School Development

MINT School Development and Teaching Methods

What developments have been made in the past three years to promote applicable, practical, and research-based learning in STEM subjects?

Curriculum Development @ ISC

At our school, science education is seamlessly integrated into the academic journey of every student, spanning from 1st grade to 12th grade in alignment with the International Baccalaureate (IB) programs—Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), and Diploma Programme (DP). In addition to this comprehensive science curriculum, we take pride in offering a highly sought-after elective STEM course (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) within our middle school. Embraced by our MYP students, this elective has witnessed remarkable popularity, with 60% of eligible students actively choosing to participate. Since its inception three years ago, the STEM course has experienced consistent growth, evolving from an initial enrollment of 12 students to a current participation of 35 students. Throughout their academic journey, all our students are exposed to an inquiry-based learning model, in line with the principles advocated in the IB framework. This concept-driven approach is seamlessly woven into the fabric of the PYP, MYP, and DP programs, fostering a holistic and enriching educational experience for every student.

Science Department Restructure

The school has undergone a strategic restructuring of its science department, integrating design into the Science department to improve synergies between the subject areas. This transformation extends to the organization of the department, ensuring specialized expertise across all STEM subjects in the high school curriculum. The science department is now staffed with subject specialists who bring in-depth knowledge and proficiency to each specific STEM field, creating a dynamic and comprehensive learning environment for high school students. Additionally, middle school science teachers have been designated as general science educators, providing a solid foundation and a holistic approach to scientific concepts for younger students.

Vocactional Developemnt Program

The Vocational Development Program (VDP) is meticulously crafted to provide students with immersive, real-world experiences across various job fields, cultivating vocational interest, hands-on work experience, and essential social skills crucial for their future pursuits. Launched during the Vocational Days on November 8-10, 2021, our MYP3 to MYP5 students actively participated in internships (Praktikum) to glean valuable insights into specific career paths and assess their future interests. This comprehensive program encompasses thorough CV preparation, utilizing resources such as Kärnten Schnuppert to explore job options aligned with individual interests. We are thrilled to announce that the VDP has evolved into a well-structured initiative, addressing key components like CV creation, infographic development showcasing life achievements, and honing formal cover letter and email writing skills. The integration of interviews and Taz (Forward to other group) further enriches the program, equipping our students with the necessary skills for successful interactions in a professional setting. This evolution reflects our commitment to providing a robust educational experience that empowers students for success in their future careers.

Improved Digital Infrastructure

The school has undergone significant advancements in its digital infrastructure over the past three years, enhancing the learning experience for our students. With a commitment to technology integration, we maintain a 1:1 laptop ratio, supported by our Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy. The school provides and maintains 50 Chromebooks and 30 iPads to complement this initiative. Across the three IB programs—PYP, MYP, and DP—the school employs a diverse range of digital platforms to cater to the specific needs of each section. In the PYP section, Seesaw is extensively utilized due to its user-friendly interface, particularly beneficial for younger students, and its robust feedback tools. Moving to the MYP section, a combination of Google Classroom facilitates day-to-day communication on lesson content, while Managebac is utilized for sharing detailed curriculum plans. In the DP section, Managebac takes center stage for daily communications, leveraging its native support for the DP program. This platform is further enhanced with online textbooks and quizzes provided by Kognity, covering a wide array of subject areas.

The school has also signed up for the following subscriptions;

Language:

Antolin, Raz-kids, Britannica

(use of technology to enhance differentiation delivery)

Mathematics:

Mathletics, Känguru Math

(use of technology to enhance differentiation delivery & measure with their peers)

Research Databases:

Britannica

JSTOR

AK Alpe-Adria Mediathek

Alpe-Adria University Library

Online Subscriptions:

BrainPOP

Kahoot!

Edpuzzle

Flipgrid

21st-Century Skills

All instructional units are strategically designed to foster the development of MINT-oriented skill sets in students. The MYP Approaches to Learning (AtL) framework prioritizes essential 21st-century skills, including Thinking Skills, Social Skills, Self-Management Skills, Communication Skills, and Research Skills.

ISC is proactively concentrating on the integration of AtL skills into lessons, particularly in anticipation of the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) evaluation visit scheduled for 2025. In the initial phase of the self-study, ISC aimed to heighten awareness of AtL skills among its teaching staff. To achieve this, the school developed a tailored, in-house professional development program, showcasing effective strategies for enhancing AtL skills within lessons.

In the subsequent year of the study, ISC's focus shifted towards increasing student awareness of AtL skills. To realize this objective, students are actively collecting evidence of each skill, documenting their progress on a dedicated Google site. Notably, exemplary Google sites are recognized with rewards and certificates, acknowledging students for demonstrating mastery in each AtL skill. This multi-year initiative reflects ISC's commitment to continually enhance the teaching and learning environment by emphasizing and recognizing the development of essential 21st-century skills.

ISC has implemented the IB Diploma Programme since September 2020 to our grade 11-12 students. ISC has an average class size of 25 students but offers a wide variety of MINT-oriented subjects for our students to choose from in grades 11 and 12, such as:

Mathematics (Standard or Higher Level): Applications and Interpretation

Individuals & Societies (Standard or Higher Level): Business Management, World Religions and History

Sciences (Standard or Higher Level): Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or Design Technology

Online Courses from Promja: Psychology, Economics, Digital Society and Philosophy.

To prepare students to successfully pursue these course options, the ISC Secondary team has developed the MYP curriculum in grades 6-10 to offer the following courses:

Mathematics: Standard and Extended Level courses

Individuals & Societies:

Sciences: Biology, Chemistry, STEM and Physics (Elective)

Additional Courses: Digital Design, Visual Arts

The MYP team designs units based on one of six Global Contexts that challenge students to inquire into different themes, such as:

Identities and relationships

Orientation in space and time

Personal and cultural expression

Scientific and technical innovation *(See below)

Globalization and sustainability

Fairness and development

*The Global Context of ‘Scientific and technical innovation’ is particularly relevant to ISC’s efforts to improve how MINT is incorporated into the MYP at ISC. MYP units focusing on MINT are naturally linked to this Global Context by considering the following ‘big ideas’:

How do we understand the world in which we live?

Students will explore the natural world and its laws; the interaction between people and the

natural world; how humans use their understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on communities and environments; the impact of environments on human activity; how humans adapt environments to their needs.

Some possible explorations to develop via an MYP unit focusing on MINT and taught through the Global of Context of ‘Scientific and technical innovation could include the following:

• Systems, models, methods; products, processes and solutions

• Adaptation, ingenuity and progress

• Opportunity, risk, consequences and responsibility

• Modernization, industrialization and engineering

• Digital life, virtual environments and the Information Age

• The biological revolution

• Mathematical puzzles, principles and discoveries

MYP units focused through the Global Context ‘lens’ of Scientific and Technical Innovation should offer opportunities for students to take part in learning outside of the classroom, by visiting companies in Villach and/or Klagenfurt, for example, which are involved in MINT-related industries.

These MYP ‘Curriculum Experiences,’ can offer ISC students insights into real-world examples of how MINT-related subjects are applied in professional settings, beyond the walls of our school building.

The MYP team also works together to ensure at least one unit per year (one each for MYP1-MYP5) is an interdisciplinary inquiry planned, taught, and assessed, linking together two MYP subjects.

The Secondary curriculum challenges and supports students to develop lifelong learning skills and practices that help them pursue MINT-oriented studies and careers after they graduate from ISC.

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