Older students teaching younger students. Geoff Wood talks about the benefits for our students - young & old alike.

Cross-posted from VPLD

Those who know me understand that I DO BELIEVE that older students are terrific in passing on or reinforcing the skill, insights and knowledge we teachers hope will stick with both the older and younger student cohorts. Getting Year 12's and 13's to teach primary and intermediate age children is easy -- they like it.

I do not understand why more teachers do not tap into this activity with their own students. The students like it!!

This year some Rosmini College students jumped at the opportunity to teach Tagalog, the national language of the Philippines. Their students school in Southland and Taranaki. The activity is part of the Asian Language initiative being supported by the Virtual Learning Network Primary. Japanese, Korean, Mandarin and Indonesian speaking students at Rosmini College are standing by with the hope to do the same.

The 2013 census indicated that there were over 40,000 Filipino's residing in New Zealand. The growth in the number of Filipino's residing in NZ over the census period exceeded 138%, with most Filipino students living in the Canterbury and Wellington regions. The growth in the number of Filipino's attending Rosmini College is noticeably increasing, providing us with a resource, keen to improve and knowledge of their own language by teaching others.

Next up are our Korean students. They have shown a great interest in our connection with a school in Korea. Two Korean International students have "come out of their shells" and now take pride in developing that relationship with their home country. They are are preparing to use their language skills (Korean and English) and show that they also can make a contribution... and belonging.

Geoff welcomes inquiries from schools who would like to participate in these online connections with his students. He is also very happy to work with other secondary schools in setting up similar types of tuakana/teina connections. Contact: gwood@rosmini.school.nz

You can read 'Kick the Can' Over the Back Fence newsletter attached. 

Rosmini College students also mentor students in the Cook Islands to help them prepare for NCEA. What a great model of collaboration and service to others - Ka mau te wehi - Rosmini!