MYP Decoded Vaughan B. Kitson

We wrap up our exploration into the lives of dedicated student-athletes by...

- Discovering what drives them;

- Seeing what the research into young elite athletes tells us;

- Investigating links between IB aspects such as ATL Skills and International Mindedness with the students' approaches to training and competing;

- Finding out what their training schedules look like;

- Hearing about inevitable sacrifices;

- Listening to advice for their peers;

- Getting a picture of what their goals look like for the next year, two, and more.



Articles/Books referenced:

https://www.fasttalklabs.com/byline/trevor-connor/#show

https://swimswam.com/elite-swimmers-are-getting-older-and-peaking-later-or-are-they/#:~:text=In%202001%2C%20the%20average%20age,swimmers%20by%20event%20in%202022.

https://beneast.com/2015/03/17/faster-by-michael-hutchinson/

Welcome back to the podcast! It's been a little while, but hopefully we're back on track and there are a few great episodes lined up for the next few months.



In this episode, as well as the next, I am speaking with six young people who are at the top of their game in their chosen sport(s). How do they juggle their commitments, knowing what riches (literally in some cases) reaching the ultimate goal may potentially bring?
The MYP emphasizes the development of the
learner profile traits, such as being balanced and reflective. How are these traits reflected in the daily lives of dedicated, focused, high-achieving student-athletes?
We explore these and other questions over the next two episodes, whilst learning more about what makes these individuals 'tick' - as well as incorporating some research findings in Episode 16.

Enjoy!

The World Scholars Cup is a truly unique experience, and an incredible opportunity for the students who commit their time, energy and brainpower to developing and refining the multitude of skills required to be as successful as the students who represented Raha International School.

This episode explores the details of this opportunity from a variety of angles, and I was certainly a lot more educated about it by the time I finished this most enlightening conversation with six students and a parent (with a couple of anecdotes from the teacher-coordinator thrown in) - enjoy!

In this short episode, conversations with students and teachers both new to the MYP as well as 'experts', reveal an authentic appreciation for this wonderful program.



Sometimes it's worth pausing and reflecting on how well we do things, even though we never stop improving.



Enjoy!

With Grade 5 students closing the chapter of their PYP journey, a new and exciting time of their lives awaits. This episode is a highly recommended listen for parents of PYP students (and perhaps listen with your child) - not necessarily G5 only, as it paints quite a comprehensive picture (with advice, challenges, surprises, highlights) for these young people who will be embarking on their new adventure very shortly.

Some of the main parts, for quick access:

2:17 Arts

6:52 Science and PHE

9:53 Advice for Grade 5 students (from G6 students)

15:17 Individuals & Societies

18:37 Mathematics

20:25 Design

24:27 English

24:41 Arabic B, Spanish, French

27:39 Moral Education and Social Studies



As always, connect with me at linkedin.com/in/vaughan-kitson

Articles referred to in this episode: (Same as in Ep 10)

https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/ulterior-motives/202104/is-math-anxiety-real

https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/finding-the-next-einstein/201511/why-some-math-anxiety-might-actually-be-good-thing

https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/school/teachers/teachingresources/discipline/maths/MTT_Mathematics_Anxiety.pdf


In the last part of the episode, reference was made to Prof Jo Boaler at Stanford University, and this course: https://www.edx.org/course/how-to-learn-math-for-students-2

Her main website is YouCubed.org



Of course, some kids do have clinical learning disabilities that are not caused by anxiety, cultural myths, or poor teaching. Developmental dyscalculia, a clinical term for someone who has a math-related learning disability, affects about 3 to 7 percent of the population. This is the lesser-known analog of dyslexia, a learning disability related to reading, and the two conditions often occur together.



The paragraph above appears in this article by Elizabeth Landau from August 2022:

I'd recommend this article: ⁠https://nautil.us/are-all-brains-good-at-math-238539/⁠


Find me at linkedin.com/in/vaughan-kitson