Patana News Volume 18 Issue 28

NEWS Patana

B a n g k o k P a t a n a i s a n I B W o r l d S c h o o l , a c c r e d i t e d b y C I S a n d N E A S C

Digital versus Analogue Pg. 2

H aving just come off the back of the Songkran holiday as a parent of three young children,

and in my school role as an advocate for the integration of technology into the curriculum, I often find myself on both sides of the digital debate on the benefits and distractions of mobile devices.

This article discusses strategies that may help you, and those you love, in the struggle to achieve a healthy and mindful balance in our analogue and digital lives.

First let me state that technology is here to stay, regardless of how hard we try to block, filter, ban, or restrict, it is certainly not going to go away. In a recent letter to Year 5 parents, I wrote about monitoring the growth in technology-enhanced-learning through our Primary and Secondary Student Technology Advocates Committees. Once a month they meet to discuss and debate the potential impact the latest technologies may have on learning. Over the past five years we have seen one-to-one learning help transform the focus from teaching to learning. Rather than teachers directing access to knowledge and process, students have become empowered learners and active proponents of their understanding and ability to connect ideas in new ways; to become authors of their learning journeys.

In essence technology should be viewed as simply a tool to enhance our interactions, our work and critically, the way we learn. In reality technology has exponentially grown, some would say exploded, and become an integral part of our day-to-day interactions. What is particularly scary is that all of this growth has occurred in between generations. For example, with the birth of YouTube now over ten

years ago, nearly all of our students have no living memory of life without it. This is the first generation of tweens and teens growing up with social media and their digital identity as an important part of their personality. As adults, parents and teachers, we often apply the rules of our own childhood experiences (predominantly technology free) to govern the interaction our children have with technology, but given the opportunity when we were their age, how much would we have adopted it?

Earlier this year I presented to Primary and Secondary parents on Digital Citizenship. We discussed case studies (see example below) involving children and their technology and compared our answers with the advice a child psychologist would give.

We shared personal experiences of conversations, sometimes difficult confrontations, with our children and explored strategies to help engage in dialogue about the appropriate use of technology. We explored resources that I consider to be an essential part of a parent’s technology toolkit. As a user of technology, a teacher and as a parent, I have summarised on page 3 some of the important and fundamental things I have learnt in the past several years. I hope you can find the time to explore them and let me know how you get on in trying to achieve a healthy balance in our digital and analogue lives.

Be Tech Mindful.

Brian Taylor, Assistant Principal, Cross Campus Curriculum Technology Integration

Digital Citizenship: “having a positive impact on our online communities”

Letter from the Assistant Cross Campus Principal

For young children, you are their role model – your approach to technology becomes a model for your

child to live by. Watch this…

Family media agreements are great to help start conversations with your children about the

appropriate use of technology. Samples here…

Remove technology from the bedroom; research points to quality sleep = deep learning; model no technology at the dinner table. Watch this…

Model +1 communications and be more mindful of your everyday social interactions: if you’ve got time

to text somebody then +1 and make a phone call instead, if you’ve got time to call then +1 and go see

them in person. Watch this with your children…

Your children (and you?) are not addicted to technology and/or social media, it is the peer connection and social affirmation they are seeking. Watch this…

By Sally Flint, Head of Libraries and Susan Brosnahan, Curriculum Coordinator English

A fter the hugely successful visit to our Primary School by poet Kenn Nesbitt, we felt some

trepidation as to whether Harry Baker, our Secondary School Slam poet visitor, would be as well received. There was no need to worry! Harry has had a brilliant week performing his Slam Poetry to Year 7 to 12 students.

Harry successfully delivered workshops to Secondary students with overwhelmingly positive feedback. Students commented that Harry was an "amazing speaker" whose poems were both "funny and thought-provoking".

A highlight of Harry’s visit was the inaugural Slam Poetry Interschool Competition held on Friday between students from NIST and Shrewsbury and Bangkok Patana. Congratulations to the overall SLAM champion Tara-Bee Stephenson from Bangkok Patana. The audience of Year 6 and 7 students were spellbound, with our talented Bangkok Patana student DJs helping to create an ‘electric’ atmosphere. Harry Baker was astounded by the quality of both the poems and the performances of the competitors, commenting, “Wow, that was absolutely amazing!” Earlier this week our Year 7 students were fortunate to receive workshop tuition from Harry, thus perfecting their poetry writing techniques in preparation for Friday’s

“Today was my favourite day in a school I have done to date. I should have known it would be good when I walked into the library to see a larger than life jigsaw puzzle of my face.”

competition. The Competition was the culmination of a unit studying poetry in Year 7, with students writing and performing original slam poems in their classes and then their Year group in order to be chosen to represent Bangkok Patana in this exciting new opportunity.

