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Dear Colleagues,
It feels like a very long time since our last newsletter!
So much has happened in such a short space of time so this latest edition serves as a well timed opportunity to take a breath and catch you up on everything new in Learning and Professional Development
Contents:
Introducing our newest team members
All you need to know about PD Mondays
The PD Platform
Calling all course designers!
The Leadership Development Programme
Get in touch
The Learning and Professional Development Division
Did you know?
The YCYW Learning and Professional Development Team has grown significantly over the last twelve months. You can get to learn a little more about our two newest members. below.
Selina Chan
Senior Manager, Learning and Professional Development
Selina has joined our YCYW family since early July this year. She is based in Hong Kong and will primarily lead on non-academic learning programmes while also working on various learning initiatives.
Shasha Xie
Senior Officer, Learning and Professional Development
Shasha joined the YCYW family on 13 September and is based in Shanghai. She will help with managing and enhancing the YCYW professional website, working with SLTs to identify training needs and designing relevant training programmes / workshops.
PD Mondays
Our 'PD Monday' Programme has gone from strength to strength and it now seems there are never enough Mondays in the month to cater for the many requests that we get!
We have regular events hosted by our own curriculum experts, workshops to support the Bilingual Learning Communities pilot study, training on key organisation wide themes and a host of external speakers invited to share their knowledge and best practice. .
You can check out the schedule for up coming events here:
FAQs regarding PD Mondays
Why are they only on Mondays?
Monday is our organisation wide PD day. This means that all staff are able to dedicate 4pm-5.30pm to their own learning and professional development. For our school based colleagues, keeping them all on a Monday minimises disruption to other school events and cross curricular activities..
Why are curriculum sessions only for core subjects?
For academic year 21-22 there have been a number of changes made to core curriculums, taught across all our schools. As such, we have prioritised sessions that get teachers and leaders familiar with these changes and how they align with the organisation's educational philosophy. We will continue to add further options to these curriculum sessions, especially for IGCSE and A Level/IB courses.
What can we expect to see in the future?
Semester two promises a rich programme of development opportunities. You can expect to see more curriculum support, further implementation of the Bilingual Learning Communities and dates set aside for the Leadership Development Programme. We will also continue to engage external experts to host some of our sessions, with a particular focus on non-teaching content.
Is attendance recorded?
For teaching staff, attendance is recorded and shared weekly with PD Coordinators. Non teaching staff are currently required to keep a log of their own PD attendance.
Where can I watch recordings from PD Mondays?
Not all sessions are recorded, but those that are get published on the PD Platform. https://pd.ycyw-edu.com
The PD Platform
Our organisation wide PD Platform officially launched back in August. and so far, 1865 of you have joined us on the site. On the platform you will find an ever increasing range of learning opportunities designed specifically for you as a YCYW colleague. It is here that you will find selected PD Monday replays, along with targeted learning content that aligns current training with our unique approach.
If you haven't visited the site before, you will need to use your exclusive sign in link, sent to you on email at the start of the year. If you can't find the email and need help, please reach out to the Learning and Professional Development Division; learning.pd@cedim.com
Back in August we introduced the platform through a short video clip. If you missed it, you can find it again here In English https://tvideo.ywies.com/c6b1a7a3vodbj1253471873/26a067e03701925922732262715/wxcxiG0SK7wA.mp4
And here in Chinese
Calling all course designers!
Do you have a course idea that you would like to see offered on the PD Platform? We are actively searching for course contributors to support the growth of our offerings. We are currently designing courses on the following topics and would love to get your contributions.
Supporting student revision (revision techniques and tools)
The bitesize series: YCYW Policies and Procedures
Differentiation
Coaching techniques
In doing so, the course outline will include you as a recognised contributor.
The Leadership Development Programme
This year has seen the launch of a new Leadership Development Programme, designed to support leaders in their personal growth goals. Participating colleagues from across schools and divisions will experience training and workshops designed with their growth in mind and aligned with our Mission, Principles and Practices. Split into 5 distinct pathways, each leader will have the opportunity to take advantage of connecting to peers across the organisation with similar roles and levels of responsibility.
This is the first time that we have brought our teaching and non-teaching staff together under a single programme focused on leadership development. Such a decision emphasises our need to ensure all of our professionals have access to on-going training and development.
The first module of the programme kicked off this month, with Dr Troy Lui hosting the first of two sessions on Leadership and Bilingual Learning Communities. This session was available for all 133 participants enrolled on the programme.
You are more than welcome to reach out to The Learning and Professional Development Division at any time through our email: learning.pd@cedim.com