Dear Students,
This booklet is aimed at making it easier for you to understand fully what CAS is and what will be expected from you in the two-year IB Diploma Pogramme. We will be meeting regularly throughout the school year, but you are always welcome to come and talk to me at any time about the CAS programme.
Role of the CAS Coordinator
My role as the CAS Coordinator is to be knowledgeable about the role of CAS in the Diploma Program, to facilitates understanding of CAS and oversee the effective implementation of CAS experiences, working directly with students. My responsibility as the CAS coordinator is responsible for reporting the progress of CAS students to the IB Diploma Program coordinator, and determine whether students have met the CAS learning outcomes at the end of the Diploma Program.
Your Role and Responsibilities as a CAS Student
Key to a yours- the student’s- CAS program is personal engagement, choice and enjoyment of CAS experiences. Students should undertake a variety of CAS experiences, ideally on a weekly basis, for a minimum of 18 months. They must also undertake at least one CAS project with a minimum duration of one month. Students reflect on CAS experiences at significant moments throughout CAS and maintain a CAS portfolio. Using evidence from their portfolio, students will demonstrate achievement of the 7 CAS learning outcomes to the CAS coordinator’s satisfaction.
Please contact via email at any moment necessary for doubts and during class hours agreed with respective coordinator.
CAS EXPLAINED
Creativity, Activity, Service
What is CAS?
The nature of creativity, activity, service
“If you believe in something, you must not just think or talk or write, but must act.”
-Alec Peterson, founding Director General of the IBO, 2003
Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) is at the heart of the Diploma Program. It is one of the three core elements in every DP student’s experience. Successful completion of CAS is a requirement for the award of the IB Diploma, and all OIS students must complete CAS during their Grades 11 and 12. It involves students in a range of activities alongside their academic studies throughout their final two years of school.
A CAS experience must:
1) fit within one or more of the CAS strands (Creativity, Activity, Service)
2) be based on a personal interest, skill, talent or opportunity for growth
3) provide opportunities to develop the attributes of the IB learner profile
4) not be used or included in the student’s Diploma course requirements in any way
All proposed CAS activities need to meet these four requirements.
CAS activities should continue on a regular basis for as long as possible, ideally on a weekly basis, throughout the final two years of schooling, for a minimum of 18 months.
CAS enables the student, to enhance their personal and interpersonal development through experiential learning. CAS complements a challenging academic program in a holistic way, providing opportunities for self-determination, collaboration, accomplishment, and enjoyment.
A meaningful CAS experience should be both challenging and enjoyable, a personal journey of self-discovery. Each individual student has a different starting point, and therefore different goals and needs, but CAS activities and reflection should include experiences that are profound and life-changing.
Students are expected to complete a CAS portfolio as evidence of their engagement with CAS. At Erudito Licejus, students complete their CAS portfolio on Google Drive. Completion of CAS is based on student achievement of the seven CAS learning outcomes.
Students engage in CAS experiences involving one or more of the three CAS strands.
A CAS experience can be a single event or may be an extended series of events.
Students must undertake a CAS Project that lasts at least four weeks. This project challenges students to show initiative, demonstrate perseverance, and develop skills such as collaboration problem-solving, and decision-making. The CAS project can address any single strand of CAS, or combine two or all three strands. Students also must use the CAS Stages (investigation, preparation, action, reflection, and demonstration) as a framework for CAS experiences and the CAS project.
There are three formal documented interviews students must have with their CAS Coordinator. The first interview is at the beginning of the CAS program, the second is at the end of the first year, and the third interview is at the end of the CAS program.
CAS emphasizes reflection which is central to building a deep and rich experience in CAS. Reflection informs students’ learning and growth by allowing students to explore ideas, skills, strengths, limitations and areas for further development and consider how they may use prior learning in new contexts.
In short: To successfully complete all the components of CAS, the student must:
1) Weekly CAS for 18 months- balance between the 3 STRANDS.
2) Meet the 7 LEARNING OUTCOMES.
3) 5 STAGES of CAS incorporated.
4) SERVICE LEARNING connecting CAS to something learnt in the classroom.
5) CAS PROJECT completed- teamwork based, lasting one-month long.
6) REFLECTION on outcomes and personal learning is required.
7) Complete and submit a CAS PORTFOLIO.
8) ENJOY & CELEBRATE that you have made a difference in the world!
What is not CAS
CAS is not routine, required, repetitive or passive activity.
Determining the kind of activity that is valid for CAS can be confusing, and discussing with your CAS coordinator will help you clarify if you feel like there is gray area. Principles to consider are as the following:
Firstly, CAS is designed to involve students in new roles. Appropriate CAS activities are not merely “more of the same” – more practice, more time, etc. In the example of a dedicated student athlete, consider the following: if a student’s chosen sport is individual (e.g., horseback riding), they should try a team game to experience different athletic challenges and benefits. If they don’t like the idea of team sports, they could try other “activity” experiences that are not sporting or competitive but do involve physical challenge by demanding endurance (such as long distance trekking) or the conquest of personal fears (for example, rock climbing). By doing such things, a student will be able to have more opportunity for genuine reflection.
