Issue 10
11.02.2022
St Edward’s College
Dwardu’s Scoops Artificial Intelligence in the classrooms? By Daniel Caruana Smith
Whilst the debate regarding how much screen-time is too much for children and adults alike, there’s no denying the fact that artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly viable option. The COVID-19 pandemic only serves as an accelerator to the process. “What is the future of education?” It’s a question that is, or should, be asked at any level of education. Skills and competences passed on need to be useful, relevant to an upcoming generation. Entire schools were dedicated to the learning of skills such as shorthand and typewriting. Are these not capabilities anymore? Of course they are, however, they are no longer relevant. The ability to write in shorthand has been relegated to a curiosity instead of a necessary skill. But how far does this logic hold true? Can we just dismiss subjects based on their applicability? With this logic in mind, we have already seen a shift in teaching pedagogies. Teachers are considered facilitators of learning as opposed to walking encyclopaedias. Will we ever find ourselves in a situation where teachers become redundant; obsolete thanks to a digital brain that can do the job instead? Unlikely. No matter how far automation and artificial intelligence achieve, there will still be a place for conventional, human teachers. It is the role that is changing. Take a look at any automated, mass production industry. The so-called ‘hired hands’ are replaced by machinery, robots just as capable of picking, marking, welding or cutting as any human worker. The question is, who keeps these artificial intelligence systems going? In most cases, it is a team of programmers, technicians Continues on Pg 5
In This Issue... AI in education ………..…….1 College Council ….....1, 10-11 Year of the Tiger……...……..2 Early readers…………...…….4 Waxworks ……………...……6
Lights Out?
…...….……...8
Bubble, bubble …….…...…..9 Safer Internet………...……..12
Well Done! Zac Bianco and Lawrence Saliba have been elected President and VicePresident respectively of the St Edward’s College School Council. The beaming smiles say it all!
Coverage for Dwardu’s Scoops was carried out by Luigi Portelli and Julian Coppini. (see stories inside)
Dwardu’s Scoops
Unity in diversity - 新年好 This is the year of the Water Tiger. On the First of February, our Chinese students celebrated Chinese New Year with lanterns, book marks, fortune cookies and many other activities. Tigers have a very special place in Chinese culture, given that China has been the home and origin of many different species of this majestic creature. The Chinese Lunar calendar is based around two systems: the 'heavenly' stems and the 'earthly' branches. The earthly branches are comprised of 12 zodiac signs, each represented by an animal, which you've probably heard of. They are the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster,
“Good afternoon all, I wish to pass on to all our Chinese community best wishes for the New Year .
新年好” Headmaster
dog and pig. This year is number nine, which represents water. It's combined with the third zodiac sign, the tiger, which gives us a water tiger. The last water tiger year was in 1962. The tiger is considered the king of all animals in Chinese mythology and culture. As a Zodiac sign, it symbolises
power, courage, confidence, leadership and strength. It's also known to be an animal that expels all evil. In terms of the Tiger Year, it's associated with vitality and strength. At St Edward’s College we encourage this sort of cultural sharing and debate. The uniqueness of each civilization shows also a unique trend in humanity: the need to celebrate together. Unity in diversity is a concept which is dear to the College and celebrating Chinese New year is one such occasion. Page 2
Issue 10
A cultural experience By Fiona McCulloch
This week I had the honour of participating in the excitement surrounding Chinese New Year, otherwise known as The Spring Festival, with my Year 9 TEFL students. Our roles were reversed as I was taught all about the many customs involved in this celebration through their colourful and engaging presentations. Below the boys have asked me to share what they feel are some of they are most important traditions of this festival.
The History of the Spring Festival The history of The Spring Festival is always the most controversial topic, as there are two opposing beliefs about the origin of the festival. One is the story of Yin and Shang, and the other is of the monster ‘Year’. During the Yin and Shang Period people celebrate the ‘Li Chung’ by worshipping the god they believe is in the sky. And as time went by this developed into the celebration of the New Year agricultural harvest. The Han Dynasty formed the ‘Chinese New Year Etiquette’ and began to set off fireworks, know as burning bamboo. ‘Li Chung’ is also known as The Spring Festival. Continues on Pg 6 Another belief is that The Spring festival developed in response to a monster called ‘Year’. Many years ago, there was a monster who came out every year to destroy nature and buildings and to fill his tummy with humans. The people could not stop him, so every year at this time they would hide underground to avoid being eaten. Until one day a wise old man figured out that the monster was afraid of loud cracking noises and the colour red. From then on
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Dwardu’s Scoops
Find your places, please!
