Speak up and Speak out

The opportunities provided in an international environment are amazing. Not only is there a multi cultural student body, but also a parent body willing to come together to help each other and improve the education and the chances their children have. Below is an academic paper written for the Sino British College in Shanghai that formed the basis of my most recent talk at the Wellington College Festival of Education where I encouraged parents to think about three things:

1: Growth Mindset

2: How they can help schools

3: How they can help schools help them

The article below outlines one of the projects I have been running at the school this past year - thoughts and feedback are very welcome

Cross-cultural developments in the curriculum: Community engagement in the learning of History in an international school environment – a developing study

Barry Cooper – Wellington College International, Shanghai

To better teach and understand History in International Schools we can use the skills and experiences of those around us to far greater effect.

Abstract

This is a developing study of the use of parents and other friends of the school to enhance and develop the pupils’ experience in the classroom.

Believing that pupils within the ‘Third Culture’ would benefit from grounding and background knowledge and that the varied backgrounds, expertise and enthusiasms of the Wellington College Shanghai community could be harnessed to encourage this knowledge and enhance the learning experience we developed a series of seminars and invitational events within the History department.

The article lays out the initial inspiration for the project, the first attempts, outcomes, the proposed next steps and the additional benefit to the school community.  

But what do we mean by better?

Teachers are passionate and often we find that the greater the intrigue, interest and connection to a subject, the better a student’s eventual understanding. But this is anecdotal and something that comes from our own experiences. Speaking to other professionals within Wellington College with more experience of education Research than me they said ‘There isn't a lot of research to suggest a link between exam outcomes and attainment there also isn't a measure for "inspiration and interest"…But, to imagine a school without inspiration and interest would make me sad.’[1] There are some areas that provide further reading and allow for a general assumption that engagement and inspiration with develop the learning of the student.[2]

If we are to assume even a slight correlation between inspiration, interest and the eventual attainment of a pupil in a subject. The more they are drawn in, the better their eventual result. We as educators have to do everything in our power to engage. When teaching in an international environment we can use the wide and varied life experience of parents and friends of schools to encourage our pupils to examine different ways of approaching a subject and provide multiple perspectives from multiple experiences. International schools provide just this environment.

Identity underpins attainment and progress. At Wellington the college has a well-defined view of itself and its approach to education.

- the stakeholders have the courage to take risks

- everyone aims high and reflects on their performance, in order to improve the next time

- we foster a culture of leadership and responsibility throughout, giving pupils and staff the opportunity to fly with the ideas they are passionate about and providing training for all to become better leaders, whether it be in the classroom, on the sports field or indeed on any public platform

- we encourage an International mindedness, embracing and respecting self and others, including those from different cultures and religions, wanting to know more so that we can better understand other peoples’ beliefs and backgrounds

- we engender an innate social responsibility, creating a community that can see beyond ‘self’ and is able to consider how others may benefit.

- we show kindness in everything we do and go out of our way to help other people.

- we espouse integrity and honesty, doing the right thing, even if this means not following the crowd.  

Thus the Wellington Identity is created whereby students are: inspired, intellectual, independent, individual and inclusive. [3]

We are asking whether the input from a personal perspective on history can generate inspiration and deeper intellectual engagement with the subject content. As a platform on which to build, the strength and cohesive nature of the Wellington Identity shown above as well as a teaching culture that accepts the view of multiple intelligences gives the educator license to develop teaching and educational experiences. Given the strong platform, we took the risk to engage parents and friends.

What did we do?

This programme began life as a careers programme in a Scottish boarding school called Loretto. While serving as Director of Marketing and Admissions I was frustrated that there was a lack of opportunity for boys and girls to talk to people about the jobs they hoped to one day go on to have. Careers fairs were thin on the ground and the opportunity for meaningful discussion was simply not there. I also wanted to improve the schools relationship with its stakeholders (especially parents) and thought involving them in an academic programme was a good way to get them more involved and, if the programme was successful it was a way of improving word of mouth.

Parents in independent boarding schools come from a particular demographic. They are, for the most part, educated to at least degree level, successful in what they do and they are motivated to provide the very best they can for their family. Joining a community like a boarding school they are often community orientated. Groups and networks are formed very quickly and many of the parents would have attend either that same school or others like it. The need to give back and pay forward is tangible.

