Considering ethics of choices and actions

CAS and Ethics

This is one of the outcomes that many people find hardest to meet and reflect upon.  Here is an example.

A student in a dance performance had her leg in a cast after she tore a muscle and wouldn't be able to train with the other dancers in the last weeks leading up to the performance. The producers of the show had to make the decision to exclude her as she wouldn't have time to catch up when her cast was removed. Decisions like this that you have to make - accepting or not accepting people as part of a group, or their piece of work etc are important if difficult decisions that involve ethical considerations (Cannings et al.).

You can think about ethical decisions you have made in the following contexts: 

• sport
• dealing with other people
• carrying out a service experience
• in terms of academic honesty
• reflection

Think about how often, "we make decisions in CAS relative to the feelings of our peer group."  This is especially so in experiences that involve working in groups.  I have met and spoke with some groups about this.  Who does the work?  Should everyone get equal credit?  These are the kind of questions that enable you to demonstrate that you have: Recognised and considered the ethics of choices and actions. 

Source: Cannings, John, María Inés Piaggio, Peter Muir, and Tom Brodie. Creativity, Activity, Service CAS for the IB Diploma An Essential Guide for Students. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ Pr, 2015. Print.

Mostly green flags!

Most people have managed to add a number of CAS experiences and have them approved.  The next step is to start adding evidence and reflection.  Each experience should have some evidence at least by the end of October.  You should also consider a good moment to reflect.  By the end of November, you should have evidence and reflection for all experiences.  

Projects

You should all have started planning a project by the end of November.  That means you have the CAS stages document in the evidence section of your CAS portfolio - with at least the first section filled in.  Please check the sharing settings so that I can see it!  If you are having trouble with a project idea, please see me.

Creative Cats

Can you knit, sew or crochet?  Or would like to learn?  Heart Cats is a project where

people crochet cats with small red hearts for children undergoing heart surgery. These follow a set pattern that can be found in English, Japanese and Swedish. Cats or other figures can also be made for siblings - the difference with these is that you do not have to follow a pattern or even crochet - you can let your imagination go wild.

Once completed the cats/animals are sent to the HjärteKatt organisation, which then distributes them to the children. If you want more information you can go the website - it is in Swedish so if you don't understand come and see me or ask a Swedish friend to help you.  Look at the very cute pictures here!

Turn Activity into service

There is a free app called: Charity Miles.  If you use this app when you are walking, running or cycling companies donate money to a charity that you choose from a list.  Sounds like a great way to get exercise and raise money for charity. It is available on Apple  and and through Google Play.  

Amnesty Group - congratulations!

The Amnesty group has worked hard to gather 142 signatures to protest about the imprisonment of Amnesty activists in Turkey.  The hearings started this week and 2 of the activists have actually now been released after over 100 days in jail to await trial later next month.  Let's hope that the voice of our students is heard and that all the activists can have fair trials.   Well done!

Finishing an Experience

There are some people who have already come to the end of an experience.  Once you have finished you need to do the following:

• check that you have added enough evidence
• check that you have added reflections
• fill in the CAS questions                       ↘↘↘↘↘

• Make sure that you explain how you have reached the learning outcomes in your answer to the CAS questions.  
• Send a 'request for review' to your supervisor
• Make sure that you have a correct email address otherwise it won't work. If you don't have an email address for your supervisor, you can print it out and give it to the supervisor.  Once it is filled in, scan it and add it to your evidence and reflections.
• Once all that is done you should get a green tick next to the experience to indicate that it is complete. You will not be able to make any changes to your experience once that green tick appears so make sure you follow the steps in the correct order.

Do you still have a red flag?

The deadline has passed for having started your CAS portfolio.  If you do not have approved experiences by now, you will have been sent a message to book at time for a meeting with me.  If this issue is not resolved before the break, I will need to contact you parents to inform them that you are in danger of not qualifying for the IB Diploma.

Next step

After the Autumn break I will be expecting everyone to have started adding evidence and reflections.  

Project deadline

Everyone is expected to have uploaded a CAS stages document for the planned project by the beginning of December.  

Some service ideas

If you are having trouble finding service ideas you can try Zooniverse.  There are lots of on-line research projects you can get involved in.  