Inside Story Headline
During the Friday session, our young people focused on the importance of communicating with one another in a group setting. We started off with a mathematical icebreaker. The students had to stay in order using number cards according to the number called by the teacher. It was a good exercise for the youths to move around a bit and loosen up their thoughts.
Start ‘em young By Stephanie Grech
A love of books and reading means a lifetime of entertainment which does not destroy your body or your mind. Former sports master at St Edward’s College, Mr Charles Mock, likes to use the phrase ‘Start ‘em young’. This phrase is applicable to many useful and educational activities such as sports and reading. Habits die hard and we believe in getting our children hooked...onto to good books. So, our youngest pupils get library time with books suited to their age. Page 4
Issue 10
Creative teaching
Continues from Pg 1
and mechanical engineers. Apply the scenario described above to the educational sector, and an interesting prospect comes to light. The likelihood is that teachers will not be made redundant, but will have to adapt and develop new teaching pedagogies and systems. The way forward seems to be a “teacher-artificial intelligence” collaboration, as opposed to an outright replacement of the teacher in the classroom. Without a doubt, A.I. driven systems such as translators, spell-checks, online tests and blended learning systems are all strong assets that teachers can exploit. Their common advantage? The capability to make the teaching and learning process more efficient. Given the right training and instruction, teachers can be empowered to personalize, streamline and enrich the lessons being delivered. It is a big step in the right direction towards that most elusive of targets – differentiation. And the teacher’s role in all this? To provide for the students when an A.I. system can’t. Whether it is a self-correcting test, a self-parking car, or a Q.R. code scanner, all A.I. systems have one thing in common. They are programmed to read from a given set of parameters, and execute accordingly. Try miming your inputs into a smart speaker, and the result is a predictable one. As any experienced teacher can attest to, no matter how methodically prepared one is, unexpected, unpredictable situations occur in the classroom on a regular basis. Judgement calls need to be made, exceptions considered, unknowns estimated, and at times, self-imposed rules bent. Artificial intelligence puts forward a strong case for itself. It is indeed the way forward in terms of efficiency, accessibility and differentiation. However, at the time of writing, it is still incapable of accounting for the limitless variables which may turn up in the classroom. A strong asset to teachers? No doubt. An outright replacement? Not at the time of writing.
This article was also featured on the Sunday Times of Malta.
Marshmallow challenge
By Annette Agius
The Marshmallow challenge in the youth activities on Friday afternoons did not consist of eating the delectable titbits but rather, using them for construction. The young students had to build the highest structure possible using spaghetti, strings and tape finishing off with a marshmallow on top. The final reward would be marshmallows as well. The point of this activity was to communicate with one another and to be able to enhance our critical thinking. In the end, the team that communicated and worked together won.
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Dwardu’s Scoops
The colour red
Continues from Pg 3
instead of hiding they would fight back with firecrackers and red couplets on the doors, window grilles and on each window and wait until the Year monster arrived. When he arrived, they set off firecrackers and wore red clothes to scare him off. It worked! And so Chinese New Year was born. Food
The Chinese have a talent for cooking delicious food and different regions have different styles of dishes. In the north, they have a special desire for food which is simple but suits their temperament. A favourite dish in Beijing is hotpot with dumplings. The climate of the north has made this special food a tradition. Meanwhile in the south people prefer more delicate dishes and sumptuous delicacies. These stem from the abundance of resources in the south and its natives’ deep hearts. Whichever part of China you are from the sharing of your favourite dishes is an important way of spending time with your relatives. Decorations Decorations are also a big part of Chinese New Year. We put a lot of paper lanterns on the streetlights or in the trees. We also string corn together and hang it on the door. We have many other decorations for this festival including the Chinese knot and the Spring festival couplets which are placed on the window grilles. These couplets are a pair of poetry lines used to give good wishes and blessings to the community. Customs One of the best-known customs of the Chinese New Year is its association with the colour red. The colour red represents family and togetherness, and it is used in many decorations. The red packets are a favourite tradition for young people, as they are given these with gifts of money inside from their older relatives. Something that cannot be missed at Chinese New year are the many firecrackers and fireworks that are used to celebrate, although in recent years these have stopped due to the pollution they create.