Secondly, CAS emphasizes learning by doing real (meaningful) tasks that have real (meaningful) consequences (for the student and others) and then reflecting on these
experiences over time. This excludes, for example, routine sports practice; it isn’t a meaningful activity since it is usually required, repetitive, and doesn’t warrant reflection over time. However, this does not exclude activities the student already practices and enjoys; he or she can “extend” their experience in their favorite sport by developing a plan or program to teach skills and knowledge to others.
Thirdly, it is essential that service activities have learning benefits for the student. That rules out mundane, repetitive, and passive activities, as well as “service” without real responsibility. Passive pursuits, such as visits to a museum, the theatre, art exhibition, concert or sports event are not activities that require sustained inquiry or experiential learning on the student’s part. They may inspire, strengthen or complement an activity but are not, in and of themselves, holistic CAS activities. Volunteer activities that require the student to perform simple, repetitious and inconsequential tasks (e.g., parking cars, cleaning lab equipment, or distributing fliers) and/or that have no meaningful learning impact for the student or benefit for the recipient cannot count for CAS.
Finally, any class, activity or project that is already on-going or part of the student’s academic requirements or personal responsibilities is not CAS (you can’t do both: get grades and get CAS). For example, if your Lithuanian Language and Literature course requires that you have to complete a series of reading and your participation will impact your grade, this continuous involvement does not count for CAS. The same applies to all forms of duty within a family.
NOTE: Paid/compensated activity
Any activity for which a student receives payment, trade, grade or any other form of compensation cannot count for CAS. The CAS Coordinator will be checking with activity Supervisors regularly to verify the conditions of each CAS experience.
Why CAS?
The aim of all IB programs is to develop internationally minded people who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world.
– IB Learner Profile Booklet (March 2006)
CAS provides the main opportunity to develop many of the attributes described in the IB learner profile.
The CAS program aims to develop students who:
CAS is experiential service-learning designed to involve DP students in new roles. The emphasis is on learning by doing real tasks that have real consequences and then reflecting on these experiences over time. CAS emphasizes the importance of life outside the world of scholarship, providing a counterbalance to an academic and a demanding school curriculum. Your CAS program involves acting and reflecting on the action which provides an excellent opportunity to extend what is learned in the classroom. Participation in the CAS Program encourages students to share their energies and special talents while developing awareness, concern, and the ability to work cooperatively with others.
At IBDP students are required to participate in CAS during the two-year program. The ultimate goal is to educate the whole person and foster more caring and socially responsible attitudes as students reach beyond themselves and the classroom. CAS should extend students. It should challenge them to develop a value system by which they enhance their personal growth. It should develop a spirit of open-mindedness, lifelong learning, discovery and self-reliance. It should encourage the development of new skills on many levels including creative skills, physical skills and social skills. It should inspire a sense of responsibility toward all members of the community. It should also encourage the development of attitudes and traits that will be respected by others, such as determination and commitment, initiative and empathy.
Creativity in CAS provides students with the opportunity to explore their own sense of original thinking and expression. Creativity will come from the student’s talents, interests, passions, emotional responses, and imagination; the form of expression is limitless. This may include visual and performing arts, digital design, writing, film, culinary arts, crafts and composition. Students are encouraged to engage in creative endeavors that move them beyond the familiar, broadening their scope from conventional to unconventional thinking.
There are many approaches to creativity, such as:
• Ongoing creativity: Students may continue in creativity as part of a school group or club, or through some other form of sustained creativity. However, students could further extend and develop their participation if appropriate.
• School-based creativity: Students are encouraged to participate in meaningful creativity and to explore their own sense of original thinking and expression. Students can enroll in classes at San Juan College and/or participate in school clubs.
• Community-based creativity: Creativity experiences best occur with a regularity that builds and sustains relationships while allowing the growth of students’ talents, interests, emotional responses, and imagination. For example, students could join a community-based theatre group, contribute towards a community art gallery, create a sculpture for the community park, take cooking classes, or other opportunities.
