THE STONEHILLNEWSLETTER

CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL MINDEDNESS

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Volume 8, Issue 2, May 2019

TECHNOLOGY AT STONEHILL

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ADAPTABILITY, ENHANCEMENT, VISIBILITY & RECREATION

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DIVERSITY AND GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP AT STONEHILL

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A VISION FOR TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION AT STONEHILL

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Technology & Global Citizenship at Stonehill

Over the past decade, the number of children attending English medium international schools across the globe has risen from 0.97 million students in 2010 to 5.36 million today. The International School Consultancy (a leading source of market intelligence on the world of international schools) predicts that this number will continue to rise significantly to over 10 million students by 2027. These numbers are indicative of the rising number of forward thinking parents who understand that our world is becoming increasingly connected and that an international education will best prepare their children for the challenges of the 21st century.

Modern technology and transportation means that businesses, and the families associated with them, transcend borders. This trend will only increase.

At Stonehill international School, we have close to 40 nationalities represented within our learning community. In addition to providing a holistic education with a strong emphasis on academic rigour, technological innovation, sports and the arts, we also place great emphasis on international-mindedness and global citizenship.

At Stonehill, we strive to develop inquiring, knowledgeable, caring, confident and responsible young people who will contribute to a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. We are all from different places, we all learn together and we are open-minded and respectful. We understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right. We promote collaboration, teamwork, problem solving skills and entrepreneurship. These skills and attitudes are embedded into the curriculum and the culture of our school. We are preparing our students for the realities of the 21st century global workplace.

In addition to the taught curriculum, we also understand that community events are an important way for members of our learning community to come together to appreciate and better understand our culture and diversity.

At Stonehill we are proud to celebrate international-mindedness and develop future-ready students.

Simon McCloskey Head of School

CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL MINDEDNESS

Technology has been a buzzword in education for the last 20 years. What that means in reality has changed over time. From just having a fixed device in a classroom, to Smart Board usage and utilising mobile tools of technology that enhance learning through applications online - adaptability, enhancement, visibility and recreation are the current foci.

Seesaw, our online digital portfolio, is a prime example of a tool that enhances and makes learning visible. Learning is immediately available to parents and learners on the platform. Virtual Learning Days (VLD) are being used as opportunities to enable sharing from home to school. Parents assist learners in uploading their learning, and teachers send feedback directly to the learner and their family.

Our one-to-one iPad programme ensures that learners and teachers have access to the internet for research, through guided essential questions. Book Creator, iMovie, RAZKids, Mathletics, Explain Everything, Popplet and Quizlet are just a few of the apps that learners use to enhance understanding, skills and knowledge. Teachers use Apple Classroom in order to monitor student usage, and to ensure they are following the user policy that is signed at the beginning of each academic year.

Youtube continues to be a reliable tool for learners to develop their research skills, providing both visual and auditory support to all. Our VR glasses deliver on-site field trip opportunities, when getting off campus is just not feasible.

The Google Suite ensures appropriate storage and organisation of findings, outcomes and presentations, with opportunities for collaboration. Whilst we consider our physical learning environments, the Google Suite ensures that learning can be supported across and beyond the campus.

Learners, big or small, are supported through the learning process by two technology coaches who spend time introducing new ways of knowing, doing and understanding.

Karen Crooke Primary Principal

ADAPTABILITY, ENHANCEMENT, VISIBILITY & RECREATION

Technology at Stonehill continues to grow and thrive. As a core part of our identity, technological innovation continues to be a focus of our programme development, teacher training and activities for students.

The evidence is in the excitement from our teachers and students, and in the way technology is embedded in the experiences our students take on. This year, we had students take on exciting projects on their own. From running a creative and exciting light show for the MYP music performance, to exploring robotic irrigation systems and remote conferencing for personal projects, there continue to be more opportunities for computer science, robotics, programming and technology integration across all grade levels.

This year has also seen major leaps in our Design programme and curriculum. Primary students have begun to prepare for their future in Design, by using the Makerspace and participating in the Maker’s Club and Lego Robotics during our After School Activities Programme. The MYP Design students have been experimenting with the new laser cutter and continue to see how technology enhances both digital design and traditional design projects.

Our teachers have also continued to make technology a priority. To keep up with our students, our teachers focused on their own skills and finding more ways to use our students’ technological prowess and creativity in the classroom.

Over 75 faculty and staff attended the Google India Summit for a weekend devoted to technological innovation in education. The technology track of The Learning Hub, a professional development platform conceptualised by Stonehill teachers, continues to grow. The best part of these professional development experiences is that teachers have the confidence to present technology training as mentors for their peers, and showcase the things they are doing during conferences and school events, alike.

