IB Asia Pacific Newsletter 

Quarter Four, 2006

Projects

Update

22 November 2006.  Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The Schools to Schools Project, now officially named a network to reflect its mission, is zealously preparing for a second Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) workshop to address the need for a government sponsored programme of national accreditation in preschool education. In contrast to Module 1 in August, in which the material focused on the teacher as an adult learner, Module 2 will instead highlight the child as a complex developing individual. The ECCD Committee, backed by the expertise of many Sri Lankan ministries and national universities, have together with STS, developed a comprehensive syllabus that will take up to 2 years to complete. The programme is finally set to move forward and without a doubt, will require the generous support of talented and experienced educational professionals from all around the world to guarantee its success.

Ms Anne Evans, a professional educational consultant from San Francisco, California, had been bound by the desire to make a difference in the education of children and teacher long before the development of STS.  She will be coordinating our upcoming workshop along with Glynn Richards, IB Asia-Pacific Projects Manager in Colombo this November.

Please never hesitate to contact us if you should be interested in participating as a workshop coordinator or if you have any further queries about the ECCD programme at all.

We would also like to thank Ms Kate Fuller’s for her work for STS as her contract ends at the IB. Ms Fuller’s dedication to many Indonesian students and her incredible work in Aceh, have strengthened our partnerships with our schools, and made the lives of many young people filled with greater opportunities and a brighter future. What these students eventually see in her is not a mere coordinator, but a mentor and friend. Her innovative work and dynamic presence at STS will be greatly missed.  Our partner NGO in Aceh, the Forum Bangun Aceh, will provide ongoing support for STS.

Thank you for keeping an interest in our programme. We feel privileged to be able to share our work with you and hope you will keep tuning in to check on the progress of our projects. Please keep a lookout for news on the STS website. Should you have any questions about STS or would like to join our network, please never hesitate to contact us at projects@ibo.org, or call our office at 65 6775 2356.

Glynn Richards, Projects Manager
Han Nguyen, Projects Assistant
Email: projects@ibo.org

Update from the field

 “By education, I mean drawing that which is in the mind, body and the soul” (Mahatma Gandhi)

The tsunami may be off the front pages but struggles continue on the ground with rebuilding and reconstruction that is slow and painful for many coping with the destruction and loss that has become part of their daily life.  More than 10,000 students have become orphans and thousands of teachers live in temporary homes or barracks. How can they possibly concentrate on teaching? But they are, and in the most unfathomable and unthinkable conditions and situations.

Education is so much more than lessons in school: it’s about developing positive attitudes, aptitudes, skills and confidences in a contented, happy and sociable being. The diversity of our society should be reflected in our ‘child friendly schools’: that is, a safe environment where all children have the capacity and ability to develop socially, emotionally and practically irrespective of gender, race, or disability with friends, teachers, parents and the community. It is for these reasons that the ‘schools to schools’ project benefits students and teachers from partner school and local schools alike. As I reflect on the past eighteen months and the now noticeable evidence of rehabilitation and reconstruction in Banda Aceh, it is reassuring to see that education is a priority.

2nd Teacher Training Workshop

In the third week of September, Mida and Juni, volunteer PYP coordinator and teacher from Sekolah Global Jaya, traveled to Banda Aceh to run the second phase of the IB three-day Early Childhood Development workshops. These are designed to support teachers from our partner schools in their professional development, as well as provide them with the chance to share their practice, experience and knowledge with other colleagues. The workshop was interactive, inclusive, motivational and fun.

Mida and Juni used games, songs, poetry, brain gyms and word puzzles to educate, empower and inspire the twenty-seven teachers involved. They focused on tactics for creating child friendly environments, varying assessment methods and dealing with behaviour management in and out of the classroom. Both Mida and Juni are to be commended on a fantastic job- thanks to them, many of the teachers involved are well on their way to becoming trainers themselves in the future.

Azimah commences her studies at Trinity College

Last month Azimah bravely made the journey to Jakarta for several days where we busily prepared for her journey to Australia. We attended various interviews at Radio 1, Aneka Magazine and the Jakarta post and also met with representatives of AEI and the University of Melbourne, who have provided Azimah (and I) with immense support, encouragement and assistance. Arriving in Melbourne, she commenced her induction into the Foundation Studies Program with the amazing support and cooperation of Ben Waymire, who has worked for the past 18 months to get this scholarship in place. For further details, please see the article below taken from the Jakarta Post

