Extended Essay in the IB Diploma: Balancing Challenges, Benefits, and a Community-Driven Approach at RCN

2023-03-31T07:56:06+01:00March 31st, 2023|

The Extended Essay is an independent research project completed by all RCN students as part of the IB Diploma Programme. For many students, it is the most challenging assignment that they will encounter in their school career: the workload is estimated at 40 hours, there is a 4000-word limit and students have access to just 4 hours of guidance from a subject-specialist supervisor.

Saying this, the benefits of engaging in the Extended Essay process are enormous. Students’ planning, management, writing, argumentation, research, reflection and communication skills are strengthened. The Extended Essay mimics undergraduate-level research in the relevant subject area, which means (for example) that Literature students perform textual analysis, Language Acquisition students present their ideas in a foreign language, Individuals & Societies students explore contemporary and/or global issues from multiple well-defined perspectives and Science students carry out investigations. And the Extended Essay remains refreshingly low-stakes in the IB Diploma overall; the skill level is high, but the maximum points available are relatively low.

This week, Emma (Academic Programme Leader) launched the Extended Essay with all First Year students in her first Academic Skills session of the year. She discussed the importance of choosing the right discipline for the Extended Essay and shared her insights on how to experience a balanced IB Diploma overall. Students also had the opportunity to find out why we carry out end-of-year internal exams in the First Year, with Emma explaining the value of assessment in any learning process and how teachers will learn more about how to support individuals and classes.

The RCN community also enjoyed the EEvening, which is an hour in which Second Years are on hand to present their work and share their experiences of undertaking an Extended Essay while First Years consider a range of Extended Essay subjects and ask questions in an informal setting. We hope that students are able to make informed decisions and know that our teachers’ diverse expertise will enable us to find the best possible match between our students and their supervisors.

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Collaboration Across UWCs: Differentiation Workshop at RCN

2023-03-15T13:32:18+01:00March 15th, 2023|

Collaboration across UWCs is often tricky to organise face-to-face, but for three days at UWCRCN, colleagues from Dilijan, Adriatic, Maastricht, and Robert Bosch gathered for a workshop on Differentiation in Approaches to Teaching and Learning (Learning Support).

The workshop was planned and organised by the Learning Support Team from RCN and led by Suzanne Gaskell (Dilijan) and Miriam Nash (Adriatic). These expert facilitators employed differentiation strategies in their sessions, which ensured that all participants could be exposed to our biases, be reminded of the variety of student experiences, and learn at an appropriate pace.

A range of topics and focus points were covered during the sessions, including sharing best practices, the social model of disability, case studies from different IB subject groups, and planning of collaborative ways forward. Two sessions were shared with the entire education staff at RCN.

Perhaps the biggest lesson we will all takeaway is that it is not a student’s ‘condition,’ but instead, the student’s needs that should guide us in planning and teaching; creating opportunities for student autonomy are more likely to succeed than making assumptions about accessibility.

As hosts, RCN colleagues prepared a pizza social evening before the start of the workshop, took visiting colleagues hiking, swimming, and for yoga, and provided a campus tour and the chance to engage with RCN students and staff. Even the Northern Lights made a welcome appearance!

We are hugely excited to have played a small part in creating this professional and trusted network, and we know that all our students will benefit from the ideas for policy and practice that we shared. We all look forward to follow-up sessions hosted by one of our sister colleges!

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RCN Model United Nation: Developing Global Perspectives

2023-03-01T09:38:51+01:00March 1st, 2023|

The annual Model United Nations at RCN is a moment for the 1st year class to bond in something intellectually challenging, emotionally engaging, and also a little physically demanding. All of those things game together, more of one, depending on who you were and what each student needed from the week.
 
The conference was facilitated by a dedicated team of 2nd years who poured their hearts and souls into making the experience exciting and fun. This year we had even more topics with the addition of more committees spread across the Security Council, as well as a Historical Security that went back in time to solve some issues from 30 years ago, UN Women, the Economic and Social Council, the UN Office of Drugs and Crime, the UN Environmental Programme, the World Health Organisation, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the Human Rights Council, and the Special Conference.
 
This was the longest preparation for the conference for a while. The second-year chairs have been working on their committees since October, having been choosing through a mix of presentations, interviews, and even some cloak-and-dagger politics. This year the 1st year cohort got to engage with MUN training as an EAC, and the weekly practice shone through as many of the speakers stood up and delivered stirring performances. All students also had three in-depth preparation sessions over a month to get everyone on the same page. Hats off to all the committee chairs and the security team for deftly managing all the interventions and the personalities in all the sessions.
 
