First Convergence Session with guest speaker Ryan Cardwell

Here’s a date for your diary!

Sunday 17th January 2016 at 1pm, GMT.

Location – Adobe Connect Virtual Meeting Room

This will be our first convergence session in real time, where we will have a chance to say hi each other, and to interact with guest speaker, Ryan Cardwell.

Guest Speaker Bio

Name: Ryan Cardwell

Nationality: Canadian

Current Location: Beijing, China

Position: Campus Director of Ivy Academy

(School) Motto: Courage to Change and Inspire

Educational Background:

• Major in Physical Education, History & Asian Studies (University of British Columbia in Vancouver)
• Certificate in Multiple Intelligences from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Professional Background:

• More than 10 years working with children in both recreational and educational settings.
• A teacher in private schools in Beijing and in Vancouver, Canada, as well as after–school centers as a special needs aide
• Work experience with a non-profit organization that provides educational and social assistance to new immigrants.

He says:

“At Ivy Academy we view the children through the lens of the Multiple Intelligences theory. This allows all of our teaching staff to help develop the whole child, cultivate strengths and support areas that require more attention. Each child is different and we tailor our curriculum to suit the needs and interests of every child.

Our IvyOnline system allows you to track the progress of your child week by week, through pictures and detailed reports prepared by your child’s teachers. We also encourage parent input and participation in our classrooms. We feel that open and honest communication and cooperation between home and school are keys to a child’s success.”

 

Guest Speaker Session Info:

During the first guest speaker session Ryan will be sharing his extensive experience with us, particularly how he adheres to his school’s motto: Courage to Change and Inspire. Indeed, I recently participated in a teacher training session entitled Design Thinking for Educators where Ryan encouraged and equipped his teachers with tools and ideas on how to improve the learning experience, through Design Thinking.

In our session, Ryan will talk about his own introduction to the Design Thinking Process, what it means to him and how he puts it into practice. He will also explain the opportunities and challenges implementing such a concept presents in his context.

He says:

“Education tends to be a very conservative and dogmatic enterprise. An individuals early experiences with education often strongly influence the way they think education ‘ought to be’. But, the fact is that education is a human construct like any other, and teachers can use the principles of design to optimize the experience of learning.”

If you have any questions you would like to put to Ryan, whether it be about early education, working in China, or the Design Thinking process, then feel free to add a comment to this post.