SWIS hosts IB regional workshop

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Around 260 seasoned educators and International Baccalaureate (IB) teachers from the Asia-Pacific region including Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Hong Kong and Taiwan gathered at Shen Wai International School (SWIS) for the IB Asia-Pacific regional event from Friday to yesterday. It was also the first time that the IB had chosen Shenzhen as the event’s host city.

SWIS’s school director Ally Wu delivers a welcoming speech at Friday’s opening ceremony. Photos by courtesy of SWIS

During the three-day intensive training event, trainees were separated into 12 interactive workshops covering the Primary Year Programme (PYP), The Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP), during which the attendees presented a comprehensive overview of the IB Programme Standards, PYP and MYP Curriculum Model, the role of the coordinator and librarian, concept-based learning, and more.

“We are here to further our knowledge and understanding of the IB and education in a broader sense, and to learn together how we might improve learning and teaching in the fast-changing context of the future,” Ally Wu, founding director of SWIS, said at the opening ceremony.

According to Rene Ren, a PYP coordinator with SWIS, apart from workshops, teachers also participated in field trips. “Teachers were invited to SWIS’s library to learn the role of librarians and share their experience in that respect. They also went to Window of the World to better learn about countries all over the world,” Ren told the Shenzhen Daily.

Students of Shen Wai International School (SWIS) perform a dance at the opening ceremony of the IB Asia-Pacific regional event Friday.  

Asked the reason why SWIS was selected as the host school, Ren said that the IB has recognized the flourishing of the international education in Shenzhen, adding that “As an IB world school that implements PYP MYP and DP programmes, SWIS will host more international education conferences, forums and workshops taking place in Shenzhen.”

As the host school, SWIS has attached great importance to this event. A month before the event took place, a committee led by Wu and the deputy school director Li Mingshan was formed to make sure that all the preparation work went smoothly.

SWIS students sing an a cappella rendition of the song “Happy” by Pharrell Williams at the ceremony. 

The IB program offers a continuum of international education, from its Primary Year Programme (PYP) to its Diploma Programme (DP). The programmes encourage both personal and academic achievement, challenging students to excel in their studies and in their personal development.

The IB educates students from ages 3 to 19 and is comprised of four programmes that focus on teaching students to think critically and independently, and to inquire with care and logic. The IB prepares students to succeed in a world where facts and fiction often merge, and where asking the right questions is a crucial skill that will allow them to flourish long after they’ve left the programme.

There are around 5,000 schools in over 150 countries around the world that implement IB programme(s). The IB DP is widely recognized by most of the universities around the world.