DP subjects and the learner profile

Like all IB schools, Ressun lukio emphasizes the importance of the IB Learner Profile. This is how some of our DP2 students described the effect of the Learner Profile in their life and studies in Ressu:

INQUIRER

“Very visible throughout the EE process and while doing the IAs in different subjects. The teachers have encouraged us to find something we are interested in and then to develop a deeper understanding in that area by studying it in detail.

“The IB has helped me become an inquirer by allowing me to focus on asking the correct types of questions to get the most fruitful outcome regarding the thing I am investigating. TOK has especially helped me in this by pushing me to think about the areas of learning while focusing on whatever investigation I am working on. “

“Psychology has made me much more of an inquirer since it is very interesting to know more about human behavior and there are so many unanswered questions all the time.”

KNOWLEDGEABLE

“The IB helped me immensely to become knowledgeable not only in the subjects that I study but also in current events and how to think about the information I come across. English has helped me become more knowledgeable about issues mentioned in the media that we have been studying.”

“CAS is a massive opportunity to explore concepts of local and global significance as we can engage in various activities. Throughout the diploma years I have been - and currently still am – an active member of my school’s environment club which has allowed me to develop understanding in concepts and issues that are significant on a local and global level.”

 “We have been encouraged to link our knowledge between subjects and with issues of local/global significance for example in Biology, where we have discussed issues related to climate change, also using skills related to the power of language used in documentaries and the environmental issues we have learned about in other courses.”

THINKER

“The IB has taught me to be critical of the information I come across. Whether it be whether a source of information is biased to whether a statement is logical or not, thanks to truth tables studied in Mathematics.”

“Whilst planning our IAs and EEs, we were given freedom and encouragement to think critically when deciding on what, why and how we want to study. I have experienced significant growth as a thinker.”

“When we write reflections in any subject we have to be critical of our own work. This forces us to think carefully about what we have done and what we should have done better.”

“Critical and independent thinking has been especially promoted for example in History, since being able to provide different perspectives into an issue is such an important part of our history IA criteria.”

COMMUNICATOR

“I must communicate in some way in all IB subjects. Communication is vital in essays and investigations, especially since there is no way of having a dialogue with the reader. Communication must be effective and precise.”

“Our school continuously pushes us to work in groups giving us opportunities to share ideas and learn from others’ strengths. In Finnish class we are challenged to use only Finnish to communicate (which is not natural to us as we normally all speak only English to each other despite our Finnish roots).”

“When participating in the organization of events for Green team in CAS, communication is vital for the event to run smoothly. We have to communicate within the group and with the people in school, as well as with people from outside the school. For example, we contact different companies to get sponsored stuff (like chocolate or cups for the events). “

“All the teachers emphasize the importance of asking for help on time, communicating ideas for different tasks and projects we need to do etc. I feel like group work has been the most emphasized in the sciences, for example through our Group 4 project with the Tallinn English School in Estonia.”

PRINCIPLED

“The academic honesty policy has aided me to become a more principled student. I now know how to treat people in a group project more fairly by allowing everyone to contribute equally.”

“In a class of 30+ enthusiastic individuals, we have to constantly remember to act with fairness and respect towards others, allowing them to study to their best abilities and not distracting them. This is sometimes challenging when we get carried away with conversations but I can sense a massive growth in being principled from pre-IB to now IB2.”

“When writing projects and assignments we make sure that the correct references are given.”

OPEN-MINDED

“The IB gives me the chance to be even more open-minded by encouraging me to think about different points of view and consider them equally but also be critical of them. In History, for example, I must sometimes compare two conflicting sources and evaluate them without being biased towards the one that is closer to my own opinion.”

“The international backgrounds of the IB students in our school give us the pleasure of hearing various points of views and opinions, which helps us be open-minded.”

“With so many backgrounds, we are open to different opinions. This is visible especially in TOK classes, during discussions on issues such as abortion, political affairs or ethical problems. Being open-minded is also important when working in a group: we try to include or at least consider everyone's ideas.”

CARING

“There is an overall helping atmosphere within the class. We help each other as best as we can, but we also know that when we need help, someone will always be willing to give it, whether it is checking essays or explaining something.”

“I’ve become more caring due to TOK lessons as we all share opinions so openly and it’s important to be caring towards everyone else.”

“I must care about the quality of my work as well as care for others. CAS opened up opportunities for me to care for others (eg. a first aid course, guiding young leaders and lifeguarding) as well as for my own health by completing ballet lessons.“

“Helping peers out by suggesting ways to tackle assignments and offering encouragement allows us to help others. Even by being attentive during our peers’ presentations and answers in class allows us to show respect and caring as well.”

RISK-TAKERS

“I don’t always take the easiest option regarding IA or EE topics but push myself to do things that are more likely to develop my knowledge.“

“I took a risk in my EE topic as even my supervisor was not too sure it would turn out well. Despite the uncertainty I decided I would stand by my topic of interest, which in the end worked out and my supervisor was pleased with it.”

“When conducting Chemistry investigations, there's an element of risk-taking, because we might not know what exactly will happen. Similarly in Biology, when exploring a not so familiar phenomenon, or when doing fieldwork, we don't always know if the experiment will work. It takes some risk to jump into a study, without being sure of the outcome…”

“The teachers encourage us to always try and do things, not giving up just because we are scared we might fail.”

BALANCED

“CAS is an obvious reminder for all of us consistently to really push ourselves to accomplish a balanced lifestyle. Our school supports this well by giving us opportunities.”

“The CAS programme is all about being balanced: being active, doing something beneficial for our society as well as having some time to be creative, while at the same time studying effectively. It also encourages us to find time to do something that we really like. For example, I find time to do nature photography.”

“As teachers always recommend, I also agree it is vital to have a calendar where to mark everything that has to be done, and it is important to find time for just relaxing and letting go of all the school stress. It’s good that the school has the certain deadlines for our projects and takes them seriously, so we can learn to organize what we are doing and when, both in school and outside the classroom.”

REFLECTIVE

“We get to reflect on our learning through the components of IB assessments such as EE reflections. In addition, I have started to automatically reflect and consider my past studying methods; what worked, what did not and how to improve. I also have started to notice this reflection aspect outside of school as well.“

“With my EE and IAs, I did a lot of proof-reading of my own work: I was able to think critically on what I was writing. Especially in the discussion part of my EE, I had to reflect and discuss all the things that I should have done better.”

“Through the IB I have truly learned the importance of always reflecting on what one has done and is doing. Sometimes it does feel frustrating to write so many reflections about everything, but then later I have seen how important it is to reflect, since otherwise no change can ever really happen.”