swiss-school-blog

[swiss-school-blog]

Why University Admissions officers favor IB students

We’ve previously mentioned how many universities prefer students who have graduated from International Baccalaureate programmers. They’re accepted at a 22% higher rate and achieve higher GPAs in general, and the academic rigour of the IB casts them in a favorable light, and some universities even provide course credits for IB subjects.

This kind of preference is quite important given the general sentiment of admissions officers about secondary students and their readiness for university. A 2017 study by ACS International Schools revealed that a staggering 49% of admissions officers in the UK believe that sixth formers are not prepared for moving from school to university.

These officers believe that the main reasons are that students are generally insufficiently prepared with independent thinking skills, as well as lacking time and workload management.

Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and skills at the OECD says, “The world no longer rewards people for what they know – Google knows everything – but for what they can do with what they know. Global education today needs to be much more about ways of thinking, involving creativity, critical thinking, problem solving and decision-making; about ways of working, including communication and collaboration.”

Other important skills include inquiring minds, positive and passionate attitudes towards study, and strong collaborative skills – all of which are specifically tackled in the IB’s principles of education.

These same admissions officers believe that the IB does confer these skills on its diploma holders. Indeed, one officer says, “I will be honest, the IB Diploma is as close to ideal in terms of academic rigour plus requirement to do project work, with more rounded life skills. It is all about getting this balance right.”

This sentiment isn’t restricted to the UK or the US. Let’s take a look at some anecdotes from admissions officers in schools around the world.

Glowing praise

 Over at McGill University in Canada, Director of Admissions Kim Bartlett talks about the rigorous academic preparation that IB student can expect to receive, and how it applies to university life:

“McGill has enthusiastically recruited IB students for over two decades. Even today, when reviewing an application from an IB diploma candidate, whether from the local CEGEP (collège d’enseignement général et professionnel) or the other side of the globe, our admissions officers can be assured of the candidate’s strong and broad‑based academic preparation. We have seen that IB students embrace the rigorous academic challenges of university life and perform well in their McGill programmes. As a member of the College and University Recognition Taskforce, I can attest to the respected position of the IB diploma at prestigious universities throughout North America.”

On the other side of the world in Australia, Professor Lyn Griffiths, Head of Griffith University Gold Coast’s School of Medical Science, and director of their Genomics Research Centre, highlights the unique learning skills developed in the IB, a core component of the Learner Profile:

“Increasing numbers of university students now continue their education to include postgraduate research qualifications. Unique skills are required for tertiary research studies and for those who continue into research careers. The International Baccalaureate emphasizes inquiry‑based learning, independent learning and lifelong learning. These are exactly the types of skills that are needed to undertake postgraduate research studies effectively and to develop and establish successful long‑term research careers.”

In India, Dr. Indu Shahani, principal of HR College at the University of Mumbai, reports the maturity, outspokenness, and open-mindedness of IB students.

“Over the years we at the University of Mumbai have been delighted to admit students of the IB Diploma Programme. The candidates stand out as mature, well-grounded students who have a very broad outlook on education. In the class, they are very interactive and well-informed. While they are quite opinionated on issues it is interesting to see how open they are to the opinions of others. Their application orientation helps other students in the college to bridge the gap between theory and practice. The IB philosophy definitely rubs off on our undergraduate education!”

Sounds like a glowing recommendation, doesn’t it? The IB is uniquely designed to prepare students for the real world and the workplace, allowing them to become global citizens and contribute meaningfully to society.

In January 2019, just a month after sending his application to Brock University Canada, our Grade 12 student Ibrahim Refai received an offer for admission to the Bachelor of Science in Medical Sciences. In recognition of his outstanding academic achievements Ibrahim was granted the Brock Scholars Award AND an additional scholarship for being an IB DP student!

According to the IB’s own guide for universities and colleges, admissions officers are assured of certain assumptions in every student:

Academic strength of curriculum

Admissions officers can be assured of students’ strong preparation of coursework in a cohesive and broad‑based curriculum that encompasses the basic academic areas: mother‑tongue language and literature, second language, social sciences/humanities, experimental sciences and mathematics.

Academic strength of schools

All IB World Schools must offer, support and maintain a minimum of seven or eight strong academic departments.

Academic strength of students

The IB Diploma Programme requires students to maintain a high level of focus and performance.

External validation

The IB Diploma Programme validates both achievement and academic integrity in students’ performance through its examination requirements.

Research and writing skills

The extended essay requirement—an independent, self‑directed piece of research, culminating in a 4,000‑word paper—provides practical preparation for the kinds of undergraduate research required for further and higher education. It is also the opportunity for students to engage in an in‑depth study of a topic of interest within a chosen subject.

Acceptance of educational challenges

Participation in the IB Diploma Programme demonstrates that students accept, rather than avoid, rigorous academic challenges.

Critical‑thinking skills

The required theory of knowledge course ensures that students become critical thinkers who understand the interdisciplinary nature of learning.

Interview skills

IB students have strong preparation in oral presentation skills. Several IB courses include mandatory oral assessments, and the theory of knowledge course requires students to shape their opinions into logical discourse.

Extra‑curricular involvement

The creativity, action, service element requires students to invest a minimum of 150 hours during the final two years in non‑classroom activities.

Maturity and responsibility

The IB Diploma Programme assists students in developing time‑management, goal‑setting and other organizational skills.

Each of these assumptions applies to every student in Swiss International School in Dubai, and you can be assured of your child having a solid shot at any university they apply to.

Sources:

DP Guide for Universities

University Admissions

IBDP – A guide for Universities

[swiss-school-blog]

TOP tips for effective communication with your child

In our past in-depth blog entry, we discussed the importance of your involvement in your child’s education. It goes without saying that a large portion of this involvement is communication with your children. You can be involved in their lives by engaging in conversation with them that yields genuine fruit about their experiences and wellbeing.

And of course, it’s important to remember that communication is and will always be a two-way street.

What is effective communication with your child?

Good communication with your child is fundamentally tied to understanding their experiences and respecting what they’re going through. They need to feel aware that you’re genuinely interested in what they have to say.

