The Challenges

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

Learning outcome 2 is about demonstrating that challenges have been undertaken and developing new skills.  This could be doing something that you have never done before or extending something that you are already doing. 
If you have been learning an instrument - the challenge could be to put on a concert or even do a performance for your class mates.
If you have been playing football - the challenge could be to coach a team.
If you go out running a challenge could be to enter a race/fun run.

Remember when you reflect on an experience with this learning outcome that you must mention the challenges and say how you developed new skills.  You need to do this to meet this learning outcome.

Keep checking - learning outcomes

In last week's post I mentioned the learning outcomes check.  Make sure you have planned to cover all 7.  I can see now that about 20 of you have fewer than 7 learning outcomes planned.  I will be speaking with you after exams to make sure that you have an idea of how you are going to meet all the learning outcomes.  You must be able to show evidence and reflection for every single learning outcome.  If you have checked it for an experience, but cannot show how you met it - that will not count.

Planning and Initiating

Demonstrate how to Plan and Initiate a CAS experience

For learning outcome 3 you need to show the planning that you have done for the experience.  This can be in the form of documents, timelines, emails, bookings etc.  This is not usually a good learning outcome to choose for established groups that you join unless you initiate a smaller activity as part of the group.  For example, you might be in the Nepal group and you decide to make a film about some aspect.  You could be in the Amnesty group and you lead the next campaign.  In this way you can show how you have planned and initiated a CAS experience.

What to check now!

CAS must be on-going for at least 18 months.  Check that you are on track with regular additions to your CAS portfolio and that you will meet the minimum requirements.  

Reflections and evidence

All experiences that are on-going for more than a term should have at least 2 detailed reflections per term,  as well as adequate evidence to show that you are participating.

All other shorter experiences should have reflection and adequate evidence.

Inadequate evidence or reflection can lead to deletion of the experience

Check Your Time lines

You need to have a time line that shows some CAS experience at all times for at least 18 months.  It is possible to have a 'break' in the summer, but make sure that you still have 18 months.  If your first experience started in September 2017, your line needs to go all the way to March 2019.  If you take a break over the summer, it should go to May 2019.  

You can see in this example that the student has nothing planned for after September 2018.   Remember that planning is not enough - you must also do it and have evidence of the participation.  If you say that you have planned to go to the gym between September 2017 and May 2019 but only have evidence for 10 visits in September and October 2018 - your timeline will be incorrect and you could find that be ineligible for the IB Diploma.

Check Your Learning Outcomes

Make sure you have covered each learning outcome and have evidence/reflection that shows how you did that. 

You can see that this student has no experience planned for 'global engagement.'  Now is a good time to look and see which learning outcomes you have not covered and work out what you can do to reach it.  Remember that clicking them is not enough - you must be able to prove that you reached each of the outcomes.

Check the Strands

You all know that  CAS stands for Creativity, Activity and Service.  You should have a balance of experiences across the 3 strands.  Check that you are actually doing what you have planned for each strand.  If you add something like drawing - it looks at if you have a creative experience, but if you never do any drawing you will not get an IB Diploma.

Summer experiences

It is absolutely OK to do experiences in the summer but remember to get evidence and a supervisor review before the end of the summer.  If you are unsure how to do this - send me an email before it is too late!  I will be checking my emails regularly in the summer.

Opportunities

Pride Festival : On the 4th of August , Stockholm has its annual Pride Parade and they need volunteers.   English or Swedish speaking.

They need volunteers between the 31st of July and the 5th of August.  See here for details.  If you need help applying as much of the information is in Swedish, please see me.