The 10 Best International Schools in Spain 2020

T
H
E
2020 | VOL. - 03 | ISSUE - 5
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NOWLEDGEREVIEW
Education. Innovation. Success

EDITOR’S NOTE
GREAT
QUESTIONS
CAN CREATE
GREAT
THINKERS
What happens if we dug tunnels between
continents? Or has anyone wondered what
would have happened if the earth was cubeshaped?
Though not being an expert in science, such
questions ignite my mind. It makes me wonder what if I had
an answer to it, will it make me look at the world
differently. What if I was the one to know the answers to all
the unanswered questions, would there be more to know.
There are so many ‘what ifs’ in my mind now.
However, the purpose here is not to answer the question,
but to focus on the question. One question will lead to
another and then another. A good question can shift
paradigms, open minds and create critical thinkers. The
same applies to education as well. Herein, in education,
everyone values a student’s ability to answer the academic
or the needed questions. However, what might be more
important would be their ability to ask great questions that
would ignite their minds. The reason why students need to
ask great questions is to help them take ownership of their

learning. Questions ignite curiosity starting from why, what
and how, students want to know everything. Just imagine, if
Sir Isaac Newton wasn’t curious about the apple falling
from the tree, we would not have known about gravity
today. Hence, asking great questions is important.
Jackie Walsh, a teacher, and author in one of her books
quote, “Student-generated questions put learners in the
driver’s seat. They advance both learning and engagement.”
But, how do teachers or educators ensure that students ask
such questions?
For that, the students need to know that asking questions
are right and that is how it should be done. Many students
might fear that if they ask some questions out of context or
even something related to the context but not in the
textbook, the teacher might not like it. This assumption has
to be eliminated. Students need to know why asking a
question is important. Encourage students to think on a
topic differently, come up with a way of solving a math
problem differently than given in the textbook. This puts
them into thinking, to find solutions and to ask questions.
Another simple way a teacher can encourage students to ask
questions is by changing the typical method. For example,
instead of asking, “Do you have any questions?” after
finishing every lesson one can try asking, “What kind of
questions do you have?” This alters the entire mood of a
classroom and students start thinking. Half the battle is won
here, if a student starts thinking beyond his immediate
environment he or she will have questions to ask. However,
the point to be noted here is that asking questions does not
happen overnight and needs practice. It takes time for
students to realize that the expectations have been flipped
and now they are free to wander with minds. This shift in
class from where the teacher poses questions to one where
students ask the questions will lead to students to engage
more in class, develop comprehension, and critical thinking.
In this edition, we at The Knowledge Review intent of
finding schools that pursue teachers to adopt new
techniques ensuring that students retain what they learn and
the 10 Best International Schools in Spain epitomizes such
schools.
Benjamin Franklin International School, British Prince
School, American School of Barcelona, Zurich Schule,
and The British School of Barcelona are some of the
schools featured in this edition. Along with offering worldclass
education, these schools also focus on the holistic
development of the students.
Apart from these, we also feel privileged to list the schools
including Aquinas American School, Highlands School
Barcelona, Richmond International School, The
American School of Madrid, and the Evangelical
Christian Academy.
While flipping the pages, make it a note to read the articles
penned by prominent educators and also by our in-house
writers. The articles discuss about the upcoming trends in
education and also the importance of going gradeless. Hope
that this edition of ours enriches students, teachers,
educators and even parents. T R
Happy Reading!

ENTS
14
Educator’s Insights
Are we educating for
the 21st Century Economy?
36 Expert Insight
Cookie Crumbs and Learning:
The Experiential Approach
ARTICLE
Teaching Strategies
The Importance of
Going Gradeless
22

10
32
AMERICAN SCHOOL
OF BARCELONA
OPENINGS MINDS TO
TRANSFORM HE WORLD
18
The British School
of Barcelona
INCULCATING SKILL- BASED EDUCATION
IN BRIGHT AND YOUNG MINDS
40
BFIS
IN THE PURSUIT OF
EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE
26
Zürich Schule Barcelona
COMMITTED TO HELPING CHILDREN
TO GROW INTELLECTUALLY, EMOTIONALLY
AND PHYSICALLY
British Prince School
HELPING CHILDREN TO EXPLORE
THE ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES OF WORLD

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MARCH, 2020
Abhishaj Sajeev
Crescent Cu
Shruti Jambhale
Sneha, Darshan
Poonam Mahajan
Shweta Ambilwade
Business Development Lead
Phill Miller
Helen Jones, David Brown