In his 2003 book, Staying Connected To Your Teenager: How To Keep Them Talking To You And How To Hear What They’re Really Saying, parenting expert Michael Riera, Ph.D., says:

“The advantages of writing notes to your teenagers are twofold. One, writing notes involves you more in your teenager’s life. You are actively making observations and taking time to communicate them in a way that your teenager can take in. You are doing something concrete to strengthen your connection with your teenager. Two, you are respecting your teenager’s world. You know he is self-conscious and defensive, so you write a note because it slips by the self-consciousness and defensiveness. You also give him the best opportunity to take in fully what you have written – he reads it in privacy somewhere, in his room or car. And best of all, it’s something that he can keep and refer to in the future, perhaps even when he is down on himself or his relationship with you. “

You should also accommodate the developmental stages that your children are going through. For example, once again in the critical adolescent stage, teenage behavior can become erratic and negative. Parents need to position themselves as a “safe space,” a trusted partner who is willing to listen without judgement, rather than a parent known for lashing out in anger or lecturing immediately.

Techniques for effective communication

One of the best ways to foster effective communication is to express interest in your child’s experiences, but not in a cookie-cutter way that seems disingenuous. “How was your day?” is one of the least interesting ways to get started, whether you’re a child or adult, after all!

Asking the right questions

A great way to start is to ask meaningful questions that allow you to engage with them, at the end of every day. Here are a few good ones to try!

1. What made you laugh today?

We’ve previously discussed how positive emotions are an important part of all children’s development, and engaging with your child on the basis of positivity is a great way to encourage this.

2. What made you sad today?

Children go through the entire spectrum of emotions every day, and sometimes it can be difficult for them to process, especially when they’re too young to truly understand cause and effect. By discussing their sadness as well as their happiness, you’ll be able to get an idea of what pains them in school, and how you can work together to fix things.

3. Who did you play with today?

Play is such an important part of child development that United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child had to go right and say it, back in 1989. Play builds character and relationships. By looking out for who your child is playing with, you can get an idea of the relationships they’re forming. This works for teenagers as well, though the term to use is “hang out.”

4. What are you most proud of today?

A child’s feeling of accomplishment, no matter how small or big their achievement is, must be cultivated. Discuss what made your child proud and praise them for it or show interest in how they achieved it themselves.

5. What’s the most interesting thing you learned today?

Your child will be constantly learning things in school that may fill them with wonder and joy. Discuss these with them and show the same wonder; few things can inspire the desire to keep learning than a parent showing interest as well.

Working with your child in their own development

Your child isn’t just an isolated recipient of your will. You must work with them and engage them if they’re to take ownership of their personal development.

For example, whenever you scold them, they must become aware of what they’ve done right or wrong. You need to explain to them why you’re reprimanding them and engage them how they can make amends or adjust their behaviour. But this works both ways. You must also listen genuinely to your child if they have a reason for what they did. Don’t just go ahead and punish them – hear them out first and acknowledge their feelings. This will encourage them to keep approaching and communicating with you, if they’re aware that you do listen to them, not just blindly get angry.

This two-sided engagement is essential to developing your child’s communication skills. It gives them agency and promotes the notion that their thoughts, feelings, and ideas have value.

Use positive rather than negative statements

Don’t say “don’t.” Constantly telling a child what you don’t want them to do doesn’t really reinforce the behavior that you do what them to do. Talk to them as you would an older person – rather than telling them not to do something, ask them to do something specific. For example:

Rather than “Don’t stay up late,” say “Please go to bed at 10AM.”

Rather than “Don’t go roughhousing with your sister,” say “Please play gentler games.”

Make yourself a safe space for sharing

Many parents tell their children, “You can tell me anything,” but proceed to get very mad and enact punishment whenever they tell the truth. This eventually leads to resentment and fear rather than respect. While you must never become neglectful whenever you see perceived bad behavior in your child, you should also strike a balance that allows them to tell you about something they’ve done – with assistance and support coming first, and any judgement coming second.

Working with the school

One thing that every parent should be doing is working with the school to ensure that they’re aware of how their child is doing. This can mean anything from attending parent-teacher conferences, to scheduling one-on-one sessions with faculty and guidance counselors.

Parent-teacher dialogue at SISD

It’s especially helpful if the school hosts events that can promote this understanding and communication. Our Head of Primary School Mr Emmanuel Gauthier explains that ‘Keeping lines of communication open with parents is vitally important for schools; establishing effective lines of communication even more so. At SISD we embrace a personalised and targeted approach within our community. This involves but is not limited to weekly newsletters, our parent portal, formal and informal meetings. Transparency is something we champion at our school. One of the unique and effective strategies for achieving this is through our monthly pastoral coffee mornings where parents are provided with the opportunity to collaborate with the pastoral care team and visiting specialists in an open and reflective environment.’

SISD organises three parent-teacher conferences every year, during which the sentiments and concerns of students are discussed among the parent body and the faculty. We pride ourselves on having conferences with students, not without them, and the inclusion of the student body in these conferences allows us to learn how to communicate with each other, alongside each other.

This is a great time to learn exactly the kind of experiences that your child is having on-campus. This is especially useful for boarding students.

We also have monthly pastoral care events during which we bring specialists to talk about issues and concerns that parents have raised, and so that parents may learn more and provide feedback about how we support young people.

In addition, counselors and the pastoral care team are always available during these events to discuss and exchange, or even schedule private appointments for other concerns.

All of this is carefully carried out as part of a dialogue that takes place among parents, teachers and students. We have a parent forum committee, as well as class parents, who facilitate this dialogue.

The International Baccalaureate as a communications advocate

The International Baccalaureate is the foundation not just of our curriculum, but in the values that we wish to instill in our children.

One of the most important components of the IB Learner Profile is that of the communicator. It’s not just the parents’ job to be effective at communication, of course; through the teachings of the IB, every student becomes a better communicator, allowing them to more meaningfully express themselves.

Through the IB, we teach our students to communicate more fluently, and help develop their relationships with other people, including their parents. This is reflected not only in classroom teachings but in every interaction, we have with our children.

Some advice to offer to help foster communication with your children:

A commitment to developing skills can support communication between adults and communication with children.  Here are a few strategies that work:

Demonstrate being present in the conversation by placing mobile devices off and outside of visible and physical reach

Clarify understanding by paraphrasing to the speaker, showing that you understand what has been said

Draw out another’s thinking by asking ‘what’ and ‘how’ questions, instead of ‘why’ questions e.g. What made you do that? versus Why did you do that?

