Shows / IB Unplugged
IB Unplugged
Welcome to IB Unplugged, a Kognity podcast for IB DP educators that tackles your submitted challenges and questions by connecting you with experts and peers who share their ideas and stories from real classrooms. Whether you’re a seasoned educator or new to the IB world, each biweekly episode and guest aims to equip you with practical tips and positive inspiration – helping you teach with more confidence, creativity, and joy. So whether you’re walking your dog or commuting to school, hit play…
Episodes
- IB Unplugged
Nobody Left Behind: Inclusion in Practice w/ Nunana Nyomi
Every school says it is inclusive. Far fewer can say what happens when a decision has to be made and somebody is going to be left out. Nunana Nyomi, secondary…
- IB Unplugged
The IB has spoken on AI. Now what? w/ Clara Hawking
The IB has published its AI Design Principles. A practical toolkit for schools is on its way. But between a published framework and a genuinely AI-ready school…
- IB Unplugged
The Extended Essay & Authenticating Student Thinking w/ Michele Lackovic
Michele Lackovic, an EE workshop leader and examiner with over 25 years of supervising experience, joins us to explore what the 2027 syllabus asks of students…
- IB Unplugged
Designing a Pathway for a Changing World w/ Naheed Bardai
What happens when the world a curriculum was designed for changes faster than the curriculum itself has? The IB Diploma Programme has earned its reputation for…
- IB Unplugged
Curiosity in the Age of Instant Answers w/ Tim Lovatt
Tim Lovatt, Head of Digital Learning at UWC South East Asia, joins us to explore one of the quieter challenges of the AI era: keeping curiosity alive when it's…
- IB Unplugged
Inside the IB's AI Principles w/ Clara Hawking
The IB has spent decades defining what it means to educate for international mindedness and ethical thinking. Now, for the first time, it has published…
- IB Unplugged
Students as Co-Creators w/ Arissa Roy
Schools talk about student voice. They have councils, surveys, and learner profile statements on the wall. But how often are students invited to build — not…
- IB Unplugged
Looking Back, Thinking Forward: Season 2 in Review
What were the biggest ideas to emerge from Season Two of IB Unplugged? In this special season finale, Courtney and John look back on the conversations that…
- IB Unplugged
Building Community Through Professional Learning w/ Elizabeth Imende
What happens when schools stop working in isolation and start learning from one another? Elizabeth Imende joins us to explore the power of professional…
- IB Unplugged
Redefining Achievement: Skills, Character & Youth Recognition w/ Matthew Hayes
In this episode, Matthew Hayes challenges traditional definitions of achievement and invites educators to rethink how schools recognise student growth…
- IB Unplugged
The PDP Reality Check: What Schools Are Learning w/ Rohit Vaswani
What happens when a well-intentioned programme meets the realities of school implementation? Rohit Vaswani takes a transparent and practical look at the…
- IB Unplugged
Shared Humanity & Future-Ready Learning w/ Haif Bannayan
What does it mean to prepare students for a future that is increasingly complex, interconnected, and uncertain? In this episode, Haif Bannayan joins us to…
- IB Unplugged
More Than One Hat: Life Beyond the Classroom w/ Caitlin LeBrun
Caitlin LeBrun reflects on the lived experience of balancing multiple identities—educator, parent, writer, and creative thinker. Drawing on her work as a…
- IB Unplugged
Knowledge in the Service of Africa w/ Adzo Ashie
What does it mean to lead education with a commitment not just to global citizenship, but to local impact? In this episode, Adzo Ashie, Vice Principal at…
- IB Unplugged
Applying Visible Learning at Kognity w/ Melanie Snow
What happens when we take one of the most influential voices in education research and ask: how does this actually show up in the classroom—and in the tools we…
- IB Unplugged
Visible Learning in Practice: Feedback, Inquiry, and Impact w/ John Hattie
What if the key to better learning isn’t doing more—but knowing what works best? In this episode, Professor John Hattie, the architect of Visible Learning…
- IB Unplugged
Behind IA Moderation and Curriculum Review w/ Paul La Rondie
Paul La Rondie pulls back the curtain on the less visible processes that shape both assessment and curriculum. From the moment a student submits their IA to…
- IB Unplugged
IB Unplugged Live @ AEF: Building Ubuntu Through Education w/ Amy Sarr Fall
In this special IB Unplugged Live episode recorded at the African Education Festival in Johannesburg, Amy Sarr Fall invites IB educators to explore what it…
- IB Unplugged
Leading for Instructional Impact w/Temitope Ray-Odekeye
What does it take to build high-quality teaching and learning? Temitope Ray-Odekeye joins us to explore the role of curriculum leadership and instructional…
- IB Unplugged
Celebrating 1 year of IB Unplugged!
