Arusha Campus News – 31 Oct 2020

The spooky scene outside the Perfromance Area last night…….just right for Hallowe’en!

Well a big thank you to our fabulous PTA and wonderful Diploma Students for hosting a spectacular Hallowe’en celebration on Arusha Campus last night. As I locked up my office to join the fun, I was met with the scene (pictured above) which encapsulated the mood of the night completely!

A big well done to Ida, Nenya, Harsh, Teckla, Miss Angela and Mr Isack for scaling the heights of Kilimanjaro last weekend. We are so proud of you and glad to have you back in one piece. Congratulations. We look forward to reading all about your climb in next week’s newsletter.

As the first drops of rain hit Arusha Campus we are thankful and hopeful that the dust that has been billowing for weeks will finally be dampened and the new grass will start to carpet our building site. Its great timing!

FINALLY, dont miss the Spicy Meatballs if you can avoid it…..playing at Smileys from 6pm on Sunday!

Have a super weekend.

Phil

Maths is a vital part of our everyday lives. Building a positive attitude and relationship with mathematics is extremely important.

The following information is adapted from Allison Master’s research.
Math is part of children’s everyday lives. Math is measuring, sorting, building, noticing patterns, making comparisons, and describing the environment, as well as counting and knowing the names of shapes. There are many ways to incorporate math learning into everyday moments.
Talking about math is also important and every bit of math talk helps. Research shows a small increase in math talk, such as asking about how many objects there will be if we add one or take one away, brings big results.
It’s important to believe your child can get better at math and develop mathematical skills. Growth mindset, the belief that we can keep learning and getting better at math, is very important in supporting children to become mathematicians. Try saying, “Let me try to figure that out”. Parents words and attitude matter!
When children focus on problem solving rather than on getting the right answer they learn more.
You can foster a positive attitude toward math: Find ways to incorporate enjoyable math activities and math talk into regular activities like cooking, setting the table, and going for a neighborhood walk. Find math activities that YOU enjoy and feel confident doing.
It’s okay to make mistakes. Mistakes help us learn! Focus on problem solving and using mistakes as an opportunity to promote a growth mindset, “Let’s try again.”

https://www.naeyc.org/our-work/families/things-know-about-math

Amanda

The EC’s went on a field trip to the church this week. They have been learning about celebrations and festivals. 

This is to kindly inform you that from now on we will have a separate section on our newsletter dedicated to the MYP Curriculum news and updates. The purpose of this section is to familiarize you with the philosophy of the IB programs and its connection to UWC values. Every week you will be introduced to a key concept of the program and what we do here at UWC East Africa.

Inquiry-based learning
Inquiry-based Learning provides a framework of learning that encourages students to become creative, critical, and reflective thinkers. The MYP emphasizes intellectual challenge, encouraging students to make connections between their eight subject groups and the real world through five interactive areas. MYP fosters the development of essential 21st -century skills such as communication, intercultural understanding, and global engagement. The Personal Project is the capstone of the MYP.
Inquiry-based Learning includes teaching methods built on students’ individual knowledge and interests and emphasizes learning how to learn and how to find out, using both traditional and contemporary media. Each teacher has the mandate that the learning within their classroom must be engaging, relevant, challenging, and significant. Learning is constructed in a way that is differentiated or that is specific to the needs of each learner within the classroom. Teachers work closely with their colleagues to constantly reflect, review, and revise the program and collaboration is an expected part of the school community.

 

What do we do here at UWC to foster inquiry-based learning?
“Personal challenge” is one of the UWC values. MYP unit plans are designed in a way that there is room for challenges where students need to learn from them and take responsibility for their own learning. This is in line with the tenets of inquiry-based learning, an example of which is MYP Interdisciplinary units, CCAs, and OP trips.

Our next topic that is connected to the inquiry-based learning will be the “IB Learner Profile”.

Hamid Rezayi
MYP Coordinator

Tamutenda, Katanu and Vasty investigating their Internal Assessment on Mt Meru this weekend

The IB Internal Assessment component of the Diploma Priogramme  is a unique partnership between the student, the instructor, and the IB examiner. While neither the instructor nor the student ever has contact with the examiner, all are working from the exact set of criteria in constructing, guiding, and evaluating the finished product.
The IA can be a paper, project, oral exam, workbook, or series of experiments, depending on the individual IB class.
Oral work in languages
Fieldwork in geography
Investigations in Maths
Artistic performances and portfolios in Art/Theatre

In my case, I teach Environmental Systems which is considered a Science and so we rely on field work or laboratory experiments to form the basis of our IA.

The IA is heavily criterion-referenced and is marked internally by the course instructor. THEN, the IB then selects a sample of all completed IA’s per class and these are forwarded to IB.

This weekend, Tamutenda, Katanu and Vasty were game to wake up at 5am on Thursday and head up to three different sites on the Themi River. We left the best until last and drove as far as we could up Mt Meru where we hypothesised the Themi water would be cleanest. We had a bracing morning exploration in the mist!

Phil

Collecting water and soil from the freezing rapids