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On the last Friday of September you will find our Grade 12 students in professional dress standing next to tables, laptops, and tri-fold presentation boards talking about knowledge problems like “What is the relationship between knowledge and culture?”, or “To what extent is objectivity possible in the production or acquisition of knowledge?”. The Theory of Knowledge (TOK) Exhibition is the culmination of a year's worth of work in which students have wrestled with personal ideas about knowledge and the role they play in production and acquisition of said knowledge. Students aren’ just demonstrating their understanding of how TOK manifests itself in everyday life, but they are also satisfying a key assessment milestone towards the acquisition of the IB Diploma.
The TOK course is at the core of the IB Diploma Programme (DP). Every Diploma student must engage with the topic and its assessment requirements. But as one can see, this is an exciting subject. Our students reflect on the knowledge, beliefs and opinions that they have built up from their years of academic studies and their lives outside the classroom. The course is thought-provoking—as well as empowering—for students.1 Parents and guardians should not be surprised when discussions around the dinner table evolve into a debate about the role of imagination in producing scientific knowledge, or whether medical practitioners should be as confident about what they think they know about health. While these questions may initially seem slightly intimidating, they become much more accessible when considered with reference to specific examples within the TOK course. By creating space for students to challenge and assess what they think they know, they develop a deeper appreciation for the knowledge. In the same way students come to recognize how incredible it is to say that you “know” something. This in turn increases respect for those with differing opinions, defends against extremism, and promotes peace and understanding between individuals and societies.
So when your student begins to challenge your claims or wants to suddenly discuss life’s most difficult questions, it’s not them being difficult teenagers, it may just be them preparing for their TOK Exhibition. But more importantly your student is displaying how they have developed as a creative critical thinker, and compassionate critic. They are reflecting the IB Learner Profile and the values of the IB Diploma Programme.
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