IB GLOBAL CONFERENCE (DAEGU, SOUTH KOREA)

By Lindsay Reid Assistant Head of Department (Economics) – Senior School

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Global Conference was held in Daegu, South Korea, in March this year. The conference’s overarching theme was “Inspiring Learners, Realising Potential.” As an IB teacher, the conference provided an opportunity to connect with educators from around the world and to learn about future directions in education, all set against the backdrop of a country steeped in history, surrounded by beautiful scenery, and awash with world-leading technology.

With a day in Seoul before the conference began, we had the fantastic opportunity to visit Seoul Foreign School (SFS). The parallels to CGS were evident: SFS is a school just over 100 years old, perched in the hills of Seoul. Its mission and values include excellence, dedication to the service of others, and making an impact. SFS is a full continuum school offering PYP, MYP, and DP, alongside a diverse array of co-curricular opportunities. Walking around the school and visiting classes made it clear that the MYP provides an excellent foundation for students moving to the DP.

We concluded the day with dinner alongside a former student of our DP coordinator, Graham Maltby. This student was a graduate of the DP from an overseas IB school. Listening to her discuss her academic journey, she articulated how the DP helped her navigate and succeed at university in the United Kingdom and in her new career as a consultant in Seoul. She also provided insight into South Korea’s history and its current geopolitical concerns—perfect dinner conversation for an IB Global Politics teacher!

The conference itself was a fantastic experience and beneficial on many levels. At the classroom level, I was inspired by the concrete strategies and cutting-edge research related to classroom practice. These sessions included:

• The Science of Learning: Evidence-informed study skills and habits—exploring the most recent research in neuroscience and learning, and how this research can be applied through concrete strategies in the classroom.

• Unleashing the Power of AI Technology (ChatGPT): A holistic approach to pedagogy, learning, and assessment—an engaging exploration of the usefulness and limitations of ChatGPT in education.

• Boosting Student Achievement through Peer Feedback: Learning how to harness peer feedback in a scaffolded way to provide students with challenging experiences, opportunities to practice, creative conversations, and time for reflection.

• Designing and Innovating Assessment within the IB: Surveying the latest innovations in the IB to ensure that assessment is connected to learning, both formative and summative, rooted in IB values and approaches, standards-based, and inclusive.

• The Happiness Unit Nurturing Student Wellbeing through Self-Inquiry: Hearing about an interdisciplinary unit (Science and Psychology) that used project-based learning to foster curiosity, knowledge, and selfawareness in students in the MYP.

At a curriculum level, I attended two sessions on inclusive education. Both emphasised that the IB framework continually seeks to be more inclusive and currently embodies a “low floor, high ceiling, and wide walls.” These sessions highlighted that this makes the IB an accessible framework in which all young people can learn and grow.

Finally, from a global perspective, keynote speakers discussed current shifts in education, particularly in South Korea, and the increasing number of provinces looking to adopt the IB framework. These speakers addressed the role and potential of AI in education, the imperative of supporting student wellbeing, and the importance of fostering student voice and potential. Each speaker reminded us that education must remain focused on preparing young people to meet the global challenges we face.

While clear and beneficial connections exist between each session and the classroom here in Australia, there was something particularly special about the incidental conversations during breaks with educators from all over the world. These conversations inspired a shared purpose to continue striving for excellence and innovation in learning while supporting young people to flourish and realise their potential within our various education systems.