We’re flipping the script! In this special anniversary episode of IB Unplugged, co-hosts John and Courtney sit down—not with a guest, but with each other—to…
- IB Unplugged
Putting UDL into Practice: Designing Inclusive Learning with Kognity
Following our recent conversation with Dianne Blackburn on UDL and the IB Approaches to Learning, this mini episode of IB Unplugged continues the discussion by…
- IB Unplugged
Amplifying Women's Voices: Leadership, Confidence & Representation
In this International Women’s Day episode of IB Unplugged, we bring together voices from across the Kognity team to share honest reflections on leadership…
- IB Unplugged
Designing Learning Environments: UDL & ATL in the IB w/ Dianne Blackburn
What if inclusion wasn’t something we added on—but something we designed for from the very beginning? Dianne Blackburn joins us to explore how IB educators can…
- IB Unplugged
Hidden Curriculum 2.0 and (Inter)national Identities w/ Dženana Ćeman
In this episode, Dženana Ćeman introduces the concept of Hidden Curriculum 2.0, inviting IB educators to examine how everyday school practices quietly shape…
- IB Unplugged
Ending Assessment as We Know It w/ David Spooner
What if assessment wasn’t about ranking, sorting, or proving learning, but about supporting it? In this episode, David Spooner challenges traditional…
- IB Unplugged
Teaching with Heart: Humanising Pedagogy in IB Classrooms w/ La Mor
What does it take to build truly inclusive learning environments—and how do we make space for every learner's story? In this episode, IB educator La Mor shares…
- IB Unplugged
From Panic to Pedagogy: Practical AI Strategies for the IB Classroom w/ Leon Furze
How can IB educators use AI to spark deeper thinking, support formative assessment, and strengthen academic integrity? In this episode, we speak with Leon…
- IB Unplugged
Education for Impact: Building Purpose-Driven Learning Communities w/ Mateo Tobar
This episode explores how innovation, collaboration, and experiential learning can empower young people to become changemakers—especially within the Latin…
- IB Unplugged
Tech with Intention: Rethinking Classroom Innovation w/ Terence Tan
How can schools move beyond flashy edtech and focus on meaningful, student-centered use of technology? In this episode, Terence Tan draws from his work in…
- IB Unplugged
Cracking the Case: Practical Strategies for DP Business Management Assessment w/ Maria Sayyed
This episode dives into the heart of IB DP Business Management—assessment. Maria Sayyed joins us to unpack what makes the IA process meaningful (and…
- IB Unplugged
Empowering Student Agency & Voice in the Age of AI w/ Rita Bateson
How can schools teach students to use AI responsibly while navigating the ethics of emerging tools? In this episode, educator and Eblana Learning founder Rita…
- IB Unplugged
IB Unplugged Live @ The IBGC: The Future of IB Assessment w/ Mathew Glanville
What does the future of IB assessment look like in a world shaped by AI and digital learning? In this special IB Unplugged Live episode recorded at the IB…
- IB Unplugged
Bridging the Gap: Navigating the MYP–DP Transition w/ Paul La Rondie
How can schools better support students as they move from the MYP to the DP? In this episode, Paul La Rondie, IB educator and curriculum leader, explores how…
- IB Unplugged
Educating for a Regenerative Future w/ Jennifer Brandsberg-Engelmann
What if economics education wasn’t just about markets—but also about meaning, sustainability, and student agency? Jennifer Brandsberg-Engelmann shares how…
- IB Unplugged
Learning With the Land: Building Sustainability Mindsets Through Experience w/ John Cannings
What does it mean to truly educate for sustainability, not just about it? In this episode, we speak with long-time IB educator and global thinker John Cannings…
- IB Unplugged
Beyond Intuition: Teaching Smarter with Cognitive Science w/ Gareth Rogers
