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IB in the classroom

School Info
Parent Info
  • Introduction
  • Lang A
  • Lang B
  • Maths
  • Sciences
  • Humanities
  • HPE
  • Arts
  • Technology
  • CAS
  • TOK
  • Events

PTIS Senior School
Introduction

Learning at PTIS in Grades 6-12 emphasises holistic learning.

PTIS students have great opportunities through excellent teaching to develop skills, concepts and attitudes through the challenging MYP and DP curriculum and to participate in a vibrant co-curricular programme of sports, arts and service.

Our boarding students have even more fun and learning through activities supporting personal growth and community contribution.

As our student numbers have grown, so too has the range of subjects and courses offered. With this comes investment in specialised programmes and facilities in sports, arts, science and technology.


The Senior School is the learning center for over 300 students representing 35 nationalities. Teachers and students take great advantage of the physical environment on campus, in local communities and beyond.

We make a point of promoting and celebrating student achievement and leadership. At whole school and student led assemblies, we formally recognise academic and sports achievements, celebrate the arts through exhibitions and performances, as well as honouring students for accumulation of Merits and Student Led Initiatives.

Students are constantly challenged about how they can contribute to their school and their community.

I invite you to learn more about who we are and what we do.

Stephen McIlroy
Senior School Principal

  Middle Years Programme
Our Middle Years Programme (MYP) for students in grades 6-10 values excellence in all subject groups and beyond.

We are proud of our curriculum:
  • An international curriculum drawing on current pedagogy from around the world.
  • Subject groups linked with each other by conceptual understandings and the MYP areas of interaction.
  • Curriculum scoped form 6 to ten to ensure a progression of skills development including both subject specific and approaches to learning skills.
  • We are proud of faculty.
  • Many subject specialists.
  • Many teachers with specialized MYP training, including trained workshop leaders and moderators.
We are proud of our facilities:
  • Arts with well equipped drama, music and visual arts rooms.
  • Technology including a commitment to Mac computer technology and the development of design technology suite with specialised tools.
  • Science with spacious laboratories and the opportunity to take learning outside to access our rich environmental learning opportunities.
  • Physical Education with multiple sports fields an Olympic sized swimming pool.
We are proud of our offerings:
  • Two levels of mathematics.
  • Three levels of English and Thai.
  • English for Academic Purposes Programme (EAPP) students are phased into the MYP in a structured and supported manner.
  • A variety of leveled languages (French, Mandarin, and Korean) to support emerging learners and to extend our top students.
  • Health as a dedicated component of our physical education programme.
  • Days out and week-long camps to take learning out of the school setting.
  Diploma Programme
We are very proud of our well qualified, experienced diploma staff. Many are IB examiners and workshop leaders, illustrating their commitment to the program here at PTIS and as leaders in the IB world.

Subject selections in the IB diploma programme continue to develop with growth in enrolment. Last year we offered three new subjects: Environmental Systems and Societies, Korean A and Psychology. We are always looking to add more.

Not all of our students take the full IB diploma, some opt for a certificates program. Important for students and parents, is that we offer a rigorous Counselling process to ensure that students enrolling in this program select a course of subjects which interests the student, is challenging, meets tertiary entry requirements.

With great support from our Career Counsellor, students who graduate from PTIS successfully enter the university and course of their choice.

Each year graduating students enter a range of the best colleges and universities in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Thailand, UK and USA as well as other cities in Europe and Asia.
PTIS International Award information

PTIS Senior School
Language A

 Click the headline to open and close each subject.
  English A
All English teaching at PTIS is guided by the key 'Learner Profile’ attributes of the IB: through discussion, reflection and the exploration of literary and non-literary texts, our students are encouraged to become Thinkers, Communicators, Principled, Open-minded, Caring and Reflective.

Our English courses support the PTIS Mission Statement in challenging our students to become ‘principled global citizens’, and the IBO’s goal to ‘develop internationally minded people who, recognising their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world.’

English A MYP
Q What would I see if I stepped into an English A classroom at PTIS?
  • Students using a broad variety of literary, non-literary and visual materials to engage with language and literature, developing an increasingly sophisticated range of communicative skills.
  • Students making links between literary texts and other subject areas. For example, Grade 9 students studying WW2 in History will read The Diary of Anne Frank and The White Rose - a drama exploring the resistance movement within Germany).
  • Students demonstrating learning in diverse ways: group and individual oral activities, Powerpoint presentations, podcasts of "interviews" with authors or characters, investigation of research or debate topics using the PTIS web-based library Questia.

