Tricky – but necessary?
Making the most of being at home with a family during the lockdown may depend on getting everyone into a new routine. Easier said than done, but not impossible, thinks Orla Redmond.
Student
Going digital
Establishing an effective safeguarding regime can be challenging even on one campus. Primary Principal Graeme Chisholm looks at how his school took on the task of coordinating a consistent programme across four sites in the Czech Republic.
Tattling and tale telling
Leah Davies suggests ways to help children differentiate between ‘tattling’ and responsible ‘reporting’. Here”s her advice for teachers and parents.
The importance of adult role modelling for children’s emotional development
Leah Davies offers educators ten tips for supporting children as they learn how to manage their feelings and grow emotionally.
Should smartphones be banned in school?
Following a decision by the state of Victoria government in Australia to exclude smart phones from primary and secondary schools, Sam Chester looks at arguments for and against banning phones in school.
Emily Melynn Alexander considers how lack of sleep can impact on the lives of teens and young adults: can they study effectively without it?
Language: The Key to Learning – The Importance of Discussion
In the third of three articles on the development of language in schools, Orla Redmond examines the value of discussion as a learning tool.
Movement Activities and Games for Kindergarten & Elementary Classrooms (Part 1)
As former first lady Michelle Obama advocated, let’s get our kids to move. Leah Davies gives us some pointers for getting children to move throughout the school day.
Helping students cope
School personnel need to provide a safe, supportive environment where children feel free to discuss their thoughts and feelings about war. Leah Davies advises that by listening carefully and answering questions on a level students can comprehend, children will learn that they are not alone in their concerns.
The importance of empathy for school leadership
Empathy is a formidable confidante which allows educational leaders to build collaborative communities which influence, innovate and enhance student outcomes. Melissa Etherton explores empathy as a leadership tool and how it can have a positive impact on a school community.
A different type of bullying
Aggression or bullying can be defined as any action that inflicts physical or mental harm upon another person. Leah Davies discusses why girls usually differ from boys in the type of aggressive behavior they exhibit.
Learning is not a competition
Richard Campbell of Effort Tracking looks at how tracking a student’s effort and application using a new formative – based assessment system is having an effect on student motivation and learning.
Introducing holistic education to a new generation of international students
As Ziwei Luo herself is the first to explain, there is nothing new about ‘educating the whole child’. What is new, however, is the growing appeal of this approach for Chinese families. Here she suggests that with the right support, students from families unused to a holistic approach are able to develop skills that allow them to thrive beyond the classroom.
Seeing what is really there
Matthew Savage, Principal at the International Community School in Amman, Jordan, talks about ‘the Mona Lisa Effect’ – a model for personalised learning, which enables us to see beneath the masks that children assume as part of their everyday lives.
Helping sexually abused children
In many countries, it is now mandatory to report suspected cases of abuse. How should we react if approached by a child who wants to talk about a problem? Leah Davies has some practical advice.
Extending our Duty of Care
Although new technology in schools has undoubtedly enhanced teaching and learning, Matt Harris thinks we tend to neglect our duty of care when it comes to all things digital. The answer? Digital Citizenship integratration across the whole school.
Uncovering submerged values with P4C
There is a lot of talk about “Values Education”, but what values will be relevant for an interconnected, mobile world, in which our two to six year olds will be living and working. Stephen Walshe looks at the role Philosophy for Children (P4C) can play in uncovering their “submerged” values.
To lead – or not to lead?
As an Outdoor Education instructor, David Gregory has learned to strike a balance between taking the lead in the field, and allowing others to do the leading. Everything depends on the needs of the students
The importance of home languages
Much has recently been written highlighting the importance of a child’s mother tongue (or “home language”). Susan Stewart, describes the advantages of putting home languages at the centre of a school’s curriculum.
How to avoid under-performance in IELTs
An increasing number of students in international schools, including those following IB Diploma courses are sitting the IELTS and similar examinations of language competence, but many under-perform. Chris Jay provides some useful guidance on how to avoid pitfalls and achieve success.
The digital threat to cultural diversity
The digital revolution has brought many benefits, but librarian Uma Shankar Singh argues it can also pose a significant threat to cultural diversity in an international school.
Putting students in the driving seat
Giving students the opportunity to think for themselves in an unforgiving environment leads to the best kind of learning as David Gregory explains. What’s good for Outdoor Ed is also good for the classroom.
Managing the media
Children learn not only through real life experience, but vicariously through media exposure which defines our culture and shapes our norms. Exposure to television programming and video streaming profoundly affects how children view their world. Leah Davies advises us to take control.
Take the risk and give responsibility
David Gregory describes how a school trip can become a deeper learning experience by giving students the responsibility for making difficult decisions.
Differentiation and assessment for learning, a personal view
Last year Paul Jackson was approached by a neighbour whose Grade 7 (UK year 8) daughter, was struggling in Maths and wanted him to tutor her. This is not something he usually does, but as a neighbour, he reluctantly agreed. Some serious thinking followed.