10 MARCH | 2020

MARCH | 2020 11

THE ANCHORS
Cultivating Excellence
At ASB, educating students to meet the needs of the rapidly
changing world, wherein they develop the ability to solve problems,
innovate, and learn independently is of paramount importance.
Aiding this purpose of the school is its university preparatory
curriculum.
The school also focuses on student-centered and hands-on teaching
methodologies. This tried and tested technique has helped the school
to increase student engagement and learning. The school’s focus on
project-based learning is teaching students to be critical thinkers and
problem solvers; both of which are important skills for a
21st-century learner.
Preparing students just to be employable is not the goal of this
school. It prepares students to sustain in the long run and hence,
promotes advisable the use of technology, looking at the potential
changes technology can bring. The students from 3 to 10 years old
use i-pads in classes to create authentic products of their work and
the secondary school students are in a one-to-one laptop program
where they continuously use technology as a tool to learn.
ASB takes great pride in its excellent faculties. Our teachers are
adept at facilitating authentic, inquiry-based learning experiences
that are both challenging and interesting. These lessons typically
include elements of self-direction AND social interaction, as well as
require the use of critical thinking and creativity. The continual high
performance of our students on a multitude of international
standardized tests demonstrates the validity of the ASB approach.
Continued Growth
ASB has succeeded in creating responsible global citizens and will
continue to do so. However, with changes occurring at a sheer pace,
and staying up-to-date it is very important. Hence, the school
continuously evolves and develops new amenities to offer students
an exceptional educational experience.
In the last two years, the school has built several facilities to
accommodate its students better. In 2017 the school created an
amphitheater, a 5 to 5 soccer field and in 2018, ASB inaugurated a
new state-of-the-art building for Middle School and a new
Gym/auditorium with the latest technology and sound system. It also
renovated the High School classes completely and in September
2019, it refurbished the cafeteria with new furniture.
12 MARCH | 2020

STUDENT TESTIMONIALS
“ASB focuses heavily on the importance of community service in the
social shaping of an individual, allowing many to begin to understand
how they can tackle social problems at a young age. Not only this but
ASB drastically changed my perceptions as a former small town
American who had never before recognized the complexity of the
world or the beauty that can ourish from intercultural friendships,”
- Alyssa Skyte, Alumni – Class of 2016
“When I rst arrived at the American School of Barcelona in 9th grade,
I was initially intimidated by the prospect of a brand new school,
worrying whether I would t into the community. However,
throughout my experience, the entire school community, from
students to faculty, made a conscious effort to make me feel
welcomed. Everyone I encountered seemed genuinely interested in
me and in ensuring my transition into the community was successful,
making me feel valued not only as a learner, but as a person. Beyond
the school's top-notch academics, I believe that some of the school's
greatest strengths are its extracurricular opportunities. The ability to
play sports, compete in speech and debate competitions, and attend
Model United Nations conferences all around Europe has been one of
the highlights of my ASB experience. I will always look back on my
experience at ASB, inside and outside the classroom, as has been the
most enjoyable time of my life, not only because of the opportunities
that were at my disposal but because of the community that I was
lucky to call mine,”
th
- Jacob Anderson,12 grade student
“I am currently in eleventh grade and have been part of the American
School of Barcelona since P.K.3. As I go back to those times I
remember the school very differently. We used to only have one
building, which compared to now seemed like a much smaller school.
The truth is that ASB has not only grown in students but also in quality
of infrastructure, teachers, extracurricular programs and
internationality. Since I was a child, school has always felt like a
second home. The relationships you build with students and teachers
are more personal, enhancing the learning experience positively. We
have always been taught in a very applied and hands-on
methodology which is something I have learned to appreciate as I
compare it with a local course I took this summer. Extracurricular
activities are also a very important component for students here. I am
the president of the Rotary Interact group in school as well as a
student representative for the Student Council, part of the Model
United Nations and tennis team. Extracurricular and community
service are highly valued, something that I feel very grateful for. For
me, ASB has opened the door to an empowering, open-minded and
international learning experience that will help me nd a way for my
future,”
th
- Pablo Urrutia, 11 grade student T R
MARCH | 2020 13

