SPRING 2016
- A jump from CBS - Teaching gym, a new responsibility - So how is your son's new school? -And more found inside this edition
Features:
School quarterly
A jump from CBS
By: Robert Browne, Principal, Asker International School
I typed the word 'education' into the Google search engine, out of a combination of boredom and a vague hint of curiosity the other day. I found the following definition: 'an enlightening experience' An enlightening experience. That's an aptly aloof turn of phrase. The purpose of education is to shed some light, to open a door, to throw a perspective on something, much like a window onto a shaded garden. I could go on, as many might, but the truth of it is education is a very personal concept, a very personal journey - and no two journeys seem to be exactly the same. Lets take mine as an example. My primary education was relatively mundane and pleasant, in my head at least, but when I start reflecting and recalling tales, regaling colleagues of a bygone classroom, people gaze upon me with a look of bemusement. You see, education has always been about some sort of journey. When I was young, it was a means to an end, the end being something of substance (in my parents' eyes) as that is what society told us - get a degree, get a job. Groomed for success, the only direction was onward and upwards to further education, of some sort, for some reason. And so we ambled along, with our linear concept of education, a couple of people falling off the back of the bus now and again (or kicked off for that matter), but no-one stopping to take much notice. That was the associated process of primary education - you entered, you completed, you exited. You read the books, you did the curriculum, following into one of three main categories, smart, stupid or 'normal'.
Robert has been the principal of Asker International School since it opened in the Spring of 2013. Prior to working at Asker International School he has worked in Telemark International School as Deputy Principal Robert has also helped establish other international schools in the region, being involved in recruitment and development.
Being classified as predominantly normal, I elected to migrate from a quiet urban school to a inner-city sanctum of veritable lunacy, Christian Brothers School (CBS), Synge Street; an all-boys school in inner city Dublin. This harmonious centre was filled with several hundred homogenous Dubliners, and a boy called Ramanan, who I was fortunate to call friend. Dear Ramanan went to religion class and said his Hail Mary, albeit a practising Hindu. Such was secondary education also. You did it as prescribed. Or you did not succeed. It wasn't complicated. We had seen some progression however. By this stage, 'smart' had been replaced with 'advanced', 'normal' received the title of 'ordinary' and for the lower tiers - 'foundational' . We, as students, did not particularly care how we were grouped. To be perfectly frank it was more hazardous for your general well-being to be classified as 'advanced' by the administration. It threw your daily existence into peril. This was not necessarily the failing of the practitioners in the school, or administrators for that matter. They had a mandate to fill, targets to meet, and the assembly line struggle to move the produce along. Such is the nature of the educational factory. Happily, we have seen a modicum of progress, moving on from talking about change, to actually administering and implementing it. There has always been a sincere interest in the holistic development of the student, but testing and standardisation of education muddies the water. One significant advantage of the IB system is that it allows the educator to see the student for who they are and, at least in part, help them grow as a person, in body and mind. Not to say the system is perfect, but the journey we are on now is about the steps we take, rather than the final destination.
Teaching gym, a new responsibility
By: Andrew Johns, Physical Education Specialist, Asker International School
When asked to use one word to describe their experience of physical education in primary school, the responses of my colleagues range from words such as… Competitive Intimidating Anxious Fun Violent Boring Talentless Enjoyable From having discussions with my colleagues it seemed their physical education experiences were limited to learning just sport specific skills while the learning environment was very competitive and exclusive. This is a mould that I have fought very hard to break. Statistically the old-style PE met the needs of just 30 percent of students. Everyone else was often left with a lifetime of bad memories and demeaning experiences. Like being picked last for a football game or being ridiculed by teachers and fellow students for being too weak or too slow. Today, PE classes at Asker International are more about developing a healthy lifestyle than they are about learning to throw a baseball or to make a jump shot. In my lessons I have tried to create a sense of community or belonging.
