Lisa
Do any of your students sit the certificate rather than the diploma? I
think all students should start with the diploma - but if they are
struggling they can withdraw from a couple of subjects, TOK and the
extended essay so that even some very weak students will enjoy and
succeed. As to the IB being better - I am afraid I have to agree after
8 years of 10 years of IB and now 2 of A levels.
However, one reason its so good and its currency is so acceptable is
that it is limited in supply! Just because we are moving to a
baccalaureate system doesn't signal an end to UK problems - those will
only be answered through better care and attention (and no doubt money)
whatever system is used. As an IB examiner I believe I get about twice
the A level rate of pay.
We currently have been told by a UK board that a whole pile of exam
papers have gone missing!!! (not my subjects some other poor sod) The
IBO manages to post papers from developed countries to examiners in
other countries and from them to moderators in other countries and then
to Cardiff - and in 10 years teaching I never heard of a lost paper.
We cant seem to deliver stuff to Cambridge!
On the up side we must never lose sight of the fact new AS's are about
access - and as far as I can see that has been v. successful.
Of course money isn't the answer to everything - but decent examiner
pay, better training, more stability (IB syllabuses only change once in
every 5 years and then only with very inclusive teacher input - The IB
will fly you around the world, put you up in a decent hotel and pay you
an allowance to take part in discussion and to observe exam mark
settings - imagine UK boards inviting outside observers to grade award
meetings - let alone paying you to watch! (or am I wrong?). In only 2
years of A level I have been bombarded with syllabus errata, updates,
web site corrections and the like - so in only 2 years I have had to
change the schemes of works 4 times compared to twice in 10 years of IB
teaching. Simply put - I spent more time teaching whereas it feels now
I spend more time figuring out what I am going to teach than
teaching....
Even more odd, I find myself spending significant amounts of time
trying to decide which board we are going to use for which subject and
trading off rigour and the likelihood of better results...all hugely
time consuming and more like betting on the Grand National - with my
job as the stakes.
Anybody else out there share the experience of a late piece of paper
from Edexel telling you to watch out for fiscal policy, golden rule
etc.. and then when the big day came - nothing on the paper!! This
caused some panic and consternation - last minute rejigging of the
scheme (again) and gave students the impression we didn't know what was
happening (we didn't).
|