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Continuing our series of quickcasts leading to the 2025 IB Global Conference in New Orleans, we feature Kognity, an IB partner organization. Chris Barres and Sian Steggles tell us about Kognity and their digital teaching and learning platform.

Kognity will also host a session entitled, 'Digital Dilemma! What do we really want from digital resources?' at 2:00 on Wednesday, July 16th in the St. Charles and Lafayette rooms.

Links:

Kognity.com

Free interactive trial of Kognity

RSVP to the Happy hour on Wednesday, July 16th celebrating their 10 year anniversary

Email IB Matters: IBMatters@mnibschools.org
Twitter @MattersIB
IB Matters website
MN Association of IB World Schools (MNIB) website
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Podcast: Education by Design with host Phil Evans

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This is the third of several 'Quickcasts' to introduce listeners to vendors and presenters at the 2025 IB Global conference in New Orleans. Here, we speak with Amnah Ejaz of Kialo Education, an online discussion platform. It's available free and will be featured in a booth at the upcoming IB Global conference in New Orleans.

They are also hosting Michael Dunn of TOK.net who will be speaking at a session entitled: 'Critical thinking in a polarized world'. His session will be in the St. Charles & Lafayette rooms at 11:15 Thursday, July 17th.

If you are unable to attend, please check out the links below and/or look up the presentations after the conference on the IB website.

Links:

Kialo Education

Demo of Kialo at work

Theory of Knowledge.net

Email IB Matters: IBMatters@mnibschools.org
Twitter @MattersIB
IB Matters website
MN Association of IB World Schools (MNIB) website
Donate to IB Matters

Podcast: Education by Design with host Phil Evans

IB Matters T-shirts (and other MNIB clothing)
To appear on the podcast or if you would like to sponsor the podcast, please contact us at the email above.

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This is the second of several 'Quickcasts' to introduce listeners to vendors and presenters at the 2025 IB Global conference in New Orleans. This episode features Robert Kohnert, a coordinator of advanced programming in Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS). Robert uses his experience in MPS to drill down into what is working and what could be improved to help students who take up the Diploma Programme. He has three steps to share with attendees: how to get students into the DP classes, how to encourage them to take the exams, and, of course, how to help them be successful in those exams.

Robert will be presenting on Thursday, July 17th at 2:00 in Gallery 5 on the second floor.

If you are unable to attend and want to learn more about Robert's work, check out the slide deck available after the conference from IB, or reach out to me (link below) and I can share it with you.

Link:

The 2025 IBGC NOLA program

Email IB Matters: IBMatters@mnibschools.org
Twitter @MattersIB
IB Matters website
MN Association of IB World Schools (MNIB) website
Donate to IB Matters

Podcast: Education by Design with host Phil Evans

IB Matters T-shirts (and other MNIB clothing)
To appear on the podcast or if you would like to sponsor the podcast, please contact us at the email above.

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This is the first of several 'Quickcasts' to introduce listeners to vendors and presenters at the 2025 IB Global conference in New Orleans. This episode features Rachel Bodily, co-founder of Eblana Learning. We did a full podcast with Rita Bateson the other co-founder a few months ago. Check that out here.

Rachel gives a sneak peek at the session they are offering at the IBGC 2025 and talks about the mission of Eblana Learning. We also talk about the free upcoming Eblana session at the MNIB Summer Conference in August.

If you are going to New Orleans this summer, be sure to stop by the Eblana booth to meet Rachel and Rita and then attend Rita's session on Wednesday, July 16th at 2:00 in Gallery 2.

Links:

Eblanalearning

Rita Bateson on LinkedIn

Rachel Bodily on LinkedIn

The 2025 IBGC NOLA program

The MNIB Summer conference registration page that includes the two-day Eblana sessions. There is limited space available.

Email IB Matters: IBMatters@mnibschools.org
Twitter @MattersIB
IB Matters website
MN Association of IB World Schools (MNIB) website
Donate to IB Matters

Podcast: Education by Design with host Phil Evans

IB Matters T-shirts (and other MNIB clothing)
To appear on the podcast or if you would like to sponsor the podcast, please contact us at the email above.

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Returning guest Novadene Miller is a skilled and motivational teacher. She draws from her experience earning a doctorate in Geography to bring multiple perspectives and resources to the classroom. In this episode she shares how her Humanities students build cross-disciplinary skills like critical thinking, collaborative skills, and research skills while engaging in many different activities both in and out of the classroom. She also talks about the many resources that can be used beyond the typical books and internet searches so often relied upon.

