RPHS IB Newsletter
Nov. 2015
Happy Thanksgiving
In this month's IB newsletter, we are detailing the Theory of Knowledge (TOK) class that our diploma candidates will begin 2nd semester.
TOK is Coming!!!
THE TOK CLASS WILL BEGIN AT 6:30 AM AND FINISH AT 7:20 AM ON EVERY MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, AND FRIDAY THAT RAY-PEC HOLDS CLASSES.
TOK will be treated like any other class offered at Ray-Pec, and we will follow the attendance and tardy policies outlined in Ray-Pec's Student Handbook. Likewise, students will have to make sacrifices when it comes to before-school activities so they can attend TOK. We will work with students, but they must show up for this class.
In order to earn the IB Diploma, students must finish with a passing score in TOK, which means they have to write a paper that will be submitted to IB for scoring and conduct a presentation on a topic that connects with a lesson covered in the class.
Although I believe wholeheartedly that students will enjoy this class, it will be challenging and will require them to attend, participate, and complete the coursework to prepare for these major assessments.
Because students' schedules free up a bit more their senior year, we hope to offer the second semester of TOK (1st semester senior year) during the regular school schedule.
What will TOK Look Like?
IB teachers are asked to incorporate TOK into their classrooms to help develop deeper, critical thinking and to promote interdisciplinary lessons.
Some TOK type questions that students already have chewed on in their IB classes include:
- Can mathematics be considered a type of language? (a favorite)
- Is mathematics invented or discovered?
- Where does the line between fiction and non-fiction lie? Does the telling of a story have to be 100% "accurate" to be considered non-fiction? Can a story that relies less on facts and more on descriptions be more accurate than one that solely addresses facts?
- What distinguishes a better historical account from a worse one?
- How does memory work? How do our emotions affect our memory? Can two people who witness the same event remember it differently and both be right?
IB Teacher Profile: Patrick Hemmingsen
Mr. Hemmingsen is in his 12th year of teaching and in addition to his AP Chemistry classes, now teaches IB Chemistory SL.
Hr. Hemmingsen, tell us a bit about yourself:
For as long as I can remember, I've wanted to be a teacher. Surprisingly, I never liked chemistry until I was given the opportunity to teach it. I had bad experiences in both high school and college, and I vowed to approach the subject the way I wish I had been taught when it was a student, and I've never regretted that decision.
Describe your class:
Currently, the IB Chemistry course is the standard level curriculum organized on a higher level timeline, which allows us to really develop our understanding of each topic while not having the same time constraints as other districts. The internal assessment is different than most IB course, because each student is required to research, design, execute and analyze their own original experiment. Every assignment, lab, quiz and exam is designed to prepare the students for both the internal and external assessments.
What do students need to be able to do in your class to be successful
I believe success in IB Chemistry relies on the student's ability to continually push their understanding of the subject matter, while learning from mistakes, and collaborating with peers. Chemistry is interrelated to countless topics inside and outside science, and looking beyond the textbook is an invaluable resource for the class.
What do you like most about IB?
Personally, I enjoy the international mindedness and theory of knowledge piece. Content can be learned through any Google search, but to understand WHY we learn the material and HOW it connects with the rest of the world is what makes the International Baccalaureate program a wonderful opportunity.