Q How is the English A curriculum truly "international"?
Our students represent 35 different nationalities, so our choice of literary and non-literary texts aims to match this cultural and linguistic diversity, spanning a range of periods, cultures, traditions and geographical areas:
  • Myths from Ancient Greece
  • Short stories from around the world
  • Drama from various North American, African and European authors
  • Novels both contemporary and classic
  • Poetry from a range of traditions and periods from Shakespeare to contemporary poets
  • World Literature in translation
English A Diploma

The two-year IB Diploma Programme at PTIS aims to engage and stimulate our students' thinking about literature and language, and the role they play in forming thoughtful, critical citizens and societies.

By the conclusion of the A1 English course, students will have studied a wide range of fiction and nonfiction, from Asia, Europe, and the Americas, from Shakespeare to Garcia Marquez.

While learning about matters of literary technique and style, students come to an understanding of the ways these authors have used their art to grapple with and express the larger issues of their cultures, their times, and the common human experience.

The A2 English curriculum exposes students to a large variety of text types - including novels, essays, personal writing, speeches, as well as mass communication and professional texts - in an exploration of how language is used for different purposes and audiences.

Through their study of English texts in a variety of contexts, students gain further understanding of the impact and influence of English, and English-speaking cultures, in an increasingly globalized world.

In addition, cultural topics related to language and media are studied with an eye to the way language continues to evolve and affect all areas of society.
  Thai A

Thai A course is designed for students who are native Thai speakers.

Students develop skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing, in accordance with MOE standards and regulations.

The aims of the teaching and study of Thai A are to encourage and enable students to do the following:
  • Use the language as a means for thought, creativity, learning and self-reflection
  • Develop critical and creative skills necessary to respond appropriately to a variety of literary genres
  • Develop an understanding of themes and issues within a literary context, both contemporary and classical
  • Explore the many facets of Thai language through the use of media and IT
  • Read widely to promote a lifelong interest in language and literature
  • Develop language skills through interdisciplinary work
  • Consider the role of literature both culturally and historically
  Korean A

The aims of the teaching and study of Korean A are to encourage and enable the student to do the following:
  • Use the language as a means for thought, creativity, learning and self-reflection
  • Develop critical and creative skills necessary to respond appropriately to a variety of literary genre
  • Develop an understanding of themes and issues within a literary context
  • Explore the many facets of Korean language through the use of media and IT
  • Read widely to promote a lifelong interest in language and literature
  • Develop language skills through interdisciplinary work
  • Consider the role of literature both culturally and historically
Korean A - Student with computer Korean A - Classroom Korean A - Drums

PTIS Senior School
Language B

MYP Language B

The primary aim of Language B in the MYP is to encourage students to gain competence in a modern language other than their mother tongue, with the long-term goal of balanced bilingualism.

Learning an additional language or languages greatly contributes to the holistic development of students.

Proficiency in a second language gives students access to a broader range of input, experiences and perspectives, and is believed to raise achievement in other subject areas, as well as giving the students the enjoyment of being able to communicate in a language other than their mother tongue.

The study of MYP Language B aims to encourage in the student a respect for and understanding of other languages and cultures, and to provide a skills base to facilitate further language learning.

Within the MYP programme, there are three levels of Language B study: Foundation, Standard and Advanced. PTIS offers the following Languages B: Thai, French and Mandarin.
English B

All English teaching at PTIS is guided by the key 'Learner Profile’ attributes of the IB: through discussion, reflection and the exploration of literary and non-literary texts, our students are encouraged to become Thinkers, Communicators, Principled, Open-minded, Caring and Reflective.

Our English courses support the PTIS Mission Statement in challenging our students to become ‘principled global citizens’, and the IBO’s goal to ‘develop internationally minded people who, recognising their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world.’
 Click the headline to open and close the subjects.

