International Schools Blog

In her first article, Paula Rowlands outlined how a smooth transition between the MYP and DP is supported by having a seamless continuity of mathematics concepts, fostering a sense of curiosity and inquiry throughout the MYP, developing problem-solving, a consistent development of ATL skills, and the integration of the graphic display calculator as a learning aid prior to starting the DP course.

Climate change is something that children and young people are very aware of. Eco-anxiety – the psychological impact of the climate crisis and fear of the future – affects enormous numbers of children and young people.

According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs 2020 Report, by 2025, 85 million jobs will be transformed by increased use of automation and robots. Furthermore, it is estimated that 97 million new professional roles more suited to the new division of labour between man, machine and algorithms, could emerge from this change.

In recent years, many institutions have experienced cuts to the arts. In the UK this has meant reduced lesson time, staff and resources for creative pursuits. In the US there has been more of a push towards traditional STEM subjects. And a study in Turkey recently found a creativity gap between students’ in school and out-of-school activity.

The German university admission authority Anabin has announced more flexible arrangements for students taking UK curriculum qualifications.

Literacy skills are incredibly important for children and young people. The ability to read, write and communicate effectively is crucial in every subject and at every educational level, from primary classrooms to university lecture halls and beyond. What’s more, according to research from the National Literacy Trust, children who enjoy reading and writing are happier. So, how can we support students to develop these essential skills, and make literacy a priority in our international school classrooms?

Paula Rowlands has taught International GCSE, A Level, MYP and DP Mathematics since 2007 and is currently the Head of Mathematics at an MYP and DP School in Switzerland. She is a co-author for Pearson’s new Mathematics for the IB Middle Years Programme series and shares in this article her observations on how teachers can support a successful transition from MYP to DP Mathematics.

Starting a new job is exciting, but also nerve wracking. There’s a steep learning curve when you join a new international school – but there are some strategies you can employ to make sure you get off to a flying start in your new role.

After the challenges we’ve seen in education over the past year or so, we’ve been speaking to teachers and leading maths experts on how they see the changes to teaching and learning impacting on the future of primary maths.

Teaching is one of the caring professions. Teachers are deeply invested in their students’ happiness and wellbeing – it comes with the territory.