Inspiration is like a canopy of a dark forest. While one walks in a dense forest filled with luscious trees and weathering leaves, one might find the ambiance astounding. However, the critical question is, what makes a canopy as significant as a forest dweller finds it to be?
The probable answer is, " A hope to see beyond the dark and pave the way towards a bright future is as significant as a canopy in the forest."
Historically, there have been many such instances that questioned human potential and marked itself as an apocalyptic milestone. But it has been the magic spell of hope that kept the human species roll out into the future while discarding deconstructive elements of our social history. One such factor that has been influencing the millennium is 'EDUCATION'
Known for its potential of social upliftment, the education space has been ever-evolving itself while facilitating hasslefree learning experiences across the globe. And, using the tools of formal schooling, education has played a vital role
in the successful transformation of society into the civilized one that we live in today.
Realizing these benefits of education, Switzerland has efficiently trailblazed in the education space and ushered an era of quality education while exemplifying the true meaning of educational leadership. Today, Switzerland is popularly known as the global education hub that promotes interdisciplinary pedagogy while elucidating a rational approach.
To inculcate such learning in every student in specificity and society in general, many Swiss schools are scouting innovative ways to incorporate play-n-learn philosophy across the globe.
Acknowledging these endeavors is our new edition, " The 5 Best-In-Class Schools in Switzerland, 2022. " These schools are changing the dynamics of the global education space with a creative mindset while facilitating a seamless learning experience. Knowing these stories will surely inspire and engage you in the world of innovative pedagogies.
While you flip through the pages, make sure to read the articles curated by our in-house editorial team.
I wish you a happy read! T R
Bhushan Bhad
Name of the Institution Brief
URL
academia-bilingual.ch
Academia Bilingual School is a small by design, private school that provides excellent bilingual teaching in an international environment. The school was founded in 2010 with a location in Basel and has been growing ever since.
French School De Bâle haut-lac.ch
efdb.ch
French School De Bâle founded in 1884, is the rst French establishment abroad, it currently welcomes nearly 150 pupils from the very small section to CM2. The only school in North-West Switzerland to be approved by the Ministry of National Education and a partner of the AEFE (Agency for French Education Abroad), the EFDB provides quality education.
Haut-Lac International Bilingual School ecolechatelard.ch
Academia Bilingual School Basel myskischool.com
My Ski School Zermatt Switzerland
Haut-Lac International Bilingual School, believes that a holistic approach to education is the only way forward.
Le Châtelard seeks to cooperate with the parents in the integral formation of their daughter. Le Châtelard offers each student the practical techniques and the academic knowledge that she will need for her personal and professional future.
My Ski School is an international team of professionals discovering ski and snowboard world to you in Zermatt and other European resorts.
Our commitment is holistic, as it addresses all aspects of the person and not only the intelligence, and personalised, where each student has different talents that need to be empowered.
IIt is a well-established fact that
every person is unique, and humans being a creature that evolves through a constant process of learning, there is always room for improvement. However, self-discovery and education often go hand in hand in the holistic development of children all around the world.
Becoming the best version of oneself is a process of discovery, self-realisation, and hard work put together. In this process of achieving personal greatness, the environment, the education quality, industry relevance, creativity, social skills, etc., plays a very important role. It is even challenging for ladies as they require a different approach to grooming.
In this modern world, finding an institute that contributes and satisfies all these qualities responsible for holistic development has become the need of the hour. Catering to this specific niche of the requirement of the world, Le Châtelard , an international boarding school for young ladies in Les Avants, Switzerland, aims to groom the young ladies to unleash their full potential and become the best version of themselves.
To acknowledge the school's contribution to transforming and giving a new direction to the education industry in Switzerland, The Knowledge Review caught up with Maria Veronica Canales , the Director of Le Châtelard. In an indulging conversation with the magazine, she sheds light on the school's journey to become one of the country's best-in-class schools.
The institutional building of the school has a rich and happening history of itself, and it has transformed from
being a historical heritage into modern, comfortable, and functional facilities since 1873. Being set in natural beauty in a secure environment in Switzerland, the school meets every need of students for their holistic development.
