From Nov 19-23, the BWYA Model United Nations Club participated in the 14^th Annual Session of THIMUN (The Hague International Model United Nations) Singapore held at the Hwa Chong Institution. The participants, who come from Grades 9 to DP1, took part in the full range of committees, holding various occupations from delegate to president to journalist. The students all left the conference with increased confidence and loads of great memories.

BWYA students at THIMUN Singapore 2018

The THIMUN Singapore conference, established in 2004 as a sister conference of The Hague International Model United Nations, is the most prestigious MUN conference in Asia. Every year, globally-aware students gather in Singapore to hold extensive debates over the most controversial topics, many of which the UN has no solutions for, and draft comprehensive resolutions that may be delivered to the UN.

MUN is just a simulation of the UN and all discussions are kept subjective, given that delegates are merely students virtually representing a country’s stand. Having participated in MUN conferences as a delegate, I used to wonder whether my effort was spent in the right place, knowing that what I said might not ever have an effect in the real world. Furthermore, many of the skills MUN builds, such as leadership, confidence, and public speaking experience, can all be achieved through other debate style events. However, this year, after being a member of MUNITY East, THIMUN Singapore’s official Press team, I have come to a different conclusion: MUN is an effective transition into a globalized society and helps students to achieve the BWYA school motto: “Locally Grounded, Globally Aware.”

MUNITY East press team 2018

“Why is it necessary for one to bear knowledge regarding global politics?” you might ask. The answer is that everyone, no matter what their occupation or field of study, is part of human society. During the conference, the Press team had the pleasure of talking with Mr. Seref Isler, a BBC journalist who actually took part in many THIMUN Hague conferences during high school. His unique MUN experiences helped him to kick off his journalism career. During one workshop, he told us, “Each member of society must learn its essential principles in order to make the right decision and speak justly for the greater good.” From this perspective, thanks to its politically-based attributes, MUN nurtures a student’s fundamental responsibility as a global citizen.

One of the most effective ways to learn knowledge is through reinforcement. However, a student may find it easy to memorize a list of historical events but may not necessarily be aware of why they have taken place and what impact they have brought to the contemporary world. MUN helps students to become aware of the factors influencing global politics through the implementation of knowledge in debates and speeches. Their knowledge thusly reinforced, students become more globally aware and are able to make better decisions.

Being globally aware does not just mean “diligently studying your world history” (although your history teacher will certainly be happy if you do); it also means being able to put oneself in others’ shoes and coming up with comprehensive solutions to problems that benefit the maximum number of parties. Unlike other debates, MUN requires a student to develop interpersonal skills such as communication and negotiation. Tolerance for different voices is another crucial characteristic that MUN helps to develop. After asking my fellow students what they thought was the most important thing about the conference, almost all of them responded “tolerance”, because “different opinions actually enable students to work collaboratively to find a comprehensive resolution.” “In a debate or many other events,” they responded, “there is only one side that wins. But at MUN, everyone is allowed to have a unique statement on the resolution.”

MUN not only builds public-speaking skills, confidence, and leadership, it is also a wonderful platform through which students can become globally aware of political policies and relationships. It may only be a simulation and hardly any of the resolutions have any significance on the real-world situation but students are nevertheless trained to become more responsible for their stance, influencing them to become global leaders in the future.

This post is provided by BWYA
Photos courtesy of BWYA

What do school mottos mean and does your school truly live by it?  Most international schools and schools around the world will have their school motto proudly emblazoned across their campus, website, and uniform. Beijing World Youth Academy (BWYA) is no different and works hard to live up to theirs.

School mottos have been around for as long as we have had schools and universities. Harvard University’s motto is one simple word – ‘truth’, while Yale University’s is slightly longer, translating from Latin as ‘light and truth.’ The UK’s famous Cambridge University is longer still, translating from the original Latin as ‘from here, light and sacred draughts’ which means that scholars and students there provide knowledge and thinking that can be trusted and believed. The whole point of a school motto, just like a company’s mission statement, or a nation’s slogan, is that it gives members of the community a simple phrase to guide their thoughts, words, and actions.

Yet a motto is just a meaningless word or phrase unless the school truly lives by it. And this means that the school motto should be evident in everything the school and its community does.