(**NB amendment to the article, IB is not Australian Based)

http://www.thejakartapost.com/yesterdaydetail.asp?fileid=20060917.I07

Tanglin Trust School Chooses Partner School

Earlier this month I had the pleasure of taking Jonathan Parr (Director of Development) and Graham Worthington (Bahasa Malayu Teacher) around Aceh in their quest to join the STS program and sponsor a middle school. We visited a range of schools and after much discussion finally settled on SMP2. SMP2 lost 600 students in the tsunami, and 25% have been left without one or both of their parents. They were also formally known for their Art and Music programs which Tanglin similarly have wide recognition for. Also upon discussion with the Principal, we learnt that his goal and vision for the school was to enhance professional development and assist teachers in Art, English and Science Teacher Training modules as well as increase communication with other schools internationally, by setting up a multi media centre. These ideals not only fit in with the vision of the STS program, but also rested well with Tanglin’s desires and need to support SMP2 as a school community.

SMAN5 Visit to Bukit Tinggi by BiNUS

At the start of August, Pak Peter Saidi (Vice Principal), Pak Gregorious (Head of Secondary School), Vivi Trenggono :(Co-ord Community & Social Service) and Ibu Rini (PTA Coordinator) traveled with myself and Ibu Kathryn to SMAN5 to run the first workshop as part of their partnership under the Sampoerna Foundation and IB SQIP program. Over the two days, representatives from BINUS met with the staff and students involved with the project, had a tour of the school and discussed the MOU with Pak Salman and Ibu Zet. They planned future target objectives and timelines as well as discussed how best SMAN5 could also assist BINUS to set up the SRC committee which so successfully already runs in BT. Peter, Vivi and Gregorious jointly presented a session on ‘School Management’ and Ibu Rini talked to the staff about the importance of getting parents involved in all aspects of school life, but particularly this project. Peter also presented a workshop on assessment, which the teachers found very useful.

In it they covered:

The Importance of assessment: it drives the curriculum and gives variation

(IB clapping exercise)

Example of BiNus Learning Journal

Examples of self/peer assessment & summative/formative assessment

This is my last report at the STS coordinator. I cannot stress enough the value of making the trip to Aceh for anyone that is able. Every person who has visited states it really is ‘a life changing experience’. From a personal perspective, the relationships I have formed over the past eighteen months with such a range of people have been profound and lasting: teachers, students, colleagues, visiting schools, partner schools, trainers, and of course my driver Abu. I am truly lucky to have worked with such wonderful, professional and supportive people. Words cannot thank you all enough and I am confident the dedication, enthusiasm and generosity you have all displayed both personally and through your schools, will continue for many years.

With best wishes - salam hangat,

Kate Fuller

September Workshops in Cambodia

September was a busy month in Cambodia with further blocks of workshops and demonstration lessons.

4 September

• Two-week Introductory Workshops began at Kandal TTC Auditorium with the 45 participants representing the final group of teachers to receive training. Grade 1-3 worked with Andrea Muller, Ron Auckland & Ouch Soeun,
•  Grade 4-6 with Annie Auckland, Nin Channan and Teng (from ISPP)

16 – 20 September

• Advanced workshop for 54 participants
• Annie Auckland, Nin Channan & Teng taught grade 4-6 Mentor Teachers (27)
• Ron Auckland & Ouch Soeun taught grade 1-3 Mentor Teachers (27)
• Topics included: Project Update, Child friendly Schools, Patterning, Read Alouds, Storytelling, Math “Rounds”, Cooperative Games, Number “Big Book”, The First Week of School, Designing Better Board Games, and Dramatic Presentations

25 – 29 September 

Workshop for TTC Trainers, introduced The IB Learners’ Profile as a focus for the Project and ensured that all TTC Trainers received a personal copy and were familiarised with the Teacher-Training Guidebook  

As the Cambodia Project in this form nears completion, we do know that as a result of the IB Project:

• Practice Teaching (6 weeks) during the first year of training is being instituted in all Teacher Training Colleges across the country (both primary and secondary), commencing in December 2006
• Our Guidebook will be integrated it into the new National Teacher Training College Curriculum beginning this year
• Ouch Soeun and selected Kandal TTC Trainers and Mentor Teachers will be asked to form Training Teams to train the other TTC’s throughout the country (sustainability)
• STS Partnerships will ensure long term support for the project schools after the project’s completion. IB Asia-Pacific Partner Schools are: Victoria Shanghai Academy, Hong Kong; International School of Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Ivanhoe Grammar School, Melbourne; Queenwood School for Girls, Sydney

A final block of demonstration lessons extending the current MoU for one year are scheduled for January, February & March 2007. Further funding from Victoria Shanghai Academy and the Belgium Technical Cooperation have made the final phase and extension of this project possible.

Ron Auckland