IB Matters

Send us Fan Mail What does it mean to understand the world through the people, societies, and events that shape it? In this episode of IB Matters , we launch our exploration of the Middle Years Programme (MYP) subject groups through our Inside the Course series. Our guest, experienced IB educator and department head Vikas Pahwa , takes us inside MYP Individuals and Societies, a subject group that...

Send us Fan Mail What does the growth of IB in India tell us about the opportunities—and challenges—of bringing IB philosophy into different educational cultures? In this episode, Jon talks with longtime IB educator Gayatri Mehta about the place of IB within India’s remarkably diverse educational landscape. Their conversation moves from families seeking rigorous, internationally recognized educati...

Send us Fan Mail In this second conversation about the new MYP themes, Adrian Von Wrede-Jervis takes us beyond the framework itself to a bigger question: How do we help students make meaning for themselves? Adrian challenges the idea that concepts are simply transferable from one subject to another. Instead, he suggests thinking of concepts as places where disciplines—and students—can meet, compar...

Send us Fan Mail What is the IB Diploma Programme really like from a student perspective? How are IB DP students navigating CAS, the Extended Essay, TOK—and now AI in education? Twin sisters Avantika and Anantika Nair, rising seniors at Washtenaw International High School in Michigan, share an unusually thoughtful look at their IB student experience. They discuss their transition from the MYP to D...

Send us Fan Mail Four years ago, IB Matters first spoke with Jiana Shah when she was a 14-year-old MYP student. We caught up with her again as she entered the Diploma Programme. Now, Jiana returns for a third conversation, having completed an IB education that began in kindergarten. Jiana reflects candidly on the challenges and rewards of the DP, from Math AA and a surprisingly useful Chemistry IA...

Send us Fan Mail We are re-connecting with Adrian Von Wrede-Jervis to get his thoughts on the changes occurring in the MYP. Specifically, Adrian and I begin a conversation about the MYP themes and how we might think of them in the context of the students' learning arc. We are planning on at least three episodes where we will start to unpack the actual themes. This will allow a little more tim...

Send us Fan Mail In this series, which I’m calling the IB Course Description Project , we’re building an audio catalog of International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (DP) courses and Career-related Programme (CP) core experiences for students, parents, counselors, teachers, and colleges around the world. Each episode brings the syllabus to life by exploring the learning, teaching, and student ex...

Send us Fan Mail In this series, which I’m calling the IB Course Description Project , we’re building an audio catalog of International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (DP) courses and Career-related Programme (CP) core experiences for students, parents, counselors, teachers, and colleges around the world. Each episode brings the syllabus to life by exploring the learning, teaching, and student ex...

Send us Fan Mail In this series, which I’m calling the IB Course Description Project , we’re building an audio catalog of International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (DP) courses and Career-related Programme (CP) core experiences for students, parents, counselors, teachers, and colleges around the world. Each episode brings the syllabus to life by exploring the learning, teaching, and student ex...

Send us Fan Mail Our teacher guide for Visual arts is Abeera Atique Links:  Visual Arts SL Subject guide Visual Arts HL Subject guide Email IB Matters: IBMatters@mnibschools.org Instagram (IB_Matters) Twitter @MattersIB IB Matters website MN Association of IB World Schools (MNIB) website Donate to IB Matters Podcast: Education by Design with host Phil Evans IB Matters T-shirts (and other MNIB clot...

Send us Fan Mail Our teacher guide for Language and Literature is Georgia Larson . Links: Language A: Language and Literature Subject guide Note: Literature and Literature & Performance are still to be recorded. If you teach one of these courses and are interested in sharing your expertise please reach out at IBMatters@mnibschools.org . Email IB Matters: IBMatters@mnibschools.org Instagram (IB...

Send us Fan Mail In this series, which I’m calling the IB Course Description Project , we’re building an audio catalog of International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (DP) courses and Career-related Programme (CP) core experiences for students, parents, counselors, teachers, and colleges around the world. Each episode brings the syllabus to life by exploring the learning, teaching, and student ex...