Since its inception in 2001, BWYA’s school motto has always been ‘locally grounded, globally aware.’ What this means is that while the school is a forward-thinking, innovative, international school which takes part in international events, gets involved with global issues, and has its graduates go on to leading universities around the world, it never loses sight of its local community, Chinese culture, and customs and traditions that are also a big part of its identity.

Local customs and culture are a big part of BWYA’s identity

Locally Grounded
Being ‘locally grounded’ has two main aspects. The first is being an active member of the local community, supporting it, and giving back whenever possible. For international schools this can include fundraising activities, hosting fun events, or putting on entertaining performances for everyone to enjoy. For BWYA, students regularly create their own fundraising campaigns as part of their own personal projects, Service & Action projects or Community, Activity, and Service activities, raising awareness and funds for deserving causes such as migrant children and disadvantaged communities. And it’s not just about money. Sometimes giving up your time can be even more beneficial and you can find BWYA students volunteering and helping out all over Beijing.  For example, grade 10 student, Stephanie Choi, recently organized a Walk-A-Thon charity event that raised over 4,000RMB to help a local migrant school renovate its bathroom facilities. Grade 9 student, Maria An, has set up and coordinates a team of students who prepare and present English lessons to orphaned children. For the performance side of things, BWYA students are regularly showing off their music, acting and artistic talents at events such as the BWYA Evening of Arts, the student-led Spring Musical, and the annual Christmas performances at Indigo Mall and Oasis International Hospital.

A tai chi fan demonstration

An appreciation of local customs and traditions is also part of being ‘locally grounded’ and at BWYA this has been woven into the curriculum of the school. For example, Chinese classes include in-depth studies of Chinese literature which students adapt into dramatic performances. Chinese Calligraphy lessons are also part of the BWYA programme. Recently, thanks to the Education Committee of Chaoyang District Beijing, BWYA students were given an enjoyable reminder of what it means to be a young learner in China. Students enjoyed traditional Jingtailan painting, Chinese lantern making, and a very special Tai Chi Fan demonstration. BWYA also has a student-led club called the Intangible Cultural Heritage Redesign Club (ICHR Club), set up by grade 9 students with the help of their parents. The Club has been traveling around the countryside in Hebei Province experiencing local ancient customs and traditions, and encouraging more young people to get involved by using modern media and arts and crafts projects.

Globally Aware

BWYA students take part in projects such as building shelters for disadvantaged communities and wildlife conservation in countries such as Thailand

The second part of BWYA’s motto, ‘globally aware,’ is just as significant, and means more than just regularly traveling to foreign countries and enjoying the sights. It also means engaging with global issues and the wider global community.

BWYA students participate in the MUN Club

One example of how BWYA students stay ‘globally aware’ is via the extremely busy Model United Nations Club (MUN Club). The MUN Club regular participates in international events at which students represent nations and debate topics just as the real UN does. The Roots & Shoots Club is part of an international organization that follows world-wide themes each year and BWYA’s Classrooms Without Walls programme also includes trips overseas. In previous years students have volunteered on local projects such as building shelters for disadvantaged communities and wildlife conservation.

Students have the opportunity to learn outside the classroom in the real world, at home and abroad

Back in the classroom, as an IB school, there are global elements to all programmes including design, the arts, science, and humanities, encouraging students to look beyond their own borders. This includes design projects that are inspired by human rights issues in developing countries and humanities projects centered on the habitats and dwellings of indigenous cultures around the world. Students studying subjects such as design or business and economics benefit from visits to some of the global companies who have their Chinese headquarters in Beijing, and science classes regularly relate the topic under investigation to a global perspective such as how humans have impacted bio-diversity around the world. Students at BWYA’s Lido campus recently undertook a study of how observing birds can act as a way of monitoring an environment. This study has global relevancy but was carried out locally in Beijing’s Olympic Park.

Talk The Talk, Walk The Walk
So next time you hear about a school or company motto, give some thought to what it means and ask yourself if they truly live up to it. BWYA clearly does.

