My name is Mr. Janjua, and I am a Wycombe Abbey School Teacher. I have been teaching iSTEAM and ICT since 2019 at WASHK, although I have taught across four continents and have over twenty years of teaching experience, the majority of this is in the UK. During this amazing journey, I have taught subjects like, Physics, Science, Mathematics, ISTEAM and ICT.
I find teaching at Wycombe Abbey extremely rewarding and exciting; it is such a pleasure to see the confidence in students develop and it is very satisfying when pupils solve problems in teams and troubleshoot programs using logical reasoning as well as their imagination and creativity.
A typical day of iSTEAM learning and fun!
I also keep myself up to date with the latest iSTEAM technologies and currently. I am involved with Cranfield University in England, where I am undertaking a research project that calculates the performance of a civil airliner which uses cryogenic hydrogen as a fuel and flies on a mission from Hong Kong to London Gatwick airport.
At Wycombe Abbey School Hong Kong, we have two laboratories solely dedicated to the Learning and Teaching of iSTEAM. The acronym iSTEAM stands for Integrated Computing, Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics.
iSTEAM is deeply rooted in developing the skills set necessary in solving difficult problems and overcoming these challenges by constantly striving to be confident and resilient while experiencing the problem-solving process through social and emotional learning.
Students work in teams, and they collaborate and communicate with each other, they endeavor to take risks using their initiative and maintain resilience even when sudden unexpected hurdles arise, they adapt well, students learn to learn and reflect upon their newly gained techniques.
We are extremely well resourced and some of our resources include, Ultimaker and Anycubic 3D printers, Laser cutter, BlueBot robots, Inobot robots, EV3 Mindstorms robotics kits, WeDo Robotics kits, Raspberry Pi 4’s kits, BBC microbit kits, laptops for every student in the iSTEAM class, iPads for each KS1 and KS2 students and Surface Go 2’ for each of our KS3 students in the school.
Three lessons a week per year group is allocated to the teaching of iSTEAM, where there is a single lesson on ICT and Computing.
Computer Science concepts are learned and applied in these lessons, then, there is a double STEAM lesson in which iSTEAM skills are developed, these skills strands are: Building dexterity, Engineering Design, Design Aesthetics, Scientific Reasoning, Data Science, Creating Technology and Computational Thinking.
Wycombe Abbey’s highly personalized iSTEAM curriculum is designed around nine thematic areas namely, The Autonomous Future, Communication, The Earth and The Oceans, Self-Expression, Architecture, Transportation, Space, Microsoft Technologies, and Humanity.
iSTEAM also imparts holistic skills through engaging activities that require tinkering, thinking critically, design thinking, using the scientific method, and engineering design.
Students are confident and happy to learn iSTEAM and express themselves often with iSTEAM being their favourite subject. Parental feedback is incredibly positive and relay their feelings of iSTEAM being an innovative and creative subject liked by their child.
Online Learning WASHK iLearning Platform
Our iLearning through the amazing work of our outstanding teachers; has proven itself to be a world-class system of Learning and Teaching, it primarily comprises of Microsoft Teams and OneNote.
The iLearning Management System has withstood the most demanding of stresses under the unfortunate suspension of classes on more than one occasion and has provided outstanding teaching and learning, inclusivity, social and emotional learning, and differentiation.
Parental and student feedback has been excellent. At the same time, our school community has constantly risen to the challenge and developed Future-Ready Skills which have been recognized by Microsoft Hong Kong, who have showed our good practices to the rest of Hong Kong and beyond.
As a result, recently Microsoft have recommended Wycombe Abbey School Hong Kong, for the Microsoft Showcase Schools status, and soon, we will be the very first private international school in Hong Kong to have achieved this tremendous accolade!
With The British Consul General of Hong Kong at the Teaching and Learning Expo 2021
With the British Consul's Director for Trade and Investment (Hong Kong) and Mr. Tuckett
at the Teaching and Learning Expo 2021
Students conducting colourful Chemistry experiments
Students programming the BBC micro bit to light up a Christmas tree
I look forward to meeting you in person one day and invite you to be part of our iSTEAM lessons so you can experience the fun and exuberance of iSTEAM!