The school welcomes young girls to experience a unique way of life with an academic excellence program under Christian and universal human values. The students are groomed into an enriching culture of ' Savoir Vivre '—the art of living—and they study French, sciences and humanities along with other essential subjects. Highlighting some of the school's values, Mrs. Veronica Canales says, "Our institute provides intellectual, emotional, and spiritual techniques that they will need for her personal and professional future, and that will allow her to become the best version of herself."
"To support a healthy attitude in students' lives, our program provides students with a wide range of extracurricular activities as an additional touch to their formation. On weekends, our students have cultural and recreational outings in Switzerland and France. We have several field trips to discover splendid European places full of art, history, and sports during the year. As we are an international boarding school for young girls with Catholic bases, our social program has two pilgrimage trips as well as social outreach visits to asylums and orphanages," the Director of the school adds.
The school also has a caring boarding faculty to cater for the everyday needs of the students, aiming to provide them with a safe and warm environment that feels like home. Moreover, the school houses an international staff to maintain education standards at the facility.
To give students holistic arms in their development, the school has a wellbalanced system that juggles studies, sports, art, and leisure time. While speaking about the same, Mrs. Veronica asserts, "Our institute leads to an atmosphere of harmony and friendship between students, teachers, and staff that we call Le Châtelard´s family spirit. This is where life-lasting friendships begin."
The school's vision is to accompany and guide each student towards their integral formation and bring them opportunities to grow as a person and learn the art of living. With such a vision, the school aims to develop its students into leaders and practice the beauty of Christian life.
To achieve this vision of the school, the school has set itself on a mission to seek the development aspect of the person through:
Ÿ Teaching students by giving them the appropriate knowledge corresponding to their grade.
Ÿ
Educating the students by developing in them a love for authentic values and a sense of what is good, right, noble, just, and beautiful.
Ÿ
Forming the character of the students as the foundation stone of all virtue and integrity.
Emphasising on the core values, the Director of the school expresses, " class of Savoir Vivre, the art of living, is a trademark of Le Châtelard. Who am I, whom do I want to become and how do I achieve it… are questions that permeate the whole class and environment of the school? This class covers five aspects from external to internal and vice versa. 'Image is
The 5 Best-In-Class Schools in Switzerland, 2022
powerful, but image is superficial'. The class contains topics of etiquette , courtesy , good taste, among others, as well aspects as human anthropology , mindfulness , good use of social media , emotional intelligence , wellbeing , and self-esteem, among others."
On weekends, our students have cultural and recreational outings in Switzerland and France. During the year, we have several field trips to discover splendid European places full of art, history, and sports.
However, for the last nine years, the school has been under the supervision of a proud alumnus of the school, Veronica Canales, from the class of 1994-1995. She has been a passionate leader with a clear ideology of serving the mission of the school. Being a great educator and leader herself, she has led the school in the right direction to make key improvements in the areas of the school. Under her sheer leadership, the school laid the foundation to what Le Châtelard is today.
Taking about Veronica's influence on the growth of the school, the school management says, "Making parents part of the daughter's experience has been a key strategy to the school´s success. The school has a great communication strategy that makes parents feel they are physically present, accompanying them in their experience. The dad and daughter
week, as well as the mom and daughter 'Savoir Vivre week' have not only fulfilled all expectations, but they have permitted parents to have an amazing Le Châtelard experience too, as they enrich their daughters´ formation by building closer ties to them."
Quality education has become the need of the hour for students across the world. Being aware of how a good teacher can help enhance the school's education standards, Le Châtelard has assembled a team of motivated and qualified teachers who are passionate about teaching and enthusiastic about transmitting their knowledge and skills.
The school has also recognised the development of teachers, and to maintain such high teaching standards
The profound and holistic formation it offers, as well as its family spirit, have contributed to form many proud and successful generations of students that have shared their experiences with others. Many have come back to visit, while others are sending their daughters so they can too live their experience.
at the school, training courses are offered to teachers. At the same time, being a school committed to the future and holistic development of students, the school supports and encourages their personal formation projects, giving the teachers more freedom in teaching.
Le Châtelard has developed and curated a unique way to impart excellent education through tradition and innovation unlike other boarding schools. The four pillars that make the educational programs complete are Reflection, Hard Work, Analytical Skills and Critical Thinking.