This post is provided by Beijing World Youth Academy (BWYA) 

Photos courtesy of Beijing World Youth Academy (BWYA)

There is a famous African proverb that says it takes a whole village to raise a child, pointing out that the whole community has a role to play in developing healthy successful adults.

And while the above is undoubtedly true, there is also a strong argument that children, and their schools, have a big role to play in the development of their own local communities and promoting community spirit.

Programmes such as Service & Action for middle school aged students, and Creativity, Activity & Service for high-schoolers, both of which are an integral part of the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum allow students to come up with their own ideas and initiatives to serve their community, but it is whole school community events that really show a school’s commitment goes beyond the school gates to the families who live and work in the same area.

“A lot of schools, particularly international schools, hold plenty of events targeting their own parents, students and staff” explains Pauline Wong, Events and PTA Coordinator at Beijng World Youth Academy (BWYA). “This is great as they foster school spirit and raise lots of money for worthwhile charities in China and abroad. But for people living nearby, they can often feel like outsiders looking in on something that is happening in their own neighborhoods.

When Giving a Little, Gives Back a Lot

BWYA high school students raise money for charity and learn a lot from the experience.

“Our motto at BWYA is ‘locally grounded, globally aware’ and both parts of that phrase carry equal weighting. So as a school, we are always looking for ways that we can engage with our local communities.”

One way that international schools look to do this is by hosting community events such as BWYA’s annual May Fair. May Fair brings together staff, students, parents and local businesses and residents, to host stalls selling everything from food and drink, to toys and jewelry, with plenty of games and performances to keep all ages entertained. Every year the school adopts charitable organizations to which all profits are donated. As this year marks BWYA’s 15^th Anniversary, the School chose a ‘Birthday Bash’ theme and raised RMB 116,000 for Chunhui Children, an organization that supports disadvantaged children in China, and The Beijing Ruizhi Quanna Centre For Special Education Needs.

“Good schools should always be the hub of their community, which students growing and developing in tandem,” concludes Pauline Wong. “This year alone our school choir and orchestra has performed at local hospitals and shopping malls, we’ve had willing volunteers help out at community events, supported fundraising activities and worked hard to be engaged members of our community. The students not only enjoy it, but it also helps them to understand what a community really is and how we are all responsible for contributing. This mentality stays with them as they grow into adulthood. They may travel far and wide and can end up studying and working anywhere in the world, but they will not lose their sense of community and being an active member of their own.”

This post is provided by BWYA. 

Photos: BWYA

BWYA’s Classrooms Without Walls programme recognizes that some of the best learning takes place when students get away from the classroom and out into the real world. And for Trip Week 2017, which took place last month, every student had the chance to do just that.

“It is all about the experience,” explains Principal Robert Wang. “Regular field trips for subjects like geography and biology, like our Group 4 Project, allow students to apply their newly acquired skills to solving real-world problems, but Classroom Without Walls, and Trip Week, in particular, gives them the chance to immerse themselves in cultures that are different to their own and gain an understanding of how other people live their lives. It also helps them try out new things, presents new challenges, give back to the community, and helps them to learn a little bit about themselves as well.”

In with the old – Grade 8 BWYA students enjoying a visit to the museum during their Pingyao trip.

These experiences can take place all over China and beyond. BWYA’s Primary School students had adventures all over Beijing this year, including spending time on a farm, climbing, abseiling and raft building in the countryside, and hiking along the Great Wall, spending a few nights away from home as well. Older students visited locations all over China, including Xi’an, Pingyao, Kunming, and Yangshuo, as well as overseas destinations like Thailand, Singapore, and Japan.

Grade 8 Students, Tina Han and Cherry Yan, both took part in the week-long trip to Pingyao. Both of them really enjoyed the chance to spend time in a traditional Chinese village, as well as getting to know their fellow students a bit better. “The architecture in Pingyao Old Town is amazing,” Said Tina. “You don’t get to see, or stay, in traditional Chinese buildings and streets like that when you live in the big city. I really hope to go back there soon with my sketchbook!” “All the students on the trip really built a sense of fellowship,” added Cherry, “something I really enjoyed about the trip. One day, Tina saw a CD she really wanted so a group of us got together to pool our money and we bought it for her as a surprise. The next day my friends had done the same thing for me.”

