Episode 18 - Student Agency in Early Elementary

In this week's WAB podcast, we have the pleasure of hosting Grade 4 student Aubrey and Grade 8 student Dakota, along with Elementary School teacher Suzie Sizemore and Middle School counselor Rachel George. They will be sharing their experiences  in Grade 4 to Grade 8 Buddy Program, its goals, how it worked and its impact. 

Aubrey from Fourth Grade shared how much fun she had participating in the Buddy Program. By connecting with her eighth-grade mentor, she gained a deeper understanding of what middle schoolers are like and discovered the many ways they are similar. Aubrey emphasized that the more she understood her buddy, the stronger their connection became. 

Grade 4 teacher Suzie highlighted that for Elementary School students, it's beneficial to have a connection with an international peer learner from our web community who has already experienced different grades. Fourth graders are provided with role models to look up to, who can guide them, provide feedback, and share their unique perspectives as international learners. 

Rachel, the Head of Middle School Counseling, highlighted that the Buddy Program aims to facilitate the social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum, which includes self-awareness, social awareness, and relationship skills. Observing Grade 8 students in action and applying those skills while mentoring younger students allows them to practice and internalize these valuable abilities. 

Grade 8 student Dokata pointed out that through participating in various activities, she and her mentee discovered common interests and similarities, despite the grade gap. She also acknowledged the positive impact of the Buddy Program on her own development of social-emotional learning skills. 

To learn more about the Grade 4 and 8 Buddy program, be sure to tune in to this episode.  

In this week's Podcast, we have invited representatives of WAB's Vex Robotics Club, who have participated in the APAC Robotics Tournament held in Shanghai. Grade 9 student Zander, and Grade 11 student Simo, along with their coaches Holly Cheng, and Phil Smith joined the discussion. They shared their competition experience, key takeaways, favorite moments, and future plans.  

The APAC Robotics Tournament featured 42 teams this year, and WAB achieved 11th place. According to Holly, the club coach, the students dedicated around four months to building a robot capable of participating in the competition, which involved shooting balls into the opponents' goals.

Simo emphasized that the APAC Robotics Tournament represented a significant leap forward for the entire team. The event brought together a diverse group of schools and participants, resulting in a wide variety of robot designs and strategies. He mentioned being impressed by the "really unique robot designs" and found the "process of testing and improving" their robot very beneficial in the end. 

Zander shared that during the contest, WAB collaborated with different schools, including International School Beijing (ISB), Nanjing International School, and Shanghai American School Puxi. He described the experience as highly competitive and challenging, noting that he took careful note of other schools' strategies to enhance WAB's competitiveness in the field.

Phil offered a teacher's perspective, highlighting that participating in such an event "ticked all the boxes for the student approaches learning", as the process required research, critical thinking, self-management, and numerous other transferable skills.

If you're interested in hearing more exciting insights into student activities at WAB, don't miss out on this episode.  

In this week's WAB podcast, we had the pleasure of interviewing Grade 5 students Isabella and Victoria, along with Steve Kay, Grade 5 teacher and learning leader at WAB. They shared their learning, experience, and takeaways from the recent Shark Tank voyage.  

The unit started with students learning the scientific principles of heat, and conducting heat-related experiments before they designed solutions to real-life problems and pitched these products to real clients (the "sharks"). Steve emphasized that students spent about three weeks learning insulation, and different types of heat transfer, including convection, radiation, and conduction. They then got into the practical cycle and had the opportunity to design and develop solutions for their clients. 

All the clients involved in the program were members of the WAB community. For example, Isabella and Victoria chose to design a solution for Grade 3 teacher Nina's dog. 

Isabella explained that they utilized various wrapping materials, such as Gore-Tex and Velcro, to create a dog coat and leg warmers that would keep Nina's pet warm during the winter. Additionally, Nina requested that her dog be visible at night, so the group of three incorporated LED lights into their final product.  

