Introduction to the MYP

Personal Project at AISM

MYP COORDINATOR: POPPI SMITH

Personal Project Product: Photography (S. Velano)

The MYP Personal Project aims to encourage and enable

students to:
participate in a sustained, self-directed inquiry
within a global context
generate creative new insights and develop deeper
understandings through in-depth investigation
demonstrate the skills, attitudes and knowledge
required to complete a project over an extended
period of time
communicate effectively in a variety of situations
demonstrate responsible action through, or as a
result of, learning
appreciate the process of learning and take pride in
their accomplishments.

(MYP: Projects Guide, May 2016)

At AISM, MYP 5
(Grade 10)
International
Baccalaureate
Middle Years
Programme
students are
required to
participate in the
MYP Project a
mandatory yearlong independent
research project.

The completion of the MYP Personal Project signifies that the student can apply
his/her knowledge, skills and conceptual understanding independently, and
demonstrate that the student is capable of meeting the standards of selfmanagement, research, and critical and creative thinking, necessary to ensure
success in the AISM IB Diploma Programme (Grades 11 and 12).

The process requires students to select a

topic of interest that they would like to
research, and through which they can
reflect their understanding of components
of the program (i.e. the MYP global
contexts, the IB approaches to learning
skills, and the IB Learner Profile). By the
end of their process, each student should
have 3 artefacts that represent their
achievement of his/her goal:
Personal Project Product: Charity FunRun (M. Marketos)

1.

a Process Journal
a record of all research information, organizational notes, planning, and
reflections

2.

a Product
a publication, performance or construction that represents the
completion of the learning

3.

a Personal Statement/Report

a report that summarizes and demonstrates the understanding of the

MYP, articulates their ability to independently follow a research process,
and documents their achievement of their goal.

Students are expected to spend approximately 25 hours on:

meeting with supervisors
independent learning through research, planning, development and completion
of the project

Students are not given class time to work on their projects,

however, they will receive support in the following ways:
The Personal Project
Coordinator:
Ms Shannon Lue
([email protected])
oversees the deadlines, reporting,
documentation and organization
of the process.
provides support to students via
tutorial sessions.
provides supervisors with
guidance and support.

An AISM Faculty Project

Supervisor

guides individual students

through the MYP

requirements
provides on-going feedback
on their process
provides feedback to the
Personal Project
Coordinator.

Parents & Community

Members
play an instrumental role in
helping their child select a
viable topic and providing
feedback as the project
progresses
encouraging their child to
balance their time and
energy throughout the
process.

At the end of the process students will present their work and achievements in an exhibition evening
celebrating their successful completion of the program.
Student samples are also randomly selected by the IB for review to ensure the assessment practices at AISM
are consistent with IB MYP schools worldwide, and that the support and guidance students are given meet
the IB standards and practices.
As in the MYP courses, the objectives for MYP Personal Project will be criteria-referenced assessed:

Criterion A: Investigating
Maximum: 8

In the personal project, students should:

i.
define a clear goal and global context for the project, based on personal interests

ii.
identify prior learning and subject-specific knowledge relevant to the project

iii.
demonstrate research skills.
Level descriptor

Achievement level

The student does not achieve a standard described by any of the descriptors below.
The student is able to:

12

i. state a goal and context for the project, based on personal interests, but this may be limited in depth or accessibility

ii. identify prior learning and subject-specific knowledge, but this may be limited in occurrence or relevance

iii. demonstrate limited research skills.

The student is able to:

34

i. outline a basic and appropriate goal and context for the project, based on personal interests

ii. identify basic prior learning and subject-specific knowledge relevant to some areas of the project

iii. demonstrate adequate research skills.

The student is able to:

56

i. define a clear and challenging goal and context for the project, based on personal interests

ii. identify prior learning and subject-specific knowledge generally relevant to the project

iii. demonstrate substantial research skills.

The student is able to:

78

i. define a clear and highly challenging goal and context for the project, based on personal interests

ii. identify prior learning and subject-specific knowledge that is consistently highly relevant to the project

iii. demonstrate excellent research skills.

Criterion B: Planning
Maximum: 8

In the personal project, students should:

i.
develop criteria for the product/outcome

ii.
plan and record the development process of the project

iii.
demonstrate self-management skills.
Achievement level

Level descriptor

The student does not achieve a standard described by any of the descriptors below.
The student is able to:

12

i. develop limited criteria for the product/outcome

ii. present a limited or partial plan and record of the development process of the project

iii. demonstrate limited self-management skills.

The student is able to:

34

i. develop adequate criteria for the product/outcome

ii. present an adequate plan and record of the development process of the project

iii. demonstrate adequate self-management skills.

The student is able to:

56

i. develop substantial and appropriate criteria for the product/outcome

ii. present a substantial plan and record of the development process of the project

iii. demonstrate substantial self-management skills.

The student is able to:

78

i. develop rigorous criteria for the product/outcome

ii. present a detailed and accurate plan and record of the development process of the project

iii. demonstrate excellent self-management skills.

Criterion C: Taking action

Maximum: 8

In the personal project, students should:

i.
create a product/outcome in response to the goal, global context and criteria

ii.
demonstrate thinking skills

iii.
demonstrate communication and social skills.
Achievement level

Level descriptor

The student does not achieve a standard described by any of the descriptors below.
The student is able to:

12

i. create a limited product/outcome in response to the goal, global context and criteria

ii. demonstrate limited thinking skills

iii. demonstrate limited communication and social skills.

The student is able to:

34

i. create a basic product/outcome in response to the goal, global context and criteria

ii. demonstrate adequate thinking skills

iii. demonstrate adequate communication and social skills.

The student is able to:

56

i. create a substantial product/outcome in response to the goal, global context and criteria

ii. demonstrate substantial thinking skills

iii. demonstrate substantial communication and social skills.

The student is able to:

78

i. create an excellent product/outcome in response to the goal, global context and criteria

ii. demonstrate excellent thinking skills

iii. demonstrate excellent communication and social skills.

Criterion D: Reflecting
Maximum: 8

In the personal project, students should:

i.
evaluate the quality of the product/outcome against their criteria

ii.
reflect on how completing the project has extended their knowledge and understanding of the topic and the global context

iii.
reflect on their development as IB learners through the project.
Achievement level

Level descriptor

The student does not achieve a standard described by any of the descriptors below.
The student is able to:

i. present a limited evaluation of the quality of the product/outcome against his or her criteria

12

ii. present limited reflection on how completing the project has extended his or her knowledge and understanding of the
topic and the global context

iii. present limited reflection on his or her development as an IB learner through the project.
The student is able to:

i. present a basic evaluation of the quality of the product/outcome against his or her criteria

34

ii. present adequate reflection on how completing the project has extended his or her knowledge and understanding of the
topic and the global context

iii. present adequate reflection on his or her development as an IB learner through the project
The student is able to:

i. present a substantial evaluation of the quality of the product/outcome against his or her criteria

56

ii. present substantial reflection on how completing the project has extended his or her knowledge and understanding of
the topic and the global context

iii. present substantial reflection on his or her development as an IB learner through the project.
The student is able to:

i. present an excellent evaluation of the quality of the product/outcome against his or her criteria

78

ii. present excellent reflection on how completing the project has extended his or her knowledge and understanding of the
topic and the global context

iii. present excellent reflection on his or her development as an IB learner through the project.

For further information about the MYP Personal Projects for SY2016-17, please contactL
Shannon Lue (MYP Personal Project Coordinator): [email protected]