Primary School kids hanging out with friends in Beijing

Joe Zhou was part of the Grade 9 trip to Yunnan Province. He said that spending time with local families and making new friends was the highlight of the trip. “I feel like I have a new second home now,” adds Joe. “On the last day of the trip, we had an activity called Mission Impossible. We had to follow a series of clues around the village we were staying in and the local families would give us tasks and challenges we had to complete before giving us the next clue. There were prizes for the best teams and it was an amazing day. I think the students and the local families really got attached to each other.”

It is this bonding with the local communities that often sticks in the memory for students, long after they return home to Beijing.

Building friendships around the world

Grace Yang, a Grade 11 student who took part in the trip to Thailand said, “Community and service was the main part of our trip it was great to be an active part of the communities we visited, helping to paint and build facilities, grow crops, and spend time with people who have a very different lifestyle to our own. And learn a bit more about their culture. Activities like Kayaking down the river were lots of fun, but so was the time spent helping people and getting involved.”

Time for some culture Singapore style

BWYA teacher, John Mariampillai, offers a staff perspective. He said; “For the trip to Singapore, our students had to immerse themselves in a country which was both familiar yet foreign to them. Understanding the country’s political, social and economic structures made the students reflect on their own country. They also developed many useful skills while involved in team building exercises like navigating through the city for the civic district scavenger hunt. They also explored a couple of educational and religious institutions learning about their contribution to the development of Singapore. It was a remarkable experience the students will never forget.”

From visiting new places, trying new foods and meeting new people, to planting crops for the first time, helping to paint a house, or overcoming fears to climb a cliff, the Classroom Without Walls provides a new set challenges, experiences, and memories for students to help students develop as locally grounded and globally aware citizens.

This post is provided by BWYA. 

Photos: BWYA

One of the old adages spoken about school subjects by lazy school kids who didn’t want to do their homework was “how is this going to help me in real life?” The G4 project, an important part of the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum, is the perfect response demonstrating how four key subjects fit together and can be applied to real life problems.

BWYA Grade 11 science and design students visit Beijing Zoo for this year’s G4 project

Called the Group 4 project, it is a collaborative activity in which biology, chemistry, physics, and design technology students bring together all of their knowledge in order to find a solution to a real world problem. For Beijing World Youth Academy’s (BWYA) grade 11 scientists this meant taking a walk on the wild side to work on a very special project featuring Beijing Zoo. The students were split into groups with each group allocated an animal currently found in Beijing Zoo. They were then asked to address the question, “How can we build a better enclosure for your given animal?”

What are zoo guys looking at?

The groups got up close and personal with their allocated animal during a recent visit to the Zoo in order to see for themselves the current living conditions each animal experiences and how they could call on all their science and design skills to create a better living space for each creature.

Student Chan Young Park’s group looked at the enclosure of the Red Tailed Monkey. He said, “The G4 project is really interesting as we get to apply all of the knowledge we pick up in the classroom. Also, when we work as a team, one person might be really good at design, another at biology, and so on, so everyone in the group can play to their strengths and make a contribution. You can really see the links between the theories we cover in the classroom and what happens out in the real world.

Making it better – a BWYA G4 team inspects their animals enclosure

“We found that the Red Tailed Monkey enclosure needs a bit of work. The biggest issue that we found that would be easiest to fix is the water supply. At the moment it is just an uncovered metal bowl that is open to pollutants and our suggestion would be to design a new system that includes flowing water to help keep it clean and healthy for the animals. Building something like that would use our knowledge of biology, chemistry, physics and design at the same time.”

Eric Jung and his group looked at the Black Backed Jackal enclosure. He said, “I found my design skills to be really useful for this project. Having a knowledge of materials, how the environment affects them, and how to manipulate them really helped my group develop our solution.

“The Black Backed Jackal enclosure was really small for this type of animal, but there isn’t much we can do about that. According to our research though, we know that they like to sleep in humid, cave-like conditions and this is something we can definitely work into our design.”

G4 project team discusses their plans for improving their animals environment

Daniel Kweon’s group was allocated the Fennec Fox. He said, “These are really cute animals but in the wild they are endangered and need protecting. The enclosure at the zoo had a solid floor, even though these animals like to dig and live in tunnels under the ground. Our solution is to focus on this and create a living space that allows them dig and move around under the surface.”

