ACE’s Open Days Offer Excellent Activities
By Kiet Brak, ACE Teacher

The ACE Open Days are an initiative of the Australian Centre for Education (ACE) that encourage interaction among ACE teachers and students, as well as students’ families and friends. The Open Days provide an in-depth understanding of ACE’s facilities, academic programs and technology to all those who are interested in studying at the school. Through a wide range of fun educational activities, those who are not current ACE students are able to discover the benefits of studying at any of our five campuses, and to find out about opportunities to study abroad. Open Day attendees tour the school’s facilities, including our classrooms, Book Clubs, Computer Labs and Guided Individual Learning (GIL) Centres. Moreover, attendees also receive a lot of helpful information about ACE’s academic programs via face-to-face counselling sessions with experienced teachers.

Campus Tours

Our interactive campus tours provide Open Day attendees with an insight into ACE’s academic programs, in that attendees observe actual classes. Participants also explore ACE’s Book Clubs, which store over 1,000 books that students can borrow to practice reading outside the classroom. The Computer Labs, each of which are equipped with over 20 laptops, enable computer-aided learning (CAL), while our GIL Centres offer a wealth of resources to students, with materials designed for a broad range of levels.

On each of the three days of ACE’s Open Days, there are four scheduled tours that fall into two categories: ACE Children’s Program (CP) and Young Learners’ Program (YLP) tours, and tours for older students. Tour participants take part in various different activities, from educational activities inside the building to traditional games outside. These activities provide participants with fun experiences and give them opportunities to interact with ACE teachers.

Placement Assessments

The ACE Placement Assessment is an assessment tool used to ensure that new ACE students are placed in the academic level that is most appropriate for them, and therefore, that they make effective learning progress. Those undertaking the assessment complete a form with their personal information and contact details, and pay a test fee of USD $5. They then go to a test room equipped with laptops for individual testing, with an invigilator who ensures transparency and silence.

On our Open Days, the ACE Placement Assessment is free of charge and includes pre- and post-counselling sessions to provide essential information on ACE’s study programs, schedules, benefits and opportunities.

CP, YLP & GEP Demonstration Classes

Another feature of ACE’s Open Days is demonstration classes, which form part of the campus tours. These classes give participants an actual ACE learning experience: they learn and have fun at the same time, to maximise learning outcomes and minimise stress levels.

Three main activities ensure that younger tour participants enjoy their class and are engaged in the learning process:

• The Fruit: The teacher encourages class participants to guess words related to fruit using pictures displayed on a projector screen.
• The Tank: Class participants learn basic words relating to directions. One participant, who is blindfolded, must try to grab a ball placed in various different places around the classroom. Their classmates use the target vocabulary to tell their blindfolded friend the way to the ball.
• Labelling: About 40 items, which are labelled incorrectly, are placed around the classroom. Participants race to label the items correctly within a designated time limit.

Adult tour participants observe at least five different activities. These include:

• The Auction Game: The teacher displays questions on an overhead projector and participants place bids on a grid, depending on how well they know the answer.
• Miming & Guessing: Participants form small groups, a nominee from each of which mimes a word. The rest of the group try to guess and call out the answer.
• Shoot the Antonyms: The teacher shows word bubbles and elicits five antonyms, and participants approach a whiteboard to “shoot” the five correct antonyms.

Technology

ACE is continuously integrating new technology into our classrooms, with each classroom equipped with up-to-date resources: computers, LCD projectors, educational software and online programs.

During ACE’s Open Days, we conduct trials of the latest technology, such as the use of the XBOX for educational purposes. ACE is constantly looking for ways to turn conventional classrooms into virtual learning environments with such technology.

Parent – Teacher Meetings

Parent-teacher meetings are held in conjunction with ACE’s Open Days. The parents of CP and YLP students are invited to attend these meetings to interact with their child’s teacher. CP and YLP teachers prepare feedback on their students’ academic performance and action plans to encourage parents to become more involved in their child’s learning.

Teachers also indicate students’ strengths and areas for improvement, and provide suggestions as to how parents can facilitate learning at home.

CP & YLP Graduation Ceremonies

To celebrate our students’ academic achievements, ACE organises a Graduation Ceremony each term during our Open Days at each ACE campus for students who have successfully completed CP Level 8 and YLP Level 15. Parents can applaud their children’s accomplishments as they are invited to the stage to receive their certificates. Here are a few words from some of our recent graduates:

I started studying at ACE in Level 7 of the Young Learner’s Program (YL 7). I felt scared and nervous on my first day. I found grammar and writing the most challenging English skills to master. However, thanks to my excellent teachers, I have managed to continually improve in those challenging macro skills. I like the atmosphere at ACE: there are interesting photos all over the school. Most importantly, my learning experience in class itself is amazing. I really enjoy the activities and materials at ACE, which are fun and productive.

– Un Virakboth, YL 15 Graduate

I currently study at ACE Samdech Pan campus. I started in Level 8 of the Young Learners’ Program (YL 8), and at first, I felt uncomfortable about communicating with my classmates. In addition, in my first term at ACE, I was afraid that I would not pass the exam. After only one week, however, I felt happy and comfortable because making friends with my classmates was not hard at all. Our teacher bonded us, and we learned and had fun all at the same time. What challenged me the most were listening and grammar. Now, I do regular practice and take quizzes. I have learned how to pick up important details from speakers in audio recordings. The explanation of grammar points is also crystal clear. These achievements might seem minor to others, but I am proud to now be a graduate of the Young Learner’s Program at ACE.

– Phou Samnang, YL 15 Graduate