ALASKA ACADEMY: Academic Director Shares Insights at “Building Thinking Classrooms” Workshop

Recently, at the international workshop “Building Thinking Classrooms”—a specialized training program for 21st-century educators organized by McGraw-Hill Education—Ms. Nguyen Kim Nu Thao, Academic Director of Alaska’s English Program, was honored to be one of two special guests in the discussion panel: “From Rote Learning to Creative Thinking: Transformation in Classroom Culture in Vietnam.” (The second guest was Mr. Nguyen Trung Dung, Program and Quality Assurance Director of the Vinschool System).

Drawing on her background in advanced education environments and years of research and teaching experience, Ms. Nguyen Kim Nu Thao offered honest and practical insights on topics such as:

• What factors make rote learning still prevalent in Vietnamese education?
• How to encourage creativity and problem-solving instead of memorization?
• What role do parents and the community play in changing classroom culture?

Particularly, Ms. Nguyen Kim Nu Thao’s story about the transformation of teaching methodology right at Alaska Academy received positive feedback from McGraw-Hill’s management in the Asia region and leaders from schools nationwide.

Alaska’s Pioneer Approach to Building Thinking Classrooms

At Alaska, students are equipped with daily knowledge and skills through methods that emphasize inquiry, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving, rather than rote memorization. This approach is why Alaskids can firmly grasp knowledge and approach various exams confidently and proactively.

The recent success of three Alaska students who qualified for and won medals (including 1 Gold Medal) at the IMSO 2025 International Competition is a concrete example. Their achievements are a source of pride for Alaska Academy and a vivid testament to Alaska’s pioneering role in building a “thinking classroom,” where students actively think, collaborate, and innovate, rather than merely memorizing facts.

Workshop Overview

The international “Building Thinking Classrooms” workshop, organized by McGraw-Hill Education, attracted managers from McGraw-Hill in the Asia region and numerous leaders and English teachers from inter-level schools across the country. In addition to inspiring discussions on educational innovation led by Mr. DJ West (Vice President of Academic Strategy at McGraw-Hill Education) and the two special guests, participating English teachers also engaged in discussions and experience sharing across four subjects—which are also Alaska’s strengths: Language Arts, Math, Science, and ICT.