Taking about the different methodologies implemented at the school, Mrs. Veronica Canales says, "We educate free and responsible students who must feel loved and supported in their learning. Therefore, our commitment is holistic, as it addresses all aspects of the person and not only the intelligence, and personalised, where each student has different talents that need to be empowered. We seek to help our students get to know themselves better and to anticipate needs, difficulties, and aspirations in order to respond to them even before the request is made. Our meeting place of tradition and innovation in academics explains why we keep traditional exam-taking techniques, as well as project-based learning activities to evaluate our students."
Shaping the Leaders for the Future
Le Châtelard was established to prepare students for becoming world
leaders and global citizens. Over the years, the school has specialised itself in providing students with the tools they need to venture into the world anchored with values that will keep their culture, beliefs and traditions alive.
Explaining how the school shapes the future of the school, Mrs. Veronica Canales explains, "Among many, will power be one of the most important areas to form in our students. No matter what goal in life you have and what motivates you, if you don't have a well-formed will power, you will not go far. In a
changing world, we need to form our students as working people, capable of overcoming difficulties in life. Together with working habits, we also need to form them to be resilient people, capable of recharging constantly."
The school has Social Outreach Program that helps them imbibe and develop essential values like empathy, integrity, and social welfare. Through this program, the school prepares the students to live in a social world where people rely on each other, irrespective of their race, religion, etc.
Along with the outreach program, the school also considers saving ecology as an important aspect of preparing students for the future. Through this unique program, students learn to take responsibility for our planet. Moreover, the world is now a global technological village, where one needs to master technology and use it as an aid. The school today has developed a strong
foothold in preparing students for the future and allowing them to flourish in modern-day technology.
Mrs. Veronica Canales believes that the best way to prepare future citizens and leaders of the world is to teach them where true happiness lies. And she concludes by quoting Oscar Wilde, "The best way to make children good is to make them happy."
Since the inception of the school, Le Châtelard has had very clear goals along with imparting higher education standards that have paved the path to success for the school. Envisioning the future of the school, Veronica Canales says, "We will continue updating and adapting its academic and formation programs according to modern times to always try to adapt and improve things."
Our traditional 'Le Cordon Bleu' cooking class is considered a 'Maker space', something that is new in education. Students have a collaborative space for making, learning, exploring and sharing that uses other types of 'tools' from the traditional learning spaces.
TThe world is changing at an impeccable pace. While the shift in industries from tangible to non-tangible product and services is on the rise, the industry and the education sector across the world is struggling with keeping up with the modern requirements.
As the British writer, C. S. Lewis rightly depicted the future by saying, "The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts." Metaphorically this explains the current dilemma of modern-day educators.
This particular need has been addressed by many educators across the world and has been working on reforms to bring on the effectiveness that is required to change the swift tide in favor of future generations. With a similar vision to meet the industry requirement of tomorrow, Academia Bilingual School was established to stimulate the interest of younger minds in creativity and curiosity.
The Knowledge Review magazine caught up with Mr. Jarrod Brauer , the Principal of the school, who has efficiently contributed to the school's success.
Igniting the Flame of Quality Education with Curiosity and Creativity
Academia Bilingual School (K-6) was established in 2009 in Basel by a group of passionate educators that saw the value in an approach to education that stimulated the interest of young minds through curiosity and creativity. This deviated from traditional educational models in Switzerland to an inquiry-based approach to bilingual learning.
What was essential in their vision was that a school, small by design, would allow pupils to flourish and invest in their strengths. A cap on class sizes, aligning to best bilingual practices, was paramount so that more individual student-teacher time as possible.
Academia Bilingual School excels at
offering a soft landing into Swiss life and education.
The school is housed within a historically significant building for the local area, ' The Schifferhaus '. It offers generous gardens and plays areas for the children to explore. Sports halls, an indoor swimming pool and an art studio are also enjoyed by the school community.
Core
Defined
Academia Bilingual School values academic achievement. With a strong sense of global community, the school encourages its students to discover and follow their interests and talents. The academic curriculum is centred on a blended version of the Cambridge International Curriculum and Lehrplan 21, the national curriculum of
Aspire to inspire. The energy you put into teaching will be returned in tenfold from a happy class.
Switzerland. This allows students the luxury of transitioning between local and international schooling should the need arise.