Creativity Ideas:
1. Extra-curricular classes (band, choir, robotics, art, etc.).
2. Take driver’s license lessons to earn your license.
3. Singing in church choir or teaching Sunday school.
4. Learn a musical instrument or extend what you are already doing.
5. Debating or public speaking competitions, write for a magazine or newspaper.
6. Participate in a school musical, play, lip sync battle.
7. Design and create a mural at school (C/S).
8. Learn an especially challenging piece of music/ dance routine (C/A, if dance).
9. Choreograph and participate in a dance routine for dance production (C/A).
10. Perform music or dance in a new or especially challenging context (public audience, competition).
11. Plan a musical program and perform for hospital patients. (C/S).
12. Teach art/music/dance to another person/group of people. (C/S).
13. Design a website for a school/non-profit/charity organization. (C/S).
14. Design a series of after school tutoring sessions. (C/S).
15. Create a mini photography portfolio with a clearly defined theme, objective, and goal.
16. Design video games, coding, set up video game competition to raise funds/awareness.
The aim of the Activity strand is to promote lifelong healthy habits related to physical well-being. Pursuits may include individual and team sports, aerobic exercise, dance, outdoor recreation, fitness training, and any other form of physical exertion that purposefully contributes to a healthy lifestyle. Students are encouraged to participate at an appropriate level and on a regular basis to provide a genuine challenge and benefits. Students with disabilities must be given opportunities to take part in this strand. All CAS students must satisfy the basic requirement of physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle as is appropriate for each student.
There are many approaches to activity, such as:
• Ongoing activity: Students may continue an existing activity; however, they should set personal goals related to the principles of CAS. Students could extend and develop their participation if appropriate.
• School-based activity: These can include: NPS PE class, a school sports club, or timetabled sports sessions. Students may elect to initiate a school-based activity such as basketball or volleyball and engage other students.
• Community-based activity: Single events of activity can lack depth and meaning. Activity experiences best occur with regularity. For example, rather than a single activity experience at a community-based fun run, students could be encouraged to join a community-based running club, a dance class, or an aerobics class.
• Individual activity: Solitary activity experiences (attending a gym, bicycling, roller-skating, swimming, or strength conditioning) are of most benefit when they take place over an extended duration of time. Students should set personal goals and work towards these in a sustained and correctly applied manner. Keeping traditional activities sustained through Song and Dance, Pow Wow dancing, horseback riding, and rodeo are acceptable.
Activity Ideas:
1.Team sport (on-campus or off-campus) – all practice and games count
2. Individual sport (bowling, golfing, rodeo, swimming, mountain biking, running etc.)
3. Cheerleading, Dancing
4. Martial arts classes
5. Yoga, Pilates, Zumba
6. Marathon or fundraising run (need to train for it)
7. Join a gym, set up a workout plan and stick to it!
8. Hiking expedition
9. Learn to ski or snowboard this winter
10. Teach sports to kids who don’t get an opportunity to learn (A/S)
The aim of the Service strand is for students to understand their capacity to make a meaningful contribution to their community and society. Through service, students develop and apply personal and social skills in real-life situations involving decision-making, problem-solving, initiative, responsibility, and accountability for their actions. Service is often seen as one of the most transforming elements of CAS by promoting students’ self-awareness, offering diverse occasions for interactions and experiences and opportunities for international-mindedness. Use of the CAS stages in developing a service experience is recommended for best practice.
Four types of service action (engaging with different types of service is recommended)
1) Direct service: Student interaction involves people, the environment or animals. For example, this can appear as one-on-one tutoring, developing a garden in partnership with refugees, or working in an animal shelter.
2) Indirect service: Students must verify their actions will benefit the community or environment. Examples are: redesigning a non-profit organization’s website or writing original picture books to teach a language.
3) Advocacy: Students speak on behalf of a cause or concern to promote action on an issue of public interest (hunger campaign, performing a play on replacing bullying with respect, or creating a video on sustainable water solutions.)
4) Research: Students collect, analyze, and report on a topic to influence change (environmental surveys, effective means to reduce litter in public spaces, or interview people on topics such as homelessness or unemployment.
Approaches to service
• Ongoing service: When a plan of action is implemented over time, students develop perseverance and commitment.
• School-based service: Service needs met at a school may prepare students for further action within the larger community; for example, by tutoring within the school, students may then be better prepared to tutor at a center.
• Community-based service: This advances student awareness and understanding of social issues and solutions. However, single incidents of engagement with individuals in a service context can lack depth and meaning.
• Immediate need service: In response to a disaster, students quickly attempt to assess the need and devise a planned response. Later, the students should investigate the issue to understand causes and commit to further service.
• Fundraising: Students should develop their understanding of the organization they choose to support and the issues being addressed. Sharing the rationale for the fundraising educates others and advocates the chosen cause.
• International service: Students must understand the circumstances of an authenticated need to support their involvement. Students benefit most when able to make clear links to parallel issues in their local environs.
• Volunteerism: Before volunteering, student should gain prior knowledge of the context and the service need.
• Service arising from the curriculum: Teachers can plan units with service learning opportunities in mind.