Modeling the behavior we want to see in others, whether children or adults, has longer lasting benefits.

[swiss-school-blog]

The importance of performing arts in schools

Not too long ago, the arts and humanities world faced a crisis in education. School administrators, hell-bent on improving grades and producing students fit for a tech-oriented world, began shifting the focus away from liberal arts programmers and towards STEM subjects.

But just as the ancient Greeks knew thousands of years ago, a balanced education of arts, humanities, and sciences is required for every student to flourish to their full potential. One of the oldest and most enduring forms of arts education throughout history is the performing arts, which indeed dates back to the time of ancient Greece and continues today. Here’s why the performing arts have stuck around in curricula for so long, and the benefits they provide to children.

What are the performing arts?

Whereas the visual arts refer to the use of visual media to create art, the performing arts literally involve performances. These may include acting and theatre, glee clubs, dance, and other arts that are performed in front of live audiences.

Performing arts can be integrated tightly into the school curriculum, or as one of the extracurricular, after-school activities options that can be given to students.

What are the advantages of having performing arts education?

The performing arts require a unique devotion of time and effort to succeed, but performers are rewarded with many benefits and life skills that help not only in school, but in life outside the classroom.

Improved reading, writing, math skills

One of the great counterarguments to the practice of de-emphasizing liberal arts education is that grades didn’t go up. A 2002 meta-analysis of 62 studies showed that students who are exposed to the performing arts have better performance in verbal and mathematical topics.  

Better behavior and school attendance

A 2010 study by the Missouri Arts Council illustrates that schools that highly involve their students in the arts have a higher rate of attendance, and also report fewer incidents with negative behavior,

Soft skill learning opportunities

We’ve long emphasized the importance of learning certain soft skills for the future workplace. The performing arts provide great opportunities to learn these skills, especially collaboration, communication, and creativity.

Theatre for example is often a huge collaborative project, requiring the coordination and cooperation of actors, actresses, stagehands, directors, designers, and other student roles in order to succeed. Orchestras and bands require bandmates to work together to produce cohesive music.

Performance art also offers many ways to communicate to large audiences, building confidence among even introverted and shy students to show off their talents and move audiences composed of peers and adults alike.

And of course, the performing arts are an outlet for creative expression, allowing students to let their imaginations run wild with how they compose themselves onstage, and how to bring their visions into performance form.

We support the performing arts with extensive ASAs

At Swiss International School in Dubai, we deeply understand the need for performing arts exposure, and to that end we provide students of every age with after-school activities to satisfy that need. Early Years students for example get their Drama / Once Upon a Time ASAs, as well as dance, music, and musical theatre clubs among others. PYP students get similar clubs as well as French theatre, ballet, and more.

If you want your child to experience the benefits of the performing arts, sign them up now!

[swiss-school-blog]

Teaching in the UAE – Requirements and Benefits

Working and studying in the UAE provide you with a diverse variety of experiences that you won’t find anywhere else. This extends to the profession of teaching, which comes with several unique advantages compared to other places. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of teaching in the UAE.

Tax-free salaries

The UAE features some of the highest teaching salaries in the world. But that’s not all - most teaching salaries here are untaxed! That means that what you see on your salary offer is what you get every payday. This makes an already sizable pay even more lucrative.

2. Benefits packages

For many foreign teachers working in the UAE, the benefits can be very enticing. Many schools offer accommodation or a housing allowance to rent an apartment, an annual flight allowance, relocation flight to start employment in the UAE, schooling for your child, and health insurance.

3. Warm climate

The UAE’s climate is pretty much summer-like all year round, making it perfect for those who prefer hot weather.

4. A diverse, multicultural experience

Private schools are rapidly growing in the UAE, especially in Dubai. This comes with the opportunity to interact with a melting pot of culture, with dozens of countries and many languages spoken. Working here means working with these people from all walks of life, and it can help you grow as both a teacher and as a person.

Requirements                                

With all the benefits and the potentially lucrative salary, what does it take to get in a teaching position at the best schools in UAE?

An appropriate degree

Schools will look generally for a Bachelor in Education or Degree in the subject to be taught together with a professional teaching qualification as a minimum. Teachers must be proficient in the language of instruction and have an appropriate qualification demonstrating language proficiency.

ICT competence

Modern education is informed by technological trends, and employs them on a daily basis. You should be aware of information and communications technology, as well as how to use the most common products such as Microsoft Office and Skype, if you want to be on an equal playing field with the rest of the teachers and the student body.

Teacher Licensing

For schools in Dubai, becoming a teacher requires that you acquire a teaching license. This starts with Provisional Teacher Status, and later on it upgrades to the Competent Teacher Status permit. This will require several assessments.

A great place to start looking

If you want a teaching workplace and environment that ticks all the positive boxes we’ve discussed, consider Swiss International School in Dubai. Our community has worked so hard in the last five years of our existence to bring quality education and pastoral care to our students, and you can be a part of this, making a difference for our children.

[swiss-school-blog]

Swiss International Scientific School Dubai Fees a Guide for Parents

At Swiss International School in Dubai our students are uniquely privileged to learn the skills and aptitudes required to thrive in a perpetually changing world, as a fundamental part of their education. Our personalized International Baccalaureate education, the option of fully immersive bilingual programmes and unrivalled campus and boarding facilities all work together to form an unrivalled learning experience.

For parents, one of the important aspects when choosing a school is the structure of tuition fees. To help guide you in your choice, here is an article about the tuition fee framework at SISD.

How do you pay school fees at SISD?

 You can see a full breakdown of our fees on our website.

The first fee you pay at SISD is the Assessment Fee, which is AED 525, due when your child takes the entrance exam.

Within 7 days of getting your child’s Offer Letter, you then pay a registration fee that depends on the Grade your child is entering. This registration fee reserves a place for your child and is deductible from your final tuition fee. The fee is non-refundable except in circumstances that are beyond your control, such as relocation. After this, you may pay the re-enrolment fee to ensure that your child keeps their place.

Semester fees

 Your child’s annual tuition can be paid upfront or in two installments of 50% each, which is due in the first semester and the second semester respectively. Typically, they are due on August 31 and January 31. These tuition fees include books, costs of exams, internal ASAs (upon availability) and Early Years Childcare as per availability, as well as inclusion measures as per guidelines.