Academia Bilingual School management is mindful of the high expectations of teachers in this modern society from various school stakeholders. In order to support their school achievements, there are a number of initiatives mixed with some core values of the school to impart quality education, like: Ÿ Collaborate : More minds are better than one Ÿ Promote & Involve : Keep parents informed about their child's achievements and involve them along the way. Home school partnerships are important! Ÿ Support : Professional development opportunities and dialogue Ÿ Review & Reflect : An endless process at a quality school
In addition, the school administrators keep a keen watch on a teacher's daily roles and get to know students, their strengths, and challenges more intimately.
A bilingual school with a warm and open atmosphere allows the school to have a leading edge over other schools. Talking about the school's uniqueness, Principal Jarrod Brauer says, "I recall some recent comments from a family after they toured our school with a relocation agent. Describing Academia Bilingual School as 'friendly and focused', I could not have wished for a better compliment. This is precisely who we aspire to be."
Excellent school that we cannot recommend enough! Our kids started in a local Swiss school, but after three years of living in the U.S., we were looking for a bilingual school with a supporting climate and stimulating learning atmosphere. We found all of it and more in Academia. Excellent, caring teachers, great progressive and very involved Principal, small classes and community feel, overall fantastic team. We are also very happy with the academic level and approach to learning through curiosity, good habits, and less pressure.
- Parent of Year 5 & 7 students
The school places great importance on keeping student pathways broad as pupils progress through schooling.
Emphasizing on the academic success of the institution, Jarrod Brauer says, "The popular option when graduating from our primary school is to transition to Academia International School, our college, which prepares students for International A Levels. These qualifications are recognized around the world and open doors to universities across the globe.
International A levels allow students to choose their subjects based on their individual strengths and interests – one of the many advantages when studying at Academia International School."
"In the last years, students leaving our college have had some outstanding
performances, including awards such as winners of the Pearson Edexcel prizes for the highest mark in Switzerland in science, advanced maths, and English. We have also had a student awarded the Pearson Edexcel prize for the highest mark in the world for Advanced German," Jarrod Brauer highlights.
Exploring Creativity by that Extra(Curricular) Mile Emphasizing on the extra-curricular activities designed to boost the creativity of the students at school, Jarrod Brauer explains, "Albeit a smaller school, we have a large number of clubs and opportunities for our pupils to enjoy. In particular, we offer a day school set up with homework rooms, language booster lessons, art, football, yoga, STEM, computer programming, instrumental music, gardening, cooking clubs and more catering for many talents. There is, of course, a free play option which encompasses the time in the garden, often with our pet bunny rabbits for the little ones to enjoy."
Advice from Leader to Leaders Advising the younger generation catering to the education sector as
educators, Jarrod Brauer explains , "Aspire to inspire. The energy you put into teaching will be returned tenfold from a happy class. Pupil achievements, no matter how big or small, are a just reward for an educator shaping young minds. I am a firm believer one should stay true to who you are in your teaching style, and this should be moulded to your personality. Pupils will feel whether you are authentic or not, so be the best version of yourself!"
Envisage the Expansion of Bilingual Schools and Community Academia Bilingual School and its educational group continue to go from strength to strength. Recently the bilingual school concept was inspired
by Academia Bilingual School, Basel has added to more locations in the Zurich area: Terra Nova Bilingual School in Küsnacht, along with Academia Bilingual School Winterthur.
This unique model sets a distinct point from big international schools, bringing the students in the spotlight and not being lost in the crowd, but valued and known by all in a familiar community. Being confident about the school's progress, Jarrod Brauer says, "I could imagine we shall continue to see more small schools by Academia Schools design whether at junior or senior school level in the future.”
Website : www.academia-bilingual.ch/
Albeit a smaller school, we have a large number of clubs and opportunities for our pupils to enjoy.
What could be the best choice for higher education?
Many students opt to study abroad from the collective student base worldwide. The primary reason to choose international universities in different countries is seen for its high value, global exposure, and numerous career opportunities.
However, these aspiring students often face challenges in choosing the right international destination. Choosing an international destination requires them to make a proper assessment of the education standards, its popularity, cost
feasibility, the country's background, the career scope after doing the chosen course etc.
A few promising international education destinations offer excellent scope for higher studies from worldrenowned universities.