What’s the difference between cognition and metacognition—and why does it matter? In our Season 2 kickoff, educator and school leader Gareth Rogers breaks down…
- IB Unplugged
Unplugged and Reflecting: Season 1 in Review
In this special season finale, hosts John Patton and Courtney Marline reflect on their journey through Season 1 of IB Unplugged. From conversations on TOK and…
- IB Unplugged
What’s Next for Assessment? Inside the IB’s Digital Strategy w/ Matthew Glanville
The IB is rethinking assessment—and going digital. In this episode, we speak with Matthew Glanville, Director of Assessment at the IB, about the organization’s…
- IB Unplugged
Every Educator’s Blindspots w/ David Didau
What if everything you believed about learning was only part of the story? In this thought-provoking episode, cognitive science expert and author David Didau…
- IB Unplugged
Beyond the Grade: Rethinking Assessment for Human Flourishing w/ Conrad Hughes
What if our assessments focused on growth instead of ranking? In this episode, Dr. Conrad Hughes, Director General of the International School of Geneva and…
- IB Unplugged
Teaching IBDP Psychology: The Power of Concepts for Deeper Learning w/ Rachael Thornton
What does it mean to teach psychology conceptually—and why does it matter? In this episode, Rachel Thornton, a passionate psychology teacher, unpacks the…
- IB Unplugged
Designing the Future: Inside Curriculum Development at the IBO w/ Fidelis Nthenge
What does it take to shape a truly future-ready curriculum? In this episode, Fidelis Nthenge, Director of Curriculum Development at the IBO, shares how the IB…
- IB Unplugged
The Double Diploma Playbook: What It Takes to Balance Two Curricula w/ Richard Jones-Nerzic
Can one school deliver two diplomas—and do both well? In this episode, IB educator Richard Jones-Nerzic shares how Ecole Moser in Switzerland integrates the IB…
- IB Unplugged
The Deep Learning Seminar: Agency, Inquiry, and Authentic Reflection w/ Matt Kuykendall
What if building student competencies—not just covering content—was the heart of your course? In this episode, educator Matt Kuykendall shares how his Deep…
- IB Unplugged
Creating Healthier Classrooms: Wellbeing as a Whole-School Practice w/ Junita Boy
How can schools foster wellbeing for both students and teachers in the IBDP? Educator Junita Boy shares practical strategies for building healthier school…
- IB Unplugged
Designing for Autonomy: A Model of Blended Learning w/ Damien Vassallo
What does true blended learning look like when you break away from traditional classrooms? Damien Vassallo shares how inquiry, autonomy, and digital tools can…
- IB Unplugged
The Power of Enquiry Upon Results: Turning IB Data into Dialogue w/ Jen Olmsted
What if IB results could spark real conversations that drive growth across your school? International school leader Jen Olmsted breaks down the Enquiry Upon…
- IB Unplugged
Policy, Practice, and the Promise of AI in Education w/ Clara Hawking
Clara Hawking shares how educators can confidently navigate policies, tools, and best practices for safe and effective AI integration. From data privacy to…
- IB Unplugged
Mastering Approaches to Learning w/ Lance King
How do we actually teach students to learn? ATL creator Lance King shares practical strategies to build student agency, resilience, and self-directed…
- IB Unplugged
Indigenous Knowledge Systems in AI w/ Wakanyi Hoffman
Indigenous thinker and ubuntu philosophy scholar Wakanyi Hoffman discusses the need for culturally inclusive ethics in emerging AI systems to prevent…
- IB Unplugged
Demystifying TOK w/ David Spooner
What makes TOK meaningful and teachable? Educator David Spooner distills over 20 years of IB experience into practical insights on demystifying Theory of…
- IB Unplugged
IB Unplugged: Why We Started & What to Expect
Meet your hosts and discover the vision behind IB Unplugged. Whether you're a seasoned IB teacher or just starting out, tune in for practical tips…