IB Design Classes

The Global View of Design

Phillips Preparatory is authorized to implement the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Program (MYP). The MYP is a challenging framework that encourages students to make practical connections between their studies and the real world. Design is a required course that encourages students to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset as they apply the design cycle: investigate, plan, create, and evaluate. The IB organization describes the course as "using the design cycle as a way to structure:

  • inquiry and analysis of design problems

  • development and creation of feasible solutions

  • testing and evaluation of students’ models, prototypes, products or systems."

We Think - We Create - We Evaluate!

Cognia STEM Standard 1 - School/program provides equitable opportunities for students to engage in high quality STEM learning.

EQUITABLE

All IB MYP students take a Design course where they utilize the engineering design process to observe, formulate big ideas, create solutions and/or innovations, and evaluate for continual growth and improvement.

ENTRE-ED

An entrepreneurial curriculum strand is embedded within our Design courses to ignite students' creativity and tether their autonomy to community needs. Students use real-world examples to explore their skills in the context of local and global economies.


PROJECT-BASED

Knowledge is gained and skills are developed by working to solve complex problems. Students investigate, identify a problem, propose a solution, enact a plan, and evaluate the results.


Cognia STEM Standard 7 - Students engage collaboratively in authentic inquiry during ongoing units of study.

INQUIRY-BASED

Design encourages independent thought. Each project is sparked by an essential question. Students pose queries and think of multiple ways to address the issue.

COLLABORATIVE

Collaborative activities allow students to exhibit tenets of the IB Learner Profile as they embrace being communicators and risk-takers.


AUTHENTIC

Design students engage in activities that are meaningful and relevant. Learners make connections between their personal needs and those of the larger community.

IB Learner Profile

The Goals of Entre-Ed

From the EntreEd website (www.entre-ed.org):

  • Encourage new lifetime careers.
  • Enhance local jobs.
  • Enrich academic learning by providing real world examples.
  • Encourage creative thinking.
  • Energize communities.
  • Enable adults with an opportunity to return to their home communities.
  • Engage all students, even if they never start a business."