  English B MYP
Q What would I see if I stepped into an English B classroom at PTIS?
  • Students engaged in Reading (a play, report, essay, short story or poem); Writing (letters, new vocabulary, grammar exercises); Speaking (giving oral presentations, engaging in debates, role-playing, discussing texts); Listening (to song lyrics, film footage, their peers’ ideas).
  • Students engaging in peer assessment, practicing self-editing and keeping a ‘reflection’ journal.
  • Students developing curiosity, interest and appreciation for the English language
  • Students making links between language study and other subject areas (eg grade 10 students focus on ‘Prejudice and Empowerment’, forging links with their History and Geography syllabi).

Q How is the English B curriculum at PTIS truly "international"?
English B units are driven by guiding questions which place English language learning in a global context eg Grade 6 students, complementing their study of ancient civilizations in Humanities, ask "Why have myths and legends evolved, and how has their purpose changed with time?"; Grade 10 students ask "Is our Society Becoming Increasingly Violent?" and "How does our sense of ‘community’ and ‘society’ affect us?"

Our texts, both literary and non-literary, are chosen from a range of geographical, social and cultural traditions, representing the many varieties and contexts of English around the world.

Our English teachers represent a variety of English-speaking cultures (America, Canada, New Zealand, England, South Africa, Australia), sharing diverse cultural experiences with our students, and exposing them to a variety of accents and dialects.
  English B Diploma
This two-year programme provides students the opportunity to reach a high degree of competence in English, giving them a basis for further study, work and leisure in a ‘global’ language. Using authentic materials (spoken or written, printed or electronic), students learn how to communicate in a number of situations and within the varied cultures where the English language is spoken (UK, USA, Canada, Australia etc).

Students develop their ability to communicate in a variety of contexts (including work, social interactions, academic study), and for a range of purposes (including debates, interviews, letters, speeches and formal essays).

The curriculum provides opportunities for enjoyment, creativity and intellectual stimulation. Students enjoy both topic-based units and literary units, which give rise to provocative discussions on various issues: technology, environment, justice, prejudice, juvenile crime, punishment, and social responsibility.

Through exposure to and exploration of audio and written, formal and informal, literary and non-literary texts, students develop awareness and appreciation of the different perspectives of people from other cultures.


Languages B (LOTE - Languages Other Than English)

  French B
Welcome to the French-speaking side of PTIS!

Our French programme is dynamic and enriching, taught from Grades 6 - 12 by a team of highly competent and experienced teachers.

The programme responds to the linguistic needs of the modern world:
Obective #1: Develop communication skills in French.
The primary objective is to develop oral communication skills useful in different situations then gradually proceed to more formal written and oral expression.

Students study French through exploration of various themes.

Finally, students learn to organize and present information and ideas in front of an audience or through a range of written formats.

Various oral activities (dialogues, role playing, conversation) and written tasks (stories, diaries, letters, articles) give students opportunities to practice and develop their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills.

Objective #2: Provide awareness and understanding of the cultures and traditions of France and other French-speaking nations.
Students are periodically exposed to the richness of the French-speaking cultures and the challenges that these nations face at present.

Audio-visual materials (documentaries, video clips, TV programmes) plus cultural shows related to the feasts and holidays of the French-speaking world help familiarize students with the cultures of the countries where French is spoken.

Objective # 3: Integrate French with other subjects.
As much as possible, the study of the French language calls upon the background knowledge of the students in English and their native language, history, geography, music and the arts. In the process, students reinforce and build on what they already know about these subjects.

Due to their exposure to other points-of-view, it is hoped that students become open-minded, more familiar with and having better understanding of the perspectives of the French-speaking world.

  Thai B

 Course Outlines 09/10
Learning an additional language expands students’ cognitive and analytical abilities.

It fosters communication with other speakers of the language and appreciation of other cultures.

It increases the possibilities of communication beyond a student’s own language and culture.

This experience will increase students’ self-knowledge and their knowledge of the world, which enables them to develop intercultural awareness.

Our Thai B course is designed for students who are non-Thai speakers. Students will develop Thai language skills - listening, speaking, reading and writing - in accordance with MOE standards and regulations.

The aims of the teaching and study of Thai B are to encourage and enable the student to:
  • Communicate information clearly and effectively, both simple and complex ideas
  • Actively engage in conversation
  • Use a wide range of vocabulary and varied structures appropriately, including idiom and register appropriate to context
  • Make good use of a basic range of vocabulary and grammatical structures
  • Read widely to promote a lifelong interest in language and literature
  Mandarin

Our programme teaches Standard Mandarin, also known as Guo-yu or Pu-tong-hua.

