My name is David Gresham of the Overseas School of Colombo and am in the last year of the Middle Years Program. One of the requirements as a being in the Middle Years Program is that we have to complete a certain amount of community service hours. We can do many different things to fulfill this requirement such as...
Goals:
1) To participate in at least two SAISA Tournaments
2) To PASS the IB :P
3) To participate in at least 4 major community service project this year
Guiding Questions, Aims & Learning Outcomes
The following questions may help students determine whether or not an intended activity qualifies as CAS.
Is an activity a new role for me?
Is it a real task that I am going to undertake?
Does it have real consequences for other people and for me?
What do I hope to learn from getting involved?
Aims
The CAS program aims to develop students who are reflective thinkers—they understand their own strengths and limitations, identify goals and devise strategies for personal growth
Willing to accept new challenges and new roles
Aware of themselves as members of communities with responsibilities towards each other and the environment
Active participants in sustained, collaborative projects
Balanced—they enjoy and find significance in
8 Critical Learning outcomes
Learning outcomes are differentiated from assessment objectives because they are not rated on a scale. The completion decision for the school in relation to each student is, simply, “Have these outcomes been achieved?” As a result of their CAS experience as a whole, including their reflections, there should be evidence that students have:
Increased their awareness of their own strengths and areas for growth
They are able to see themselves as individuals with various skills and abilities, some more developed than others, and understand that they can make choices about how they wish to move forward.
Undertaken new challenges
A new challenge may be an unfamiliar activity, or an extension to an existing one.
Planned and initiated activities
Planning and initiation will often be in collaboration with others. It can be shown in activities that are part of larger projects, for example, ongoing school activities in the local community, as well as in small student-led activities.
Worked collaboratively with others
Collaboration can be shown in many different activities, such as team sports, playing music in a band, or helping in a kindergarten. At least one project involving collaboration and the integration of at least two of creativity, action and service, is required.
Shown perseverance and commitment in their activities
At a minimum, this implies attending regularly and accepting a share of the responsibility for dealing with problems that arise in the course of activities.
Engaged with issues of global importance
Students may be involved in international projects but there are many global issues that can be acted upon locally or nationally (for example, environmental concerns, caring for the elderly).
Considered the ethical implications of their actions
Ethical decisions arise in almost any CAS activity (for example, on the sports field, in musical composition, in relationships with others involved in service activities). Evidence of thinking about ethical issues can be shown in various ways, including journal entries and conversations with CAS advisers.
Developed new skills
As with new challenges, new skills may be shown in activities that the student has not previously undertaken, or in increased expertise in an established area.
