Hello everyone! This is Kalyna, the Head Counselor at International Ivy. I am pleased to say that our first week went very well. Our robotics classes were very successful, with all students enjoying the material and mastering the concept. I was a bit worried at first, but only for myself! I wanted to make sure that I would be a help to everyone in the class if they needed it, but the kids were all set to go on their own. They were so smart, creative, and independent throughout the entire process. I saw them working cooperatively whenever they wanted to share information or needed to help each other out, and I saw a great deal of independent problem solving. Currently, our schools are very focused on Project Based Learned and Problem Solving. Students will be taught information through direct instruction by the teacher, and then they continue on their own learning the material through a project. This kind of independent learning allows for students to learn according to their own learning styles, whereas traditionally they were limited to only one or two (depending on the instructor). Being able to practice this kind of learning, especially during the summer, allows for an expanded interest in different subjects and allows for students to make their own connections to things that they already know. Children learn best by comparing something new to something old that they already know and practice well, which is why our classes are good for any type of learner.
Our robotics teacher, Nancy, was also a great deal of fun to work with. She taught me a great deal of things, and her experience from working at IBM allowed her to give the class the best quality of information possible. I never knew that robots could do so many things and be so much fun. I was blown away by the amount of creativity that they students displayed, and I wish that I had my own robot to work on after I saw the designs they came up with.
This week, we are beginning a few new classes. We are doing robotics again, but we are also starting a few new ones including Fashion Design, a Detective Spy Lab, WeDo (robotics for younger ages), and Video Game Design. I can't wait to walk into all the classrooms to see all of the great new things they will be doing! I wish that as a child I had the opportunity to learn these kinds of things during the summer (especially since schools don't really focus on learning these types of things), but I am glad that I can participate in helping your children to learn something new and exciting this summer.
Right now, we are waiting for our students to arrive. We have a great deal of games and activities , and some of our students are taking advantage of them as we speak! Our program offers an early drop-off option, which allows the students to get here several hours early. They look like they're having so much fun, so I'm off to join them!