I tried to create a community that helps students to feel confident, to try new skills and make mistakes. This is seen by the excitement and confidence that all students show when it is their day for PE as it is a welcoming environment that is very accepting. I believe the goal of physical education is to ensure that all students acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to lead healthy active lives while having the opportunity to be exposed to a wide variety of activities with which they can explore at their own pace. In my lessons I try and promote life skills, such as, respect of self and others, team building skills, and critical and creative thinking. This helps create a more inclusive and respectful learning environment in physical education thereby engaging more students in the learning process. What makes our PE department stand out from other schools is the level of integration my lessons have with the students’ class units. Its important students make connections between their subjects. This allows students to gain a deeper understanding towards their chosen topic while allowing them to draw from a wider range of sources and experiences. Students are also taught the importance of reflection in sport. I firmly believe reflection is a key factor in the learning process as it gives students the chance to appraise what they have learnt and to integrate their experiences into more positive future actions, thereby improving performance. As the school develops so will the PE department. This can be seen through new facilities, equipment and organised sporting events which is very exciting for both students and staff. To see what we get up to please visit the AIS website and click on Physical Education to follow each classes journey throughout the year.
Andrew has been involved with Asker International School since 2013. Andrew has been involved in many areas of development in the school and has developed a strong awareness and application of the International Baccalareaute.
So, how is your son's new school?
By:Carla Giai, Head of Parent Council 2016
Like most parents, I am often asked about my son's education and how it differs from my own. The questioning can happen at home (usually by him), over the phone when I'm talking to friends, or at other unexpected places, like in the library or during a train ride. It is a simple, straightforward question asked to most parents, and yet most of the time it is tough to answer without feeling I'm betraying my old teachers. Coming from Argentina, a country that historically has taken pride in its universal, compulsory, free and secular education from kindergarten to university, it is probably logical to feel that way. For generations, we believed, and still believe, that public education is the first step in creating an egalitarian society. That belief is even present in the uniform used by children in public schools since the beginning of the 20th century: a simple white coat. Let's go back few years. I started first grade in March 1983, a few months before the elections that would put an end to 6 years of the last of many military dictatorships my country endured. The following 12 years I spent in public schools were marked by many reforms that tried to override the influence of years of authoritarian governments in our education system. Nevertheless, public schools still focused on teaching content-based, prescribed, fixed curricula in a sort of one-fits-all, "learn it now or be left behind" model, both at primary and higher levels. Secondary schools usually offered a few choices regarding specialties, but the same principle of fixed curricula prevailed. For many Argentinians more content taught to students often meant better quality in education. During the early years of my primary education, I was part of a program that emphasized reading, writing and basic arithmetic, and the ever-present specials (i.e. music, arts and crafts, and physical education); other subjects such as social studies and sciences would gain space later. In practice, it meant that we learned geography and history of our province in Grade 4, not before. Then, we would spend the following three years learning about the country. Besides having to choose between going to school in the morning or the afternoon, and saluting the flag every day in a general assembly before going to the classrooms, the system I was in had some other peculiarities.
Carla first enrolled her son at Asker International School in August 2013 in grade 5, where there were only 5 students. Now he is in grade 7 with a full group of classmates. Carla is also the head of the Parent Council and plays an active role in the development of the school. Carla also contributes to guest speaking and teaching at Asker International School.
For instance, even when reading and writing were the focus of the program, teachers would select one book specially designed to be read during the year in class, and typically no other literary works would be used during school time. For me, the exception was Grade 5. Instead of having a regular reading book, we continued a tradition established in my school and also read "Platero and I," by the Spanish Nobel laureate Juan Ramón Jiménez. I enjoyed this book as an adult, but at 10, I was less than thrilled with the teacher's choice; however, we, as students, did not have room to voice our preferences. Likewise, once other subjects were introduced, the teachers would select one handbook with what should be included in the different subjects from Grades 4 to 7. We didn't always follow the manuals to the letter, but they determined how much of the selected topics would be covered in class. It is not that I had a terrible time at school; I mostly remember being bored, even though I was one of the "privileged." Deemed smart from the very beginning, I was given class- and homework to do on my own, a common practice at the time. Chronically unchallenged, I would finish my work and start talking to other classmates. Similarly, those that needed more support seldom got it in the classroom, although some schools would have pedagogical teams on site. By and large, teachers were left alone with classes containing, in average, 25 kids. My husband can tell an almost identical story, although he went to an all-boys, private Catholic school and, being a boy, had access to a secondary education that followed a technical, more demanding program. In the early 1990s, girls were still discouraged to join such programs, even in the public system. It is not surprising, thus, that many kids felt drowning in a system that had neither time nor resources for exploring individual needs, where discipline was understood only as being quiet at all times, and success meant only showing high grades on your report card. Consequently, it was not uncommon at the time that some kids would not pass from one class to the next one, either at primary or secondary school. As an extreme example, of the 31 of us that started secondary school in 1990, only 11 would graduate in 1994. In the case of my husband, 24 out of almost 120 students graduated from high school. Fast forward 30 years to August 2013. Up until then, our son had been in schools not too different from the ones my husband or I knew from our Argentinean childhood; however, everything changed when he started Grade 5 at AIS.
