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Top 10 blogs of 2017

IB World magazine editor Sophie-Marie Odum reveals the most-read stories within the IB community in 2017

Whether it was design thinking ideas, effective mindfulness techniques, or how to spot fake news, I’ve worked with the IB blog team to bring you this year’s hottest topics in education throughout the year.

Below we look back at the most popular blog posts of 2017, which we hope have enhanced your learning and helped transform your classroom this year.

1.Top 15 IB diploma terms for parents and students

This article breaks down the IB Diploma Programme (DP) lingo that all parents and guardians need to know. Read the post.

What the stats tell us to date: The post has been viewed more than 12,000 times and liked more than 1,400 times on Facebook.

2.Top tens: your vacation reading lists

David Hawley, the IB’s former Chief Academic Officer, shared the top 10 most commonly read works, across all genres in all IB World Schools. Read the post.

What the stats tell us to date: The post was viewed more than 11,000 times, ‘liked’ more than 600 times on Facebook and shared more than 400 times on LinkedIn.

3.Is homework an unnecessary burden?

As part of three-part series, IB World magazine investigates if homework still has a place in modern-day education, or if it really is a “sin against childhood” as some critics have commented. Read the post.

What the stats tell us to date: Viewed more than 10,000 times, ‘liked’ 3.9k times on Facebook and shared almost 200 times on LinkedIn.

4.What does the mathematics community want in the 21st Century?

DP curriculum manager Deborah Sutch discusses the new developments in DP mathematics, which, in 2019, will focus on developing the skills of analysis, abstraction and generalization, risk awareness and statistical literacy, algorithmic thinking, modeling and inquiry. Read the post.

What the stats tell us to date: Viewed almost 8,000 times and ‘liked’ almost 500 times on Facebook.

5.The last mile: how to prepare for your IB exams

IB grads share their secrets for staying on top of everything, as upcoming DP students approach their exams. Read the post.

What the stats tell us to date: Viewed more than 7,000 times, ‘liked’ more than 700 times on Facebook and shared 258 times via LinkedIn.

6.Risk-taking: What does it mean to you?

IB World magazine asks teachers how they encourage students to become confident in taking risks and students share how this has helped them develop lifelong skills. Read the post.

What the stats tell us to date: Viewed more than 5,000 times and ‘liked’ almost 800 times on Facebook.

7.Six years later – an open letter to IB students

An “IB survivor” offers an honest reflection of her IB experience. Read the post.

What the stats tell us to date: Viewed more than 3,000 times, ‘liked’ more than 600 times and shared via LinkedIn more than 300 times.

8.Do you know why you decided to become a teacher?

Peter Docker, leadership consultant and executive coach, tells IB World how IB teachers can find their ‘why’ and help students do the same. Read the post.

What the stats tell us to date: Viewed more than 3,000 times, ‘liked’more than 500 times on Facebook and shared more than 300 times via LinkedIn.

9.How does CAS impact students, educators and life beyond IB?

Research investigates the impact of creativity, activity, service (CAS) –surveys were collected from nearly 8,000 students, almost 500 CAS coordinators and more than 900 DP alumni around the world. Read the post.

What the stats tell us to date: Viewed more than 3,000 times, ‘liked’ almost 400 times on Facebook and shared almost 300 times via LinkedIn.

10.“Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.”

In the second article in the ‘homework’ series, IB teachers tell IB World why and how they are moving beyond traditional approaches to homework to maximize student potential and increase engagement. Read the post.

What the stats tell us to date: Viewed more than 3,000 times and ‘liked’ more than 1,000 times on Facebook.

All these stats help us understand what topics you want to read about and engage with and what kinds of stories and content we should do more or less of.

Thank you …

… for reading our stories, contributing your own stories for us to share, ‘liking’ and sharing them, and commenting on our posts in 2017. We look forward to more storytelling from around the IB community and beyond in 2018!

Get in touch with your stories and opinions about hot topics in education and stories from your part of the global IB community, email us at communications@ibo.org.