We can all agree that the future is uncertain. But UWCSEA’s reimagined learning programme is equipping students with the skills, knowledge and tools they need to find their way.
With all the uncertainty in the world today, planning for the future isn’t as straightforward as it used to be. But at UWCSEA, this is taken into full consideration when it comes to students’ learning. They are equipped with all they need to navigate the faster flow, the ever-changing tides and the hidden currents they will eventually encounter along the way. Educational consultant and visionary school leader* Graham Silverthorne, immediate past Head of UWCSEA East, shares how the school has begun reimagining learning for its students…
UWCSEA is refining its guiding statements
At UWCSEA, students’ learning is shaped by newly extended guiding statements. These starts with the school’s mission and values and describe a learning journey that culminates with students developing what the school calls ‘mission competencies’ – skills and dispositions that encourage students to be changemakers now in and the future, using their education as a force for the benefit of society and not just as a vehicle for personal success.
A mission-aligned curriculum for holistic learning
To adapt to the changing times, UWCSEA’s learning programme is aligned to its mission, intentionally guided by high-level concepts which are delivered by intentionally developing interdisciplinary and experiential learning approaches.
New pathways with new measures of success
Measuring achievements in this new normal is undoubtedly going to present challenges in a world that seems intent on benchmarking using examination results and test scores. However, events in 2020 (the cancellation of many examination board exams) exposed the limitations of the current approach, proving that learning does not take place in a linear or age-related manner. Now, UWCSEA looks to recognise ALL achievements of its learners, rather than being bound by traditional frameworks and testing systems. To do this, the school has plans to adopt a more agile approach that credits the skills, needs and attributes of individual learners rather than being bound only to the requirements of a single set of standardised tests.
Adapting is never easy — there will always be challenges and there will always be a need for scores and grades. However, during these times, there must be greater agility, agency and personal choice in the way we recognise the extraordinary talents of students.
Join UWCSEA and an international panel for a discussion on Human-Centred Curriculum – Redefining Measures of Success on Thursday, 22 April – sign up for this free event and explore what this means for the future of learning.
To the future!
To learn more about UWCSEA and what it offers students, visit its website.
* as described by international school accreditation boards CIS/WASC
This post is in partnership with UWCSEA