World Class Learners by Y. Zhao

How has it affected your own opportunities? 

During my studies in Mexico, there was not a standarization of the national educational system. There was a significant difference between one school and another, enough for me to remember how my parents looked for the best school based on hearsay. Looking back, I can see that there were no clear standards to measure each school against another. Today, The American School Foundation has clear goals and standards that provide students with a global/international vision of education that is more in line with preparing students to be global citizens.

How do you intend to compensate for those deficiencies?

I intend to compensate for these deficiencies by ensuring that I put into practice the standards and practices of the International Baccalaureate. Another way is to look for best practices in education in order to address the standards indicated in our ASF curriculum. However, it is important for me to ensure that I am integrating technology to make sure that my teaching and student learning are keeping with advances in the educational system. It is important for me to differentiate between grade levels to ensure I address different learning styles to help improve student performance in any task.

How does the instruction you offer in your classroom contribute to the formation of competent, creative and innovative global citizens?

The instruction I offer in my classroom contributes to the formation of competent, creative and innovative global citizens by primarily addressing the central idea of each unit of inquiry, which provides a concept-based approach to learning as opposed to topic specific. This helps students to understand global issues that can be applied in different aspects of life. My approach to improving student learning and addressing a global curriculum is through the integration of technology and the various strategies such as building a bank of tools such as software and lab instruments. This supports the philosophy of ASF's Hands On Center where students have the opportunity to give meaning to their learning and understand connections from the curriculum to real life. Having common core standards will allow us to streamline our teaching and provide valuable learning to our students. "The Common Core Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn... reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success..." (Zhao, 26). The IB provides us with phases of learning that are common in all PYP schools and provide an international education.