 Discounts and preferred rates

 Don’t forget that discounts are available! SISD has just launched a discount to support secondary parents. You might also be entitled to sibling discounts as per our terms and conditions! Finally, we recommend you ask your employer whether they have a corporate rates agreement with our school.  

Scholarships

 Open to current SISD Students & New SISD Applicants – Swiss International Scientific School in Dubai seeks to encourage all-around educational excellence by providing merit scholarships to highly deserving day & boarding school students.

For more information on our Grade 11/12 Scholarship programme click here. For questions on availability and other enquiries related to scholarships please contact our admissions department: admissions@sisd.ae

Boarding fees

If you choose to enroll your child as a full boarding student, you can opt for boarding school fees, which include tuition, meals, activities and much more. This is of course more expensive, and additionally includes a deposit.

How do you apply for admission at SISD?

Getting started with SISD can be done online. You’ll need a list of important documents about yourself and your child, including your passports and your child’s passport, your child’s report cards and any diagnostic tests and psychological assessments. The full list is on our website.

Then, you’ll need to check the Year Guide to determine what year to apply your child in.

After this, you can apply online to SISD right from our website, where you’ll upload the documents in the list above.

[swiss-school-blog]

PISA results and the IB - Do IB students do better on standardised assessments

SISD recently announced the results of our PISA assessments. We're delighted with our students' performance: they comfortably beat the average for Dubai private schools - if SISD were a country, it would rank higher than Switzerland. It has also been accurately reported that IB students outperform all other curricula represented in Dubai. Why? “To do well in PISA, students have to be able to extrapolate from what they know, think across the boundaries of subject-matter disciplines, apply their knowledge creatively in novel situations and demonstrate effective learning strategies.” (PISA 2018 Interpretations) Does this sound familiar? It should, because it is aligned with our vision, to inspire future generations "to become confident and enthusiastic lifelong learners, ready to embrace the opportunities and challenges of a global world."

Why is this important?

The PISA, or Programme for International Student Assessment, was developed by the OECD to evaluate its member nations’ educational performance. It involves testing 15-year-old students in math, science, and language skills at a higher level than the average aptitude test.

SISD’s solid performance in the PISA results is yet another reflection of the trend that illustrates how IB students generally perform better in these standardised tests among International Schools. It also shows how schools in Dubai are doing very well overall - in fact, private schools in Dubai, taken as a group, ranked 19th out of the 79 countries in the OECD, well on target to meet the KHDA’s targets.

Do IB students generally do better at tests like PISA?

Let’s examine the results of IB students in a similar assessment, the International Schools’ Assessment (ISA). Created by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), the ISA is modeled after the PISA, and tests Grades 3-10 students from international schools, measuring performance in higher thinking and comparing these results on the international stage.

In 2009 and 2012, the International Baccalaureate commissioned the ACER to perform two separate studies, analyzing data taken from ISA assessments across 2007-2011. The objective was to determine how IB students performed against students from non-IB curricula.

In summary, the results were that the IB students performed significantly better than non-IB students, across all four fields tested by the ISA. This held true across all regions as well, with the exception of Asia/Oceania in which Grades 3, 5 and 8 students from non-IB schools outperformed IB students in Mathematical Literacy.

Another part of the study compared Grade 9 and 10 IB students’ ISA results to PISA results. Because Grade 9 and 10 students most closely resemble the target tested age of the PISA, and because the ISA’s tested fields are based on the PISA, this results in a means of comparing IB students’ performance against international benchmarks.

In this study, the results were clear - IB students do indeed outperform average results in the PISA, specifically in Math and Reading-related fields.

What is special about these results?

It’s important to note that both ISA and PISA measure higher-order thinking. They’re not aptitude tests or memorization tests - they specifically aim to evaluate students’ understanding of certain critical fields in their academics.

As the ACER explains, “Like PISA, the ISA assesses complex higher-order thinking skills because it includes open-ended questions in Mathematical Literacy, Reading and Scientific Literacy, which require students to construct responses, for example, to explain their reasoning, to find evidence or to justify their opinion.”

This means that a high degree of performance in these tests can be correlated to a strong understanding of the subject matter. One can infer that, with IB students getting greater-than-average performance, exceeding non-IB students’ performance, the IB therefore confers a deeper, more thorough understanding of core academic topics.

This can be traced back to the IB Learner Profile, where students aren’t just called on to be good test-takers, but rather must be open-minded, skilled at critical and creative thinking, and effective at communication.

In the ACER study, one component also showed that IB students had good proportions of agreement in perceptions of school life, specifically in Deep Learning and Social Connectedness, illustrating how even students feel the benefits of the IB.

[swiss-school-blog]

Does early-life bilingual education cause developmental delays?

Bilingualism is one of the most historically controversial topics in modern education, with a history of debate that goes back to the first half of the 20th century.

In the past, a lot of this controversy was legitimately due to a lack of research, or uninformed education policies being instituted. But now, an ever-growing body of research is pointing to the positives of bilingualism, and it would do well to be informed about them.

Here are seven of the most important questions about bilingualism that can help dispel the widespread misinformation and misconceptions about it.

1. What does it mean to be bilingual?

Bilingual, at its most basic, means that you can speak two languages. Some people believe that to be considered bilingual, one must have equal or native-like proficiency in both languages, but this discounts people who speak a mother tongue natively, and a second tongue effectively, though without the same proficiency. In fact, most bilingual people use their languages for different purposes, and develop their skills in each language according to their needs. Most bilingual people therefore are actually not equally proficient.

The best definition of bilingual is simply someone who uses two languages in their daily life, regardless of their proficiency in either.

2. Does early-life bilingual education cause developmental delays?

This is one of the most popular and enduring myths about bilingual education, and it’s what most frequently gives parents pause when enrolling their child in a bilingual school. The fact is, the research does not support the notion that bilingual exposure results in speech disorders or developmental delays.

Besides – more than half the world’s population already raises its children in bilingual or even multilingual environments!

