will enable your supervisor to complete the supervisor review accurately and honestly.

Who can be my activity supervisor?Activity supervisors must be an adult (preferably not your parents) and in order to guide you in your activity, theymust have a reasonable amount of knowledge and understanding in the activity you are partaking.

Why do I include the activity supervisors contact details in the activity proposal?This is to ensure that we can contact your supervisor to ensure that they understand their role and so that yourparticipation in the activity can be veried where required.

What is the purpose of the activity supervisor review?The review will act as a part of your overall evidence of achievement of the Learning Outcomes. It will alsoprovide your activity supervisor the opportunity to comment on your general efforts, commitment to the activity,accomplishments, degree of involvement and attitude.

When should the activity supervisor review be completed?

The supervisor review should be completed within two weeks of nishing an activity.

When it comes to MYP CAS, what is the role of my Learning Advisor?Your Learning Advisor will assist in approving activity proposals and in going over your reections and submittedevidence of your achievement in the learning outcomes. Towards the end of the acdemic year, your LA will also beinvolved in completing nal reviews of your accomplishments in MYP CAS.

Do I have to fulll requirements in a semester, or is it over a full school year?You have the whole year to complete MYP CAS requirements.

By when do programme requirements need to be fullled?Towards the end of the academic year (exact date to be conrmed), you will need to wrap up your participation in

the MYP CAS. By this time you would have hopefully completed all the requirements of the programme. You willthen need to review the reections you have made throughout the year, as well as the evidence you have presented,in preparation for both the nal student-parent conference and for making a nal summary reection. The summaryreection will be copied into your semester report.

What if I had a major injury or illness that prevented me from participating in Action activities for apart of the year?

You will still be required to participate in MYP CAS activities using a modied programme. Where required a studentsefforts will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

What if I do not fulll the programme requirements by the given date?This will only be as a result of poor planning and a lack of effort. There should be no reason why you cannot reachthe programme requirements.