Personal Project

Personal Project2013/14

Mr Justin

Content

1) What is a Personal Project?2) Requirements of a Personal

Project.3) Assessing a Personal Project.4) Supervising a Personal Project5) Completing a

commencement form

What is a personal project?

The Personal Project is an individual project completed during MYP 5. It consists of three components.

(1) process journal, (2) outcome or product,

(3) report.

The Personal Project is the opportunity for students to demonstrate the learning skills they developed during their MYP years, and relate these to one of the Areas of Interaction.

Personal Project Grade of at least a 3 is needed to attain an IB MYP Certificate.

Clear use of ATL’s should be evidenced throughout

What is a personal project?

PP should : Have a clear and achievable goal Be focused on one Area of Interaction Allow you to express a truly personal message Demonstrate skills, attitudes and knowledge you

used to complete this project over an extended period of time

Be the result of your initiative, creativity and ability to organize and plan

Reflect your special interests, hobbies, special abilities, or concerns about particular issues

Deal with a topic or area to which you are committed

Be entirely your own work (authenticity is very important)

PP should not be :

Be an already assessed work Form part of the curriculum in any

other subjectTake over your personal and social

life or interfere with school work

Objective A Use the process journal

You should: Demonstrate organisational skills

through time and self-management

Communicate and collaborate with the supervisor

Demonstrate information literacy, thinking and reflection.

Objective B Define the goal

You should: Identify and explain a topic based on

personal interest Justify one focus area of interaction as a

context for the project Outline a clear, achievable, challenging

goal Create specifications that will be used to

evaluate the project’s outcome/product.

Objective C Select sources

You should: Select varied, relevant sources to

achieve the goal Evaluate sources.

Objective D Apply information

You should: Transfer and apply information to

make decisions, create solutions and develop understandings in connection with the project’s goal.

Objective E Achieve the goal

You should: Evaluate the outcome/product

against their own specifications for success.

Students award a level that relates to the descriptors in criterion E in collaboration with their supervisor.

Objective F Reflect on learning

You should: Reflect on how completing the project

has extended their knowledge and understanding of the topic and the focus Area of Interaction

Reflect on how they have developed as a learner by completing the project.

Objective G Report the project

You should: Organize the project report

according to the required structure Communicate clearly, coherently

and concisely, within required limits

Acknowledge sources according to recognized conventions.

Suitability of a ProjectAll projects1) Should be achievable and

challenging.2) Should be measurable.3) Must require an extended period

of work.4) Must have practical task specific

specifications.

Process 1) Meet with students and discuss ideas

for projects. 2) Finalise selection. 3) Enter onto ManageBac and approve. 4) Meet with students regularly- provide

guidance not only for completion of the project but also on their process journal and report.

Timeline- Phase 1: Orientation & Development

2 weeks – Topic & Commencement form

Phase 2: Planning & Research 4 weeks – Timeline (Gantt chart), resources, start research,

update journal entries, submit preliminary bibliography & resources to supervisor

Phase 3: Reflection & Product Development 7 months – continual progress, discuss product, revise

plans, update journal

Phase 4: Presenting the Outcome 3 weeks – Submit product, report and journal to supervisor

for final assessment

Role of The SupervisorTo make sure that the student

has been provided with and understands the guidelines and the assessment criteria for the personal project

To emphasize to the student the importance of keeping an effective process journal

Role of the Supervisor To carry out formative assessment by

offering positive, constructive oral and written comments at each stage, using the personal project assessment criteria as a basis for discussion

To provide guidance in the planning, research & completion of the personal project

Role of the Supervisor To ensure the work is authentic and

entirely the student’s own work and that the material is adequately referenced

To meet with students periodically and check the completion of each phase within the deadlines set

To make sure the topic is inspired by the AOI & ATL’s

Role of the Supervisor To make sure the topic is limited in

scope and “do able” To ensure the student is able to define

their goal clearly To ensure the student has formed key

questions and a statement of intention To assess the project according to the

assessment criteria

Potential Issues The student does not initiate any meetings

and fails to produce any evidence of work despite many reminders.-

The PP is a student led piece of work. It is designed to enable students to plan and execute an extended piece of work by themselves. However, as their supervisor, we do not want any student not to receive their IB certificate, and must do all we can without going against the spirit of the PP.

Potential Issues The most important thing is communication.

All supervisors must ensure that they report their students progress at every deadline.

Approving projects that are not suitable. They must be:

Measureable Challenging Achievable Have a specific AOI Specific Topic

Report any problems to Mr Justin, Mr Michael and Ms Priyanka.

Task: Groups of 3-4 1 Student. 2-3 supervisors

Complete a commencement form that meets all the discussed guidelines

Topic/Subject: Page 14 AOI – Appropriate AOI for chosen topic (not

product) Relate to AOI learning outcomes

Theme: What will be the impact of the topic?

Commencement form