Service Ideas: (Need to find a variety of Service types)
1. Tutor at a local elementary school
2. Work as a teacher’s aide in a local elementary school
3. Volunteer to help play with orphans at local orphanage.
4. Teach singing/piano/guitar as a lunchtime or after school club (S/C)
5. Visit the hospital and chat to the residents, or teach them a new craft/skill
6. Volunteer to teach a workshop at a local internet café on writing a resume (S/C)
7. Organize a beach clean-up with your friends.
8. Campaign the local government on an issue you feel strongly about
9. Become certified in CPR/First Aid at local Red Cross.
10. Serve as a translator for school activities as and when needed.
11. Design and perform a creative skit about healthy eating habits for lower school (S/C)
12. Design a poster campaign for healthy eating (S/C)
13. Work Experience/Internship (unpaid work in a hospital, kindergarten) (C/A/S)
The 5 Stages of CAS
The CAS stages (adapted from Cathryn Berger Kaye’s “five stages of service learning”, 2010) offer a helpful and supportive framework and continuum of process for CAS students as they consider what they would like to do in CAS, make plans, and carry out their ideas. The CAS stages are applicable to the three strands of creativity, activity, service, and the CAS project.
These CAS stages represent a process and sequence that can assist students in many aspects of their life. They follow a process whereby they investigate an interest that often raises questions and curiosity, prepare by learning more, take some form of action, reflect on what they have done along the way, and demonstrate their understandings and the process. By applying these stages to CAS, students have a reliable yet flexible structure they can then apply to future situations with confidence.
As noted in the diagram below, there are two parts, an outer circle and an inner circle. The inner circle represents the process with four key parts: investigation, preparation, action, and reflection. These occur intermittently in response to significant experiences. The outer circle has two parts and guides students in summarizing their experience: reflection and demonstration.
7 CAS Learner Outcomes
These learning outcomes articulate what a CAS student is able to do at some point during his or her CAS program. Through meaningful and purposeful CAS experiences, students develop the necessary skills, attributes and understandings to achieve the seven CAS learning outcomes.
Some learning outcomes may be achieved many times, while others may be achieved less frequently. Not all CAS experiences lead to a CAS learning outcome. Students provide the school with evidence in their CAS portfolio of having achieved each learning outcome at least once through their CAS program. The evidence of achieving the seven CAS learning outcomes is found in students’ reflections and/or documentation supporting the reflection. In CAS, there are seven learning outcomes.
Outcome Descriptors
LEARNING OUTCOME 1
Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth
Descriptor
Students are able to see themselves as individuals with various abilities and skills, of which some are more developed than others.
LEARNING OUTCOME 2
Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process
Descriptor
A new challenge may be an unfamiliar experience or an extension of an existing one. The newly acquired or developed skills may be shown through experiences that the student has not previously undertaken or through increased expertise in an established area.
LEARNING OUTCOME 3
Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience
Descriptor
Students can articulate the stages from conceiving an idea to executing a plan for a CAS experience or series of CAS experiences. This may be accomplished in collaboration with other participants. Students may show their knowledge and awareness by building on a previous experience, or by launching a new idea or process.
LEARNING OUTCOME 4
Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences
Descriptor
Students demonstrate regular involvement and active engagement in CAS.
LEARNING OUTCOME 5
Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively
Descriptor
Students are able to identify, demonstrate and critically discuss the benefits and challenges of collaboration gained through CAS experiences.
LEARNING OUTCOME 6
Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance
Descriptor
Students are able to identify and demonstrate their understanding of global issues, make responsible decisions, and take appropriate action in response to the issue either locally, nationally or internationally.
LEARNING OUTCOME 7
Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions
Descriptor
Students show awareness of the consequences of choices and actions in planning and carrying out CAS experiences.
*Students need to discuss these learning outcomes in all of their CAS reflection whether written, spoken, or in any other form of communication.
IB Mission Statement:
The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programs of international education and rigorous assessment. These programs encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.
IB Learner Profile:
The aim of all IB programs is to develop internationally-minded people who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world. IB Learners strive to be:
Inquirers
Knowledgeable
Thinkers
Communicators
Principled
Open-minded
Caring
Risk-takers
Balanced
Reflective
Learn more here: www.ibo.org/benefits/learner-profile/
School Vision:
Erudito Licėjus is a creative space where thinking skills, one of the most important future skills is developed.
School Mission:
The mission of Erudito Licėjus is to educate knowledge seeking, creative and achievement-oriented personalities.At Erudito Licėjus, attention is paid to developing thinking skills. Each member shares general commitments and constantly thinks about what is going on in the educational process.
Core Values:
Self-sufficiency
Diligence
Fellowship
Citizenship
COMPLETING CAS
A CAS experience is a specific event in which the student engages with one or more of the three CAS strands.
The CAS Advisors assist students in understanding what may or may not be a CAS experience. There are four guidelines that should be applied to any proposed CAS experience.
A CAS experience must:
fit within one or more of the CAS strands
be based on a personal interest, skill, talent or opportunity for growth
provide opportunities to develop the attributes of the IB learner profile
not be used or included in the student’s Diploma course requirements
To further assist students in deciding on a CAS experience, the following questions may be useful for students to consider:
Will the experience be enjoyable?
Does the experience allow for development of personal interests, skills and/or talents?
What new possibilities or challenges could the experience provide?