'

Another good site with community science projects all around the world is Scistarter

Otherwise try volunärbyrån.  Don't worry if you don't speak Swedish.  They have some jobs in English and even if it is Swedish, ask a Swedish speaker to help.  Most organisations just want volunteers - they don't mind if you don't speak Swedish.  One of our students has already volunteered at a Redcross Shop.

Do you like to bake?  Jul in Gemenskap needs Christmas food - home baked cinnamon buns, ginger cakes and small biscuits

Still need ideas?  Come and see me!

Descriptions and Goals

This week there are still a lot of people with red flags.  Even those with green flags still have some things to fix.

What to think about when writing your description

Describe exactly what you are doing as part of this experience.  Some of you have very detailed descriptions of the the groups you are in, but neglect to say what you are actually doing as part of the group

What to think about when writing goals

These should be clear and personal.  What you will actually get better at, or try to improve.  They can be simple like to attend the gym 3 times a week for 6 months.  Or more complex - to improve my leadership skills by being the chairperson for this group.

What to think about when choosing learning outcomes

For every learning outcome you choose, you need to show how you will reach it.  

1. Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth

You need to say what your strengths are and what areas you need to develop.  

e.g. I am already very physically strong but I do not have such good stamina so I will do more cardio exercise in order to develop my ability to run longer distances.

2. Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process.

You need to explicitly describe the challenges and the skills that that you think you will develop.

e.g. I have never spoken in public before, so debating with be a real challenge but I hope that I will develop better public speaking skills through this experience.

3. Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience.

You need to show that it was you who came up with this idea and carried it through from idea and planning to completion.

e.g. I want to create a website about .... and I am planning to get others to work on it with me.

4. Show commitment and perseverance in CAS experiences

You need to mention what the commitment is

e.g. I will do .... every week for 6 months

5. Demonstrate the skills and recognise the benefits of working collaboratively

You need to say how you are going to work with others and the skills that you might need to do this.

e.g. I am working with 3 others to make a film.  It will be important for us to communicate and plan together if this is to be completed by our deadline.  

6. Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance

You need to actually say what the issue of global significance is.

e.g. As part of the rhino group, I hope to make a difference to the global issue of biological diversity and play some part in  protecting rhinos from extinction.

e.g. As part of the Nepal group, I hope to contribute to improving attendance at the school in Nepal as it has been shown that education is one way for people to take a step out of poverty. Poverty, is a global issue, that is big problem in this part of the world.  I will do this by ......

e.g. As part of the group playing football with refugees, I hope to make the Afghanis feel more welcome in Sweden.  Isolation and problems with integration are an issue for refugees all over the world.  Whilst this is not going to change their lives dramatically, I hope that is makes a small difference to this vulnerable group of people.

7. Recognise and consider the ethics of choices and actions

You need to give an example of how you think you will do this.

e.g. As part of this group......., we will have to make decisions about who can be involved and in what capacity. It might mean that not everyone can have a chance to speak/go on a trip/have a leadership role.  I will have to think about my role as a leader or group member and be sensitive to the wishes of others and try not to hurt people's feelings, but also keep what is best for the group as a whole in mind. (Your example should mention specific decisions).

Go back to your experiences that are not yet approved and make sure that you have addressed each of the learning outcomes that you have chosen and shown how you will reach them.  Look at the notes that I have written on your portfolio.

Add evidence and reflections

Opportunities this week

Climate Comic Contest

Calling everyone up to 25 years old! Enter our Climate Comic Contest by coming up with a climate change fighting superhero - the coolest, most phenomenal will be brought to life in a real comic. BAM!

Habitat for Humanity

I spoke to the woman from Habitat this week and she is interested in helping us get a trip together.  Possible destinations are Romania, Poland and Macedonia.  There needs to be at least 6, preferably 8, people who are interested in attending.  You would choose a time that suits you all - probably during sport or Easter break.  You go for one week and help to renovate a home for people with low incomes.  Costs are approximately: 350 - 400 US dollars for accommodation plus a donation of around 450 US dollars per person.  Travel to and from are additional.  You can fund raise to cover the donation.  See the link for more details.

Swedish Speakers Wanted

Fånga Framtiden Tillsammans  is a group that offers homework help to refugees.  They are in great need of  more people to help.  On Wednesdays between 6 and 8 pm they meet at Björngårdsgatan 21 on Södermalm near Medborgaplatsen. Let me know if you can come this week or next. It is on a drop on basis so you do not need to commit to going every week. You can go once or more times, It is up to you.  If you want to go next week, let me know and you can come with me the first time.  They particularly need people with maths skills.  They also meet in Mondays.  If you want details about that, let me know.

