Video Highlight – Rick Steves: The Value of Travel (TEDxRainier)

After spending 4 months a year for the last 30 years living out of a suitcase, Rick Steves reflects on the value of thoughtful travel. Sharing lessons learned from Iran to El Salvador and from India to Denmark, Steves tells why spending all that time and money away from home has broadened his perspective, enriched his life, and made it clear to him, as he says in his talk, “Fear is for people who don’t get out very much.”

Having only watched a few of Rick Steves travel videos, I wasn’t for sure about listening to his speech.  He does really explain very clearly and to the point his views on traveling and the value of it.

His speech inspired me to always make sure to find a way to interact with the locals somehow.  Am I really taking advantage of the time I am in a taxi cab going from one place in the city to another?  What could I do more to create an environment to initial a conversation in an authentic way?  I guess most of the instances when you get to talk with a local aren’t situations that are exactly planned.

How can you interact with the locals though in such a short time?  The great moments you might share with the locals might only be brief encounters, but they can be, in deed, lasting ones.  One can almost retell each individual encounter with a local when revisiting old photos they had taken from a trip.

What part of travel have you put value on?  Do you value other parts of traveling more than others?  Are international teachers more likely to have the necessary skills to interact with the locals or place that experience high on our list?

One of the reasons that I because a teacher was so that I could work with people that are different than me.  I learn so much from talk with the students from countries different than me.  I learn so much from what the parents share with me as well.

Our quest continues then in our attempt to understand the people in our world a little bit better, and I guess that means that more traveling is in order for our next vacation time….ahhh the life of an international teacher!

More International School Places Needed in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is struggling to meet the demand for places for children at its international schools even though the number of these schools has grown significantly in recent years.


Hong Kong

It is as a result of a surge by British and American expats to Hong Kong since 2010, fuelled by job opportunities in the banking sector, coupled with an increasing desire for local families to have their children educated at the international schools that is creating the huge demand. There are now over 15,000 British and almost 30,000 American expats living in Hong Kong and those with children are requiring places at the international schools there, many of which already have waiting lists for September 2012.

According to ISC Research, the organisation that researches and analyses data on international schools worldwide, in the year 2000 there were 70 schools in Hong Kong teaching 37,800 students. Today that number has increased to 164 international schools teaching 64,300 students.  On Hong Kong Island alone there are 74 schools, with another 37 in Kowloon, and 45 in the New Territories. 21 of these schools including Island School and the Chinese International School, both on Hong Kong Island, have an intake of well over 1000 students. 42% of all these international schools follow the English National Curriculum, 10% follow a US curriculum and 14% follow an international curriculum such as the International Baccalaureate; all popular choices not only for UK and American expats but for the local families too who see this as a route to better opportunities for their children in the worlds most respected universities.  It is the significant increase in the number of local students applying to the international schools, along with the surge in expats to the area that is driving this high demand.

Nicholas Brummitt, Managing Director of ISC Research Ltd says:  “There is an acute shortage of places in Hong Kong. The existing schools are responding by rapidly expanding existing facilities wherever they can, but demand is predicted to outstrip supply for a number of years. A great many new schools are opening over the next couple of years. These include more schools linked to prestigious parent schools in the UK such as the brand new, state of the art Harrow International School located in Tuen Mun in the New Territories and which will open in September 2012.”

But for expats, the situation currently looks tough and the word from schools is apply as soon as you can.

Highlighted article by ISC Reasearch.  ISC Research is the only organisation that supplies data and market analyses covering all the world’s English-medium international schools; data that it has been tracking for over twenty years. The latest market updates plus individual school information, news, statistical overviews, and country reports are all available from ISC Research www.iscresearch.com

Check out the latest comments and information about international school teachers submitted by numerous international schools from around the world at International School Community.

Great resource: Want to work at an international school in Jakarta?

The Living in Indonesia website (www.expat.or.id/orgs/schools.html) has some excellent insight on the many international schools in Jakarta.