Our programme covers four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Both traditional and simplified font characters are taught.

For phonetic symbols, Han-yu-pin-yin is used. Zhu-yin-fu-hao is an alternative choice for those who are interested.

MYP:
The focus in MYP Mandarin is on the development of oral skills.

DP:
The focus of the diploma programme extends to reading and writing. Both Mandarin Ab Initio and Mandarin B are offered.
Besides language training, there are many activities related to the language used in different areas of Chinese culture, such as major festivals, Chinese calligrapy, Chinese food, traditional handicrafts and games.

  Spanish
 Course Outlines 09/10
The Spanish Ab Initio programme is a two year course which provides students with the opportunity to achieve basic proficiency in reading, writing, listening and speaking.

Students learn to communicate ideas and exchange information pertaining to a variety of themes, such as the individual and society, health and education, travel and leisure, and personal interests.

Students work to achieve basic proficiency through a variety of activities which are interactive and require them to actively use the language tools they have studied. In addition, students are given opportunities to use the language in context-based situations as much as possible.

Common activities include competitive games, role playing, and information gapping, all of which stress the importance of actively using the language to achieve goals.

Apart from direct instruction in class, students are given exposure to the Spanish language through a variety of texts, audio and visual stimuli, interactive instructional websites, and technology-based programmes which individualize instruction and assessment and track the progress of each student at various levels of proficiency.

Students communicate with each other in Spanish during activities focusing on particular grammatical or thematic areas.


Pictured are students taking turns facing
each other and describing various
photos or drawings as preparation for their
IB oral examinations.

Pictured are students performing a musical
chairstyle activity in which they assemble
individual words into various phrases that
incorporate important language concepts.

Students roll dice for a competitive game in
which they in groups match various parts
of speech and sentence patterns into
fluid statements.

Arranging various vocabulary words into
complete sentences is made more active by
physically forming sentences through movement.

PTIS Senior School
Mathematics

MYP Mathematics aims to give students an appreciation of the usefulness, power and beauty of the subject.

The language of mathematics enables people to model events and situations in many other disciplines, and provides a key to understanding the world in which we live.

A study of mathematics also provides the opportunity to study the language of mathematics for its own sake. Students should come to realize that the language of mathematics is universal.

With the rapid pace of technological development, it is difficult to foresee the mathematical knowledge that students will need during their lifetime. Therefore, it is essential that students are equipped with a solid base of mathematical knowledge, related skills and attitudes to enable them to adapt as their needs arise.

MYP Mathematics promotes an understanding of how cultural, societal and historical influences from a variety of cultures have influenced mathematical thought, and brought about its evolution. Students should be able to understand and discuss the international nature of mathematics.

For DP Mathematics, the goals of the programme are the same as above with the additional objective of students performing to the best of their ability on a comprehensive examination. Finally, it is hoped that students will gain an enjoyment and a particular kind of fulfillment that arises from successfully understanding and sometimes completing challenging problems.

PTIS Senior School
Sciences

  Diploma Science
The Diploma Science Programme at PTIS affords all students withthe following:
  • The best learning environment in which to extend their natural curiosity in one of four disciplines: Biology, Physics, Chemistry, and Environmental Systems and Societies
  • The opportunity to explore the interdependence of these four areas through a rigorous course of study, regular experimentation and research
  • A broad scope for data collection data in one of three fully equipped science labs or from our own natural study site - 96 acres of treed waterways
  • Quality resources preparing for the fast-pace change associated with science and technology: lab technician; IT proficient staff; staff trained as MYP workshop leaders and Diploma moderators; network capability from all labs; and a full complement of data-logging equipment

As suggested by the IB Learner Profile, the science programme also ensures that there is a strong emphasis on "thinking critically and creatively to recognize and approach complex issues".

Students are encouraged to take the required time to communicate their ideas effectively, from writing their own formal reports for submission to the IBO to communicating with local and international organizations.

Senior students have opportunities to work with our younger inquirers through various mini-school sessions, including Earth Day and Science Week, and there are many opportunities to take science outdoors on "Days Out" or subject-specific excursions. In this way, we ensure that all members of our community enjoy science!