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Issue 10
House of Wax
JAYE Marketing Team
A few students in IB every year, decide to take part in a business project called JAYE (Junior Achiever Young Enterprise). The aim is to create your own minicompany. Our group comprised of 8 students from year 12, decided to create a company. When we first met up, we struggled for ideas, until candles came up, and this developed into BodYou. BodYou is a vegan-friendly brand that creates scented candles in unique moulds for low prices. We believe that aromatherapy has lots of benefits on a human's organisms. For instance, certain scents can relieve stress or stimulate brain productivity, some help you fall asleep or even make you feel happy. They can also help in creating a cosy ambience. Our aim as a company is to help people overcome their difficulties, specifically those of mental issues like anxiety, insomnia, and stress-related disorders. Is there any science behind it? Most certainly. Our brain has over 300 receptors that sense 1000 different smells. This is all done by the limbic system. This part of the brain is responsible for our memory. Certain smells can unlock memories and release happy hormones, serotonin and dopamine. (6 Health Benefits of Burning Candles, 2020) Our candles have 8 different smells, ranging from traditional ones (such as caramel, vanilla) to more exotic (like pineapple, jujube). Currently we have a choice of 3 moulds (two different body types, and bubble moulds) and a range of colours to choose from. Our smallest candles cost €5, and the larger ones €10. You can place your order on our Instagram account: @bodyou_official or on our email address bodyouofficial@gmail.com. We can't wait for you to try and see how amazing our products are!
Margaret De Maria One of the icons of St Edward’s College, Mrs Margaret De Maria has passed away at the age of 92. Her association with the college spanned several years and ran the gamut from teaching to sitting on the Board of Governors.
Eternal rest give unto her, O Lord Page 7
Dwardu’s Scoops
Lights out?
By Cheryl Ann Cuschieri
What would you do if electricity suddenly ran out? How would your life be affected? The Year 7s replied...
Rural or Urban? By Louise Mallia
Year 5s have been learning about the difference between urban and rural landscapes and discovered the architectural wonders of the Drystone wall. They later put this to practical application by rebuilding the wall in our Eco garden. The drystone wall is also the home of various creatures. The famous naturalist Gerald Durrell spent countless hours observing these Mediterranean habitats. They look very proud of their achievements! Page 8
Issue 10
Jurassic Park By Stephanie Grech
Dinosaurs and Volcanoes. And before you ask, no, we did not ask Dr Who to take our KG2s back to the dawn of creation in a cool TARDIS. They were transported courtesy of their dedicated teachers. Not only did the pupils get to examine the different types of dinosaurs that were available but they also got to build their own volcano. Planned eruptions @ Early Years, anyone?
The Scottish Play By Annabel Laus
“Shakeshorts presenteth unto you, a rendition of Shakespeare that hath been condensed in length and acted out in brevity using wit, jest and silly hats.” Taking a leaf out of the iconic Blackadder series, “this most excellent show was written by Chris Dingli (with the help of one William Shakespeare), and is presented by no more bodies than can sit in the front seat of a carriage. In duration, it lasts less than the length of time it takes to wax a coxcomb (under an hour)”. The years 7 and 8 students had a whole week of Shakespeare-related activities. During their English lessons, they learnt about Shakespeare's life and his works. Moreover, they got to analyse the plot and main themes of The Scottish Play, aka 'Macbeth' through discussions about quotations from the play. Following that, they got to watch a Culture Pass production of it, which they enjoyed! Page 9
Dwardu’s Scoops
Students Council Elections By Luigi Portelli
What will you bring to the school?