Isabella mentioned her "teamwork got a lot better" through the program, while Victoria highlighted that she gained a deeper understanding of heat transfer and learned effective strategies for consensus-building within a group. She noted that their preferred method was to "divide and conquer." 

"This is a transdisciplinary unit", mentioned Steve. He pointed out that the Shark Tank program integrates multiple subjects, including science, math, writing, and design. "Four strands of our curriculum combine, and we focus on leveraging all of those to build power in students' understanding," Steve concluded.  

If you're interested in the exciting story behind the Shark Tank program, be sure to tune in to this episode! 

In this week's episode, we have invited three special guests- Grade 5 students Alice and Chase, along with Douglas Taylor, Elementary School Design teacher and the driving force behind WAB TV. They shared their passion for TV production, favorite moments, advice for future participants, and exciting details about the upcoming 200th episode.  

From the establishment to its development, Douglas provides an overview of the WAB TV program, which is an After-School Activity specially designed for Grade 4 and 5 students at WAB's Elementary School. He highlighted that WAB TV is a "risk-free way of practicing presenting," where students can acquire various transferable skills through participation, such as time management and leadership.  

During the episode, Grade 5 student Alice discusses the production planning process, emphasizing how it has broadened her mindset and improved her collaboration with peers. "I've also become more confident when I'm talking on screen and I'm looking forward to learning more in WAB TV," she shared.  

Chase, a new participant in WAB TV from Grade 5, shared his personal growth through the program. He candidly admitted that he was initially shy but has now become more confident and active with TV presenting.  

Both Alice and Chase encourage future participants of WAB TV to embrace confidence, highlighting the supportive and comfortable environment within the program. If you're interested in the exciting story behind WAB TV, be sure to tune in to this episode!  

During the Council of International Schools (CIS) Deep Dive Pathway Two evaluation visit at WAB, Stephen Taylor, the Director of Innovation in Learning and Teaching, took on the role of host in this week's episode. He engaged in a conversation with two special guests from the recent CIS visit: Mary Powell, the School Support and Evaluation Officer for the Council of International Schools, and Kate Benson, the Primary School Principal and PYP Coordinator at Vilnius International School. Together, they explored the significance of Deep Dive Pathway 2 and how its evaluation process assists schools in reflecting on their daily practices and strategic goals.

Stephen expressed how much he has enjoyed being able to share the meaningful work that WAB has been doing with CIS and other peers. During the visit the community at WAB engaged in numerous morning workshops with CIS, our students, and our parents, allowing for reflection on the school's work.  

Kate, one of the CIS evaluators, shared her perspective on the process. She believed that having peers as constructive supporters was valuable as they provided a mirror for self-reflection and pushed thinking.  

She also likened the CIS visit at WAB to professional development, as it allowed Vilnius International School to review its strategic roadmap for the future. She commended WAB for involving students, alumni, parents, and the board in the strategic planning process, highlighting the high degree of inclusion. WAB is "finding an innovative way to get everybody's voices heard," said Kate.  

Mary, emphasized CIS's goal of facilitating a community-based evaluation visit, enabling schools to consider their practices and identify areas for improvement through a standards-based reflection process. "We want the accreditation process to add value to our schools," she said.  

WAB is among the first few schools to participate in the Deep Dive Pathway 2 process. Mary pointed out that "Some of the things that have stood out to me in terms of WAB’s approach to Pathway 2 have been the amount of community engagement that you've had."  

The CIS pathway offers various deep-dive options for schools, including learning and teaching, well-being, and global citizenship. WAB chose to focus on the latter. Mary mentioned she also had some wonderful conversations with students at WAB about their engagement in the projects, and how they have been empowered to take leadership roles in the school in a range of initiatives and programs, some of which are directly related to the Pathway 2 projects.  

To learn more about the relationship between WAB's Strategy 2022+ and the accreditation process, and how it aligns with CIS pathway options, don't miss out on this episode!