What might be the possible consequences of your CAS experience for you, others and the environment?
A CAS project involves collaboration between a group of students or with members of the wider community.
A CAS project is a collaborative, well-considered series of sequential CAS experiences, engaging students in one or more of the CAS strands of creativity, activity, and service. CAS students must be involved in at least one CAS project during their CAS program, and we recommend that students complete at least two, one during Grade 11 and one during Grade 12.
What is the purpose of a CAS Project?
The primary purpose of the CAS project is to ensure participation in sustained collaboration. Through this level of engagement students may discover the benefits of teamwork and of achievements realized through an exchange of ideas and abilities. A CAS project challenges
students to show initiative, demonstrate perseverance, and develop skills such as those of cooperation, problem-solving and decision-making.
What is involved in a CAS Project?
A CAS project involves collaboration between a group of students or with members of the wider community. Students work as part of a team, with all members being contributors. A CAS project offers students the opportunity to be responsible for, or to initiate, a part of or the entire CAS project. Working collaboratively also provides opportunities for individual students to enhance and integrate their personal interests, skills and talents into the planning and implementation of CAS projects.
All CAS projects should use the CAS stages as a framework for implementation to ensure that all requirements are met.
A CAS project can address any single strand of CAS, or combine two or all three strands. The following examples are provided to help generate further ideas without limiting the scope and direction of a CAS project.
- Creativity: A student group plans, designs and creates a mural
- Activity: Students organize and participate in a sports team including training sessions and matches against other teams
- Service: Students set up and conduct tutoring for people in need
- Service and Activity: Students plan and participate in the planting and maintenance of a garden with members of the local community
- Service and Creativity: Students identify that children at a local school need backpacks and subsequently design and make the backpacks out of recycled materials
All CAS projects are designed with a defined purpose and goals. Individual students identify one or more learning outcomes to further guide their role and responsibilities in the CAS project. Students will likely identify more outcomes, or modify expected outcomes during the CAS project and/or at its completion.
A minimum of one month is recommended for a CAS project, from planning to completion. CAS projects of longer duration can provide even greater scope and opportunities for all participants and should be encouraged. Students should aim to undertake their CAS project locally and, if possible, engage in more than one CAS project over the duration of their CAS program.
As expected throughout CAS, students reflect on their CAS project experience. Due to the collaborative nature of the CAS project, having occasions to reflect with others can prove most informative and assist students in gaining insights into the process of their endeavor as well as personal growth.
Service Projects
When a CAS project addresses the CAS strand of service (known as service project), students must take into account the opinions and expectations of others involved and focus on meaningful and authentic needs to ensure actions are respectful and reciprocal. Awareness of the possible impact and consequences of the students’ actions should be part of the planning process. Where possible, service projects should involve working alongside community members with ongoing communication. When the service project involves the use of an external facilitator such as a non-government organization or a commercial provider, care should be taken to ensure that the facilitator acts in accordance with the IB mission statement and CAS requirements.
A service project that includes interaction with and appreciation of diverse social or cultural backgrounds can increase international-mindedness and engagement with issues of global significance. International service projects are acceptable if clear goals and outcomes are established, understood, and based on the expectation of compelling benefits expected for all stakeholders. If a service project is conducted outside the local context, it is recommended that there is some form of continuation. For example, students could research the community served and educate themselves further about the issues involved, develop an advocacy program for the served community, or develop greater awareness of a related need in their local community leading to some form of local action. This may inspire the next group of CAS students.
For any service project it is important to ensure that there is:
- a genuine need for the service project, which has been stated and agreed upon by the potential partners
- if required, a liaison officer who has a good relationship with the community where the service project is based
- an understanding of the level of student participation that is feasible in the service project
- a clear assessment of potential risks to participating students
- approval from the school administration for the service project
- a demonstration of how the CAS stages were followed
- a thorough evaluation of the benefits of the service project for all involved
Purposeful relationships between students and community members leading to sustainable service projects are potentially the most rewarding for all concerned. As community needs change, students’ responses should also evolve to meet these new circumstances. When a service project initiated by one group is adopted by other students, the new students must ensure the need is authentic or make the necessary adjustments and ensure their contribution is relevant.
Reflection is central to building a deep and rich experience in CAS.
Being reflective is one attribute of the IB learner profile:
“We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development.”
Developing a culture of reflection helps students recognize and understand how to be reflective as well as deciding the best methods and appropriate timing. Student learning is enhanced by reflection on choices and actions. This enables students to grow in their ability to explore skills, strengths, limitations and areas for further development. Through reflection students examine ideas and consider how they might use prior learning in new contexts. Reflection leads to improved problem-solving, higher cognitive processes and greater depth of understanding in addition to exploring how CAS experiences may influence future possibilities.