14 MARCH | 2020

Educator’s Insights
MARCH | 2020 15

BFIS
In the Pursuit
of Educational
Excellence
Education plays a predominant
role in contributing to the
overall development of an
individual. In today’s modern world, it
is one of the biggest assets and an
ultimate pathway towards success.
However, earlier this picture was
completely different due to lack of
awareness and potential opportunities
concerning education. People were
unaware of the significance of schools
and their spark not only to uplift the
economy but most importantly, to
create a better world for all of us.
Acknowledging this scenario, back in
1986, there was a group of parents
from Barcelona, who realized the
absence of schools they wanted for
their children. Persuaded by the
situation, their passion for education
motivated them to lay the foundation
of Benjamin Franklin International
School (BFIS).
The idea was to establish a school that
has the potential to embrace the best of
American education in an international
environment that would promote
inclusion, tolerance, innovation and
new ideas. A place where students
from all over the world could learn and
grow from both an academic and
human perspective.
Towards XXI Century Facilities
In 2016, the school inaugurated a new
Elementary building that houses
Kindergarten through 5th grade, with
big, open and bright classrooms,
library, integrated technology, and
student-centered design furniture that
fosters collaboration, creativity, and
critical thinking; a new cafeteria in the
basement and a rooftop playground.
During the spring of 2019, the school
added another feather to its hat when
the construction of a new Middle
School Building initiated. It will
include 21st Century science labs, a
library, a design lab with cutting-edge
design equipment & tools, and modular
18 MARCH | 2020

classrooms to utilize the spaces
efficiently.
Currently, the school comprises three
campuses – Early Childhood,
Elementary, Middle and High School
and each has its prime building, sports
courts, and playground space. Its High
School Building also has a Makerspace
(a work area containing creative
technologies and design software), two
fully equipped science labs, a library
and an auditorium for 350 people.
Today, with years of consistent
endeavors, BFIS stands tall as one of
the most prestigious International
American schools in Spain and Europe,
with 700 students from 52 different
nationalities. The school offers an array
of diplomas and certifications
including the American High School
Diploma, the International
Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma, and the
Spanish Baccalaureate Certificate.
An Engaged Community
The school community is one of the
primary strengths of BFIS. It believes
that community engagement is the key
to student success and strives to build
the framework of a caring, welcoming,
and engaged community. At BFIS,
students, parents, teachers, staff, and
administrators work together with the
sole commitment to provide an
environment that supports students’
needs and unlock thriving
opportunities for them.
Recently, the Middle States
Association re-accredited the school
saying, “Many schools talk about
being a community, but BFIS is the
model of such a family community.
From the moment we entered the
school, we saw, heard and felt that this
is a special place. It is a school that is
vibrant with educational passion. We
are in awe of the level of student, staff,
and community participation in the life
of this school.”
Success for all students
Motivating the students to climb the
success ladder is a serious undertaking
at BFIS which is truly highlighted in
its mission statement; “Our purpose is
to engage our diverse school
community in the pursuit of
educational excellence and success for
all students.”
The school is accredited by the Middle
States Association of Colleges and
Schools, the Spanish Ministry of
Education, and the Education
Department of the Catalan
government. It is also an active
member of MAIS (Mediterranean
Association of International Schools),
IBO (International Baccalaureate
Organization), and BISA (Barcelona
International Schools Association).
The School strictly follows the US
standards such as Common Core for
Math and English Language Arts, Next
Generation Science Standards, and the
C3 Framework for Social Studies.
Connecting the dots of meaningful
curriculum and quality learning, the
10 THE BEST
INTERNATIONAL
SCHOOLS IN
SPAIN
“Creating an
environment of
opportunities
and support for
the students to
discover their
interests, pursue
their passions,
and develop the
skills and
knowledge they
need to thrive is
our forte.”
MARCH | 2020 19