3. Is there a best time for second language acquisition?

Research by cognitive scientist’s shows that native-like language acquisition should start by the age of 10 for maximum effect, with acquisition tapering off by the age of 18

However, a separate body of research seems to indicate that age is less of a factor than we’ve thought for a long time. The difference in learning styles between adults and children might actually be a bigger determinant than previously thought, because children are more constantly immersed in the classroom and have plenty of opportunity to be quizzed and to interact with other speakers, while adults might only be learning in their free time.

4.  Is it bad to mix languages inside sentences?

Many bilingual cultures will know about code-switching, or the phenomenon of alternating between two languages when in conversation. Code-switching gets a bad rap for the potential of sullying development and proficiency in either language. However, research shows that it doesn’t actually have an impact on learning.

While it’s not inherently bad to code-switch, it’s important to be aware of the learning and maintenance styles associated with each language. Budding bilingual children should be given the support they need for both languages at all times.

5. What are the positive effects of bilingualism?

We’ve covered this many times: bilingualism confers many advantages to students. They generally perform better at school and demonstrate improved executive function, memory, and cognitive flexibility, among others. It also makes bilingual speakers more open-minded, and offers a variety of new worldviews – a valuable asset in an increasingly globalised and multicultural world.

6. Do bilingual children have a smaller vocabulary than their monolingual counterparts?

In each language that they know, a bilingual child may not know as many words compared to a monolingual native. However, this is because they learn according to need – they might know the right words for something in the language they use at school, while in their language at home, they have a different vocabulary available to them. Two different studies confirmed this, and also showed that about 30-37% of bilingual children’s vocabulary is composed of double translations – i.e. the same concept expressed in two languages.

7. Do bilingual people translate in their head from one language to another?

Mental cross-translation between two languages is a common occurrence early on when one is just starting to learn a second language. However, as proficiency grows in the second language, speakers start to speak naturally without translation.

8.  How can parents support their bilingual children’s language acquisition?

One of the most important ways by which children learn anything is by mirroring their parents, and this holds true for language attitudes. If a child can speak the same two languages that their parents speak, then it falls on the parents to reinforce the weaker language at home. Even if the parents do not speak the child’s second language, it’s important that they provide encouragement and support for learning that language, or else the child may become unmotivated to learn it.

We also provided a list of ways on how to encourage bilingualism at home. Goal setting, gentle mistake correction, and constant exposure to culture in the second language are some of these methods.

9. Do children forgot their learned languages?

Children are very quick to learn new languages, but also very quick to forget them if they’re not maintained. Like an untrained muscle, an unused or unsupported language may wither away. That’s why language support is so important to maintain bilingualism in youth.

10. What approaches should be used to support bilingual children?

Every approach has its own unique advantages and disadvantages. For example, the most popular and easiest to adopt method is the so-called “one person, one language” technique, where the child speaks one language with one parent, and another language with the other. This is very useful for parents with different mother tongues, but it may lead to the minority language not getting as much support.

Another technique involves starting with one language from a young age, and then slowly introducing the new language at the age of 4-5. This is more complex but it ensures strong proficiency in the mother tongue initially.

One of the best ways to learn is to combine home strategies with bilingual education programmers at school. Swiss International School in Dubai’s many bilingual streams are an excellent solution to bilingual support and maintenance, and offer an array of competent mother tongue speakers in many classes who will engage students in their languages of choice.

[swiss-school-blog]

Digital marketing for better Lead Generation

The digital platforms have changed the business we do and now become an important aspect for any marketer to keep up to the customers’ requirements. These platforms are known for building well-oiled lead generation machines via Google Adwords, SEO and Social Media platforms. 

It is simple to understand that online lead generation creates new selling chances by converting new visitors to customers. Let’s have a look on quick highlights:

Optimisation of landing page 

Multi-channel interactions- chat and call-back options

The event- triggered emails to follow-up for initial contact

Focus on the Social Media platform

Looking forward to Digital marketing, this doesn’t involve long marketing or buying process or online sales. It includes transactional websites. Here the customers get engaged in initial conversion by surfing and engaging to start purchasing by adding items in the purchase basket or add the items in the wishlist for future purchase. 

A few smart ways to generate leads

Direct engagement/ conversation with leads

Set up Direct & Indirect marketing

Invest in Mobile Apps and responsive websites

Lead generation via Social Media platform

Develop informative content and market it

Tap your database

Use automated marketing

Answer questions on Quora

Use of influencer marketing techniques

Participation in forums

These are a handful of strategies that we have included in this article, whichever you choose for the first time to experiment with ensuring that it is done in the right way. With right in-depth understanding, strategizing and implementing digital marketing campaigns in order to move to the target audiences is the motto. We at Vainavi Technologies can help you with lead generation activity through SEO, Social media platform and paid marketing.

[swiss-school-blog]

Things to do over the winter break v2

Happy holidays! As we make way for winter and the school break, the festive atmosphere settles, opening up plenty of opportunities to have great family-friendly fun throughout the city. There’s so much to do, it might take several seasons before you see it all!

If you’re looking for some fun-filled activities that you can enjoy with your loved ones over the break, you can’t go wrong with these things to do in Dubai during winter.

1. Visit Hatta

Hatta is a huge tourist spots just an hour and half’s drive away from the city. It’s filled with outdoor activities such as trekking, kayaking, mountain biking and bird watching. It also has a beautifully reconstructed Heritage Village that replicates the cultural and historical experience of the people of the region, especially before the area was developed in the 1960s. If you want to know more, check out VisitHatta.com.

2. Take a Trip to Al Ain

A beautiful oasis city right along the Oman border, the Garden City of Al Ain is the perfect place to relax and enjoy the beauty and cultural history of our country.

It features the 400-hectare Al Ain Zoo, which features a huge array of diverse species such as gazelles, giraffes, lions, and more. Thousands of animals call the Al Ain Zoo home, many of whom are endangered and represent profound conservation efforts by the zoo.

Another attraction is Al Jahili Fort, a fort built in the 1890s to protect the palm farmers of the region. One of the most iconic castles in the UAE, it features several exhibits and activities that pay tribute to Al Ain’s history. There’s also another fort, Qasr Al Muwaiji, which is well-known as the birthplace of Sheik Zayed, our President.

You can also check out Al Ain National Museum, which contains many historical artifacts including Bronze and Iron Age-era findings on display. There are also cultural exhibitions featuring the life and times of the previous inhabitants of the UAE.