I invited parents to come and speak for twenty minutes at a time. They were to answer two questions: what do you do, and why is it great?

The programme was a successful in that it provided the careers element that the school was missing and provided a foundation on which to build. It encouraged attendance of between 8 to 27 students per session and formed some links that went on to be exploited by canny students, there were two internships/work experience offers made. It also saw a number of parents sign for and deliver seminars, increasing the contact with the school, developing good work of mouth all while helping the pupils.

Moving into international education in China I found the parent body was similar to the make up in HMC Boarding schools: all educated to degree level, successful in their chosen field, international in their outlook, often bi-lingual and multicultural and again, like boarding schools, they are very community driven. I also found a school with a far greater definition of what holistic education should look like. Wellington has defined its approach more specifically than most. That approach – insisting on an appreciation of 8 aptitudes amongst the students and staff, (Logical, Linguistic, Cultural, Physical, Social, Personal, Moral, Spiritual), the adoption of core values (Courage - Integrity - Kindness - Respect – Responsibility) and an identity where the students are tasked with being inspired, intellectual, independent individual and inclusive. The most important of these elements to the school is Inspired.

In the academic year 2015-2016 Wellington College Intl shanghai launched its first year of IB – at the heart of the History syllabus is a focus on Historiography – the varying perspectives on historical events. Having realized that the Wellington parent body consisted of many of the attributes that worked so well in the community orientated boarding schools - Parents were invited by me to volunteer to be part of a series of seminars that sought to explain varied national perspectives on History. The aim being that any parent could attend who had experience of connecting with history in whatever capacity.

The seminars were well attended with between 10 and 20 pupils attending at various times. The response from the parents was high with 10 volunteers. The sessions were chaired by a member of the history department and focused on these questions:

? How do you look at the history of your country?

? Who are the heroes – why are they heroes?

? Who are the villains – why are they villains?

? How were you taught to see other countries in school and by your parents?

? Has your view of the past changed as you’ve aged?

The seminars were conversational in nature, the aim being to elicit personal reflections on the study of and witnessing of history. Parents variously witnessed the last days of Imperial Singapore, the first days of partitioned India, the fall of the Berlin Wall and life during the Cultural Revolution. Some of the more interesting contributions were not necessarily from those who had had connections to important places or events, but those whose perspective came from a mixed background, dual citizenship, or had grown up overseas.

They also spoke in ways the students had not considered. The question of Empire for example was split into whether the imperial occupation was constructive or destructive. The issue of the fall of the Berlin wall was looked at through the eyes of a teenager. What did these things actually mean for the people at the heart of the events?

Student responses:

We were remiss in collecting data at the time, not thinking to publish our process or findings, however students taking IB and IGCSE latterly scored the session out of 10 in terms of utility, novelty and interest. While the novelty and utility scores were consistent with each other (Av 7.5 utility, Av. 7.7 Surprise) the students scored higher when asked about interest (Av. 8.7). The three judgements being asked for are each different. Utility has to be judged against a set of external factors, surprise against historical factors whereas interest is judged by the individual. There was a limited amount of written feedback – key elements included statements such as:

‘[The seminar was] interesting as on several occasions both the ‘heroes’ and ‘villains’ of an event would be telling their sides of the story’[4]

‘An opportunity to hear different perspectives’[5]

‘I thought it was really insightful to get to know about a place and time in history on a personal level rather than in a textbook’[6]

These quotes have been chosen as they all mention key words that are at the heart of the project: ‘interest’, ‘opportunity’ and ‘personal’. The responses in this case spoke to the overall aims. To deliver something of interest that could perhaps inspire the students to delve further into their studies. This desire to look further into their studies is essentially giving students the license to take ownership of their learning and the target of having independent learners is closer to reality. If the aim was to generate inspiration amongst the pupils the increasing numbers attending the seminars attest to that. If the purpose has been to involve the community further in the school and the academic life of the school it has certainly enabled that.

While we cannot claim that the seminars or other parent interaction has increased the attainment by the pupils, we can say that it is developing a culture

Developing the idea further:

It was felt, given the success of the first round of these seminars that a second round would work with more focus on the areas that occupy the majority of History study in IB and IGCSE curriculum. These areas are religion, economics and politics. A letter was sent to the parents and friends of the school:

Dear Parents,

This is a request for parent volunteers.