EXEMPLIFYING PROFICIENCY
Mr. Colin Boudreau is the Head of BFIS. He
plays an essential role in bringing the
community together alongside involving the
stakeholders in all the major and strategic
decisions of the school. He is instrumental in
designing and executing a progressive
strategic plan for the school, giving voice to
alumni, founders, board members, students,
parents, faculty, administrators and staff.
Colin’s acumen and the stakeholders’ wisdom
has motivated more than 400 people from the
BFIS community in collectively setting the
strategic direction of the school. Under his
aegis, this community outreach has devised
four strategies that will be the roadmap for
school until 2022:
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
Provide opportunities that will strengthen
and develop the character of its students,
helping them to grow into well-rounded
students and contributing members of our
society.
Recruit, evaluate, retain and develop top
talented teachers.
Offer a 21st Century curriculum, ensuring
students will be ready to excel in a
changing world.
Foster even stronger relationships with an
engaged school community.
This strategic plan plays a significant role in
keeping the school’s vision alive in providing
impactful learning and progressive curriculum.
school leaves no stones unturned in bringing the best in each
student. It drives them towards the centre stage of
opportunities and empowers them to surpass every challenge
coming their way. As such, it promotes and embraces
student-centered and inquiry-based learning programs where
‘Questions’ are as much important as the ‘Answers’.
Since its first IB cohort in 2012, the school continues to
exceed the IB average scores with a passing rate nearing to
100%. The significant achievements of their students in
such a challenging academic program have gained them
entry into a range of competitive colleges and universities
worldwide.
Leveraging Technology
The shifting trends in teaching and learning are responding
to a new frontier that current students will face upon
entering into employment. The present education model
goes beyond teaching and learning foundational knowledge
across the traditional subject areas. The school is preparing
learners to approach complex problems through the
development of competencies such as critical thinking,
creativity, communication, and collaboration.
BFIS is responding to the rapid changes in technology by
including new literacies, such as digital literacy across the
curriculum, and the meta-cognitive aspects of learning. The
way that they approach their learning and aspects of
character, such as perseverance, curiosity, self-management
skills, leadership skills, and social and cultural awareness
are all key components of the shifts in teaching and learning.
The School is continuously striving to promote the right
utilization of integrated technology thereby, inspiring
students to develop critical thinking skills and support
continuous inquiry. This is achieved through its Makerspace
area showcasing next-level technologies for Middle and
High School students. This learning imperative is helping
students work creatively with a variety of materials
alongside traditional manufacturing tools and digital
fabrication equipment.
20 MARCH | 2020

Adding an Extra Plus
BFIS has taken successive steps to
make learning relevant and fun via:
What I Need (WIN) Time – It’s a
flexible period providing
individualized support and enrichment
opportunities to children in
Elementary. Here Homeroom, EAL
(English as an Additional Language)
and Learning Support teachers work
with students in small groups on the
areas they lack.
FLEX Time – This program is an even
mix of motivational and experiential
learning based on student interests. The
Middle and High School students have
the privilege of choosing a topic of
interest or to get additional support in
one or more subjects. In Elementary,
this is a rotating period where students
can choose options in Math/Science
and Arts/Wellness.
Talent Development Program –
Backed by professionals, this program
identifies the talent in students and
strive to give it the finishing touch
alongside building on their strengths
and challenging them to maximize
their individual potential.
Leadership Opportunities – The
School provides different opportunities
through Student Council, Student
Ambassador Club, Going Green Club,
Theater Club, Feminist Club, Allies
Club, Debate Club, Yearbook Club,
Book Club, Chess Club, Math Club,
etc. Participating in these opportunities
facilitates student engagement,
development, and learning experiences
that prepare students to be effective,
inclusive, and innovative leaders. T R
MARCH | 2020 21

The Importa
of Going Gra
22 MARCH | 2020

Teaching Strategies
nce
deless
he traditional A-F grading system has been
Texisting in the procedure of education
since the existence of schools. These
grades are considered as parameters that allow a
teacher, parent or the student himself to judge the
progress. However, the question here is whether
grading is necessary? The grading system functions
as a simple and immediate feedback mechanism.
A little peep onto the history we can see that highly
educated people like William Shakespeare, Plato,
Albert Einstein, and Thomas Jefferson were never
given grades, so how did they evolve as great
educated individuals. It also makes us question,
whether we need a grading system.
To answer this, let us consider a situation. Imagine
baking cookies for the time. It might come out over
baked, under baked or even burnt. Here, one does
not need anyone to stand beside them and point out
that it is wrong. The burnt cookie is enough
evidence that will prove the aforesaid. In such
scenarios, some might feel disappointed and quit
baking while others will overlook, analyze the
mistake and try it again. This was the example of
baking a cookie now apply it to studying. How
brilliant it would be if every student analyzed their
own mistake and learned from them. Let us further
see how ‘going gradeless’ can improve a student’s
efficiency.
Redirect a student’s focus
The first thing a student looks at when a graded
paper is returned is to check their grade and then
the neighbor’s grade as well. Ruth Butler, a
scholar, in one of her studies, stated that grades
with feedback produce the least amount of growth.
It is important to note that schools are not just
about grades. Somewhere along the line, this idea
has been lost.
MARCH | 2020 23