On Thursday, we had two very inspiring talks.
 
The first was with Fioralba Shkodra, the Head of the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office in Serbia. She has worked with Sustainable Development Goals for over a decade in multiple countries. It was good to learn from someone engaged with making aspirational SDGs become achieved goals. She helped us appreciate how she works on both long-term continuing programs and emergencies.
 
The later talk was with Alexander Stubb, a former Finnish Prime Minister. He shared his life as lawmaker, government minister, and prime minister and the demands of each role. He spoke about his life in the European Investment Bank, and his return to academia, and he gave us many ideas on how we can contribute across different spheres.
 
The General Assembly debate on the final day focused on protecting journalists worldwide. You can imagine how fun and hectic getting agreement among a hundred delegates can be – even in something we can all agree on.

Special Weeks at RCN

2023-02-28T11:16:51+01:00February 27th, 2023|

At the Red Cross Nordic United World College, students don’t just attend classes; they also participate in various unique experiences that allow them to develop their skills and passions, challenge themselves, and connect with others. These weeks, the second-year students are taking their mock exams, while the first-year students have been busy skiing, learning first aid, and participating in a Model United Nations conference.

Mock Exams: Preparing for the Real Thing

The mock exams are an essential part of preparing for the upcoming International Baccalaureate (IB) exams in May. By taking these practice tests, students get a real-life experience of what the actual exams will be like, helping them to identify areas that need improvement and ensuring that they are well-prepared for the final tests. The grades they receive from the mock exams will also be part of their yearly grades, making it crucial that they take this opportunity seriously and learn from any mistakes.

Ski Week: Embracing the Nordic Winter

While the second-year students were busy with their exams, the first-year students had an opportunity to experience the Nordic winter during the annual ski week, or “friluftsveka.” For several days, the students skied through the mountains in Stryn, building fires in the snow, and even overnighting outdoors. This experience allowed them to step out of their comfort zones, and connect with nature, and each other. Many of these students had never been on skis before, but they showed incredible endurance and a real sense of adventure.

First Aid Course: Saving Lives

The RCN First Aid Course, a mandatory 12-hour course for all first-year students. Led by David Robertson, a teacher of Biology and Chemistry and a qualified member of the Norwegian Search and Rescue Corps, this course is based on the Norwegian Red Cross and the Røde Kors program. Students who excel in the course have the opportunity to join the college’s first aid team and learn advanced first aid and search and rescue techniques, with a focus on wilderness first aid qualification. They also receive instructor training and get to teach the 12-hour course to first-year students the following year.

Model United Nations: Developing Global Perspectives

The annual Model United Nations at RCN is a moment for the 1st year class to bond in something intellectually challenging, emotionally engaging, and also a little physically demanding. All of those things game together, more of one depending on who you were and what each student needed from the week.

The conference was facilitated by a dedicated team of 2nd years, who poured their hearts and souls into making the experience interesting and fun. This year we had even more topics with the addition of more committees spread across the Security Council, as well a Historical Security that went back in time to solve some issues from 30 years ago, UN Women, the Economic and Social Council, the UN Office of Drugs and Crime, the UN Environmental Programme, the World Health Organisation, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the Human Rights Council, and the Special Conference.

We featured inspiring talks by Fioralba Shkodra, the Head of the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office in Serbia, and Alexander Stubb, a former Finnish Prime Minister. The General Assembly debate on the final day focused on protecting journalists around the world.

This experience allows students to develop their global perspectives, research and debate current global issues, and work collaboratively with others to find solutions to complex problems. It’s a fantastic opportunity to develop their critical thinking, public speaking, and diplomacy skills.

Project-Based Learning Week: Exploring New Interests

After the mock exams, the second-year students were engaged in Project-Based Learning Week. Some students were involved in running the First Aid course and the Model United Nations for first-year students, while others had other projects, such as skiing, snow-caving, arts, bridge, wood-fired
oven baking, mental health first aid training, and many more. This week allows students to explore their interests, work collaboratively with others, and develop new skills.

RCN’s special weeks offer a range of unique experiences that allow students to develop their skills and passions, challenge themselves, and connect with others. From mock exams and skiing to first aid courses and Model United Nations, RCN students are engaged in meaningful and transformative experiences that will help them grow into responsible and compassionate global citizens.

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