The overarching intention of reflection in CAS includes the opportunity for students to:
- deepen learning
- consider relevance of experience
- explore personal and group values
- recognize the application of knowledge, skills, and attributes
- identify strengths and areas for development
- gain a greater understanding of self and others
- place experience in a larger context
- generate relevant ideas and questions
- consider improvements in individual and collective choices and actions
- transfer prior learning to new situations
- generate and receive constructive feedback
- develop the ongoing habit of thoughtful, reflective practice
Elements of reflection
- Reflection is a dynamic means for self-knowing, learning and decision-making:
- Describing what happened: Students retell their memorable moments, identifying what was important or influential, what went well or was difficult, obstacles and successes.
- Expressing feelings: Students articulate emotional responses to their experiences.
- Generating ideas: Rethinking or re-examining choices and actions increases awareness about self and situations.
- Asking questions: Questions about people, processes or issues prompt further thinking and ongoing inquiry.
Extending your Reflection
- Students can be encouraged to move forward through deeper questions. For example:
- What did I do? could become:
- Why did I make this particular choice?
- How did this experience reflect my personal ideas and values?
- In what ways am I being challenged to think differently about myself and others? How did I feel? could become:
- How did I feel about the challenges?
- What happened that prompted particular feelings?
- What choices might have resulted in different feelings and outcomes?
When to Reflect?
Purposeful reflection is about quality rather than quantity.
The appropriate occasion, amount and method is the student’s decision.
Students are not expected to reflect on every CAS experience; they should identify moments worthy of reflection.
Reflection is most meaningful when recognized as a personal choice. If the emphasis is on quantity with a required number of reflections or with a requirement such as “students must complete a reflection for every CAS experience”, reflection becomes an obligation, which is contrary to the purpose of reflection in CAS.
The preferred emphasis is for the student to determine key moments during CAS experiences that inspire reflection. The following approaches may be helpful.
Students choose significant moments as the basis for reflection, for example when:
- a moment of discovery is happening
- a skill is mastered
- a challenge is confronted
- emotions are provoked
- achievement deserves celebration
Students reflect during or at the end of a CAS experience or series of CAS experiences, to identify important moments, discuss a possible learning outcome, recognize personal growth and achievements, and plan for their next CAS experience.
Students engage in group reflection with their peers to discover shared insights.
Formats of Reflection
Students may also advise on their preferred method for feedback, but remember to include reflections in your CAS portfolio that give evidence to achieving each of the seven CAS learning outcomes.
Students find greater value and purpose when they apply their own interests, skills and talents when reflecting. They discover that reflection can be internal and private or external and shared.
For example: Student reflection may be expressed through
- a paragraph,
- a dialogue,
- a poem,
- a comic strip,
- a dramatic performance,
- a letter,
- a photograph,
- a dance, or other forms of expression.
Feedback can take many forms such as part of an informal or formal discussion, as a written response to a blog posting, during group discussion or paired peer conversation.
But, make it count!
Try to understand the purpose and process of reflection would choose the appropriate moment, select the method and decide on the amount of time needed. With this greater sense of autonomy and responsibility, you are able to be more honest, forthcoming and expressive, and develop insights including those related to the learning outcomes.
For example:
A student might take photographs while hiking and use these to reflect in writing
Two students could compose a song describing how they helped children
A student might dramatize a poem to capture a feeling of creative endeavor
A student could produce a short video summarizing a CAS experience
A group of students create a poster highlighting aspects of a shared experience
By encouraging students to choose forms of reflection that are personal and enjoyable, reflection becomes a means for self-discovery. Students make connections, develop awareness of choices and consequences, and acquire sensitivity to the experiences of self and others.
Understanding reflection
A CAS Advisor and Coordinator guide students in how to reflect by clarifying what reflection is and is not, showing integral elements of reflection and giving examples.
- Modeling reflection: The emphasis is on providing examples of what reflection can look like and ways it can occur. Make use of the 7 Learner Outcomes to help you.
- Leading reflection: Engage students in diverse reflective practices that cater to different learning styles
- Sharing reflections: Current and past student reflections may be shared (with the student’s permission)
- Provoking reflection: Provide a series of questions, statements or experiences that elicit thoughtful response
There are three formal documented interviews students must have with their CAS Coordinator.
The first interview is at the beginning of the CAS program, the second is at the end of the first year, and the third interview is at the end of the CAS program. During the three scheduled CAS interviews the CAS portfolio is discussed and appropriate encouragement and advice is given.
FIRST CAS INTERVIEW
The purpose of the first interview is to:
gauge the student’s understanding of CAS
find out the interests of the student
discuss the student’s plans for CAS experiences
review the learning outcomes of CAS, ensuring his or her understanding and seeing how the student might achieve these outcomes
ensure the student is aware of ways to gather evidence of CAS.
Questions are offered for each of these discussion topics as examples. Each interview should last 10-15 minutes.
Understanding
What have you learned about CAS and the CAS stages, and how can the stages help you in CAS?
How will you plan for an equal distribution of CAS strands across your CAS experiences?