Daniel added: “When you are in the classroom and focusing on each individual subject to get a good grade, it’s hard to look up sometimes and make connections between everything. The G4 project gives us a chance to go into the real world and see how everything works together. It’s also fun when get to work on a project that you can be excited and passionate about.”

After completing their field research, the teams of BWYA scientists will go back to the classroom to finalize their designs and prepare to present them to the rest of the class.

Glenn Jenkin, Head of Science at BWYA, said that he was really pleased with how all of the groups really applied themselves to the project. “The Group 4 project is really valuable as it demonstrates how all of the science disciplines fit together and relate to the real world, it also shows how science is everywhere and in everything we do” he added. “The students have to approach the project using robust scientific methods and data collection and communicate their findings in a clear way. It also helps them to work as a team so as well has improving their scientific skills they are working on skills that will help them in all walks of life.”

One of the key strengths of the IB curriculum that sets it apart from alternative programmes is its emphasis on applying classroom knowledge to real life situations and problems. Some of the best learning can take place outside of the classroom, as we see in BWYA’s G4 project. It’s hard to say “how is this going to be useful in real life” when you are standing facing a problem and applying all your knowledge and skills, as well as working as a team, to solve it.

This post is provided for by BYWA

Photos: BWYA 

Technology – love it, hate it, or pledge indifference – that doesn’t mean it’s escapable. The job market around the world has changed as the highest earning jobs require more than just higher education; they require on-the-job learning, innovation, flexibility, and quick thinking. The latest catch phrase in education circles is the term “21st-century learning” that aims to maximize learning to better prepare students for the unpredictability of the future, global job market.
Traditional learning methodologies can’t hack it anymore, as they aimed to produce mostly scholars or company men. The strain for change has led to an increment of creativity for both teachers and students in how the learning environment has to adapt. Educators from around the world such as Sugata Mitra and Sir Ken Robinson have stressed the importance of creativity and the shifting paradigms in education in their TED Talks.
We spoke to educators from the International School of Beijing (ISB) and Beijing World Youth Academy (BWYA) to learn how they use tech in the classroom to connect students to the real world. Clint Hamada, American, is a relative newcomer to Beijing, having only started at ISB in August this year as the Pre-Kindergarten 3 – Grade12 Educational Technology Coordinator. However, he isn’t new to education as he has been teaching for the past 20 years. Hamada started off as a high school math teacher in the US and has lived and worked in international postings since 2000. He taught math and held the role of educational technology facilitator/coach/coordinator in Japan, Tanzania, and Vietnam before landing in China.
Fellow American Lindsey Devillier is the Educational Technology Coordinator/MYP Language Acquisition Teacher at BWYA. Devillier has called Beijing home for the past seven years and has been an educator for over ten years. Adventure, culture, family, and lifestyle are some of the reasons for moving and staying in Beijing.

Lindsey Devillier with his students and their tech at Beijing World Youth Academy (BWYA).

Through the many online communications platforms available, teachers also connect students to subject matter experts around the world, such as engineers, biologists, or authors, allowing students to garner new insights about concepts they study in class.

Learning the 21st Century Way
The 21st century skills movement argues that schools should focus on basic new skills such as collaboration, critical thinking and problem solving, and concepts like media literacy, civic responsibility, and global awareness. Most international schools in Beijing’s core learning structures are developed to give students the capabilities of leveraging their unique position of learning in a global environment.
ISB has created their own framework called “Learning21@ISB,” short form is “L21,” which is their main approach to learning. BWYA uses the International Primary Curriculum and IB’s Middle Years and Diploma Programmes as their preferred approach to learning.
Hamada says, “We don’t actually teach Technology. Gone are the days of students sitting in computer labs learning how to create hanging indents in word processing documents or how to insert clip-art cartoons into presentations. Instead, we use [opportunity]to personalize their learning experiences through inquiry-based, project-based, and experiential learning opportunities.”
Two years ago ISB started the Futures Academy where students apply to be considered. It started off in middle school – Grade 7 – and now is offered in high school as of this academic year.
Hamada says, “In our Futures Academy in both Middle School and High School, there is a drive to meet the same learning standards across the schools by connecting the learning more explicitly to the passions and interests of individual students. This requires students to constantly engage with real-world issues in challenging ways. The development of learning networks across the classroom, across the school and across the globe, along with access to academic and professional information databases, allows our students access to experts and research in ways identical to scientists, mathematicians and other professionals around the world.”

