One of the reasons for having the Global Education Forum is to have one day where we can step back, where we don’t have to work, and can start thinking and reflecting on what we normally do. I hope that today has sparked maybe just one thought, one new idea, something that you just might do differently.
——Mark Bishop,
Executive Headmaster
High School Principal and Head of Songjiang Campus
On 23rd October, Pao School held its third annual Global Education Forum (GEF) on Hongqiao Campus. The forum was honoured to welcome 11 distinguished experts from China, the United States, Canada, Australia and other countries to discuss this year’s theme ‘Building Relationships to Promote Lifelong Learning’. During the forum, the workshops covered a variety of topics, including Intercultural Competence, Teacher-Student Relationships, Mindfulness, and Key Competencies.
GEF is organised by Pao School’s Professional Learning Centre (PLC), which was founded in September 2017 with the goal of establishing YK Pao School as a Centre for Excellence in professional development for educators in China and across the region. In line with the school’s goals of continual development, the PLC aims to improve the quality of teaching in all classrooms through providing teachers with ongoing performance reviews, skill development opportunities, and access to participate in internal and external professional growth offerings such as GEF.
This year, GEF overcame many barriers to ensure that epidemic prevention measures were upheld, whilst maintaining high quality offerings and opportunities for the school’s staff. Overseas speakers delivered their talks online, whilst Chinese speakers were invited to give their sessions in-person, allowing experts from around the globe to share their expertise. Despite these barriers, Pao School’s dedication to seeking the best in Chinese and international pedagogical knowledge shone through in adopting new methods for delivering the forum’s talks remotely.
The Global Education Forum provides teachers with a chance to reflect on various pedagogies, think about the role educational theories play in exploring new teaching models, and have fruitful discussions. In sum, it is an excellent professional development platform for teachers.
——Caroline Xu,
Deputy Head (Academics)
Principal of Middle School and Head of Hongqiao campus
Siobhain Allum, Primary Principal and Head of Wuding Campus, states that there are four specific areas of focus for professional development this year at the Primary School: formative assessment, technology, language acquisition and teacher training. Across the year, a number of semi-regular workshops took part, both in Chinese and English.
She explains that, although the school faced unexpected challenges this year, the pandemic provided unforeseen opportunities for teachers to develop their technological skills, “During the online learning period, our PD sessions went on hold until we were back at school. We saw great collaborations across the teachers, as there were those who were more able to support those with less experience of using technology. Coming back this year we worked hard to listen to teachers about the types of group training that work best and have adapted our PD this year to cater for this – so far, it’s been working really well.”
In addition, she highlights that professional development is ‘a strength of the school’ and that many new additions to the faculty are deeply impressed by the resources poured into it. She ends, noting that many teachers say that prior coming to Pao School they have had limited opportunities to explore ways to improve and develop their teaching.
Pao School's mentors play a paramount role in cultivating the school's younger generation of teachers. According to mentor He Yanan, ever since the establishent of the Mentor Group nearly a decade ago, its members have focused intently on training young teachers. This training process is very hands-on. The mentors spend lots of time in the classroom observing young teachers, discovering their shortcomings and helping them become better teachers.
In the workshop, Principal Matthew Wu and mentor He Ya’nan covered the topic of Teaching for Lifelong Learning," and shared her experience observing Pao School's teachers in the classroom. The workshop explored methods teachers can use to guide students to establish healthy interpersonal relationship and improve their learning ability.
Anthony Mulson, Humanities Teacher and Head of Staff Development at Middle School, states that one of the key goals of teacher development is to ensure that it is ‘practical and applicable’. He continues, explaining that in the early stages of professional development it is important to diagnose the teacher’s areas of interest for development, and where it falls in relation to the school’s needs – allowing the PLC to develop an overarching ‘common organisational goal’.
For him, GEF is especially valuable, as it gives teachers a platform for collaborative professional development, “It’s always fun to be back in the classroom, so for us to have the Global Education Forum, for teachers to come together at this time and be in the classroom with other professionals and share, it’s really a great relief and a great fortune that we have.”
The year 2020 is unprecedented as we face challenges of the COVID pandemic, lottery policy, and changing international economic and political context. Whilst adhering to the whole-person approach and “every student is unique” concept, Pao School is upholding its original aspiration amidst the ever-changing world, and have established various platforms for exchange, fostering new opportunities amid challenges and is making advances amid change.
——Wu Zijian, President
Workshop Presenters and Topics
Ann STRAUB
International Advisor for the Council of International Schools (CIS)
Topic: Relationships Are Everything: Intercultural Competence in Our Schools
Brooklyn RANEY
Founder and director of the Girls’ Leadership Camp; Founder of Generation Change
Topic: One Trusted Adult: Making the Most of the Moments
HE Ya'nan
Shanghai English Superfine Teachers; Superfine Teachers Principal; Host of Shanghai English Subject Famous Teacher training base.
Topic: Teaching for life-long learning—- our observation and reflection (Brain, Chinse Face-to Face Session)
Jennifer WATHALL
Educational consultant, author and part-time instructor for University of Hong Kong
Topic: Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction: Teaching for Deep Understanding Pre-k to 12 All Disciplines
Jill STANSBURY
A mindfulness and social and emotional learning trainer based out of Bellingham, WA, USA.
Topic: Mindfulness in the School Setting
Rhonda BONDIE
Director of Professional Learning at the Harvard Graduate School of Education
Topic: Building Belonging through Equitable Academic Discussions
Ron LANCASTER
Associate Professor (Teaching Stream) at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto (OISE/UT)
Topic: Mathematical patterns and rich mathematical tasks using letters, words, sentences and poetry
Sarah WESTBROOK
The Right Question Institute’s Director of Professional Learning
Topic: Spark Curiosity, Fuel Innovation, and Drive Learning: Teach Students to Ask Their Own Questions
SHEN Yifei
Associate professor of School of social development and public policy, Fudan University; Director of family development research center of Fudan University
Topic: The Challenge of Family-School co Education in the Post Figurative Era
WANG Tao
Associate Professor and Assistant Director at the Institute of Curriculum and Instruction, East China Normal University
Topic: Curriculum Development and Instructional Design for Global Competence
ZHENG Chanjin
Associate professor of the Department of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Education, East China Normal University (ECNU),
Topic: Curriculum Reform, Curriculum Design and Assessments for Key Competences
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