The combination of innovation by teachers and students has resulted in the ultimate goal, the authentic and exciting use of technology in our curriculum. From using Google Maps, Green Screens and iMovie for creative projects, to G Suite for for e-portfolios, communication and collaboration. Our online platforms help our students and teachers connect and create, even when our physical campus is closed and ensures that learning is not disrupted by unexpected closures.

Katherine Steen Whole School Technology Coordinator

A VISION FOR TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION AT STONEHILL

Stonehill Hackathon 2019 The second annual Stonehill Hackathon was held on the 22nd and 23rd of March, 2019. This 24-hour event had 95 students from The International School Bangalore, Canadian International School, National Public School, Oakridge International School, TRIO World School, Neev Academy, Greenwood High International School and Stonehill International School participating. The theme for this year was ‘Education, Healthcare and Food’.

During the Hackathon, students were engaged in coding and creating applications in the form of mobile/desktop applications, websites, web applications, or Arduino/Raspberry Pi based projects.

Our esteemed panel of judges included Dr. Partha Talukdar, Assistant Professor - Department of Computational and Data Sciences at IISc, Bangalore. He is also the founder of Kenome, an Enterprise Knowledge graph company; Ms. Naimisha Kolli, an expert in complex networks and network science, with an emphasis on analysing and developing algorithms for large scale social networks in urban computing applications; and Mr. R. Muralidharan, former Chief Research Scientist at IISc. Currently, he is the Senior Project Scientist at the National Supercomputing Mission Project.

Students created a variety of innovative and creative products like a wireless car for people with physical disabilities; an application that gives you a recipe and a nutritional pie chart when you input data on the vegetables you have at home, giving you a healthy meal plan; an Arduino based glove that translates sign language via an Android app; an attendance tracking product based on facial recognition; and an app integrated with Google Home that scans medicines and prescriptions and sets reminders for when one should be taking their medication.

The winners were picked based on creativity, innovation and feasibility of the products, and received prize money worth INR 1, 00, 000/-. The winning teams were from Stonehill International School, Neev Academy, Oakridge International School and Greenwood High International.

TECHNOLOGY AT STONEHILL

The Learning Hub - Professional Development for IB Educators in India

The Learning Hub was an opportunity for IB educators from around Bangalore and other parts of India to come together to learn more about education. One of the things that is unique about the Learning Hub, is that it is entirely teacher initiated. The idea came from a discussion among a few Stonehill teachers who were interested in hosting small workshops about various topics. The idea grew, and Learning Hub was launched in February 2018, with over 70 participants from around India.

This year, The Learning Hub had over 200 participants from schools across the country including schools such as Symbiosis International School, Pune; Oberoi International School, Mumbai; Trio World School, Bangalore; Neev Academy, Bangalore; Mercedes-Benz International School, Pune; Manchester International School, Chennai; International School of Hyderabad; American International School, Bombay and more.

Stonehill teachers conducted workshops on topics like Student Agency, Using Music to Support Language and Literacy, Transdisciplinary Learning, The Role of the Adult in the Early Years Classroom, Practical Strategies in a Differentiated Classroom and more.

It was also the inaugural event for SENIN, which is the Indian Chapter for SENIA (Special Education Network In Asia). SENIN is an initiative set up by Stonehill’s Learning Support Department and an opportunity for PYP Coordinators from across India to collaborate.

The Learning Hub served as a good example of what happens when IB educators come together to share ideas with a spirit of generosity, curiosity and open-mindedness. The purpose of the event was to bring together educational practitioners from various international schools to share ideas, collaborate and develop strategies for improving their teaching and learning environments. Stonehill International School is committed to offering an inclusive educational environment.

Google India Summit 2019

Stonehill was proud to host India’s first Google Summit in Bangalore with AppsEvents from November 16th - 18th, 2018. This fantastic professional development opportunity included participants from ten schools across Bangalore, including Stonehill staff. Google Apps Events is an approved programme provider with Google, and hosts high quality professional development events around the globe. Respected educational technology trainers like Craig Kemp and Sethi De Clercq offered inspiring keynote addresses and hands on workshops.

The first day was dedicated to three Bootcamps - Level 1 and 2 Certification for Educators and Level 1 Certification for Support Staff in Schools. On 17th and 18th, teachers and trainers from around Asia came together to learn new things, share strategies for teaching and learning, and find the inspiration to continually improve their practice. Participants visited The Great Barrier Reef through Virtual Reality and Google Expeditions; became data masters with Google Forms, Sheets and Data Studio; explored their artistic sides with Google Drawings, and so much more. At the core of the sessions were the questions, "How do students learn best?" and "How can we use technology to make learning happen better?"

