IBO.org Online Workshops

tgrear2008 · Post by **tgrear2008** » Sun Sep 12, 2010 11:17 am

I only have two years teaching in a Public school in NC. I really don't know anything about the IB program because I just started learning about it. I went to IBO's website to learn more and they have online workshops. I figure they would be worth the money just to be able to talk the talk at the next job fair.

Has anyone taken these online courses, and were they worth it? Would they be a good tool to become familiarized with the IB program?

Does anyone have any other suggestions to learn about the IB program that might give me a leg up? By the way, I'm a certified middle school math and social studies.

Also real quick....is middle school math in demand? Will that at least provide me with a fighting chance in Bangkok?

heyteach · Post by **heyteach** » Sun Sep 12, 2010 2:03 pm

I knew nothing about the IB when I was first applying overseas. The school that I ended up at has its own in-house training so now I'm well-versed in the MYP and conversant in the Diploma program. If you can at least familiarize yourself with MYP math from the Web site, you ought to at least be able to express an interest in and passing familiarity with it, and inquire if the school trains its teachers or sends you to workshops. Note that not all overseas schools are IB.

With math credentials and teaching experience you should have no problem landing a job.

mbynum · Post by **mbynum** » Sun Sep 12, 2010 10:43 pm

I am about to start the PYP course online with IB.org. It actually looks more informative than the one my husband just finished with them. He took a course on MYP. The instructor barely logged on to see what they were doing and certainly was not very interested in actually teaching the course.That said he was able to pick up valuable infor from other students and has acquired some of the basics and can discuss MYP with others and has a working knowledge of the terminology. That's what I hope to get out of mine plus knowledge of how others are teaching the themes.

durianfan · Post by **durianfan** » Wed Sep 22, 2010 12:23 am

I am strongly considering taking the online DP course this month (English A1) for the same reasons mentioned in the OP. It's expensive, but it'll be worth it if I can snag a job at the SEARCH fair in January.

I went to the fair last year - spoke to about 20 schools but no one wanted to interview me because I didn't have any IB experience and hadn't taught subject-matter English for a few years because I've been teaching EFL. It was very disappointing to have all these schools reject me.

My stats:

B.A. English
M.A. English Literature
California Clear Credential (English, 7-12)
TEFL Certificate
Taught a few years in California, mostly substitute teaching.
Taught 6 months in England (English subject matter)
I've been teaching subject-matter English in Bangkok for the past 6 months at a private Thai school.

If I take this online course (or maybe 2), what are my chances? I'd like to stay in Asia, if possible, hopefully at an IB school that could train me.

ichiro · Post by **ichiro** » Wed Sep 22, 2010 5:54 am

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durianfan · Post by **durianfan** » Wed Sep 22, 2010 6:51 am

^Yep, did that too. I think what really did me in was the fact that I had been teaching EFL for the past 5 years or so. Lots of these schools looked at my CV and it was like I had the plague - they were not interested in a TEFLer. I've been teaching subject matter English this past year in an EP program here in Bangkok, so hopefully that will help some. But who really knows? The attitude I got from the schools at the fair was if you didn't have IB experience, or weren't a teaching couple, then you were not a viable candidate.