Student interests
What are your main interests? How can you incorporate these interests into your CAS programme?
What do you enjoy doing after school? Could this be part of any CAS experience?
What are your personal goals? How could they be achieved through CAS?
What do you expect to gain from CAS? What do you hope to accomplish?
What school, community or other groups or teams are you already involved in?
What do you think your role could be in effecting change for the better?
What issues of local significance concern you most? How could you address these in your CAS programme?
How do these local issues also have global significance?
Student plans for CAS
Have you made any plans for creativity? Activity? Service
What ideas do you have for a CAS project? (Remember that a CAS project should last min. 1 month)
CAS learning outcomes
From the plans you already have, do you see any opportunities that may be helpful in meeting these learning outcomes?
What learning outcome appears as something you will easily do?
What learning outcome might present a significant challenge?
Evidence of CAS
Have you thought of how you will keep evidence (and the types of evidence) that you are engaging with CAS and are meeting the CAS outcomes?
SECOND CAS INTERVIEW
You should prepare a 5 minutes long presentation which should include answers to following questions:
What has been the most enjoyable and beneficial for you thus far in CAS?
What has been a highlight of your Creativity? Activity? Service?
When have you investigated, prepared and taken action so far in creativity, activity and/or service, or with your CAS project?
What has been a highlight of your Summer CAS? Evidence from your summer CAS work.
Which LOs have you achieved the most? Why do you think so? Evidence from your reflection entries (your CAS portfolio).
The last 2 questions are the biggest part of your presentation. Your presentation follows up by 5 minute conversation. Evidence can take many forms including, but not limited to, reflections and other forms of documentation such as photos, files, planning documents, emails, meeting minutes, certificates, videos, art, music and journals. This all should be ready in your portfolio, during interview the teacher will open your portfolio and look at them with you.
Prompts to use for second interview:
Outline a skill that you have strengthened or developed from engaging in a CAS experience.
Explain something that has happened in CAS that provoked some strong emotions (“I was really excited when …”; “I was sad when …”; “I was really happy when …”).
Choose a learning outcome and discuss your evidence of achieving it, and what stands out as most significant and memorable.
These are the questions your interviewer will probably ask to continue your conversation:
Which LOs do you have to focus on more?
What do you hope to achieve most from CAS? How can you do this?
What sort of support do you need from me and school?
Have you ensured an equal balance across the three CAS strands? If not, how will you rectify this?
What have you learned from your involvement in CAS?
THIRD CAS INTERVIEW
The summative interview for CAS is best scheduled near the end of the DP. The emphasis for this interview is for students to outline how they have achieved the CAS learning outcomes in addition to discussing their overall CAS programme. Moreover, the students can be guided to reflect on personal growth from multiple perspectives including enjoyment, personal awareness and development, achievements and challenges, larger understandings about the world around them, and how this experience might impact future choices and actions. This can lead to self-evaluation regarding what has been beneficial that may truly lead to lifelong integration of creativity, activity and service.
Outline for your 15 minute presentation
Use the presentation that has been previously sent to you. Your presentation follows up by 5 minute conversation. Reflect on your achievements and learning outcomes using your blog entries (provide relevant excerpts, screenshots, and links). Evidence can take many forms including, but not limited to, reflections and other forms of documentation such as photos, files, planning documents, emails, meeting minutes, certificates, videos, art, music and journals. This all should be ready in your portfolio and the presentation, during the interview you should have your presentation open. Record you interview and upload it in your portfolio right after you finish the interview. Send you presentation to your CAS adviser.
These are the questions your interviewer will probably ask to continue your conversation:
What did you most enjoy about CAS? What would you do differently?
How do you already apply what you have learned from CAS in your daily life? How can this continue as you make future choices?
Looking ahead, have any new goals emanated from your CAS programme?
What advice do you have for upcoming CAS students regarding making CAS enjoyable, sustained over time and meaningful?
Five years from now, what will you remember most about your CAS programme?
The CAS portfolio is used to showcase the student’s CAS program and should be a source of pride for the student.
All CAS students are expected to maintain and complete a CAS portfolio as evidence of their engagement with CAS and achievement of the seven CAS learning outcomes. The CAS portfolio can also reveal how students have developed the attributes of the IB learner profile.
The CAS portfolio is used by students to plan their CAS program, reflect on their CAS experiences and gather evidence of involvement in CAS; it is not formally assessed. The CAS coordinator must ensure the students keep their CAS portfolio up-to-date and relevant as it is a summation of their CAS program. It could also be a valuable addition to a student’s resume for a prospective employer or educational institution.
During the three scheduled CAS interviews the CAS portfolio is discussed where advice is given.
Notes and recommendations from these consultations should be briefly documented and included in the student’s CAS portfolio. If any concerns arise, especially on whether a student will successfully complete CAS, these should be noted in the CAS portfolio and appropriate action taken at the earliest opportunity.