There are many international educators interested in working at these schools.  There are 27 international schools listed on the Living in Indonesia website.  Some of the international schools listed on their website are: El SHADDAI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL – JAKARTA, ACG INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, GLOBAL JAYA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, HOPE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL JAKARTA INTERNATIONAL MULTICULTURAL SCHOOL, etc…

Highlighted sections from their website:

JAKARTA INTERNATIONAL MULTICULTURAL SCHOOL

“Curriculum – JIMS is a fully registered Cambridge International Centre with the University of Cambridge International Examinations offering education for children aged 12 to 17 years old and a candidate school for the Primary Years Programme of the International Baccalaureate Organization for children from 3 to 12 years old. The nursery program serves children 1.5 years to 3 years old.

JIMS was founded in 1995 under the name of the Jakarta International Montessori School. In 2007, the school changed its name to Jakarta International Multicultural School. JIMS is located on a 1.5 hectare campus in the green Situ Gintung area. The school area and building are owned by JIMS with modern facilities, including a baseball field, baseball pitching area, large library with extensive book collection, football field, semi indoor basketball court  and two swimming pools. The school truly lives up to its multicultural name. JIMS is fortunate to have a school community which consists of representatives from five continents. The number of students has increased in recent years and we now have 130 students.”

JAKARTA WORLD ACADEMY

“Jakarta World Academy (JWA) is committed to “empower our students to embrace the future and to thrive as ingenious, global citizens”. It offers an English international education across two campuses with Toddler through Elementary at the Thamrin campus (JWA) and Toddler through High School at the BSD campus (SWA).

The Thamrin (JWA) campus provides a unique learning environment in the ANZ Square Building next door to Grand Indonesia in the very center of the city, providing an intimate learning environment that focuses on the holistic development of each child. JWA focuses on Early Years and Elementary programmes implementing the Reggio Emilia curriculum for Toddler – Nursery and the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP) for Pre-Kindergarten to Elementary. The IB PYP is a rigorous international education program, which uses children’s natural curiosity and excitement to learn through guided inquiry and develops young learners who are globally minded. The BSD campus, Sinarmas World Academy (SWA), provides the support of a large school (Toddler – Grade 12) community, including resources, learning and counseling support services and professional support that truly makes JWA an outstanding school for your child.

The student body represents 18 nationalities, including 35% international students and 65% students from Indonesia. Each class, Toddler – Kindergarten has a full time western expatriate homeroom teacher, expatriate Chinese teacher and Teacher Assistant. In Grade 1 – 5, each class has a full-time western expatriate homeroom teacher, Chinese Specialist and a half time Teacher Assistant. In addition to homeroom teaching staff, specialist teachers support the programs in Art, Music, Drama, Physical Development, Swimming, Special Needs, and Library.

JWA/SWA is a center for Teacher Professional Development. It an Apple Regional Training Center and provides training for Chinese teachers in cooperation with Peking University, China. JWA/SWA is a member of the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the East Asia Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS).”

ROYAL BUCKINGHAM INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL JAKARTA

“Learning Well, Enjoying Life, Exceeding Expectations … At Royal Buckingham International School, our mission is to develop the skills, positive attitudes and personal qualities of every learner so they can become active contributors to the global community. We Prepare our students for the future, equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and understanding that will enable THEM to meet the demands of living in the 21st century. Students learn in an environment that is not only fun and safe, but also challenging and academically rigorous. The Royal Buckingham Institution community is inclusive and welcoming to new families. Students are placed at the centre of learning and teaching, and teachers tailor the curriculum to each child. Our global outlook on education draws on the unique, international experiences of our school community and incorporates that knowledge into lessons. The School is affiliated with the International Primary Curriculum (IPC).

At Royal Buckingham International School aim to create a range of opportunities for our students to integrate and interact with each other. Through understanding every student’s specific needs and learning styles, we seek to maximize their academic and personal potential, creating a harmonious international community of life-long learners. Our school continues to grow at a rapid pace, providing high-quality international education for the international community. Even with this growth, we continue to offer personalized learning and small class sizes. Students experience a familiarity and comfort that is usually only felt within smaller family groups.”

Currently, there are 10 international schools listed under Jakarta on International School Community:

Acg International School
British International School Jakarta
Jakarta International School
New Zealand International School
North Jakarta International School
Sinarmas World Academy
Global Jaya International School
Bina Bangsa School
Singapore International School (Indonesia)
Royal Tots Academy

Check out the latest comments and information that have been submitted on these schools or submit your own at International School Community.

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