3. Dive into the Past at Mleiha

If you want to experience an archaeological adventure, check out the Mleiha Archaeological Centre. The region is built around a dig site, a remarkably well-preserved tomb from the Bronze Age-era Umm Al Nar civilization. Take part in the excavation programme and you might just help dig up a new artifact from the past! Check out the website to know more.

4. Visit Wasit Wetland Centre in Sharjah

Coastal wetlands were once a common terrain feature along the Western reaches of the UAE. Today, Wasit Wetland Centre provides a glimpse of one of these wetlands, or sabkhas, as well as the kind of avian wildlife that called it home. You’ll get to view both native and migrant fauna in the centre.

5. Explore the Global Village

One of the most iconic winter attractions in Dubai is the Global Village, which is only open this season! Enjoy a festival that lasts for months long, celebrating the diverse multicultural melting pot that is Dubai. Experience wild concerts and shows, amazing shopping opportunities, and delicious food from all over the world.

Get Help from Your School for Great Activities over the Break

A healthy balance of fun and productive is the best mix for any long break. It helps your child keep their mind sharp and refresh their skills and memory for their return.

At SISD: Schools In Dubai, our educators are always willing to help your kids achieve the best they can, both in and out of school days. Ask our teachers for educational resources and fun games that will be perfect for your child over the winter break!

[swiss-school-blog]

Coffee Morning talk by our PYP Coordinator

Since they started in January, our Coffee Morning sessions have been a huge hit in the community, having helped our parents and guardians understand the different practices and frameworks that we use at Swiss International School in Dubai. Now, one of our most important sessions has just completed! In this article, we give you a brief rundown of the Coffee Morning talk by our PYP Coordinator, Mrs. Shona Gastaldi, and discuss everything you need to know about this critical stage in your child’s education.

Our PYP Coordinator

Shona is a Primary Educator at heart, having received her education in this field at the University of Edinburgh. She’s spent over half a decade in the UAE teaching and coordinating international school programmes, and she has plenty of experience in the IB PYP as well, along with the this Curriculum for Excellence and Cambridge Primary curricula.

As SISD’s PYP Coordinator, Shona is responsible for meeting with teachers to facilitate learning and teaching, observing primary students’ learning process and giving feedback to the administration, helping teachers develop themselves professionally, and monitoring the progress of all PYP students.

Myths and Truths

Across many of our blog posts and videos, we’ve discussed how the IB is all about creativity, child-led learning, and focuses the narrative away from textbook memorisation in favour of critical thinking.

Shona is quite aware of the misconceptions surrounding this, though. It’s not to say that we don’t adopt some of the tried-and-tested techniques of education throughout the years, and she dispelled some of these myths in her talk.

MYTH: IBPYP does not have any curriculum content.

The PYP does have a flexible structure, but it would be impossible to teach students by the seat of your pants, so to speak, without any form of guiding framework. To that end, IB PYP schools are provided with a framework that is internationally accredited and benchmarked against the performance and needs of other schools. The sequence in which the curriculum is taught is also given.

MYTH: IBPYP schools do not use textbooks.

This myth stems from an overreaction to the IB’s assertion that learning is more attuned towards problem-solving rather than rote memorization and textbook-based learning. The PYP does in fact employ textbooks as a source of knowledge, though we don’t necessarily follow them in order.

MYTH: Learning in an IBPYP school is only guided by student questions/interest.

The student-centric and child-led learning environment is important, just as is the focus on developing student inquiry. But students won’t be able to ask the right questions if they’re not equipped with the right tools and skills, or the right knowledge. The PYP uses curriculum maps and guidelines to plan teaching and learning to give students a starting point from which to explore the realms of knowledge.

MYTH: Learning in a IBPYP school focuses on creativity and not rigour

Yes, there is a substantial focus on creativity over academic rigour, but not to the exclusion of the latter. The PYP, just like the IB, is a holistic approach that prepares students to be inquirers, but it also asks them to be knowledgeable as well, and there are high expectations of students being able to develop both.

MYTH: IBPYP framework is the same in all IBPYP schools.

There’s a certain expectation of a curriculum having a degree of uniformity across all schools. However, the IB only provides a set of common program standards and practices. These are then adapted to the needs of each school. This is an important consideration for schools in regions of very different cultural backgrounds.

The International Baccalaureate Programme

The mission of the IB is as follows:

The International Baccalaureate® aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.

To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.

These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

Every aspect of the mission statement is reflected in every programme of the IB, from EYP all the way to the Diploma Programme.

To this effect, the IB learner profile establishes what every IB student is geared towards becoming:

Inquirers

Knowledgeable

Thinkers

Communicators

Principled

Open-minded

Caring

Risk-takers

Balanced

Reflective

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0RyaAsVNGU

The Essential Elements of the PYP

The ultimate goal of the IB is to create lifelong learners who can eventually become productive, 21st-century global citizens and members of society. The IB believes this is developed through the IB Learner Profile, which prepares students with a variety of hard and soft skills that will be important for the future workplace and the collaborative society that awaits us.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOhS6viEg4w

In the PYP, this is developed from an early age by these essential elements:

Knowledge

Any knowledge learned in the PYP is taken not just from a local perspective, but also a global mindset that will allow students to see the world from an international lens.

Approaches to learning

Skills learned in the PYP aren’t just for the purpose of doing better in one class or another. Every skill, from communication and collaboration to problem-solving and creativity, are applied in every subject and field, and will eventually lead to better skills in life.

Attitudes

Self-reflection is an essential element of the PYP, and it allows students to take ownership of their own achievements and eventually become lifelong, independent learners.  

Action

Learning isn’t just about getting better grades or impressing teachers. Learning is about preparing for the future, and applying knowledge and concepts outside the classroom. The IB has always wanted for learning to take place both in and out of the classroom, and the PYP is no different.

Key Concepts

Every concept learned in the PYP isn’t just limited to one subject, but represents a transdisciplinary approach that allows for holistic learning. Students don’t just go from class to class with knowledge neatly filed away for use with just Maths or Humanities, but every idea is applied evenly across all fields.

Supporting Inquiry            

Key Concepts are one of the most important demonstrations of the PYP’s inquiry-led approach. They reflect how every concept is taught in a transdisciplinary, holistic way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ylmVT5lkck

Form

“What is it like?” Form reflects the fact that every concept has observational qualities that can be described and codified.

