Dear Parents,
This week, another piece of the MYP puzzle: the e-Portfolio.
Our Grade 10s have now heard from their Art, PHE and Music teachers, explored what each option involves, and received the choice form that went home this week. Now comes the important part: talking it through, thinking carefully, and choosing the option in which they feel ready to engage, persevere, reflect and show what they can do.
So, what exactly is an e-Portfolio?
The MYP does not ask students to prove everything they know in exactly the same way. Some subjects, such as English, Arabic, French, Maths, Sciences and Integrated Humanities, are assessed through on-screen examinations. Students work independently, under timed conditions, and their responses are marked externally by IB examiners.
An e-Portfolio works differently. It is coursework completed over time in class. Students develop ideas, create or perform, receive feedback, refine their work and reflect on their progress. Their teacher assesses the final work against MYP criteria, and the IB then moderates samples to make sure our marking aligns with the international standard.
So yes, the teacher marks it. And yes, the IB still checks us!
Students also keep the breadth of their MYP programme. Choosing an e-Portfolio does not mean dropping Art, PHE or Music, nor does it change their timetable. It simply means that one of those subjects becomes part of their externally validated MYP results through sustained coursework rather than an on-screen examination.
And I think there is something really important in that.
A timed exam can show us how a student thinks, recalls, analyses and responds under pressure. An e-Portfolio can show us something different: can they develop an idea over time? Respond to feedback? Improve a product or performance? Reflect honestly? Keep going when the first attempt is not quite there yet?
Both matter.
That balance is one of the strengths of the MYP. We are not preparing students only to sit exams, and we are not avoiding exams either. We are helping them become adaptable learners who can manage different kinds of challenge.
That matters enormously as they move towards the Diploma Programme. DP will ask them to handle formal examinations, long-term coursework, deadlines, feedback, independent study and sustained effort. The e-Portfolio is one more opportunity to practise those habits now, while still keeping the broad range of experiences that makes the MYP what it is.
Because education should not only ask:
What do you know?
It should also ask:
What can you create with it?
How can you improve it?
How do you respond when something is difficult?
And what are you learning about yourself along the way?
Grade 10 families, please take a little time to have that conversation at home. The form is due back by 23 September, and the goal is not to find the “easiest” option. It is to make a thoughtful choice about where each student is most ready to challenge themselves and show their learning.
Challenge Yourself. Involve Yourself. Be Your Best.
Warm wishes,
Miss J