Professional development & training

The IB Africa, Europe and Middle East Conference and Workshop unit provides educational practitioners and schools with training to build and enhance their professional development.

Workshops are designed to deliver IB educational standards, to address the complex challenges emerging in the different areas within the region and to integrate relevant experiences and in-depth investigation into a vibrant exchange of knowledge.

Our offering of workshops, seminars and conferences is structured in 3 different categories depending on target audience and goals

Category 1

• The overall purpose of workshops in this category is to provide  professional development and assistance for schools that have decided to apply for IB authorization. They are equally relevant for educators who are new to school with an existing IB programme and those interested in joining  an IB school.
• The goal of these workshops is to provide an introduction of IB to educators new to the programme (subject specific workshops).

Category 2

• The overall purpose of workshops in this category is to provide a forum for experienced IB educators, focusing on programme delivery. There is an emphasis on assessment, teaching and learning methodologies, and exploring best practice in the classroom.
• The goals of these workshops is to enhance the understanding of the IB philosophy and programme model and improve the quality of programme delivery.

Category 3

• The overall purpose of workshops in this category is to provide a forum for experienced educators to build on and enhance their professional  development portfolios. Participants will engage in-depth investigation into specific areas of interest and expertise.
• The goal of these workshops is to provide a forum for exploring educational ideas and areas of interest and provide opportunities for investigation into specific areas of expertise.

The majority of workshops are in English. Spanish and French workshops are also available throughout the academic year. All participants must be sufficiently fluent in the language in which the workshop is offered to allow for full and unaided participation.

Choosing the right workshop

To help you select the workshop that is right for your needs, descriptions of the various workshops are available.

• Primary Years Programme workshop descriptions
• Middle Years Programme workshop descriptions
• Diploma Programme workshop descriptions (in development)

Professional development opportunities offered for the purposes of authorization/evaluation include

Face to face workshops

• These events bring together teachers from the Africa, Europe, Middle East region but also from further afield. They are a unique opportunity for teachers to exchange        best practice, develop their networking, and enhance their IB knowledge from experienced workshop leaders in a dedicated place and time.

In-schools workshops for PYP & MYP

• In-school workshops are designed to cater for the ongoing professional development
  of your school community. 
• All in-school workshops must be 2 consecutive days (without students). PYP only: an in-school workshop is for all staff.

• New! Starting January 2011, In-school workshop will follow the same Quality Assurance Framework as all other workshops. The same session guidelines will be used to ensure consistency. The offer of workshops will be the same, with the exception of subject specific workshops for MYP – only offered at regional workshops.
• Participants to in-school workshops will now receive certificates, similar to those received after attending a regional workshop.

IB Educator Network (IBEN) training opportunities

The IB is continually looking for more educators to carry out the various IB-related tasks the organization is responsible for. Training opportunities include:

• PYP workshop leader training
• PYP school visit team leader training 
• PYP school visit team member training
• MYP workshop leader training
• MYP consultant training
• MYP school visit team member training
• DP workshop leader training
• DP authorization visit and consultant training
  

For more on Educator Network opportunities and training.

Have you considered hosting a workshop as 'PD Provider'

The regional office is seeking effective and experienced partners with whom it can organize professional development events to those organized directly by the regional office.

Applications will be considered from:

• IB World Schools
• IB Association of IB World Schools
• Colleges, universities, governmental agencies and non-profit organizations.

Consult the guide for organizing IB workshops in Africa, Europe and Middle East to find out how to become a PD provider and organize workshops "in cooperation with the IB".

Contact the regional professional development unit for further details.