Amidst our excitement about Harry Baker, we have also been making William Shakespeare proud and have had great fun celebrating the 400th anniversary of his death. Students in Key Stage 3 were all able to take part, joining in memorizing Shakespeare in a Pie Face Memory Game, writing sonnets, completing role play performances and, best of all, eating birthday cake!

The fun wasn’t limited to Secondary though and throughout the Primary school, from Year 1 to Year 6, a range of exciting activities have been taking place. The children were delighted to discover how many of our common everyday expressions were invented by Shakespeare! The Year 1 performances of ‘Romeo and Juliet’, held in our Library Garden, have been fabulous and, even though they are only six years old, the children’s ability to ‘plan, do and review’ in completing research on Shakespeare’s life has been very impressive. The latest Key Stage 2 Grand Prix Library Challenge has been linked to a multitude of Shakespeare quizzes and interactive activities. The Year groups are starting to feel the tension about who will win the overall Grand Prix Cup, but there is still one more challenge to go before any individual Year group takes the crown!

This week has been a fantastic climax to our work promoting the enjoyment of poetry and drama at Bangkok Patana. The children have had a wonderful time and the buzz of excitement and pleasure in poetry has been phenomenal. Many thanks to the Library staff for all of their excellent work behind the scenes in providing such marvellous learning opportunities for our students. Thanks also to the amazing teachers at our school who have enthused our students so successfully to love and appreciate poetry.

Click here to access the Canteen Menu

‘O this learning, what a thing it is!’

Staff Appreciation Day will be held on Friday 6th May. The PTG appreciates any dona-tions of baked goods, which will be distributed to staff. Baked goods can be dropped off on the morning of Friday 6th May at Gate 22 (by the school bus parking), Gate AB (near Foundation Stage and the Arts Centre) or by the Transport Office at the front of school. Please label any containers with your child’s name and class so we may return them to you. The PTG AGM will be held on Wednesday 11th May at 8:00am in Room SPH 201. All parents are invited to

attend. For more information on nominations and the agenda, please click here.

ECAs start on Tuesday 2nd May. Please make sure you that you check what ECAs your child has been accepted onto via the Parent’s Gateway. Buses will be adjusted according to each student’s ECA schedule. If you make changes to your child’s ECA schedule please ensure you contact Transport.

Remember that there is no school for students on Monday and Thursday next week. So please do not expect the school bus on these days and enjoy the sleep in!

Did you know... that your child can check with their ECA teacher what bus number they are on before heading to the Bus Park? Please encourage them to check the bus number in advance by looking at their new bus card (which will be distributed on Tuesday) or by asking their ECA teacher.

For your information, the following letters relate to the time of the bus. If you notice it is incorrect please email Transport.

B – 11:50 MK/MT – 13:50 HK/HT – 14:30 A – 15:45 D – 16:30

Advance warning that Thai schools will return from Monday 16th May. Traffic from this day onwards will be increased and it is important students are not delaying the bus in the mornings. Traffic congestion is anticipated this week.

For all transport queries and requests please email [email protected] or call 02 785 2470.

University/College Representative Location Date Time

New College of the Humanities Elke Tinnacher Senior Studies, 2nd Floor 11.05.16 12:15

Seoul National University Hye Weon Senior Studies, 2nd Floor 18.05.16 12:15

THE ROAR Produced by the Athletics Council

Now there’s even more

ways to follow the action!

BPS Sports

@BPSSPORTS

Tiger Sports

Patana Tennis

BISAC WEEKEND

Upcoming

Fixtures…

THURSDAY 28th APRIL

Softball U13 Boys’ Away

SATURDAY 30th APRIL

Volleyball U13 Boys’ at ICS

Volleyball U13 Girls’ at ICS

Volleyball U15 Boys’ at RIS

Volleyball U15 Girls’ at ISB

Softball U15 Boys’ at RIS

Softball U15 Girls’ at NIST

If you have the chance,

Go and support your

friends and fellow

TIGERS!

There are 4 spots available

on the Athletics Council. If

you would like to join,

please email us outlining

why you want to be a part of

the Athletics Council.

Ms. Bebbington

[email protected]

Marie Guest

[email protected]

Deadline for applications is 3rd June.

Anapana Meditation Course for Children

Anapana or Mindfulness of Breathing, teaches children improved concentration skills and enhances calmness

of the mind. This technique helps to relieve anxiety and is very useful at exam time to calm those nerves as

well as for every day life.

The next Anapana Meditation course will be on Sunday 15th May for children aged between 8 - 16

years. The course is completely free!

To enrol or for further information, please contact

Eva Sophonpanich [email protected]

You may also find this site useful: www.children.dhamma.org/en/children/about-

meditation

The weekly canteen menu is available here.

Please check the calendar on the Parents’ Gateway, Student pages and Staff Centre

for up-to-date information on school events.

Visit www.patana.ac.th and click on the relevant icon to log in