Parents’ Voice | Dual Perspectives for Future Talents

Concordia School Ningbo focuses on a holistic approach to child-centered development to bring out the best in ourselves. We hope to empower our students with outstanding personal qualities and awaken their forward thinking to navigate the fast-changing new era.

In this Parents’ Voice, we invited Dr. Chen, an associate professor from the School of Information Technology of Ningbo University, who is a professional education practitioner and also a parent of Concordia Kindergarten. He will share his valuable experience from the dual perspective of parents & teachers.

Dr. Chen

Lizzie's Dad

Associate Professor, School of Information, Ningbo University

Ph.D., University of Hannover, Germany

15 years of overseas study experience

·Reasons for choosing Concordia Kindergarten?

The educational philosophy of Concordia Kindergarten fits well with each family's values. Early childhood is a critical time to develop good character and a foundation for learning, and Concordia Kindergarten focuses on holistic development and encouraging children to explore their respective interests. I am very impressed with the faculty at Concordia Kindergarten. Each classroom is supplemented by a variety of specialized professional teachers while practicing a three-teacher, one-guardian staffing. I believe that an excellent team of teachers is vital to a child's development and a high-quality education.

At the same time, Concordia Kindergarten is very willing to listen to parents' suggestions, especially in the area of home and family co-education, and takes the initiative to provide a variety of platforms such as parent-teacher conferences, parent-teacher classes, and one-on-one communication to discuss the direction of their children's development together, which leads to a good home-school interactions. I am convinced that Concordia Kindergarten is the best choice for Lizzie's future, and I look forward to seeing her and the kindergarten grow together.

·What role will parents play in their children's development?

Parents play multiple important roles in their children's development that can help shape character, develop skills, and prepare them for future success. Parents should act as guides and supporters for their children, helping them to explore their interests and to truly understand what they are good at as they continue to experiment. Concordia Kindergarten's diverse CCA program saves parents a lot of heartache, as their children can experience a variety of knowledge and stimulate their potential every day. Parents should also be listeners to their children, encourage them to express their thoughts and problems, and make them feel respected. I believe that over time, children will feel secure within themselves, their independence will be enhanced and they will be more courageous in overcoming difficulties. Of course, parents, as their children's close confidants, will become more integrated in their intimate relationship with each other in order to provide better support and companionship.

·The Essence of Your Child's English Education?

English, as a universal language, should be learned as a necessary tool and not just as a subject. Lizzie has shown a keen interest in English since she was a child. Therefore, we will find some suitable English cartoons within her age range according to her English level, so that she can improve her English listening and comprehension skills in the course of entertainment. In addition, we will also choose some age-appropriate English picture books, and read them with her to discuss the storyline and the meaning of the words.

Of course, the immersive English environment provided by Concordia Kindergarten also plays a big role. Lizzie is very fond of Mr. Vava at K2B. Through learning natural spelling and interacting with foreign professional teachers over the past year, Lizzie's English vocabulary and confidence in communicating in English have been greatly improved.

·Keywords for Concordia Kindergarten?

High Attention: Concordia Kindergarten's distinctive curriculum such as the Reggio Creative Arts Program, provide a personalized education that ensures that each child's needs are fully attended to, helping them to build self-confidence and self-esteem.

Love and Respect: Mrs. Reby of K2B often helps children build positive relationships and great social skills through modeling and encouragement, inspiring them to explore, recording their ideas, supporting their expression, and enabling them to learn to respect others' viewpoints.

Comprehensive Literacy: Concordia Kindergarten offers a diverse weekly program of specialties, such as science, art, music, and physical education, which can systematically and comprehensively enhance a child's comprehensive literacy. At the same time, children can explore and develop a variety of skills and hobbies through participation in different types of activities.

First-class Hardware: In addition to a variety of functional classrooms, indoor and outdoor play facilities, Concordia Kindergarten also has a library, a theater, and a wealth of extracurricular extension program hardware support facilities, such as a tennis courts and soccer fields, specifically designed to stimulate students' interests and cultivate their creativity and curiosity.

All of the above are very helpful for children to build a strong foundation of learning and positive social skills in the early years, which will provide a good foundation for future learning and life.

·What are the AI-proof competencies that need to be developed in the future of education for children?

With the development of AI, in order to ensure that children are competitive in their future life and work, education needs to do more to foster those unique human traits and abilities. It is well known that AI can perform many repetitive tasks, but human creativity and innovation remain irreplaceable when it comes to creating new ideas and solving multidimensional and complex problems. Therefore, it is especially important for children to develop their abilities in scientific thinking, experimental design and data analysis, which will enable them to conduct scientific research and solve real-world problems. Cultivating children's physical exercise and teamwork skills not only helps to improve physical fitness, but also develops a sense of discipline and a spirit of collaboration, which are also difficult to simulate with AI. We also need to emphasize the cultivation of independent learning as well as expanding children's innovation ability, so that they are willing to accept new cultures and concepts, and quickly acquire new knowledge and skills. In addition, we should educate them to learn how to collaborate with AI technologies in order to fully utilize the potential of these technologies. All of these aforementioned abilities are difficult to fully replicate by AI and can truly help children stand out in the future social and work environment.