“Global, digital citizens” also means eyes are kept on aspects of learning, as seen here with International School of Beijing (ISB) students in the Futures Lab learning wood-working skills.

At BWYA, the ultimate goal is the same.
“In traditional classroom environments, students are limited to the shared knowledge within the room of either their teachers or peers. However, when teachers adopt technologies to connect students to other resources, they expand opportunities for learning. Through the many online communications platforms available, teachers also connect students to subject matter experts around the world, such as engineers, biologists, or authors, allowing students to garner new insights about concepts they study in class. One of the most important ways that technology is changing the way students learn is through authenticity. Students use technology to create and share their learning, passions and creations with global audiences. Most importantly, this digital stage allows students to join in a global discussion about the challenges they face in their lifetimes,” says Devillier.
The most noticeable misconception about the digital era is that online and off-line, interactions are clearly distinct. This isn’t the case as students constantly switch between online and off-line therefore making it important for students to learn to be more aware as digital citizens.
Devillier states, “As BWYA students develop as digital citizens through online learning environments and digitally sharing their creations with the community, our hope is that our students will graduate with the mindset that as digital citizens their online presence is as important as their off-line presence.”
“The challenge for students is to understand the impact and the implications of the new reality since not very many people before them have come of age in that reality. Our role as teachers is to guide them, to help them have conversations and discussions about those impacts, and to share the lessons we’ve learned in our lifetimes that could help them make sense of what’s going on in their lifetimes,” says Hamada.Evolving Pedagogy
There cannot be evolution of the education sector without the educators diving deeper into learning new strategies. As teachers evolve so do students and vice versa. Most educators are embracing the change and have found ways to incorporate that in their lesson design.
“In the 21st century, everyone will have an online presence through various forms of social media, and because of this, teachers are opening up to the idea that schools must play a role in teaching students the importance of technology for academic purposes and establishing a positive online presence,” says Devillier.
On some short holidays and mid semester breaks (mid-term in British based systems), schools have professional development days for their staff to encourage learning new ways.
Hamada says, “Teachers are encouraged to constantly improve their own professional practice, through independent inquiry, research and development grants, collaboration with peers locally and globally, and formal and informal professional learning.”
BWYA uses popular open source learning management system, Moodle. According to the Moodle website, it’s a “learning platform designed to provide educators, administrators, and learners with a single robust, secure and integrated system to create personalized learning environments.” Moodle HQ, an Australian based company with about 30 developers, built and maintains this program.  BYWA uses Moodle to create blended learning environments.
“Blended learning is a popular learning approach that “blends” face-to-face classroom instruction with online learning strategies. These online learning environments provide students with opportunities to take classroom discussions online or engage in self-learning tasks created by our teachers, allowing students to develop as independent learners. Through Moodle, teachers are also able to curate various resources from around the world to bring current global issues to the forefront of student learning experiences.”

Making Connections
The abundance of platforms and channels available to schools does make it easy for them to have their own personalized approach. Each school’s unique way of helping tackle issues such as cultural exchange and global awareness lies in the approach students use to interact and communicate locally and globally.
“In a unit called “Kids Are Kids,” Grade 1 students work on creating original books for a local Beijing elementary school in both English and Chinese as a way to highlight similarities of students around the world. This involves connecting with those classrooms both virtually and in person in order to get to know one another and then self-publishing our finished creations to a wider, authentic audience.”
BWYA’s latest initiative is a self-hosted WordPress platform, Share@BWYA, for students to display and share with the BWYA community what they have learned. Teachers use Share@BWYA to develop individual department online galleries where students can showcase their work in areas such as Product Design, Digital Design, Visual Arts, and Physical Education.
ISB’s Hamada shares three “best practices” to consider when personalizing students’ learning experience through project-based, inquiry-based, and experiential learning:
1. The technology is not the outcome; if it ever feels like it is getting in the way then there is room for improvement and more planning to be done.
2. There is no magical app that does it all. Transformative use of educational technology often is the product of “app smashing”.
3. Try to use “open ended” apps that allow students the freedom to choose how they want to use that show their learning. This gives students the creative room to apply critical thinking skills as well as transfer their learning to novel situations.
BWYA’s Devillier says that learning through authenticity is one of the most crucial uses of technology as students can create and share their learning, passions, and creations with a much wider audience. “Most importantly, this digital stage allows students to join in a global discussion about the challenges they face in their lifetimes.”