The sessions and speakers brought tons of exciting and practical ideas that had everyone’s brains whirling with the possibilities. Teachers were abuzz all weekend about the new ideas they wanted to take back to their classrooms. Providing this kind of experience for teachers supports them to fulfil Stonehill’s stated mission of providing enhanced opportunities for technological innovation.

The Hour of Code

Every December brings with it ‘The Hour of Code’. Children, parents and teachers from around the world commit to completing at least one hour of coding to bring awareness to the need for computer programming education in schools during International Computer Science Education Week. This year, Stonehill Secondary students, along with our Primary students, participated in the coding challenge.

Secondary students participated in tutorials during their Advisory Lessons and experimented with Microbits and paper circuitry in the Makerspace. The event was a fun addition to the Computer Science curriculum that students learn in Design and Computer Science courses throughout the year. Many of our Primary students were eager to learn how to programme by accessing tutorials at code.org Students completed coding tutorials during class time, and over 40 students made use of the Makerspace during lunch breaks to take on the Coding Challenge.

Three Primary students surpassed expectations by writing over 500 lines of code each. Students also had the opportunity to explore robotics in the Makerspace. They built small lego robots, programmed them to drive and made masterpieces using Sphero robots.

The Hour of Code is always an engaging activity for our students, though the educational value is the real prize. Students learn logical thinking, problem solving and persistence, which is transferred across their learning. This year’s Hour of Code launched our school’s initiative to include Computer Science across all grade levels to prepare students to pursue Computer Science studies, should they choose to.

International Food Fair - Celebrating Diversity Through Food and Friendship

On 2nd February 2019, Stonehill hosted its annual PTA International Food Fair (IFF). Known for its diverse and inclusive culture, Stonehill celebrates this rich community in a variety of ways. The IFF is one such annual event that allows the entire Stonehill community to come together in harmony.

What makes this event more unique is that the parents from Stonehill, who come from close to 40 nationalities, prepare authentic food from their respective countries, creating a buffet of global cuisines while facilitating cultural exchange. Guests at the IFF were treated to a variety of homemade culinary delights from countries such as Morocco, India, South Korea, Philippines, Germany, Brazil, Japan, China, Denmark, France, UK, Sweden, Italy, Israel, Mexico, Netherlands, USA, Thailand and Canada to name a few.

Adding to the environment of diversity were cultural performances by students including a K-Pop music performance, a tabla recital, a Filipino folk dance, a Taekwondo performance, a Chinese dance performance and an Israeli dance performance. The day also saw the Unity Walk, where students representing the various nationalities of Stonehill walked with their national flags.

Stonehill families comprise of those who want an education that promotes global citizenship. The IFF is a fantastic yearly event that celebrates the best of India, and enables guests staying in the country to share their culture and cuisine. It is a great way to celebrate diversity and differences as we all come together to share food and learn more about the cultures represented in the Stonehill community.

Proceeds generated by the IFF were donated to the three charitable organisations supported by the Stonehill PTA – Stonehill Government School, a government school in the neighbouring village of Tarahunise; Morningstar Ashram, an orphanage for street boys with mild to severe mental and physical disabilities; and the IKSHA Foundation, an organisation that offers medical treatment and rehabilitation for children with Retinoblastoma (eye cancer).

DIVERSITY AND GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP AT STONEHILL

Secondary Trips Week

Stonehill’s Grade 6 – Grade 11 students participated in the annual Secondary Trips Week in February 2019. Field trips are an important part of the educational programme at Stonehill, as these trips allow for experiential learning that provides opportunities to engage with, and experience, life outside the classroom.

Stonehill’s Secondary students visited a variety of places and learned more about diverse subjects during Trips Week. Grade 6 students learned more about sustainability and conservation at the Gerry Martin Project's Centre for Conservation and Education in Hunsur, Karnataka, while Grade 7 students went rock climbing and discovered the history of Karnataka at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Hampi. Our Grade 8 students were fascinated by the culture and history of Rajasthan that they learned about during their trip to Jaipur.

Stonehill’s Grade 9-11 students were given a choice of four trips to participate in, based on their personal interests. These trips included learning about the art, handicrafts and historic sites of Gujarat; taking part in community service at an orphanage in Andhra Pradesh; discovering their adventurous side with water sports and trekking in the Himalayan mountain range; or learning the joy of surfing and gaining a deeper understanding of marine conservation in Covelong, Chennai. These types of trips not only facilitate learning, they also foster deeper and more meaningful relationships amongst peer groups.

Stonehill International School 259 / 333 / 334 / 335 Tarahunise Post, Jala Hobli, Bangalore North 562 157, India

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