Function

“How does it work?” Function denotes the understanding that all things have a purpose or behaviour that can be explored.

Causation

“Why is it the way it is?” Causation underlines that actions have consequences, and all things can be traced to a series of relationships with their causes.

Change

“How is it changing?” Change is inevitable, and this concept is explored heavily in the PYP as students are exposed to how things evolve, whether it’s animals or societies.

Connection

“How is it all connected?” Virtually nothing exists in isolation. The concept of connection shows that even the smallest action has a ripple effect on things that it interacts with.

Perspective

“What are the points of view?” There is no one universal perspective, and the PYP aims to instill the reality in students that everyone sees things differently, whether because of culture, upbringing, or discipline.

Responsibility

“What is our responsibility?” Understanding something isn’t the end of it. The responsibility to act based on understanding falls on every person, and their actions will lead to societal change.

Reflection

”How do we know?” Reflection ultimately shows that no two students learn the same way, no two concepts are understood exactly the same, and no two people will come to the same exact conclusion. Reflection helps students understand how they came to understand something, and through this, they can analyse whether the foundation of their knowledge is correct.

Shona described the process of applying these Key Concepts in a hypothetical progression of learning:

“We don’t study dinosaurs, we study extinction. We don’t study French Revolution, we learn about peace and conflict. We don’t learn the Swiss cantons by heart, we learn about territories, how they are formed and what do they mean across the world.”

Consequences. Change. Connection. Perspective. Virtually every concept can be found somewhere in this brief sequence of learning, and it represents the essence of inquiry – for every student to ask, explore, and discover more beyond what they’re taught, and in doing so, develop their abilities to learn independently.

Furthermore, inquiry can guide learning beyond the sequence expected in the curriculum. Shona gave a real-world example of our own students in the PYP:

Grade 4 students had a unit on systems, in which they studied how things work. One student really wanted to learn more about the cardiovascular system, so the class explored this system and how it works, but they didn’t stop there, they learned how everything is connected and thus learned about the whole body. To take it one step further, they even studied how one event doesn’t only affect one system; we discussed the impact of our lifestyle choices and the effects of a healthy diet on the cardiovascular system.

Conclusion

The PYP supports a critical, foundational stage in the learning of every child. By employing an inquiry-based approach, students don’t just learn and absorb passively; they participate in the learning process, and along the way, they

learn how to learn

. This is a unique benefit of the PYP that will ensure the formation of lifelong learners, who are able to expand their own horizons and are better prepared for life beyond schools

[swiss-school-blog]

How to choose the best school for your child

It should come as no surprise that your choice of which school you’ll send your child to shall have a profound effect on their development. Everything from the curriculum they use and their academic environment, to the number of teachers they have per classroom and even their location are all important considerations that you have to weigh against all other options.

If you don’t know yet what you should be looking at, here’s a cheat sheet of some of the most important things to consider when you’re choosing the best school for your child.

1. Academic Programme

What could be more important than the very foundation of your child’s education? The curriculum of a school should always be a factor of utmost importance. For example, if you have aspirations of your child going to university abroad, then you need to pick an appropriate, internationally-recognized curriculum that is accepted in the country of choice. We broke down the pros and cons of the biggest international curricula in a previous article.

Swiss International School in Dubai, for example, uses the International Baccalaureate programme, whose academic rigour and inquiry-based learning contribute to a flexible learning environment that prepares students for university anywhere in the world – and beyond.

2. Teacher Qualifications

What good is a solid curriculum without quality teachers to back it up? You should look into the kind of teachers that your school employs and observe their qualifications. Ensure that all teachers must require a certain certification or degree in education. You should also look at the seniority of the administration, and what kind of background they have in governing schools.

3. Student-Teacher Ratio

The proportion of students relative to the number of teachers is an important statistic that might be overlooked by many parents searching for hard numbers. While there is no generally agreed-upon figure for the best ratio, it’s generally agreed that a smaller ratio – i.e. fewer students per teacher – is best for learning and engagement. In addition, younger students will benefit even more from lower ratios, as early learners need more attention.

It may be wise to ask parents of students who have attended that school for an idea of how many students are taught in each class. Alternatively you can ask the school itself for figures.

4. Tuition Fees, And What Is Included

School is justifiably expensive, but not every school gives you the same benefits for the same tuition. Some schools such as SISD may offer additional benefits such as childcare, school activity enrollment, books, and even inclusivity measures.

5. Practicality

Every family’s requirements are different. Sometimes you may need to check for the availability of a bus or other transport service from home to school. Others may want a school that serves healthy lunches, and takes allergies and other dietary requirements into account. Choose a school that targets all of your practical needs, or at least the ones that matter.

6. After-School Activities (ASAs)

Your child’s development doesn’t stop after school hours. By exposing them to many things outside of the classroom, such as science or language clubs and sports teams, and giving them the choice of what to learn, they will develop into well-rounded individuals, and may even uncover hidden expertise or preferences that they’d never have discovered otherwise. It’s therefore important for a school to have many ASAs to choose from.

SISD offers a large variety of after-school activities that can cater to a variety of interests. These are included in our tuition fee, so there’s no downside to sending your child to one!

7. Personalized Learning

One important principle of modern education is that every student works best when their education is tailored to their needs. The important thing to look for then is whether a school features personalized learning that caters to the strengths and weaknesses of every child. There should also be a student-centered learning environment that supports this guidance, as well as language support programmes to help bridge the gap between speakers of various languages.

8. Inclusivity

Every child has certain needs. Nowhere is this more evident than students experiencing SEND, or special educational needs and disabilities. As outlined by the KHDA, the inclusivity framework implores schools to provide for these students, and ensure that they get the support they need.

SISD is no stranger to this concept. We have an entire inclusion policy of our own, as well as a dedicated Head of Inclusion to coordinate efforts in this regard. Similarly, we help support students who are considered gifted or talented, and give them the support they need to excel!

9. Progress-Tracking

The way a school tracks student progress is essential in order to determine how each student is taught and managed. Without a reliable student progress metric, children won’t be able to know their areas for improvement, and they may not be given the necessary support by their teachers.