Send us Fan Mail When an experienced IB DP teacher like Rohit Vaswani becomes the new IB coordinator, they bring a certain set of tools to the job. They might know the nuts and bolts of the position: deadlines, exam prep, and compliance issues. But, it takes a special leader to examine the system in place to see where the philosophy of the IB structure and the culture it is meant to create can be...

Send us Fan Mail Taryn Moir is an educational psychologist focused on bringing research-backed best practices into the classroom. In this episode she describes some of the research she has done and has studied that led to her book, ' How to Create Autonomous Learners: Teaching Metacognitive, Self-regulatory and Study Skills - A Practioner's Guide .'  She shares several examples of r...

Send us Fan Mail Leah Thayer has spent a lifetime supporting people in transition. From her work in conflict zones, developing public health supports, and now in counseling students, Leah has been there to meet the needs of the people she serves. Young people exiting the Diploma Programme are understandably anxious about what comes next for them. What if they don't pass the exams? How do they...

Send us Fan Mail Gavin Kinch has been on an IB journey which began as a classroom teacher and has led him to be appointed the IB School Leadership Council chairperson. Along the way, he has developed a philosophy of mentoring younger teachers through their own professional journeys. He talks about the 'classroom teacher' to 'school teacher' transition. Gavin is the Principal of...

Send us Fan Mail The IB educational framework is designed to provide students with knowledge, skills, and attributes that will serve them throughout their lives.  Our guest, Arjun Malhotra , is a high school junior (DP year 1) who has experienced an IB education since elementary school. Our conversation touches on the many ways Arjun has developed his sense of place in the world, honed his academi...

Send us Fan Mail Maksud Alam is a dynamic young IB leader working at Swostishree Gurukul IB World School in Kathmandu, Nepal. His school is only the second in Nepal to offer the MYP and one of 7 schools in Nepal to offer the IB, so far. There are several others in the candidate phase right now. We talked about the challenges and the rewards when building a programme from the ground floor in a new...

Send us Fan Mail Michael Dunn, known as the man behind Theoryofknowledge.ne t is our guest on this first episode of our 5th season.  Michael grew the most popular TOK website on the internet, organically, from a wish to share what he was doing in his own classroom in Peru. It eventually became what it is today, a highly respected, and much used, resource for teachers around the world. You'll...

Send us Fan Mail Returning guest, Rezuan Chowdhury and the head of his school's governing board, Rifat Abedin , speak about becoming one of very few PYP schools in Bangladesh. They detail the rationale from the parent's perspective and the process from the PYP coordinator's perspective. We also learn about the training their teachers have undergone and the plans for expansion and ev...

Send us Fan Mail While this is, technically, a quickcast to promote speakers and vendors at the #IBGC2025 in NOLA, its really an introduction to the IB North Americas' excellent initiative designed to encourage greater IB DP and CP participation. So, please use the overview shared by Phil Evans and the numerous links, to begin exploring how your school community could embrace a philosophy tha...

Send us Fan Mail Continuing our series of quickcasts leading to the 2025 IB Global Conference in New Orleans, we feature Kognity , an IB partner organization. Chris Barres and Sian Steggles tell us about Kognity and their digital teaching and learning platform.  Kognity will also host a session entitled, ' Digital Dilemma! What do we really want from digital resources? ' at 2:00 on Wedne...

Send us Fan Mail This is the third of several 'Quickcasts' to introduce listeners to vendors and presenters at the 2025 IB Global conference in New Orleans. Here, we speak with Amnah Ejaz of Kialo Education , an online discussion platform. It's available free and will be featured in a booth at the upcoming IB Global conference in New Orleans.  They are also hosting Michael Dunn of T...

Send us Fan Mail This is the second of several 'Quickcasts' to introduce listeners to vendors and presenters at the 2025 IB Global conference in New Orleans. This episode features Robert Kohnert, a coordinator of advanced programming in Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS). Robert uses his experience in MPS to drill down into what is working and what could be improved to help students who ta...

Send us Fan Mail This is the first of several 'Quickcasts' to introduce listeners to vendors and presenters at the 2025 IB Global conference in New Orleans. This episode features Rachel Bodily, co-founder of Eblana Learning. We did a full podcast with Rita Bateson the other co-founder a few months ago. Check that out here . Rachel gives a sneak peek at the session they are offering at th...