Page 10
Adam Fischer:
Bringing sweets and improve the canteen, making the Col lege nicer
Aidan Delia:
Improving facilities at college and umbrellas in summer due to heat
Jacob Christiansen:
Bringing new ideas to college, lowering prices at canteen and facilities.
Zak Bianco:
Fixing the basketball and tennis pitches and toilets
Luigi Smith La Rosa:
Fixing bathrooms and pitches, and after school activities
Miguel Aquilina:
Bringing a voice to students who are shy to speak up
Lawrence Saliba:
Help students who are bullied
Richard Wang:
Improve activities lost due to the pan demic
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What do you do after school? Adam Fischer:
Fencing and drawing
Aidan Delia:
Archery and Athletics
Jacob Christiansen:
Basketball and hiking
Zak Bianco:
Waterpolo with Neptunes
Luigi Smith La Rosa:
Swimming and Basketball
Miguel Aquilina:
working with nature and learning new skills
Lawrence Saliba:
Jiu Jitsu
Richard Wang:
Learning new languages and computing
“Leaders not followers” - The IB Sixth Form experience By Julian Coppini
At SEC’s IB sixth form, we have many aspiring young leaders. Already, three students began to leave their marks by running in the SEC presidential election, Ines Montes, Hanna Darabos and Theo Webb. When interviewed, all candidates showed an equal amount of enthusiasm and competitive spirit in running. When asked what the candidates would bring to SEC, Ms Darabos stated that she is a “motivated student willing to improve student life, helping new students integrate well others.” as well as bringing “improvements in communicated throughout the school, especially in IB.” Mr Webb also remarked that “there are plenty of things that I want to advance, such as better facilities, including bathrooms for our male and female students.” Ms Montes focussed on her international background which, she said “...gave her a lot of leadership skills”. As foreign students, Ms Darabos and Mr Webb have both come from previous education outside SEC, and when asked why they had chosen the IB sixth form program for their post-secondary education, Ms Darabos remarked that “I always wanted to study IB as it will help me later on. When I moved to Malta a year and a half ago, St Edwards seemed like a welcoming school and also its high academic reputation on the island.” Ms Montes too, was keen to follow an IB program and SEC was the school of choice. Mr Webb, having already received education within Malta had said that “St Edwards IB was always in the vision of some of my old friends, but I decided to go for it as the IB course intrigued me.” The candidates are also in their final year of the IB diploma, and when asked what they plan to do after their final IB exams, Ms Montes was quick on the mark: “I am still deciding between US and Europe but most probably a degree oriented to working in politics and or law”. Ms Darabos responded with “I am planning to move to the Netherlands to study a Bachelor in Pharmaceutical Sciences.” and Mr Webb replying that “I want to go out and see the world, perhaps somewhere in central Europe or maybe even the US.” As an IB student myself, I have the opportunity to watch the young leaders at work, already pushing through the crowd and showcasing our Headmaster’s guiding words, to be “leaders, not followers”.
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St Edward’s College
St Edward's College Triq San Dwardu Birgu (Citta Vittoriosa) Cottonera - BRG 9039 Malta, Europe
At St Edward's College we strive to create exemplary citizens in this increasingly globalised and technological world, placing strong emphasis on character formation, genuine intercultural understanding and leadership skills which will assist them to contribute to the well-being of society.
Phone: +356 2788 11 99 Email: communications@stedwards.edu.mt
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Learning about wild animals and their habitats, drawing them out and taking them for a spin in the garden...that’s learning for your in the younger classes. And the knowledge is guaranteed to stick as the approach is Think, Understand, Learn.
In a recent visit to Limestone Heritage, our young pupils got to have a day out of College. Exciting times! Dozens of photos of the children having fun here.
Safer Internet The internet has become our BFF...but are children safe on the world wide web? These concerns have spurred the Commissioner for Children to promote Internet safety. Our Students co-operated with the office of the Commissioner for Children and drew up two posters as well as visited all classes, making their colleagues aware of the dangers of cyber-bullying, stalking and a host of other dangers.
Students’ Council member Adam Fisher explains what to do when uncomfortable in an internet situation. Hear Adam’s advice here