Resources
International Baccalaureate: www.ibo.org
P21 (Partnership for 21st Century Learning) www.p21.org
Moodle: www.moodle.org
International Primary Curriculum: www.greatlearning.com
Sir Ken Robinson Ted Talks: www.ted.com/talks?sort=newest&q=Sir+Ken+Robinson+
Sugata Mitra Ted Talks: www.ted.com/talks?sort=newest&q=Sugata+Mitra

This article originally appeared on pages 28-30 of the October 2016 Issue of beijingkids magazine. Click here for your free online copy. To find out how you can obtain a hard copy, contact distribution@truerun.com.

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF ISB, BWYA, KJARRETT, FLICKINGERBRAD (FLICKR)

While good food is one aspect of a healthy body, British-Canadian Mika Dronyk focuses on the other side of health as the Head of Primary School Athletics at Beijing World Youth Academy.

What brought you to Beijing? How did you end up at your current school?
I’ve been interested in living in Asia ever since I took a year out to travel after university. My wife and I looked at jobs in different countries in the area and found this one in Beijing. We’re glad we chose Beijing. Although, we had planned to only stay for a year or two, it’s now been four years, and we have no plans to leave yet!

What did you want to be when you were a kid? What other career options did you explore before teaching?
I wanted to be a football player. I worked very hard to do so, and came pretty close. But when I realized that that dream was over, I knew I still wanted to have a career in sports. I’ve always been involved in coaching and I enjoy working with primary school aged children, so in the end, teaching physical education made sense to me.

How would you (or your students) describe your teaching style?
I don’t like to label my teaching style too much, as I think it’s all about having the right balance. I would never want my students to fear me, but I need them to respect me. I want my students to thoroughly enjoy PE and sports clubs at school, but it is also important to nurture a coachable student going forward. For that they need to respect their teacher and try to take on board what is being taught.

What are some of the topics you cover?
For the lower primary grades, I cover topics such as “Cooperation games”, “Striking and Fielding”, “Target Games” and many others. At this point, I’m trying to build a skill set, both physically and psychologically, before they take part in sports specific units. As the students get to the upper primary, the units start to be more sports specific. It’s important I make sure they learn a variety of sports and games.

What topic was the most challenging to cover with children? Why?
Our “Cooperation Games” unit is primarily about teamwork and working together. It also includes acting as both leaders and followers while accepting the different abilities of their peers. As young children, especially children who don’t have siblings, these can often be concepts that are initially difficult. When they start to understand the advantages for everyone and display good teamwork, it is very rewarding for both the students and me.

What topic was the most interesting to your students? Why?
For our upper primary students, the most popular units are sports such as football and basketball. My challenge is teaching the basics of the game before the students start trying incredibly difficult skills that they’ve seen on TV. Especially with male students in basketball, they want to try to dribble the ball between their legs and pass behind their backs before they can dribble with control and execute a satisfactory chest pass. Having said that, I do encourage creativity, just not before they’ve learned the basics.

How do you encourage your students to be passionate about physical education?
Encouraging healthy competitiveness is often a challenge. Being competitive in sports and physical activities is often a natural attribute. I try to encourage a thirst to win in competitive situations, but learning how to lose well is also very important. I want my students to try their best, but to accept both winning and losing in the right way.

This article originally appeared on page 36 of the August 2016 Issue of beijingkids magazine. Click here for your free online copy. To find out how you can obtain a hard copy, contact distribution@truerun.com.

Photos: Courtesy of BWYA