Reply to What are my child's chances of getting into the IB program?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I know the TOK class is required but does anyone know what is taught in that class?[/quote]

It’s my DD’s favorite class she’s ever taken.

It’s basically epistemology—what do we know, and how do we know it? Why is knowledge important? How does it relate to concepts like culture and community? She loves it because it’s very analytical, and favors deep thinking and argumentative writing over regurgitating facts.

They do a good bit of writing and some presentations, but in general it’s kind of an overarching theory class that is supposed to tie together all the other courses they take. But I’m sure the quality depends a lot on the instructor, too. [/quote]

I found it pretentious and cringey, but I agree that it depends a lot on the instructor.

Most often it’s still going to regurgitate some ideas from Plato, Kant, Hume, Locke etc, albeit at poorly understood high school level.

To be honest the writing part of my DC IB program was quite underwhelming, essentially quantity over quality. It doesn’t help that the instructor is actually not capable of writing or teaching.

Instead of the extended essay I think my student would have been way better off with a solid practice of a five paragraph essay, strong understanding of grammar and a well developed vocabulary. I’d much prefer a short assignment that is well edited to be crisp and clear instead of 10 pages of rambling sentences. The teacher feedback was nonexistent, so had have to figure it out on his own. [/quote]

It’s worst when the TOK is mashed with the flavor of the day of postmodernism, post colonialism, social justice soup. Then it turns into indigenous ways of knowing, all cultures are equal cliches and tropes that truly are painful to read. I found TOK to be the a very poor example of deep thinking, analysis and argumentative writing.

I second the other poster that the writing part of IB was not impressive to say the least. [/quote]

I don't think you're wrong (tbh I haven't read my kid's ToK essay), but I read their college application essays and they were fantastic. I was supposed to copyedit and the only thing I saw missing was one comma.

For a student who actually likes writing, IB is great. And if the fotm is a mishmash of social justice theory and woo woo  "everything is colonialism, and colonialism is bad," well, so what? Gives them a heads up on what to question about what they've learn in college when all their peers are pounding Said and Kende back like they're Baptist missionaries on a bender.

I think it's still preferable to them deciding "The Fountainhead" is the best book ever. [/quote]

You can have an opinion about your kids classes without having to take them yourself, that’s basically the entire DCUM, people offering their perspective.[/quote]

In fact, you can have an opinion about anything without knowing anything about it at all.[/quote]

Ahhh, the classic “what do we know and how do we know it”, the hallmark of the IB graduate that passes off as “critical thinking”. Honestly I’m so sick of this formulaic approach to anything, that is my issue with the writing style of the IB program. It’s quite different than the writing done for most majors or careers.

Apologies if that comes off too harsh.

[/quote]
dp.. you are comparing a HS writing style in a specific program with workplace writing style.  That's a ridiculous comparison.

IB is its own thing.  Why are you comparing it to workplace writing? So strange.[/quote]

That’s what I keep saying, IB is too much of its own thing.

[b]Compare it to the writing you will do in college for most majors, that’s what the high school is supposed to prepare you for.[/b] The TOK essay doesn’t strike me as particularly useful, relevant or pertinent.

When you follow a recipe for your writing based on faux analysis and critical thinking cliches you’re going to be prepared for majors that value faux analysis and critical thinking cliches.

To be successful in college for the vast majority of majors as far as writing skills are concerned master two things: how to do a review of a topic and how to write a lab report. Unfortunately there aren’t many high schools that do this.[/quote]

says who?[/quote]

You’re doing the “what do we know and how do we know it” again!

Seriously, you don’t see how your mind is held captive to these[b] tropes[/b]? Take a step back and you’ll understand how this can be so annoying for other people because it adds nothing to the conversation.[/quote]

You're using that word wrong.

But I agree with you: if you think "what do we know and how do we know it" adds nothing, then IB really is not for you.[/quote]

I’m definitely using it correctly, you know the dictionary is one click away, right? At least bother to check beforehand.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trope

If all you have to say is “what do we know and how do we know it” then you really have nothing of substance to contribute, you’re just a heckler.
[/quote]

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