BSB Teachers Become the Students: National Curriculum Training

While students were enjoying the first day of Half-Term Break Thursday, teachers and administrators at BSB were doing some learning- becoming the students for a day of professional development!

Staff were visited by Andy Phillips, an educational consultant from England, who trained teachers on changes to the National Curriculum of England for 2014.

For teachers in the middle and high school, training sessions focused on an overview of the recent key changes to the National Curriculum, comparing new programmes of study against the existing ones.

Teachers also worked with Mr. Phillips to see how these changes will affect each subject area, and how they can work together to ensure there is consistency in assessment of student achievement and progress throughout all classrooms.

Maintaining consistency in student assessment was a major theme of the training, among the secondary and primary teachers.

Because BSB teaches children of all age levels, Mr. Phillips said, the school has a unique opportunity to ensure that assessment and curriculum are as consistent as possible throughout a child’s entire education. To achieve that, he said, it requires collaboration and communication among teachers, administrators and parents.

For Early Years and primary teachers, Thursday’s training sessions focused primarily on the aims of the changes to the National Curriculum of England, particularly those changes that affect teaching and learning of English and maths.

Teachers met in a large group for a few training sessions, then broke up into smaller groups to discuss how the curriculum changes will affect their classrooms and how the changes will impact student learning.

It was a great day of learning for our teachers that will help them serve BSB students even better!

Important Financial Literacy Lessons for Kids

April is Financial Literacy Month, and to recognize the month-long celebration, we’ll be sharing weekly tips to help our teachers and parents teach kids about money, money management and smart saving.

As higher education costs rise and jobs for graduates are harder to come by, it is more important than ever for our school to ensure that students are highly prepared not only for the academics they will face after leaving our classrooms, but for life’s realities as well.

Providing them with financial literacy is key! So read on for some great tips from “Money As You Grow” to help teachers and parents do just that:

For Kids Ages 3-5:

For young children, financial literacy needs to start with the basics. Teach your children that money is needed to purchase the things they want and they things they need, from food and drink to their favorite stuffed animal or toy.

Just as important is helping kids understand that money is earned by working, and that there are times when you must make the choice between what you want and what you need, waiting to purchase items that may not be a necessity.

For Kids Ages 6-10:

As kids get older, they will likely understand that money is required to buy things, and may even begin having a bit of money of their own, whether from allowance from their parents or money received as gifts.

As children begin spending their own money, it is important that they learn about saving money, as well as safe financial practices- like avoiding sharing financial information online. This is also a good time to teach kids the value of shopping around and comparing prices, to help them understand the value of their money differs from place to place.

For Kids Ages 11-13:

This is the age when teachers and parents should delve deeper into the idea of saving money. Teach kids to save at least 10 percent of the money they receive. If taught young, this lesson will stick with kids throughout their lives and promote healthy financial habits into adulthood.

Kids at this age can also begin to understand how saving can actually help their money to grow, so show your children how savings accounts gain interest, and open them up an account of their own.

For Kids Ages 14-18:

As children become teenagers, financial literacy becomes increasingly important. At this age, some young people may have access to their parents’ credit cards, or may even have a card of their own. Teaching teens about credit and debt, and how to use both responsibly is incredibly important.

Encourage teens to find a job, whether at a local grocery store or retail shop or as a babysitter or dog walker. Having more money to save (and even make mistakes with!) while still at home will help kids make smarter choices once they are on their own and earning more.

During high school, it is also important to help students understand the process of paying for college. While some students will be lucky enough to receive scholarships, financial aid or financial support from parents, many are expected to contribute to the cost of their college education. Students need to understand the impact school loans will have on their future, and need to prepare to pay those loans off after graduation.

For Kids Ages 18+:

At this age, young people will be in college and graduating from college, entering the workforce and facing more financial obligations than ever before. They may be buying cars, renting apartments and opening credit cards.

It is important that young people understand the risks of taking on debt. While some debt is a part of life, teens must understand that all debt must be paid off- and on time! Teach young people not to charge anything to a credit card that they cannot pay off in full each month, and help them learn how to choose a credit card wisely, comparing interest rates and fees.

With major financial choices in their near future- marriage, home-buying and more- it is important that kids at this age are taught about investments, and are encouraged to build an emergency savings fund.

Check out the “Money As You Grow” website for a full list of tips for kids of all ages!

How do you talk to your kids about finances? Share your tips!

Neuroscience and IB: Views from a Harvard Professor

What do neuroscience and the International Baccalaureate programme have in common? More than you might think!

Bruno della Chiesa, an educational neuroscientist and Harvard University professor, discussed the relationship between neuroscience- and the study of how students learn- and the IB in a recent issue of IB World Magazine.

Read the full story, and check out a summary of his thoughts below:

1. Learning other languages.

Language acquisition is an important topic in neuroscience, and one that the IB puts at the heart of its curricula. della Chiesa said he admires the IB because the programme makes educating children in multiple languages a priority.

“Learning a second language…unlocks an individual’s ability to develop cultural (and therefore self) awareness,” he said in the article.

2. Lifelong learning.

Neuroscience has shown that the brain’s plasticity allows an individual to learn long into old age. The IB, meanwhile, makes it its aim to promote lifelong learning.

“It is excellent that the IB is explicitly promoting lifelong learning,” della Chiesa said in the article.

At BSB, our students are not only taught to love learning, our educators and parents continue their learning too! A few times each term, we host Parent Learning Evenings, bringing in speakers to address staff and parents on a variety of educational topics. This year, we’ve had speakers on early learners, cross-culture kids and the teenage brain!

3. Global awareness.

In many ways, the IB is the epitome of global learning. Used in more than 146 countries to teach more than 1 million students, international mindedness is a core component of all IB programmes.

At BSB, IBDP students are encouraged to share their learning, not only with their classmates but with students and educators around the world, using social media, Nord Anglia Education‘s Global Classroom and other forms of technology to spread their knowledge around the globe.

In the IB World article, della Chiesa said this kind of learning is more important than ever.

“What we understand about neuroscience and language learning is at the head of developing that global awareness,” he told the magazine. “The IB provides a space for students to get acquainted with other cultures and develop a multicultural awareness, which some might not have the benefit of at home.”

4. Using the fabulous potential of the human brain.

“The more teachers know about the ‘learning brain,’ the deeper they will be able to reflect on the complexity of learning processes, helping them to better understand their students’ learning,” della Chiesa told IB World.

The IB helps educators do just that by adapting to developments in science and technology, and embracing the use of technology in the classroom.

At BSB, we work hard to ensure that both educators and students understand how they best learn. Students are taught from an early age to identify the learning and studying methods that work best for them, and develop these skills over their time at our school.

Check out the BSB website to learn more about our international curricula and the IBDP!