Halloween Party - PTA wants helpers

See last post for details

What do I need to do to get a green flag?

Last week I gave out red flags to a lot of people.  This just means that your CAS portfolio is not up-to-date.  It is important that you spend the time on your CAS portfolio current as there are many things that become harder or impossible to do if you leave them.

To get a green flag you need to:

• have added experiences with descriptions 
• each experience should have clear goals connected to the outcomes you have chosen
• you have chosen outcomes for each experience (no more than 3)
• you have started at least one experience and added evidence for it
• you have uploaded your personal profile as a pdf in the document section of your CAS portfolio (see last post for details)

If you are not sure what you need to do - look at the note that I have left at the bottom of the your CAS worksheet.  

Experiences will not be approved if:

• the description is not detailed enough
• the goals do not make a connection to the all the learning outcomes you have chosen
• you have chosen more than 3 outcomes

To get a gold cup you need to:

• do all the items listed on the green flag
• have started your CAS project
• have provided a link to the  CAS stages document for the CAS project
• have evidence for your some of your experiences
• have some reflection

Opportunities

Halloween Helpers

Halloween is just around the corner and the PTA would love some help with the 3rd annual Primary Halloween Party at SIS. This event will take place on Friday, October 27th from 3:30-5:30 pm. Last year's event was a tremendous success.  There are plenty of opportunities available to pitch in with games, face painting, crafts and haunted walk through.   Although this is a rewarding and exciting event, the PTA's top priority is to entertain while keeping safety in mind. They would love some responsible DP students to assist us take care of the guests aged 4 to 11.

If you wish to help out at this event you need to attend a meeting on Tuesday, October 10 in the Main Building on the 4th floor in room 41 at 15.45. You should also email to let them know that you are coming. At the meeting the PTA will review the basics and you can place requests for the areas you might be interested in working with (there are no guarantees). The meeting should take no longer than 30 minutes. If you have a good reason for not being able to attend this meeting, but would still like to be part of the event please email Amanda. 

The PTA is looking forward to collaborating with you on another successful community event. Please feel free to contact Amanda  if you have additional questions.  If you know other students who might be interested in assisting, they can write her directly or attend Wednesday's meeting.

Ask me for Amanda's email address

International Development Experience

Organisation: 

• Action10

Action10 is a nonprofit organisation operating in non-OECD countries (www.action10.org). We have programmes in Kenya, Uganda, Togo, Cameroon, Liberia, Nigeria and Colombia. Our vision is a world without extreme poverty. Action10 is managed by volunteer staff only and 97% of the funds we collect are transferred to our Target countries.

We are currently looking for more volunteers to join our Sustainable Economy (SE) work-group. The SE ensures Sustainable economy in all the Action10 programmes. The members of this group support the Programme partners with ensuring that all programmes are designed with a long-term sustainable economy plan in mind, most likely a business model. The group is also in charge of fundraising, for Action10 to be able to offer seed-money and investment capital to our Programme partners. SE develops and assess the Action10 fundraising strategy. Their work includes identifying and keeping a good relation with private, corporate and civil society givers and with grant giving organisations. They ensure safe and easy ways of donating as well as keeping givers content and well informed about what their contributions were used for (stewardship). The group also manages marketing, crowd funding, donor meetings, fundraising events, training on fundraising, and a compilation of givers.

When and where will the volunteering take place: 

Our meetings are held in Stockholm

Specific requirements and information: 

The volunteer is welcome to attend our monthly events.

Minimum time commitment: 

Ten work hours per month

More information and application

Stockholm Film Festival is still looking for volunteers!

Being a volunteer at the Stockholm Film Festival means that you get to be at the centre of events. If you give us your time and commitment, we will give you the opportunity to watch a lot of movies and get a unique perspective of the film world. 8 - to 19th November

Details of how to apply

Interested in knitting?

Ms Öman is an expert knitter and is willing to give advice to anyone who wants to start out. Minjueng has already started knitting.  Why don't you get yourself some knitting needles and yarn and so something creative for CAS?

Interested in learning Swedish?

Linnéa and Sophie are starting up a group to teach people Swedish.  Contact them if you are interested in this creative experience.