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The Arts
In the arts we are enjoying the experience of teaching and learning practical work again. Our students are doing a range of activities including; printing, perspective, painting, playing instruments, playing in ensembles and performing in front of an audience.
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A New Year brings the start of the Extended Essay
January, the start of Term 2 and without doubt the most demanding period of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) for students and staff at BCB. For our IBDP2 cohort, the final deadlines of their controlled assessments arrive and as their courses finish revision picks up pace. For staff, alongside their usual workload comes the added need to mark and moderate assessed work. As well as plan interesting and worthwhile revision activities. It is also in the second term of the IBDP that the weight and expectations of the program become a reality for our IBDP1 cohort.
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IGCSE Exams at BCB
In most international schools, Year 11 is considered to be one of the most important years on a student’s learning journey. This is the year in which students complete their Cambridge IGCSE exams. These exams can seem extremely formal but this also makes them rigorous and fair - in fact, they are often the first (but not the last) externally assessed exam that students take on their educational journey.
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Multi-lingual Mnemonics
In the Y11 ESL classes, we were looking at spelling words and ways to learn new forms of vocabulary. We looked at several ways, from learning synanyms, to translating, to writing sentences in context and having dedicated vocabulary books. One of the more interesting ways to help us to remember words and spellings is by using mnemonics. We found some of the examples we were given interesting and so I thought I wood share them here.
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Music as a Trigonometric Function
All IB students have to do an “internal assessment” (IA) in mathematics in order to get their IB Diploma - this is a 12-20 page mathematical exploration on anything that the students are interested in. Some past examples of successful IA topics include:
- Finding the optimal trajectory of a basketball
- Exploring different strategies when playing Monopoly
- Modelling the best “kick” in karate
- An exploration into the number e≈2.718...
- The mathematics behind shuffling cards
- Exploring the birthday paradox
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Language Portrayals
During the first 2 weeks back to school, starting a new academic year, we wanted to hear our students' voices and learn about their perspectives with regards to language learning. We used the Language Portrayals because each person has a particular connection to the language(s) they know along with their lives. What would that look like to our pupils? Is there a preference for any language? Which one do they prefer talking about? Or writing? Or listening to music?
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Reintegrating into Presential School
It actually felt like my first day at BCB on Aug 16th, though I had joined a year back. For the first time, I saw most of the students, used a notebook and pen after a long time and actually had face to face conversations with my colleagues and students. Laughter, chatter, moving of furniture as the students settled into their classrooms all felt new but exciting. I know for a fact that the PE, ART and Science teachers were the most jubilant as finally they could actually do some actual practical teaching.
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Step up-Transitioning to Secondary School
At the age of 11 years, children in many school systems transition from primary to secondary school. In most countries worldwide it has been depicted as “one of the most difficult in a pupil's educational careers”( Zeedyk et al., 2003) and a crucial stage in a young adolescent's life .The students are not only changing and growing in remarkable ways but also transitioning to a new phase in their education with much “diversity” both in academic curriculum and social settings . This transition symbolizes a significant life event characterized by various changes not just in the physical school environment, but also in academic rigor and social relations This change also corresponds to the onset of physical and emotional changes associated with puberty, making it one of the most challenging and exciting transitions.
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Careers Week @ BCB.
As we approach the end of the academic year the Secondary team is busy organising the last week of term which is always a strange end in any international school i have worked in. The reports have been published with students receiving their end of year attitude to learning, attainment and comments whilst the tutor who has been mentoring each child for the year shares a comment for the year. So with the last of 3 reports published through iSams what should we do......?
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