Switzerland can be one of the ideal locations. Yes! Switzerland, apart from being renowned for its watches, swiss knife, chocolates and cheese, Switzerland is a fantastic destination for international education that offers a wide choice of graduation, postgraduation and doctorate programs.
Let's explore the five most essential aspects that make Switzerland a prominent international education destination.
High Standard of Education
Switzerland has one of the best education systems in the world; hence it is becoming one of the preferred choices for education abroad.
The top-class education system in Switzerland offers a novel habitat for the students to display their innate skills during their process of attaining high-quality international grade education. Switzerland houses several universities of high international recognition, making it a preferred education destination. The quality of education is high right from its primary education up to the higher levels with diverse and innovative teaching pedagogy.
The system applies an open learning methodology, which combines the classroom pattern, practical aspects, group discussion and technological applications of learning management systems, customized educational software and self-creating modules.
Safe Country
Switzerland has been one of the safest countries to choose for education and career with its sound law system and broad welcoming-diverse culture. It is a country with almost no violent crimes with the lowest crime rate. The law-and-order system is very effective, and the police department is very active in crime tracking and resolution of the cases.
Switzerland has nearly 25% international students in its universities, which provides excellent exposure for all the students to interact
and network with the international community, learn new aspects and grow together. It is a great location to see and identify the numerous activities taking place here.
There has been a steady rise in the number of international students opting to study in Switzerland for numerous reasons like safe destination, lower fee structure, simplified process and standard quality education. The Swedish universities have a single fee structure for both Swiss and foreign students, which is an encouraging factor.
Switzerland has a diverse culture and background that changes as per its vast geographical landscapes. There are four national languages, German, Italian, French and Romansh, spoken in Switzerland.
It has 26 cantons which have their own administrative and governance system, which makes it a refreshing destination for higher education. Students studying in different universities of various cantons get a unique learning structure customized by canton management. Switzerland has approximately 1000 museums that portray the rich Swedish culture. Their folk art is seen in dance, embroidery patterns, traditional wood carving art and music. The traditional music comprises a long musical instrument like a piped trumpet known as Alphom.
Switzerland is an advanced country in numerous fields of science, technology, food, dairy, agriculture, education and many more. The country itself offers ample scope to choose a lucrative career and settle down there itself. Swiss companies are open to hiring foreign professionals with Swiss
degrees (Of course, with adherence to the immigration rules and the laws of the Swiss government).
Aspiring individuals can choose numerous careers like physicians, orthodontists, lawyers, software engineers, IT systems architects, accountants, pilots, investment bankers, teachers, actuaries, veterinary doctors, and many more.
Tourism is the biggest business in Switzerland, which offers many employment opportunities to the locals and foreign employees. The hospitality industry, too, enjoys a good business movement though functional in the seasonal and summer periods.
Moreover, Switzerland shares its border with five different European countries with excellent connectivity. The country enjoys good credibility due to its strategic location, high global education standards and professional work culture. Students from Switzerland universities are respected and valued and have high chances of bagging interesting job opportunities in many other countries.
Horizons
As we conclude with an overview on choosing Switzerland as the destination for higher education, it is a point of delight that this country fairs to numerous parameters of safety, quality standards, affordability, background, culture and many more. Being a developed modern country, it can also be considered a career destination offering a huge scope in a wide range of professional segments.
So say Halla! And begin your preparations to study in Switzerland!
The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically.
Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education."
- Martin Luther King.
As per the above quote, education signifies everything that bolsters a child's ability to think critically and build character. Education institutes worldwide are striving to create growth inducive and friendly ecosystems for students to ensure the all-round development of children.
While Switzerland is home to a varied population in its demography, it portrays a rich cultural diversity. The need for bilingual schools is also evident in the country.
Haut-Lac International Bilingual School has with relentlessly over 30 years provide Swiss students with an authentic international experience and ensure international students feel at home with the Swiss language and culture for more than 30 years.
In a conversation with The Knowledge review , the Managing Director of the school, Anne-Marie Harwood , shares the story of journey of its captivating emergence.
