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Building a foundation to set students on track for success
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With the rapid pace of change today brought about by technology and globalization, the process of educating children for successful integration into a dynamic future workplace requires forward-thinking strategies. According to the American-based Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, “The highest ranked skills for (21st century) students entering the workforce are not facts and basic skills; they are applied skills that enable workers to use the knowledge and basic skills they have acquired,” which means children today need an education that aligns with this reality, in order to prepare them for the future.
Paving the way for children to succeed in this environment is Yew Chung International School of Shanghai (YCIS Shanghai), which has a comprehensive approach to incorporating applied skills into its curriculum. By providing experiences that develop students’ skillset, including structured courses, student clubs, and after-school activities, YCIS Shanghai equips children with these important skills, explains Secondary Coordinator Dusten Kent. “This is an integral part of the design of our curriculum, because of the benefits for students when they transition into university, and beyond,” says Kent.
Beginning in Primary classrooms, YCIS Shanghai supports students’ development by, “teaching them to have inquiring minds and to be active learners, by focusing on forming meaning and understanding from their learning, and by guiding students to apply their learning in different contexts,” explains Primary Coordinator, Sherrilie Burton. The foundation students develop in Primary is then refined in Secondary, as students from Years 7 through 11 attend a Personal, Social, and Health Education (PSHE) class, which teaches organizational skills and methods to set and achieve goals.
To further enhance and reinforce these habits, Year 7 students at the school’s Century Park campus also complete a Life Skills Strategies course. The course teacher, Merissa Bush, describes how students benefit from the topics within the course, including, “using school diaries purposefully, setting up routines for completing assignments, reviewing for tests, and advanced planning for projects. By focusing on these skills, the course helps students transition into Secondary, in ways that will continue to benefit them long-term.”
To help students apply these skills, YCIS Shanghai includes a variety of interactive course projects, student-led charity initiatives, and academic field trips that extend learning beyond the classroom. Secondary students at the school’s Gubei campus, for example, are able to create and run their own business through the Enterprise course, which provides a platform for students to design an actual business, allowing them to experience the skills required to run a small company. According to the course teacher, Paul Smith, “Students blend their learning in mathematics, economics, and other subject areas with the skills used in real-world business applications.”
By including a strong base in life skills within the curriculum, and through engaging activities that help students apply their learning, YCIS Shanghai builds a solid foundation which supports students throughout their future endeavors.
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