By: Mark Cringle, Deputy Principal, Asker International School
Within many nations, there appears to be growing uncertainty about what education should mean, each one looking over their shoulder at other neighbours, wondering how they can improve their system and gain better and better results. A country’s place in the Pisa standings appears to be quickly becoming the holy grail for politicians looking to further their own, and their parties cause. Is Norway any different? In 2013, in response to the release of the Pisa results, Norwegian education minister Torbjørn Røe Isaksen said: "The new PISA survey shows that we have a science problem in Norway. It worries me greatly. The results are simply not good enough." The article published in the online newspaper The Local also stated: "...'It surprises me that the results are so bad', said Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, before heaping the blame on the previous Labour-led government.” Alongside the Pisa tests, Norwegian children must also contend with National Tests. The tests, which in their current form were introduced in 2007, are to be used to inform education policy and allocate resources. However, it is widely accepted that the greater the value placed on these tests by politicians, the media, and parents, the greater likelihood there will be of a narrowing of the curriculum. “Curriculum narrowing, however, reduces many students’ chances of being thought talented in school and results in a restriction in the creative and enjoyable activities engaged in by teachers and students. The tests commonly used with narrower curricula also appear to restrict thinking skills. In addition, responses to high stakes environments can easily retard the development of achievement in later grades as a function of the restrictions on learning in earlier grades.” The narrowing of the curriculum is not just about prioritising those subjects that are tested over those that are not, it also often entails ignoring the holistic development of children. Of course, most education systems worldwide advocate a holistic approach to education. However, if discrete disciplines such as English, Maths, Science or Norwegian are placed at the centre of an educational framework then this sends a clear message to schools about what is important, especially when such high priority is placed on tests by the media and politicians. Unfortunately, I have witnessed first-hand how such a system of education leads to many teachers to de-prioritise, or even ignore many other essential purposes of education.
The benefits of serving two masters.
With such testing taking centre stage, it is important to have a model of education that at its core advocates achieving academic excellence by educating our children. This is much more than just teaching subject knowledge, or worse still, teaching to the test. In contrast, the International Baccalaureate framework places (at all levels: PYP, MYP & DP) the child at the centre of its educational philosophy in the form of The 10 Learner Profile attributes: Balanced, Caring, Communicator, Knowledgeable, Inquirer, Open-minded, Principled, Reflective, Risk-taker, Thinker. The learner profile (and its positioning at the centre of the IB framework), means that this approach to education is a must as opposed to a should or a could. Its position keeps our focus on attempting to develop children into successful human beings, rather than children who are successful at tests, or knowledgeable in subject content. Consider the following extract: Dear Teacher, I am a survivor of a concentration camp . My eyes saw what no person should witness: Gas chambers built by learned engineers. Children poisoned by educated Physicians. Infants killed by trained nurses. Women and babies shot by high school and college graduates, so I am suspicious of education. My request is: Help your children to become human. Your efforts must never produce learned monsters, skilled psychopaths, educated Eichmanns. Reading, writing and arithmetic are only important if only they serve to make our children more humane. (Ginot 1973, p24) As such, the learner profile assembly (every Friday) is fast becoming my favourite school time of the week. It is a lovely reminder about the purpose of education.