Haut-Lac, Making a Difference Since 1993
Haut-Lac was founded in 1993 by two families, who are still at the helm today. The four Founder-Directors, Anne-Marie and Neil Harwood and Grainne and Jean-Louis Dubler , made sure Haut-Lac to remained a family-oriented and truly bilingual
international school as it grew from 13 students in 1993 to 600 in 2022. By getting to know their students and staying abreast of developments in education, they were able to adapt the programs offered to continue meeting ever-evolving needs.
The Haut-Lac International Bilingual School boasts a mesmerizingly scenic location overlooking Lake Geneva, about a 20-minutes drive away from the nearest ski slopes. The school has maintained a welcoming family atmosphere since the day it was founded in 1993. The school now welcomes approximately 600 boys and girls aged 3 to 18 on two bright, modern, and fully-equipped campuses in St-Légier, a small town between Lausanne and Montreux. And as of August 2022, 11 to 18-year-old boarders can stay within walking distance of its school campuses at its new Boutique Boarding House.
On an academic front, Haut-Lac graduates have achieved excellent academic results with 100% IB Diploma pass rates and entry into top European and American Universities. With a high percentage of French and English native speakers (over 50%), the school provides two options. Depending on the student skills, students can study either truly bilingual (English and French) or predominantly English teaching streams.
At Haut-Lac International Bilingual School, every child gets their chance to shine, whether in class, at sport, on stage, in debate club, or elsewhere.
Haut- Lac International Bilingual School offers an inclusive ecosystem that would nurture young talents, fosters a sense of belonging among its students, and prepare them for the
future. The school ensures success through its simple motto: Living, Learning, Achieving.
Haut- Lac believes in and strives to instill in its students strong values such as Respect, Perseverance, and OpenMindedness among its students.
Quality and Advanced
The school ensures consistent quality teaching through regular in-house and external professional development. Haut-Lac school also regularly collaborates with experts in education and bilingualism, and promotes the sharing of best practices among colleagues.
The IB Middle Years, Diploma and Career-Related Programmes at the Haut-Lac International Bilingual School offer an innovative, interdisciplinary approach to learning that focuses on developing secondary students' academic knowledge and soft skills such as communication,
Haut- Lac International
Bilingual School ensure success through its simple motto: Living, Learning, Achieving.
“
The infant and primary play an active role in their learning and prepare for the future through interdisciplinary learning and the 'Mantle of the Expert' pedagogy.
At Haut-Lac, students develop their local and civic engagement through House Team charity initiatives, the IBMYP Service as Action component, and the IBDP CAS component. The school also has a dedicated Digital Education program involving a 1-to-1 iPad Scheme from P3-MYP4, laptop use from MYP5, robotics programmes and clubs, an internet safety course, and appropriate device use modules.
Haut-Lac places learning in real-world contexts. Students learn to set up and run projects involving contact with local and international individuals and businesses.
Haut-Lac International Bilingual School has won several awards and accolades for its contributions to the field of education. Some of the awards are listed below:
Ÿ Top 10 IB World School in Europe Ÿ
First Athlete-Friendly Education Centre (AFEC) accredited by the World Academy of Sport (WAoS)
in Switzerland Ÿ
Eco-School Ÿ
Mantle of the Expert Quality Mark Award Ÿ
Primary Science Quality Mark Ÿ Duke of Edinburgh International Award Authorization Ÿ
Ski Racing Academy run in partnership with Ski Zenit Ÿ Accredited by the Council of International Schools Ÿ Member of several Swiss school Associations
At Haut-Lac International Bilingual School, students prepare for the future
through several student engagement and development programmes. Some of the programs are listed below:
Ÿ
The school gives responsibilities to the students through Student Council roles, Digital Leader positions, Global Citizenship Ambassador roles, House Captain and Ambassador roles, etc. Ÿ
Higher Education Guidance Ÿ
Over 150 after-school clubs, involving sports, the arts, music, the digital world, academic support and more. Ÿ
Breakfast club from 7:15 to 8:00 Ÿ After-school supervision until 18:00. Ÿ
Regular ski outings during the Winter term from P1 to DP1. Ÿ A term of swimming lessons for Infant and Primary students.
Ÿ
Activity & Language Camps during the Winter, Spring and Summer holidays for 4 to 15-year olds. Ÿ IB Sport & Study programmes for high-performing athletes.
