3 minute read
Oct 2021 Providing Appropriate Challenge for All: Getting Started eJAWS
Water Safety for the School Pool - Ensuring Effective Learning In a Safe Environment eJAWS
The school pool is statistically the most dangerous classroom in any school and it was a constructive and thought provoking FOBISIA eJaws to open the year up for FOBISIA Aquatic educators.
41 swim professionals from 17 different schools and 11 different countries across South East Asia attended the Water Safety for School Pools eJaws on Wednesday September 1st.
Even though the meeting of minds was virtual and on screen, the true essence of collaboration was achieved with veteran teachers assisting new teachers with a focus on 3 lifesaving topics.
FOBISIA aquatic educators came together on understanding how nothing happens faster than a disaster, how we can manage safe ratios, and most importantly constructively sharing best practice on development of emergency action plans.
A shared document is now in place between all the attendees where planning can be utilised to fit the specifics of individual pools.
On behalf of Bangkok Prep, I would like to thank FOBISIA, and Fariha in particular, for supporting us and giving us this opportunity to get such an enthusiastic and knowledgeable group of educators together.
All who attended have their fingers crossed that for the swimming FOBISIA Jaws in 2022 is face to face.
Matt Ferrier
Primary Swim Teacher Bangkok International Preparatory & Secondary School (Bangkok Prep)
Curriculum Development & Success With Mary Myatt eConference
Taipei European School 10 - 11 September 2021
This conference was a year in the making, driven by a desire to ensure we had an evolving curriculum which provided the very best opportunities for all our students.
I was tasked with considering suitable consultants to support us with our vision - it didn’t take long. Asking colleagues across the world, in a range of settings, the same name continually cropped up - Mary Myatt. Comments such as ‘a breath of fresh air’, she looks ‘at education from the perspective of people’, and that her work had led to ‘high quality discussion and reflection’ were all very encouraging.
Her books have struck a chord with many practitioners and we were convinced she was the best person to work with. So, after several conversations, careful mapping and specially crafted workshops we were pleased to formulate a two day FOBISIA conference and welcome Mary Myatt as our keynote speaker. In fact, I imagine with over 75 delegates then deciding to join from FOBISIA schools some of them had heard positive things too. It meant that all attendees had the chance to listen about current thoughts from the UK, reflect on our individual and collective practice and be prepared to continue to improve moving forwards.
She did not disappoint. Over the four wide ranging workshops we had the chance to hear, reflect and discuss curriculum success, building humane communities and ‘landing’ this in the curriculum, before drawing all the threads together.
As a group we have collectively made plans to create a bimonthly get together where we can discuss hot topics for curriculum, aided by Mary Myatt’s online resources. This will ensure it does not become a one off conference but a long term impactful experience for all involved.
It will be exciting to see how this will affect things in the classroom over the academic year!
Aidan Stallwood
Deputy Head Taipei European School