Mark joined Asker International School in August 2015 and has quickly become a key figure in the growth of the school. Mark is the Deputy head teacher and also instructs mathematics and English in the Middle Years Programme.
In the odd reflective moment I think back to the string of coincidences that brought me here to work at Asker International School. I have lived in Norway for just over 25 years – so I have been living here longer than I have lived in England, however I am British and spent my formative years in the part of England referred to as 'leafy' Cheshire. I think that it is referred to as 'leafy' because it is green all year round; it is neither hilly or flat, there aren't any extremes of weather (I only remember once during my childhood that we actually had 15cm of snow for more than 2 days). It is, what I think of as the English countryside, having the ideal conditions for Friesian cows that produce lots of milk. This is where I grew up – where I went to school. From where I left at 18 to study in the nearest big city (Manchester), and never thought of returning to live afterwards. My primary school was conveniently placed next door to my house. I quite liked primary school, as in those days the progressive system in vogue was that there was a maths room, an English room and a play room. So each afternoon we could choose, and I spent every afternoon in the maths room. The school was like all the other primary schools in my town; single classes of around 28 children, from class 1 to 7. Everything changed when I went to the comprehensive school. My area had changed from the selective grammar school system only a year before I changed schools, so we were still influenced by the 'old' system. My school had been a grammar school established in 1500s and consisted of an array of buildings of various ages and conditions the whole site was surrounded by fields, however these have all be built on now. The biggest difference for an 11 year old was the sheer number of other students. There were 6 parallel classes (all of 30 students) in each year.
School Days
By: Mya Esplin, Business Manager, Asker International School
Mya played a pivotal role in the establishment and development of Asker International School . Mya has been directly involved in the growth of two international schools in Norway, having previously worked with Robert. Mya has also assisted in recruitment and development of other international schools in the region. In addition to this Mya is a teacher and a language specialist.
For the first 5 years we had to wear uniform, and then in the last 2 years we would be allowed to wear our own choice of clothes. I thought that uniform was tedious – the only benefit is that after 5 years of wearing a tie everyday I can do ties. Uniform meant a skirt and knee socks, regardless of the weather, as well as the stiff collar shirts with a tie. We also had PE uniform, which consisted of short skirts, white polo shirts and knee socks also regardless of the weather. The school days were structured and we had different teachers for the different subjects and had to move to a different classroom for each lesson. The structure of lessons was quite traditional, however the teachers did not rely on text books. When I think back to school I realise that the teachers must have been well prepared as they just seemed to know everything about their subject. There was no internet or even computers, so when doing research we had to use either the school library or the town library. We were streamed (by ability) for all subjects, so you tended to be with the same students for lessons, except PE and home economics. In PE and home economics girls and boys were taught separately. There was a whole school assembly once a week, in the only room big enough for 1100 pupils, which was the sports hall. We all sat on the floor, with boys and girls sitting separately, whilst the headmaster talked. Whenever we had an assembly, which it was just our year group, or the whole school then it always finished with the Lord's prayer. When we had a year group assembly, (180 pupils) then we also sang a hymn. I don't know whether there were any non Christian pupils at my school, but regardless they all joined in. I started that school when I was 11, and left in the summer after I was 18 to continue my education. I went back there when I was 25 for 2 weeks observation prior to starting a year's teacher training, and I was surprised to see that there were still some teachers there from when I had started as an 11 year old. I wonder whether their teaching had changed?
www.askeris.no Asker International School, Johan Drengsruds Vei 60, 1383 Asker, Norway post@askeris.no
Opened in August 2013 Initially had a population of less 37 students Currently has 170 students enrolled Has over 30 mother tongues in the student population Started up the Middle Years Programme from grade 6 in 2015 Has Mandarin as a foreign language from Grade 6 Has over 20 staff with an international background from 5 continents Is going through an International Baccalaureate Verification Process for the PYP Is initiating the candidacy process for the MYP Is expanding to grade 8 in August 2016 and continuing up to grade 10 by 2018