  MYP Sciences

At PTIS, the MYP Sciences Programme aims to provide all students, Grades 6-10, with the following:
  • A body of knowledge reflecting essential scientific concepts and links to advances in science and technology
  • A nurtured, broad and deep understanding of the scientific approach to problem solving
  • A learning tool kit to investigate and understand the natural world, including the development of attitudes that complement the school’s mission: education for a sustainable future
  • The ability to formulate hypotheses, design and carry out strategies to test them, analyse data, evaluate results, write valid conclusions and reflect on methodology: this constitutes the framework within which specific content is presented in a lab journal
  • Opportunities to improve manipulative skills with a wide range of laboratory equipment and consumables
Within the MYP Sciences, students explore the disciplines of Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Environmental Sciences, with a focus on integrating these areas of study. Students take full advantage of the school’s campus and surrounding natural areas, including our very own Prem Farm, taking science outdoors whenever possible!

PTIS Senior School
Humanities

  MYP Humanities
MYP humanities courses at PTIS challenge students to acquire knowledge, understand concepts and develop skills in challenging and exciting environments.

In Grades 6 and 7, history and geography are studied under the broader theme of humanities. During these two years, the students become familiar with the individual humanities subjects but also understand how they link with each other and to the students’ own lives.

 We develop the following skills: 
  • Analysis
  • Debating
  • Forming arguments
  • Graphing
  • Mapping
  • Organization
  • Presentation
  • Research
  • Effective writing
Students in Grades 8, 9, and 10 study history and geography separately, in semester courses, to further develop each subject’s specific skills. Each skill formed and developed in the humanities classroom is applicable to other courses and supports preparation for humanities subjects in the Diploma Programme and tertiary study.

Learning in humanities at PTIS is not confined to the classroom. Students in all grades take excursions to Chiang Mai and the surrounding areas to engage in field studies, explore ancient ruins, visit museums and tribal villages, and interact with local organizations.

Each of the humanities courses at PTIS is designed not only to foster students’ knowledge, concepts and skills, but also to educate truly global citizens who strive for a sustainable future. It is no wonder that parents often refer to humanities classes as being one of their child’s favorite subjects.
  DP Humanities
The DP programme is unique in that different subject areas have special access to the surrounding environment with diverse biomes.
Economics

We focus on the global economy with special emphasis in Thailand’s role in the SEA region. The course also taps into devolvement work done through various local NGOs.

Environmental Systems

We focus on the school’s mission statement regarding the issues of sustainability, and integrate these concerns within the larger local region, to ensure the school co-exists and interacts well with its local environment.

Environmental Systems and Societies presents as a key trans-disciplinary course, designed to combine the techniques and knowledge associated with group 4 (the experimental sciences) and group 3 (individuals and societies) subjects.

The course provides students with a coherent perspective on the interrelationships between environmental systems and societies; it enables them to adopt an informed personal response to the wide range of pressing environmental issues that they will inevitably come to face. Students evaluate the scientific, ethical and socio-political aspects of local and global issues, crossing geographic and cultural boundaries.

Geography

We explore human interaction with the environment and the nature of the environment in which we exist. In Northern Thailand we have the unique opportunity to witness the consequences of globalization on remote hill tribe villages. Thailand and SEA both offer unique physical environments for the study of the prescribed topics in the IB Diploma.

Psychology

We focus on the influence of cultural variables on behavior. At PTIS, this study is enhanced through the constant interaction of students from diverse backgrounds. Our diversity provides a unique opportunity to reflect on the effects of globalization on human development and cognition.

History

We explore the complexities of human social and political interaction. Comparisons are drawn between systemic development in the West and East and differences between the two which have resulted in both international co-operation and conflict.

PTIS Senior School
Health and Physical Education - working towards lifelong fitness.

Student Project Examples
 Course Outlines 09/10

The HPE programme aims to contribute to the development of a student’s physical, intellectual, emotional and social well being through the following:
  • Offering a wide range of physical and health experiences that will encourage a lifelong commitment to fitness
  • Developing social skills that demonstrate the importance of teamwork, communication and cooperation in a fun and friendly environment
  • Providing an educational programme which challenges students to expand their learning skills and is transferable across other subjects
PE Facilities


PTIS provides students with excellent PE facilities:
  • An indoor gymnasium
  • 2 outdoor basketball/volleyball courts
  • A pool complex with a 50-meter pool, diving pool, beginners' pool and a toddler pool
  • A soft mat area
  • 6 tennis courts and 2 rebound walls
  • 1 squash court
  • 4 football fields
  • An athletics track
  • Golf driving range and putting green

PTIS Senior School
Arts

 Click the headline to open and close the panels.
  Drama
Actors in drama production

Drama is one of the oldest, most universal and most profound of human activities. Drama informs, nourishes, sustains and extends the human spirit in unique and essential ways.