SISD complies with the best practices of the IB programme, including its use of

eAssessments

. Not only will students get the benefits of strong assessment, these eAssessments are also recognized all over the world, ensuring that there is a record of their performance that can be accepted at schools.

[swiss-school-blog]

25 posts!

[swiss-school-blog]

Middle Years Programme Assessments and Your Child

In the past, we’ve brought up the problems of assessment that plague students, as well as the opportunities to use technology to improve education. Now, with the MYP eAssessment, the International Baccalaureate tackles both in the quest to improve the way students’ performance is measured.

What is the MYP eAssessment?

The eAssessment is designed to be taken by MYP students at the age of 16, upon the completion of the Middle Years Programme. The eAssessment takes place in front of computer displays, rather than being conducted on paper with an exam proctor.

In the MYP eAssessment, only a quarter of the covered material is actually based on rote memorization, and the rest is primarily driven by inquiry and critical thinking. This reflects the IB’s preference for the development of critical thinking and creativity over simple fact-based, textbook learning – an important preference in the information age, which has provided every student with near-unlimited access to information any time they need it.

Certain subjects also require the compilation of an ePortfolio, a set of creative and reflective coursework that provide a more holistic assessment of student achievements in those fields. The ePortfolio, as an essential part of the eAssessment, provides a more complete picture of how students are doing, and encourages students to form professional, organised means of collecting their thoughts and demonstrating their achievements.

After students complete their eAssessment, their answers and portfolios are sent to external assessors, separately from their parent school. Students are carefully marked with the MYP assessment criteria in mind, based on how their answers demonstrate not just the knowledge that they have, but also the epistemological understanding of their own knowledge and how effectively they can apply it.

Every student completes 8 eAssessments, including the onscreen subjects, ePortfolios, personal project, and either Physical Health Education, Design, or Arts. Each of the eAssessments has equal weight, with a grade assigned from 1-7. The maximum score is 56, and students need to get a grade of 28 to pass the eAssessments.

What are the advantages of the MYP eAssessment?

One of the most important aspects of the eAssessment is the electronic format itself. Students generally consider the onscreen exam to be far more engaging than paper-based exams, because it more closely resembles the tech-based learning in which they engage regularly.

Because the exams are interactive, they also allow for more dynamic forms of examination. Questions can be designed with far more unique opportunities for creative answers. Videos can be played, and interactive diagrams can be manipulated. Students can even draw lines and pictures or work with graphs for mathematical tests. All of these allow for very interesting forms of interaction that allow for types of assessment that would never have been possible with paper-based exams.

The primarily analytical nature of the eAssessments is also a step above other forms of examination. By focusing on this kind of knowledge, students are judged on the basis of their ability to understand and manipulate what they’ve learned, as well as connect it to the greater world.

Recognition of the eAssessment

In 2019, over 77,000 MYP students took the eAssessment. The programme has won numerous awards for innovation in technology and education, and it’s certainly the future benchmark for how the IB will gauge student performance.

In addition, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual), which regulates the standards of examination in England, is officially regulating and endorsing the eAssessments, which both validates and ensures the quality of assessment.

In short, the eAssessments are recognized all over the world, and your child stands to benefit from the best assessments of their performance.

The eAssessment and SISD

At SISD, we offer the MYP eAssessment as part of our mission to provide our students with the best of the IB curriculum. As your children walk away from our doors, diplomas in hand, you can be assured that they’ve been assessed well by the programme that taught them the important skills for the future, and that they’ll be ready for what the world has to offer.

[swiss-school-blog]

Work Placement Initiatives of Swiss International School in Dubai

Last year, Swiss International School in Dubai instituted our Work Placement Programme for the first time. The initiative was a great success, and our students were able to do real work at companies such as Arcadis, Mövenpick, and Winston & Strawn LLP. Unlike many “internships” where students barely do anything, our Grade 10 students performed research that was actually used, assisted with front office work, and helped company staff with whatever they needed.

Following the success of the programme, we’ve reinstated it for 2019, with yet another batch of Grade 10 students ready to get very real life working experience with a brand-new set of companies. Let’s look at what happened for 2019’s Work Placement Programme.

What is the purpose of the Work Placement Programme?

The Work Placement Programme is designed to connect our students with opportunities that can provide them with early real-life experience in the workplace. This has a fourfold purpose:

To help students better understand the kind of demands and requirements that the modern workplace will ask of them

To give students the opportunity to practice key soft skills such as critical thinking and creativity, which they’ll, need in order to thrive in the 21st century workforce

To provide insight into students’ chosen fields, helping them determine the future of their careers

To motivate students to improve and develop a diverse skill set

The companies

Swiss International School in Dubai students were sent to five different companies – Givaudan, Blue Logic, German Bakery, Nestle, and AW Rostamani. Here are some of their experiences.

Givaudan

One of our partner companies was Swiss-based cosmetics, fragrance and flavouring manufacturer Givaudan. We sent our student Salah El-Danaf here, where he explored the fragrance and flavours departments at the company’s snack lab, beverages, and sweets areas. He was able to observe the manufacturing processes for the industry, performs market research, and even participated in testing, evaluating, and pricing of products.

At the end of his time in the Work Placement Programme, Salah gave a presentation on his time and experiences in the company, and took questions as well. His performance as a participant was well-received, with Givaudan HR manager Joe John saying, “Salah has shown a lot of maturity. He was at ease and confident. He would be a great asset to any company.”

Blue Logic

Another company was Blue Logic, a digital marketing and design agency. Our student Amr Lanjri was assigned here, where he ended up being their youngest intern at just 15 years of age. He was assigned to performing industry research on chatbots, which are becoming an increasingly popular way for brands to reach out to their audiences. He also performed intensive testing on company chatbots, using natural-language testing to ensure that they behaved normally and provided users with the information they need.

Bakers Kitchen

Five of our students were assigned to the German-owned café and bakery Bakers Kitchen. They assisted with tasks in the kitchen, preparing ingredients, organizing store displays, bussing tables, and serving customers. The owner, Sven, was very impressed with their work, saying, “It was a very nice experience, they were respectful and they have done their best to fulfill their training.”

Great Progress

For our second iteration of the programme, we were able to refine the processes that worked in the past and streamlined our interaction with the partner businesses. Our students were able to contribute more than ever, and we hope that they learned a lot from their stay at each business.