The CAS coordinator check the CAS portfolio regularly.
You may choose to submit a portfolio in formats that works for you, including but not limited to, pictures, blogs, websites, journals, files, etc. Students are encouraged to explore the different options available to them.
CAS AT “ERUDITO” LICĖJUS
What are the consequences of not compiling with CAS requirements?
Students will not able to obtain the Diploma if the CAS is not being completed and passed.
In general, IB gives you a year after your DP2 May exams to complete the CAS and get your Diploma.
However, the student will then be responsible for finding resources, fixing logistics, collecting evidence to complete the CAS as school resources are limited only to those who are still current students.
Erudto Licejus expect you to finish the programme in the given 18 months, during your DP studies.
What are the school requirements for successful CAS completion?
Every school organizes CAS in different ways, but all have ultimate requirements that by the end of the year students
complete the 18 months of participation, they would have:
participate in one time activities;
lead their own long term project (at least a month);
provide evidence of achieving 7 learning outcomes;
constantly reflect + recorded reflections;
balance C, A and S.
What are “Erudito” licėjus’ expectations from CAS students?
always attend the CAS reflection on time;
attend school run projects as well as initiate your own:
be part of a group project that lasts minimum of one month and has 2 or more participants;
document your CAS (see the next question for details);
reflect regularly on your CAS experience;
present the assignments you are given throughout the 18 months of CAS.
Where do I document my CAS?
1. ‘Planning page’. This is designed so that you have a space to keep all of your plans. Plans can contain from small month-long plans to big a year or 2 years long projects. Plans can be updated as you go along your CAS.
2. CAS evidence ‘Log Sheets’.
As part of your CAS evidence, the IB asks for the school to submit log sheets- short descriptions of a sentence or two, on what you have done weekly in your projects.
3. Personal Blogs. This is a place where you keep all your reflections, pictures, videos and other evidence- materials for your Portfolio.
4. All of the above will be set up in a school CAS Google Drive at the beginning of your CAS.
Can I combine CAS aspects in a project?
Yes, you can combine C, A and S in your projects- and it actually gives you a lot of advantage to do so.
How to be successful in CAS?
Keep consistency in following your plan and filling in your records.
Regularly check on your aims and see if changes are needed to be taken.
Be realistic. Before jumping into doing things, we strongly recommend you to research the area you are interested in.
Do not only think about the activities, but also set up concrete, measurable aims; count how much time you will need to reach your goal and plan taking into account your resources (as time, location and energy).
Is it possible to be successful in CAS after months of silence but a recovery after that?
If your previous plan turned out to be too challenging or external factors hinder, CAS gives you a chance to go back to your initial plan, think it over and change the course of your action.
However, there must be a decent reason why you paused your work, and this process of transition into your new plan has to be documented as an important part of your reflection in your overall CAS journey.
How am I going to be assessed?
Your three interviews, your CAS Portfolio, and records of your consistency in participation and work submission will be used to evident your CAS over the 18 months time.
After your final submission date, your CAS Coordinator evaluates to what extent have you reached learning outcomes. Once the CAS coordinator enters internal results in IBIS, the database will generate three random names for external
Is it possible to finish CAS at the first year of DP?
As the programme does not count hours, but expects you to complete the required 18 months of consistent input- it is therefore impossible to finish the course in one year.
How to fulfill Activity in CAS if I have health issues?
CAS Activity is suppose to help students improve their well being.
This does not mean that you should improve your physical performance, but improve your health.
You can investigate and plan how you can get healthier taking into account what is bothering you.
For example:
– If you twisted your leg and can’t run, you can include therapeutic massage sessions to your Activity and focus on your upper body strength for a while.
– Can’t lift weights? Do cardio.
– Locked in due to the quarantine/ don’t have access to gym equipment? Try home workouts.
How so school PE/ Sports lessons and Activity incorporate?
At Erudito Licejus, PE lessons do not count towards CAS activity components- unless it incorporates personal goals that runs outside the lesson hours running according to a clearly documented plan.
Is individual project necessary if we have other school based project?
Yes. This is because in the CAS definitions, CAS experience and CAS projects are differentiated by the autonomy role that the student holds in the process. CAS experiences do not have to be long, usually, you are not an organizer. For example, volunteering in an annual city forum or going to skating; CAS projects are a lot more complex as students are committed to perform regularly, make decisions, and take actions.
So, even though both school based projects and individual projects aim to help you to have CAS projects, school based projects are designed to help you reach learning outcomes to some extent, and help you understand CAS to start with. Once you learn to organize, collaborate and understand CAS requirements AND moved on to organizing your own individual projects, this may be counted towards CAS- under the condition that all the CAS requirements are being fulfilled.
Are grammatical mistakes important?
No, your language proficiency is not important and not assessed.
In fact, you can switch to any language of your preferences, but if you are chosen for external moderation, we will ask you to translate some of your reflection entries.