One of the key aims of our drama programme is to engender a love of the subject and the many possibilities it offers. Drama is a practical subject that gives students a voice and allows them to function as artists.



The objectives of the programme are as follows:
  • To develop performance skills allowing the students to communicate through the language of space, movement and voice
  • To develop the skills, techniques and conventions necessary for effective dramatic presentation
  • To develop an awareness and an understanding of drama as an art form
  • To examine text through the use of dramatic devices
  • To develop self confidence
  • To aid language development
All students in Grades 6 and 7 will study drama for one semester.
Grade 9 students may take Drama as an elective for one semester.
Grade 10 students may take Drama as an elective for two semesters.

Activities and performance projects across the grade levels include the following:
  • Theatre games
  • Dramatic interpretation of scripts, stories, poetry, legends and folk tales
  • Melodrama
  • Dance Drama
  • The Stanislavsky acting technique
  • Expressionist acting
  • The creation of mini projects for performance to peers and the wider PTIS community
  Music

Our facilities comprise four fully-equipped teaching classrooms, an amphitheatre and an auditorium. Additionally, students have available for their use a range of musical instruments and technologies:
  • Computers, and the respective software applications for music composition.
  • Electric pianos and a grand piano.
  • Cellos and violins.
  • Electric guitars, basses and amplifiers.
  • A contemporary drum kit amongst many percussion instruments.
  • Several ethnic and Thai instruments.
In addition to music classes in school, students enjoy a number of co-curricular options such as private instrumental tuition. They also have a variety of musical activities such as PTIS Singers, computer music, guitar clubs and string ensembles to choose from, some of which are student-led initiatives.

keyboards School Band
  Visual Arts
Visual arts class Painting
Visual Arts is an integral and exciting part of the curriculum offered at PTIS, with specialist Visual Art classes offered to students in Grades 11-12 (IB Diploma).

Classes are held in the Art House, an impressive purpose-built facility featuring five spacious well-lit studios, a photography darkroom, and an outdoor clay area equipped with a ceramic kiln. Situated along the river, the Art House features glass walls which provide beautiful views of the surrounding natural environment.
Art Forms Offered:
  • Painting
  • Printmaking
  • Drawing
  • Ceramics
  • Textiles
  • Sculpture
  • Wearable art
  • Digital and darkroom photography
  • Puppetry
  • Graphic design and film

Fully qualified and experienced Visual Arts specialist teachers deliver an exciting and rich MYP and IB Visual Arts programme featuring both practical work and art theory and appreciation.

The programme is enriched by visiting artists, regular trips to local art galleries and annual events such as the PTIS Visual Arts Festival, SEASAC Arts Festival and the IB Art Exhibition.

Students who choose to pursue Visual Arts studies at IB Diploma level are each provided with a private and spacious studio space for the duration of the two-year course.

Students are encouraged to utilize the Art House studios outside regular school hours and on completion of the course, exhibit their IB artworks at a popular and well-attended annual event.

PTIS Senior School
Technology

 Click the headline to open and close the subjects.
  Design Technology
MYP Design Technology gives students the opportunity to solve real-life problems and create practical products.

They do this individually and in groups using a variety of materials, equipment and resources in a purpose-built, well-equipped design studio.

In IT and DT students follow the Design Cycle:
Materials
  • Wood
  • Plastic
  • Bamboo
  • Clay
  • Cardboard
  • Metal
  • Plaster
  • Recyclables
Equipment
  • Computer/AV room
  • Sanding, drilling, sawing machines
  • Class sets of hand tools
  • Clean and messy work areas
  • An outdoor design space
  • A kiln and clay work area
  • Investigating the problem
  • Designing several solutions
  • Planning the solution
  • Creating the solution
  • Evaluating the solution
Students are encouraged to be critical thinkers and independent learners. Projects begin in junior grades with skill-building and teacher-directed projects, growing into more open-ended design challenges in the older grades.