Last year, thanks to some fantastic parental volunteers, the History department was able to run three seminars with the pupils that helped them better understand how History is taught and understood in different countries across the globe, including Germany, India, Lebanon, Australia and more.

The pupils at Wellington College are from a variety of cultures and as such their parents too come from a broad range of backgrounds. Managing to harness the amazing teaching potential of the parent body last year was a great benefit to the pupils and so we would like to expand the programme this year.

We are looking for volunteers to help with three seminars. These seminars will focus on a key theme in History – Religion, trade or politics. Our aim is to bring people together who are able to explain something about their experience of the theme and then, with prompting from questions, reflect on its connection to our shared international history. There are three elements we are looking for:

1.Any parent willing to talk about religion: especially those who have experience of or practice eastern religions.

2.Any parent willing to talk about working in trade or finance internationally.

3.Any parent willing to talk about international diplomacy or life in the military.

If you feel you may be able to offer something to one of these seminars, please do get in touch with me directly – e mail address supplied

With kind regards

Barry Cooper

Head of History

The response was stronger than the first time. Parents who felt they had something concrete to offer immediately responded. There were 18 volunteers. These volunteers were then e-mailed with more direct questions about how they felt about the seminar – whether they wished to talk for 5 minutes or 50. There was a mixed response to this question – many were keen to have more time as they had deep experience or passion about one of the areas.

The sessions will start after this paper has been written, but we are hoping for a similar result.

Reflections

The rationale for involving parents in extending the understanding and the breadth of the students’ educational experience in History is that they, the parents, can offer the life experience, first-hand accounts, personal reflection, examples of application and differing perspectives not achievable in the classroom. While a class teacher can point students to the requisite sources to discover for themselves the varying perspectives, the opportunity to cross examine is lost. By connecting parent experiences of their past and their actions today to the study of history, we are able to turn it from an academic subject studied at a removed position, to one that is studied within the world. This connection increases the interest, the lateral connections to other areas of study and develops curiosity about the world.

Further to this it engages a parent body often kept at a remove from school activity and offers them a real chance to impact the lives of learners.

International schools are an ideal marketplace for this model. Because of the rules that many countries put in place around the offering of roles to foreigners, expats are often highly educated or highly successful and have a broad set of experiences. They are often keen to invest their time in their children, their communities and the local schools where that sense of community can be built further. Further to this their experiences can be applied to areas outside the humanities. Parent seminars of this kind could work equally well in first or second language classrooms or science classrooms.

Next steps

Encouraging parental engagement in their sons and daughters lives is of paramount importance, even if we cannot convince them to volunteer to work with others. A number of educationalists are now pushing the importance of working with parents to develop children’s experience.[7]

This has been identified as a process of parental engagement with the education at Wellington College Shanghai. We have found despite initial skepticism and reluctance to appear as an expert parents have been keen to lend their time and energy as the programme has progressed.

This programme could be fine-tuned and developed into something that targets elements of the curriculum, however to do that removes what makes it important to both parents and students, the personal connection to the curriculum.

Footnotes

[1] Conversation with Beejesh Deva, Director of Teaching and Learning, Wellington College Shanghai

[2]See Meyer, D. K., & Turner, J. C. (2006) Re-conceptualizing Emotion and Motivation to Learn in

Classroom Contexts. Educational Psychology Review. 18:377-390

Dunleavy, J. & Milton, P. (2009). What did you do in school today? Exploring the concept of Student Engagement and its implications for Teaching and Learning in Canada. Toronto: Canadian Education Association (CEA), 1-22.

Claxton, G. (2007). Expanding young people’s capacity to learn. British Journal of Educational Studies. 55(2), 1-20.

Prensky, M. (2005). Engage me or enrage me. EDUCASE Review, 40(5), 61–64.

Willms, J. D. (2003). Student Engagement at School: A Sense of Belonging and Participation. Results from PISA 2000. Paris: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Accessed October 2010 from

https://www.unb.ca/crisp/pdf/0306.pdf

[3] Extract from internal document (WC Statement of Values)

[4] Year 13 pupil

[5] Year 11 pupil

[6] Year 13 pupil

[7] Kathryn Weston, Director, Keystone Aspire: Telegraph Festival of Education at The Wellington College 2016

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