Home Learning in Secondary School

ISB Home Learning Philosophy

In the Secondary School at ISB, we believe in a balanced-lifestyle approach to learning. Home learning tasks empower our MYP & DP students through purposeful learning experiences. Home learning tasks are authentic and differentiated for individual students to represent a consolidation, and for some students an extension of learning targets within current subject units or topics. Home learning is integrated within lessons.

At the Secondary School, we integrate the IBO Programme Missions into our Home Learning perspective and recognize the difference between both programmes and as such the differences in home learning objectives.

MYP: Preparing students to be successful in school and to be active, lifelong learners.

DP: Preparing students for success in higher education and life in a global society.

ISB, MYP & DP Home Learning Guidelines

In the MYP & DP at ISB we support a balanced lifestyle approach to learning.

• We encourage our MYP & DP students at ISB to lead dynamic lives: subject learning, after school activities; service endeavors; family, friends and personal time; religious requirements; local, regional and global travel; and home learning. However, 11-18 year olds need 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night so lifestyle balance is vital to ensure optimal sleep time.

• Teachers may need to negotiate with the class, or individuals, about the home learning task assigned taking lifestyle into consideration.

• Tasks should be scaffolded using a known timeline with an approximation of the expected time spent to achieve a particular goal.

Home learning tasks empower MYP & DP students through authentic and purposeful learning experiences.

• Students have notes, examples or instructions to refer to when learning at home.

• Home learning tasks should be explicitly connected to the current unit/topic and learning target and integrated within class time.

• Students will be allowed lesson time to record home learning tasks intended for later reference.

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¹ Home learning is a term of general acceptance now in schools with 21st century learning implying

a valued undertaking.

² Our learning targets are daily lesson explanations of subject objectives/criterion/strands and are

integral to ensure purposeful class time.

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Home learning tasks differentiate for individual students and represent a consolidation, and for some students an extension of learning targets within current subject units or topics.

• Home learning is differentiated depending on an individual student or group of students’ learning needs.

• Students who seek extension work will be provided opportunities such as self-guided learning as an addition to, or outside of, the current unit. Teachers may also suggest additional and diversified home learning tasks to highly capable learners.

• The further students’ progress through the school the more they should aspire to independent learning. IB Diploma students should be able to identify areas that need reinforcement, consolidation or extension and attend to these needs as necessary outside of class time. The teachers will support and facilitate this independent learning.

Home learning is integrated within lessons.

• Home learning tasks are integrated within class time with formative feedback. Summative tasks are never assigned solely as home learning tasks.

Additional Guidelines:

• Holiday break times in our earlier MYP should not see students completing mandatory home learning tasks unless it is an individualized student-teacher negotiated plan. Later MYP and DP students should consider home learning within holiday times to be warranted; such as Personal Project, Service as Action, Extended Essay and CAS requirements.

• We encourage regular learning reflection through review of formative notes and planning for upcoming summative tasks. Days of no subject home learning requirements should have time devoted to such reflection and related inquiry.

Note: Acknowledgement and thanks is given to the team of teachers at the International School of Tanganyika who created these guidelines.

Home Learning in the Diploma Programme

A key feature of the Diploma Programme (grades 11-12) is the number of major assignments that need to be completed beyond the everyday assigned homework. Students are expected to plan effectively to meet all deadlines. Where time challenges might arise students need to communicate with their teachers prior to the deadline to devise a plan of action. For certain Diploma assignments, no time extension can be entertained, and thus students are often reminded by their teachers and curriculum coordinator to plan accordingly.