Projects aim to reflect the local culture and environment, taking advantage of many of PTIS’s fantastic resources.

Technology projects fall under the category of :
  • Materials
  • Systems
  • Information
Design technology project DT classroom DT IB program
  Information Technology
Technology student in computer lab IT students Information Technology students
PTIS is equipped with three computer labs, broadband internet connections, and a rich and reliable network.

The network is accessible from anywhere on campus and wireless internet access covers most of the campus.

This robust infrastructure supports a rich and varied IT programme at PTIS.
Projects:
  • Digital video production
  • Video game development
  • 3D design
  • Digital sound engineering
Skills:
  • Word processing
  • Spreadsheet development
  • Network structures
  • Basic programming
  • Responsible and safe use of the web

The Information Technology courses at PTIS are primarily project-based, with an emphasis on student-centered learning and development.

The projects are varied and touch upon a multitude of basic IT skills that students will acquire through these projects.

There is a strong emphasis on web-based technologies. Students publish their work to the web every year with web development techniques that will increase in complexity as they progress through each grade.

PTIS Senior School
CAS - Creativity Action Service

PTIS strives to educate the whole person, by helping students become healthy, responsible and compassionate citizens. The CAS programme for Grades 11 and 12 encourages students to share their time, energy and skills with others and to extend their learning through activities outside the confines of the classroom.


Students are given time allotment and opportunities to develop their understanding, interests and skills in different areas of creativity, action and service. This includes honing creative talents in music and the arts, extending themselves by playing and coaching in physical activities such as sports, and making a difference to other people's lives through volunteerism and community work.


Our CAS programme emphasizes learning by providing students with opportunities to do real tasks that have real consequences and then reflect on these experiences over time. On Thursdays, students are involved in preparing lessons and teaching English to public school students.

Students also devote many weekends interacting with children and young adults who are orphans, individuals who are suffering from physical and mental disabilities, or those who are socially and economically deprived.

Our students utilize their organizational skills and special talents to plan fun and engaging activities for their CAS groups. Our students either travel to the centers/shelters or welcome their local partners to the PTIS campus to give the children the chance to enjoy the school's excellent facilities.

PTIS Senior School
TOK - Theory Of Knowledge

Course Outlines
What better subject than TOK to help us engage with our Mission Statement? TOK at PTIS directly challenges students to examine and understand why people think differently.

Through the two-year course, students examine the sources and influences of their own learning, diverse knowledge traditions, as well as different knowledge lenses.
Students study the following
Ways of Knowing:
Sense Perception, Language, Reason and Emotion
Areas of Knowledge:
Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Human Sciences, History, the Arts, and Ethics
Linking Questions:
Belief, Certainty, Culture, Evidence, Experience, Explanation, Interpretation, Intuition, Technology, Truth, and Values
Teachers at PTIS inspire student inquiry, discussion and sound argument through their passion, specialised knowledge, and experience. Having an IB TOK workshop leader and examiner on the team ensures a comprehensive, exciting programme where teachers learn as well.
Students participate in a variety of learning activities:
  • expert guest presentations
  • interviews with other ‘knowers’ including Junior School students, parents, staff and experts in the field
  • independent and group research
  • discussion, problem solving and resolution reports
Students develop critical thinking skills in response to knowledge issues through formal writing and public speaking. They develop an awareness of the variety of knowledge: how it is constructed, evaluated and evolves. Students learn to analyse knowledge claims critically and test the impact of underlying assumptions and implications.

TOK at PTIS truly develops knowledgeable and principled global citizens, meaningful relationships, continuous learning and "good thinking".
  TOK Presentations
Presentation Topics (All of these topics challenge the question ‘how do we know?’)
  • Under what circumstances, if any, should microchips be implanted in humans?
  • How can we evaluate the impact of humanitarian aid in developing nations?
  • How can we assess the impact of violence in video games?
  • Can music therapy be validated scientifically?
  • To what extent can we learn about the truth about war through the media?
  • How do we evaluate the best form of humanitarian aid?
  • To what extent should freedom of speech be permitted in the media: case study through South Park?
  • How can lowering the cost of generic drugs or patented alternatives be justified?
  • Is free trade fair?
  • Should we support the development of genetically modified foods?
HIV/AIDS Presentation - 15 December 2008

Fieldwork volunteer, Natalie Mann, leads Grade 11 students in ethical issues presentation and discussion:
  • Attitudes towards infection and management
  • Justification for intervention, local and foreign
  • The role of reason and emotion in traditions and beliefs
  • Social and economic costs and benefits
How do Young Minds Know? 4-8 September 2008

Grade 11 students visited Grades 1 and 2 students to ask ‘How do you know?’

