Language Acquisition
It is important to develop Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency. This means that non native need to engage in demanding tasks. These need to be made accessible by providing the necessary support. Once students are comfortable with these kinds of activities, they can be gradually exposed to tasks that are both cognitively-demanding and context-reduced.
Office 365 Plans
Last year we announced our move to Office 365 and the transition away from iWorks. Within the IT department we’ve been working on setting up accounts and are announcing that everyone can log into Office 365 using your regular password and your email address without “staff”. For example, instead of signing on as Brianlockwood@staff.nanjing-school.com, I would use Brianlockwood@nanjing-school.com.
Why move to 365
We are doing this because of Apple’s poor backward compatibility support and their lack of online collaboration. Apple has minimal online collaboration features in iCloud, which only offers an individual level. They also do not provide support using our school email accounts, and we hope to have an integrated system.
Known Issues
Please note we are discovering issues, especially while trying to transfer files from iWorks. We know Pages files are difficult to import. We’ve found that most issues happen with documents containing tables. In most cases creating the file from scratch has been the best solution.
Our Goal
Next year our goal is to use Office as our core tool. All computers for the 2015-16 year will have Office software. Apple’s iWorks software will remain on your computers, allowing sufficient time to transition your documents. Beyond 2016, iWorks will not be part of the school’s software image.
Office Transition Time Line
- 2008-14 iWorks Core Tool
- 2014-15 Learning Office
- 2015-16 Office becomes school’s Core Tool
- 2016-17 iWorks not part of school software image
Maps Needed
Searching for world and city maps
Looking for different world and city maps for an art project. The maps will not be returned to their owners. Any condition accepted (old/ new).
Maps can be brought to Mr. Wiggins’ room (D246) on the second floor of the main building.
Thank you,
Dorothea Moldenhauer
10D
Language Acquisition
Tasks can range in difficulty along one continuum from cognitively undemanding to cognitively demanding; and along another continuum from context-embedded to context-reduced. A context-embedded task is one in which the student has access to a range of additional visual and oral cues; for example a one with illustrations of what is being talked about. A context-reduced task is one such as listening to a lecture or reading dense text, where there are no other sources of help than the language itself. A task which is both cognitively demanding and context- reduced, is likely to be the most difficult for students.
PM2.5 readings in Week 26
Dear all, please refer to enclosed weekly updates on PM2.5 readings.
Duties Wednesday-Friday
I will be away in the IB Asia-Pacific conference. Marina is kindly taking care of duties in my absence, so please email her any duty related mail.
Language Acquisition
CALP isn’t just the understanding of content area vocabulary. It includes skills such as comparing, classifying, synthesizing, evaluating, and inferring.
GAMES!
Do you like to play games? Me too! Do you want to challenge a teacher to a board/card/dice/other type of game? Of course you do! Well there is some good news: Friday Game Day is continuing this Friday during the first half of lunch in the fishbowl (the room across from IT). Bring your own game or play one of ours (Uno, Spoons, Uno Attack, Jenga, and a variety of others). Challenge your friends. Challenge your teachers. Challenge yourself. As Author Unknown once said, “The way a man plays a game shows some of his character. The way he loses shows all of it.”
Sub Rota Semester 2, Version 1
Dear Teachers,
Please have a look at the new Sub Rota, and get back to me asap ifSub Rota 14:15.pages you have any clashes/problems…..
ACAMIS Badminton
The NIS badminton team brought 24 players up to Beijing for the ACAMIS badminton tournament.
Fifteen different schools came to the tournament to compete inside the famous ISB dome.
At the end of three days of badminton, the NIS 1 team finished third in Division 1 and the NIS 2 team finished first in Division 2. These were great results for the NIS shuttlers. All the NIS players improved over the course of the tournament but special mention should go to Jia Yue Seow, Jason Oh and Hyunuk Kang for their outstanding performances.
While not playing badminton, many of the Grade 12 students spent their free time preparing for the upcoming mock exams. These students provided a great example of what it means to be a student athlete.
MYP Tech Challenge: Friday March 20th – Block 5
The MYP inter house Tech Challenge is rapidly approaching. It will be block 5 on Friday March 20th. This is day 4.
The following teachers will miss the chance to be involved because they are teaching grades 11/12 at that time: Ruth, Rob Battye, Danny Clarke and Cheryl.
Due to the sheer volume of grade 12 artwork spread throughout the design centre there has been some changes in locations for some activities. Please see the updated version. Note: DC Courtyard is the outside area behind the cafeteria.
Task sheets will be emailed out to teachers (please keep secret from students) on Tuesday.
Language Acquisition
This week the Language Acquisition post will look at Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) and Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP).
BICS is the ability to function in everyday situations and CALP is the ability to use academic language. Research shows that children immersed in English can develop BICS in 2 years whereas CALP takes between 5 and 7 years. Non-native speakers who have attained a high degree of fluency and accuracy in everyday spoken English do not, in most cases, have the corresponding academic language proficiency.
Chaperones needed
If you would like to chaperone the Grade 8 Displaced People experience on March 31st please get in touch with Ruth or Francis. Luxury cardboard box guaranteed..!
Grade 8 teachers
This is an advance warning for Grade 8 teachers that all Grade 8 students will be off schedule on Wednesday March 31st as they will be involved in a Design and Humanities Displaced People IDU. They will be in school the following day for their Student Led Conference.
Ping An & OWC monthly visit on Wed. March 18, 2015 (11:30 ~ 16:00)
Dear overseas staff,
Ping An & OWC monthly visit will be on Wed. March 18, 2015 from 11:30 to 16:00 in the Board Meeting Room (H303) @ Centre.
Best wishes,
Clara