Haut-Lac envisions continuing its journey as a leading Swiss IB World School. The school strives to further pedagogical innovation and teaching quality.
When asked to give a word of advice for the educators who are venturing into the education space, co-founder of the Haut-Lac International Bilingual School, Anne-Marie Harwood, says, "As educators, our primary objective is to prepare young people for the challenges of the future, so we need to keep looking ahead and never stop innovating."
Global education has undergone numerous changes over the period. Educators worldwide have conducted extensive research to make the learning process simpler, easier and culpable. However, thousands of students have been struggling in their studies. These students somehow cannot grasp the subject being taught in their classes.
The teachers make relentless efforts to help them understand the concepts through various measures like repeating the instructions, helping them read the matter, encouraging more practice and teaching in questionanswer format. Educational researchers
then came up with an innovative solution which greatly helped in the learning process. This is a Personalized Learning methodology.
Personalized learning basically is the non-conventional approach to teaching the students, which includes customization of the learning process based on each student's individual needs, interests, strengths, and skills. A standard identification assessment is based on how they learn to understand their best and what they know. It is based on the identification technique very similar to the SWOT (Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats) analysis.
Personalized learning doesn't have the standard teaching process of single instruction given to all. In this process, the teachers customize individual instructions separately for each student. The further process of learning aspects (including how to help them learn, what would be their curriculum, what would be the sequence of the topics and where the students need practice) will be based on the individual findings of their strengths, likes, interests and understanding.
This is an innovative approach where the students learn different things in newer places, unlike the traditional single place all subject method. Teachers help the students in setting up of the short-term and long-term goals based on small tasks to be learnt daily or weekly patterns. Students get involved in their own learning process, understand their pace and steadily become accountable for the same.
Personalized learning is not any kind of replacement for standard education. It is just a different approach to help students understand and learn easily. It needs to be inclusive of various patterns, visual aids, practical elements, action-oriented exercises, and several other learning strategies that can support the learning process.
If the process of personalized learning is carried out properly, the students find learning easier, interesting and develop the habits of self-learning steadily. Gradually as they develop an interest in learning, students will start learning on their own by adopting different innovative techniques they have been using.
Knowing the fact that personalized learning is based on customized
learning plans specially created for individual students, it is an obvious fact that every school will have its own type of approach. However, personalized learning is based on various learning models widely followed in modern progressive schools. Let's investigate this in-depth.
The capability-oriented assessment model is based on continuous assessment of the student's progress towards a particular goal. The schoolteacher gives focused instructions to the students on developing skills. The learning model includes specific knowledge, certain skills and a strong will to achieve their goals. The students benefit from the opportunity to improve their decisionmaking skills by helping them choose from the given options. Students need to choose to display their skills learnt through real-life examples like visiting a bookstore and dealing with purchasing a book. Skills like time management, rational thinking and basic mathematics will be practised here.
This mode helps the subject teachers customize a learning way that adjusts according to the student's progress, inspirations and targets. The class teacher creates the student's schedule based on the weekly updates about the academic progress and strengths. Considering each student as unique, it includes several learning methods such as one-on-one tutoring, independent working on core skills with complex tasks and project-based learning with a small group of other students. The personalized learning model schedules the students to learn and work with different skillsets with separate patterns. Teachers observe each student
closely and offer extra support as required.
The closely monitored learner profiles type of model comprises maintaining a daily record of the activities with observations. The educators understand each student's traits in terms of interests, strengths, needs, motivation, development and targets. These traits are based on daily reviews and updated more frequently than the regular exambased report card. The daily updates help the teachers in making decisions that positively impact the students learning process.
The Learner profile model helps the students track their progress and gives the teachers and parents a clear idea of either changing the learning model or the goals.
The flexible learning ecosystem aims to create an encouraging environment where the students study, explore and learn openly. The methodology focuses on the physical aspects of the classroom structure, the school methodology and the approach of the teachers. The flexible learning ecosystem encourages the design thinking that reshapes the learning process of the students and the teachers on how they can manage their schedules and own priorities effectively.
Imagine a refreshing classroom with innovative wall paintings, hanging charts, display boards and diverse seating. This kind of ecosystem will evoke excitement among the students. Schools which practice personalized learning even experiment with teaching in nature under the tree shade for a fresh and better mindset.