After a brief study to understand how young children learn, their older schoolmates interviewed Junior School students about their understanding of physical phenomena. Questions included the following:
  • When does a rainbow form? What makes the rainbow appear?
  • Why does water form on the outside of a cold cup of water on a hot day?
  • How does a mobile phone work?
  • Why do we have night and day?
  • How does a bicycle work?
  • Which comes first: the chicken or the egg?
  • What is a dream?

PTIS Senior School
Events

 Click the headline to open and close the subjects.

  Camps
Why a camp week?
Learning doesn’t just happen in the classroom! With the aim of providing students with meaningful learning activities, planned excursions and camps are included in the calendar and curriculum of the school.

Camps and excursions provide students with the opportunity to learn about themselves, others and their world from environments and experts beyond the school gates, the nature of which is not possible in regular classrooms.

Aims:
The aims of school camps and excursions:
  • to enhance curriculum learning opportunities through participation and reflection
  • to enhance students’ active responsibility towards the environment, health and community service
  • to develop students’ understanding of the knowledge, skills and values of people living in our neighboring communities and our host country through different approaches to learning.

Camp Locations and Activities
Grade 6 undertake a range of activities in Lampang and around Doi Inthanon: visits to temples, waterfalls and national parks; camping and overnight stays amid the beauty of the Thai natural environment; and a one-night home stay with Karen Villagers.

It is hoped students will develop a stronger appreciation for our host country, its history, culture and natural beauty.

Grade 7 are hosted by the PTIS Magic Eyes Barge Project in Bangkok/Ayutthaya/Khao Yai National park and complete the land based project. Students travel to Ayutthaya where they undertake historical and cultural trips around the old capital.

They also travel to Khao Yai National Park where they experience more about the ‘natural world’ and learn more about the national park.

Grade 8 travel to Ban Thaton and to the Maekok River Village Resort. Here they are challenged to work as teams and to take risks. Activities include ‘jungle survival’, building a raft, canoeing, orienteering and a number of team challenges.

Grade 9 trek in the Huai Nam Dang National Park area. Their activities include an army assault course, setting up tents, trekking through the park and visiting Hill Tribe villages. They are also involved in rafting and abseiling.

Grade 10 travel to Koh Samet. Their activities include snorkelling, a boat trip, kayaking, Thai cooking and a beach clean up.

Grade 11 concentrates on Community Service. The trip combines a cultural exchange and active outdoors experiences with needs-based community service activities, identified by local community members. The group is based in two ethnic minority villages (Ban Jabo and Ban Mae Lana).
  Field Trips
Recent Trip Reports
Grade 11 Geography Field Work

On Friday and Saturday the 13 -14 March, the Geography Grade 11 students took part in a field trip to the Karen hill tribes as part of their internal assessment for the IB.

Their aim was to investigate whether globalisation, through tourism, has altered the Karen’s traditional ways of living. They worked together in small groups to collect and collate their data by each delegating specific tasks to each member.


They spent the two days interviewing, surveying, sketching and observing to find what they were looking for.

A. Michele McLay - Geography Teacher

  Days Out
Why Days Out?

The Senior School Day Out concept evolved from discussions in which Senior School staff wanted to offer students meaningful opportunities to explore our host country.

Visiting Schools Program students were returning to PTIS excited about their days in Thailand participating in activities that our students were experiencing. We decided to create regular opportunities to take the curriculum outside the classroom.

Our Days Out offer students and staff opportunities to take advantage of some of the wonderful connections available in our community.


Day Out fieldtrips focus on one or more of the following purposes:

  • Community & culture
  • Environment
  • Curriculum - Subject-based activities
  • Pastoral care
  • Community Service

Days Out support our mission, MYP areas of interaction, pastoral care programmes and further the holistic education of students. Students may be involved in a subject-area activity, or with their grade level or class for the day.

Days Out also provide opportunities for us to reach out to our parent contacts who work in support with others in our community.
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