Cambridge Experience

By Maitreyee Banerjee ​​​​

MYP & DP Physics & Extended Essay Coordinator

One recurring issue we discussed was the growing dependence on gadgets among children and young adults. To combat this, schools in various countries are adopting "device-free days," although the implementation varies widely. This global perspective reinforced the importance of addressing screen addiction while fostering balanced and holistic learning environments.

Our stay at St. Catherine’s College was a highlight, offering us a taste of life at Cambridge. The energy of the university, bustling with students engaged in summer schools and research projects, was palpable. Observing a few classes conducted by Cambridge faculty transported me back to my student days and offered fresh insights into pedagogy at one of the world's leading institutions.

Several sessions left a lasting impression, but two in particular were invaluable. The first, on "The Future of Work," introduced us to emerging job titles such as "Chief Listening Officer" and "Director of Storytelling." Industry experts highlighted the core competencies that will shape future success: adaptability, emotional intelligence, problem-solving, creativity, and digital literacy. As educators, it’s clear that we must integrate these skills into our teaching practices, encouraging an innovative mindset and fostering resilience in students. I would have appreciated further discussions on practical strategies to nurture adaptability and emotional intelligence in our classrooms. One key takeaway was the need for us, as teachers, to model adaptability by embracing failure—a concept we encourage in students but often struggle with ourselves.

Another impactful session featured a panel discussion with Cambridge scholars and Dr. Richard Morris, an evaluator of numerous admissions assessment papers for Cambridge and an interviewer for Trinity Hall, Cambridge. He emphasized that high school teachers should guide students to focus on fewer, more meaningful achievements, rather than a long list of superficial accomplishments. By engaging students in mock interviews and targeted mentorship, we can better prepare them for future academic and career opportunities.

A particularly thought-provoking session covered "Media and Brand Literacy," led by a practitioner with 30 years of experience in shaping public perception. The session underscored the pervasive influence of media on our thinking—a reality that students, with their impressionable minds, are especially vulnerable to.

Critical thinking is key to navigating this landscape. I discovered that new studies reveal that just 5% of decisions are the result of reasoned thought, while 95% are motivated by instinct and intuition (Thinking Fast and Slow- Daniel Kahneman). Equipping students with tools like the "Sources- Earning -Bias" (SEB) framework can help them discern between credible and misleading information. Encouraging students to ask questions about the source, financial motives, and potential biases behind any content they encounter will empower them to think critically, an essential skill for their academic projects and real-world decision-making. The students can be trained to ask questions like, ‘Where did this communication or its content originate? Have any data or questions been fairly presented? Who could be making money from this communication? How? Could there be an agenda behind this communication? Could there be any prejudice, unfairness, or inaccuracy? Is this communication playing to your own biases?”

The session also touched on the "rule of three," a tactic advertisers use to make their messages stick. This technique (Chunking Information, Creating Association, and Repetition and Recall) could be equally powerful in the classroom, helping students grasp concepts more effectively by similarly framing them.

The week-long conference was packed with insights, and while these were the most significant takeaways for me, the experience as a whole was invaluable. It was an opportunity to reflect, learn, and bring back fresh ideas to better serve our students