Each example shows how the IB framework gives her students the space to inquire and be curious about the world around them and to give voice and value to their own ideas.

Novadene's links: LinkedIn

IB Blog posts: Teaching service as action , Teaching MYP Ind. & Soc. in a changing world

Article for the Independent Schools Network (ISN)

Additional ISN articles: Teaching skills applied beyond the classroom , Celebrating World Children's Day in your Classroom

Novadene's research: Achieving Sustainability of Natural Resources and obtaining Economic Goals. Tourism's Pandora's box

Email IB Matters: IBMatters@mnibschools.org
Twitter @MattersIB
IB Matters website
MN Association of IB World Schools (MNIB) website
Donate to IB Matters

Podcast: Education by Design with host Phil Evans

IB Matters T-shirts (and other MNIB clothing)
To appear on the podcast or if you would like to sponsor the podcast, please contact us at the email above.

Send us a text

Do you need to get your teachers official IB training that doesn't break the bank? Did you know that schools can request specific subjects and categories of training that come straight to you? In this episode, Casey Strecker of Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) and I go over the advantages of in-school workshops. We talk about how to order them, the responsibilities of the host school, and how to use them to get your staff the training that fits your school's needs. Note: The 'blended' model we talk about in the podcast is currently available only in the America's region but all regions support school-requested workshops in multiple formats.

These are not just for individual schools. IB Schools Associations, neighboring schools, and whole school districts are using this option to create economical learning opportunities that fit their budgets and schedules.

IB Workshops and Services (pdf 25-25 catalog)

IBO Professional Development

MNIB Summer Conference

Email IB Matters: IBMatters@mnibschools.org
Twitter @MattersIB
IB Matters website
MN Association of IB World Schools (MNIB) website
Donate to IB Matters

Podcast: Education by Design with host Phil Evans

IB Matters T-shirts (and other MNIB clothing)
To appear on the podcast or if you would like to sponsor the podcast, please contact us at the email above.

Send us a text

The MAGIC-T model is at the center of education at the Prem International School in northern Thailand. Creative director of the school, Alex Soulsby explains how using arts and culture as a focus works so well in an IB continuum school for all ages and IB Programmes. He shares how visiting arts and culture practitioners bring their perspectives directly into the curriculum and themselves take advantage of the school's resources available in return. There is resource exchange between the school and their visitors that works to strengthen both parties.

• Alex' Website: www.alexsoulsby.com
• Alex' Linkedin
• A Royal Society of the Arts article about AI and the importance of Arts Education here
• MAGIC-T and page 73 Peer reviewed article in the international journal of art & design education here

Alex' school: Prem International School, Chiang Mai Thailand

Email IB Matters: IBMatters@mnibschools.org
Twitter @MattersIB
IB Matters website
MN Association of IB World Schools (MNIB) website
Donate to IB Matters

Podcast: Education by Design with host Phil Evans

IB Matters T-shirts (and other MNIB clothing)
To appear on the podcast or if you would like to sponsor the podcast, please contact us at the email above.

Send us a text

Rita Bateson has been part of MYP evolution since the days of the 'Next Chapter'. Today, she is still engaged in the Enhanced MYP and has researched how AI is going to influence the Approaches to Learning (ATLs) in all IB Programmes. Along with Rachel Bodily, they have co-founded Eblana Learning which is a central repository of resources, training, consultancies and both online and in-person courses.

Rita’s LinkedIn

Eblana Learning LinkedIn

Rita’s Substack

Rita will be in-person at the Minnesota Summer Conference on August 13-14, 2025 leading a session on Developing your school's AI identity - register for free here

Rita Bateson is a respected educator, author and mentor with over 20 years of experience in international education. She has held key roles in international education, including Senior Curriculum and Assessment Manager at IB Global Headquarters and founding Head of Secondary at Nord Anglia International School in Ireland. A renowned curriculum developer and textbook author, she is also a seasoned workshop leader and consultant.

Rita currently serves as the Director of Education and co-founder of Eblana Learning, where she focuses on helping schools harness AI’s potential ethically and with confidence, drawing on her deep IB expertise and practical insights.

Email IB Matters: IBMatters@mnibschools.org
Twitter @MattersIB
IB Matters website
MN Association of IB World Schools (MNIB) website
Donate to IB Matters

Podcast: Education by Design with host Phil Evans

IB Matters T-shirts (and other MNIB clothing)
To appear on the podcast or if you would like to sponsor the podcast, please contact us at the email above.