Students Reflect on Challenges, Growth, and Achievements during Middle School
The WAB Podcast
In this week's episode, we're joined by Grade 8 students Aliyah and Lucas, along with Middle School teacher Karen Jewett. Together, they shared their Middle School journey, the challenges they've faced, the choices they've made, and how they have grown. As a Middle School Science and Math teacher, as well as a Grade 8 Level Leader, Karen expressed her delight in seeing students grow over the years. She highlighted the noticeable increase in their confidence as they transitioned from grade 6 to 8. Karen observed how eighth graders assumed leadership roles, actively participating in...
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Exploring Global Issues at the PYP Exhibition
The WAB Podcast
In this week's WAB episode, we're joined by Grade 5 students Michelle and Justin, along with Elementary School teacher Kelly Crysell. They shared their experiences completing the PYP exhibition, shedding light on their motivation for selecting their topics, the knowledge they acquired, and their preparation process. Kelly provided an overview of the PYP exhibition program, also known as PYPx, stating, "The PYP exhibition is a culminating project that students do that brings in all the different parts of their PYP experience." Throughout the year, they engaged in discussions around...
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Students and Head of EdTach Discuss the Impact of AI
The WAB Podcast
In this week's WAB Podcast, we had the pleasure of hosting a conversation with two Grade 11 students, Vanessa and Victoria, along with Kevin Crouch, WAB's Head of EdTech, IT, and Libraries. Together, they talked about WAB's approach to AI, its impact on students' learning, some of the challenges it poses, and how we can mitigate them. Kevin described WAB's approach to AI as "cautious optimism." He acknowledged the potential for profound learning gains through the use of AI but also recognized the uncertainties surrounding its implementation and the associated risks. He stressed the...
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WAB's High School Global Crisis and Sustainability Program
The WAB Podcast
In this week's WAB podcast, we're joined by three special guests: Grade 9 student Mia, and Grade 10 student Sam, along with their teacher James Lindop. Together, they shared insights about our new Global Crisis and Sustainability subject as an alternate stream to I&S in Grades 9 and 10. James highlighted the new Global Crisis and Sustainability program, also known as GCNS, "showed a different way of thinking" to students and emphasized the importance of proactive inquiry and skill development. He provided an example of how he focuses on the connection between hazards and climate...
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Personalized Learning in WAB's Capstone Program
The WAB Podcast
In this week's WAB Podcast, we're joined by three special guests- Grade 11 students Elliot and Xander, who are currently participating in the Capstone program, along with their program coordinator, High School teacher Chris Hayden. Together, they shared why they chose the Capstone Program, their individual learnings, how they designed their own subject study, and the program's assessment process through panel presentations. Chris provided an overview of the Capstone Program. He emphasized that the program empowers students to take charge of their own learning by identifying their...
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Growth and Global Engagement through Model UN
The WAB Podcast
In this episode of the WAB podcast, we have four special guests: Grade 7 student Mary, Grade 8 student Lachlan, Grade 10 student Ben, and Irina Karimova, the supervisor of WAB's Model United Nations (Model UN / MUN) Club. Together, they shared their inspiration for joining the Model UN club, how they prepare, their experiences, and personal growth along the way. Irina introduced how the Model UN is a platform for students interested in current affairs to learn and discuss global issues together. During Model UN conferences, students are assigned a country and role-play its delegation....
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Student Takeover: A Journey into WAB Wild
The WAB Podcast
In this week's WAB Podcast, Grade 8 students Jade and Liam took over and led the conversation with Stephen Boyko, WAB Wild Outdoor Education Programme Coordinator. They discussed the history of WAB Wild, the features of WAB's Miaoliang outdoor education center, their favorite moments, and key learnings. Stephen provided insights into the establishment of WAB Wild and highlighted how the Miaoliang Outdoor Education Center aligns with WAB's sustainability focus, enabling students to experience sustainable living practices. He emphasized that unlike schools that outsource their...
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Student Takeover: HS Learners Share Insights on their IB Journey
The WAB Podcast
In this week's WAB podcast, Angelina and Hannah from High School Student Club Inkblot took over and produced their first episode titled "All about the IB". They opened up about their individual encounters with the IB program, sharing their challenges, turning points, personal growth, and insights gained along the journey. During their conversation, Hannah recounts a story from one of her peers who expressed that the IB program showed them the extent of their capabilities and motivated them to push themselves to achieve their potential within a limited timeframe. The two...
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Student Takeover: Amplifying Art at WAB
The WAB Podcast
In this week's WAB podcast, two students from the High School student club Art Amplifiers, Jeremy and Isabelle, have taken over to interview their peers Daniel, Rosalina, and Salina, who recently participated in the APAC Band and International Schools Choral Music Society (ISCMS). During the interview, the guests shared their experiences, favorite moments, and key takeaways from their musical journey. Rosalina, who returned from the ISCMS trip, talked about the valuable lessons she learned through her involvement in the choir group and performing a classical Beethoven piece. She...
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Buddy Program Enhances Social-Emotional Learning Skills across Grades
The WAB Podcast
In this week's WAB podcast, we have the pleasure of hosting Grade 4 student Aubrey and Grade 8 student Dakota, along with Elementary School teacher Suzie Sizemore and Middle School counselor Rachel George. They will be sharing their experiences in Grade 4 to Grade 8 Buddy Program, its goals, how it worked and its impact. Aubrey from Fourth Grade shared how much fun she had participating in the Buddy Program. By connecting with her eighth-grade mentor, she gained a deeper understanding of what middle schoolers are like and discovered the many ways they are similar. Aubrey emphasized...
info_outlineIn this week's WAB Podcast, we had the pleasure of hosting a conversation with two Grade 11 students, Vanessa and Victoria, along with Kevin Crouch, WAB's Head of EdTech, IT, and Libraries. Together, they talked about WAB's approach to AI, its impact on students' learning, some of the challenges it poses, and how we can mitigate them.
Kevin described WAB's approach to AI as "cautious optimism." He acknowledged the potential for profound learning gains through the use of AI but also recognized the uncertainties surrounding its implementation and the associated risks. He stressed the importance of an innovative approach, where early adopters and innovators collaborate with professionals to identify areas of interest that align well with student learning. This ensures that the benefits of AI tools are maximized while minimizing the introduction of potential risks.
Victoria, a Grade 11 student, expressed her view that AI can be a helpful tool, particularly in finding relevant sources. However, she acknowledged the potential risks and opted to limit her use of AI to dictionaries and thesauruses.
Another Grade 11 student Vanessa shared her positive experience using AI to enhance her French learning. She found it to be efficient and convenient. Nonetheless, she cautioned against the risks associated with AI becoming overly generative and diminishing human creativity and critical thinking processes.
Find out more about WABs approach to AI on learn.wab.edu.
To explore the full discussion of our students on AI and its impact on student learning, be sure to listen to this episode.