A gradeless classroom will allow students to think freely,
be creative, fail and learn from these mistakes. This way
the student will have the confidence to take risks and get
geared up again if that risk fails them. This little task will
help students develop skills that will help them thrive in
life beyond schools and colleges.
Reduce Student Stress
As explained before, the grade is the first thing that
comes to a student's mind when a paper is returned to
them. Hence, if any student receives a low grade they
panic, stress about and it can even cause anxiety.
Needless, to say adverse anxiety can cause many
psychological problems. It would naturally affect the
productivity of that student. A gradeless system can help
eliminate students from taking stress. They would be
able to focus more on the issues at hand and try finding a
solution.
Self Realization and Reflection
Learning does not happen with just mugging up all the
lessons and getting good grades. Learning happens when
you know something and sometimes lessons are learned
unintentionally. For example friendship, communication,
sharing, etc., are learned through the surrounding. It is
human nature to take away something from every
experience. As explained in the aforesaid points, when a
student is encouraged to learn himself, he discovers
something. It could either be about the subject, himself
or his classmates (if in groups). This allows them to be
avid learners, critical thinkers and problem-solvers.
Alongside this, it also helps students to realize their
passion, their talent and work hard to nurture it further.
This way they self realize about themselves, about what
they are and what they can be.
A Lifelong Learner
All these points have two things in common; one which
is going gradeless and the other is students getting
involved with more active learning. How does that
happen? As discussed above a gradeless classroom
allows students to analyze their own mistakes and learn
from them. This encourages them to think about where
they went wrong and why. Once they figure that out,
they start to think ‘how to improve it’ and that makes all
the difference. A gradeless classroom has no room for
judgment. Here, they follow the saying, “Practice makes
a man perfect.” They take up the responsibility of their
learning and rectify their mistakes. They realize that
mistakes are bound to happen but what is important is to
learn from it and find a solution to the problem. This will
nurture a student into an individual who is always
willing to learn.
But, can grading be completed eliminated?
This leaves us to a major question, should all schools go
gradeless for all academic years. Here it becomes
debatable. Grading will allow a teacher to judge the
progress of a child. However, not all students are always
good with grades. What happens to them? It is, after all,
a teacher’s responsibility to ensure that all students
receive the rightful education and thrive in life. Hence, it
is for them to figure out how they can use both grading
and non-grading system to access a student’s
progression. T R
24 MARCH | 2020

26 MARCH | 2020

MARCH | 2020 27

28 MARCH | 2020

MARCH | 2020 29

Kindly provide us the detailed
information about your school,
including its history, the
infrastructure,and some of its
distinct facilities.
32 MARCH | 2020

Enlighten us on your school’s mission
and vision, the accreditations and a few
of your learning and development
programs.
MARCH | 2020 33

According to you, how important is the role of a qualified
educator for a quality education? How is this motto served at your
school?
Please elucidate over some of your school’s accomplishments.
34 MARCH | 2020

What are your perceptions over the effects of shifting
trends in the education sector with regards to emergence
of new teaching methods and use of technology?
What are the future prospects of your school in terms
of expansion or upgrading the current syllabi or
infrastructure?
MARCH | 2020 35

COOKIE CRUMBS
AND LEARNING
THE EXPERIENTIAL APPROACH
Soggy crackers, cookie crumbs, and students
breathlessly attempting to blow through straws…
what greeted me as I entered our 6th grade science
classroom sure looked like fun, but it was much more than
that. Instead of receiving a lecture on the subject of erosion,
students worked in pairs to determine the rates of erosion
under various forces. Crackers and cookies stood in for
types of rock as they weathered beneath the forces of
student-generated wind and water. The excitement was
palpable, and the learning was real.
Experiential learning, popularized by educational theorist
David Kolb, is a philosophy that promotes “learning
through reflection on doing” (Felicia, 2011). A generation
earlier John Dewey championed hands-on learning, and
millennia before him, Aristotle noted, “the things we have
to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them”
(Chase Translation, 1911). Yet it doesn’t take an
educational philosopher to know that experiential learning
is a powerfully effective way to reach the highest levels of
educational achievement. We didn’t learn to ride a bike or
learn to cook by simply hearing lectures on the subject; we
learned by doing. As Bloom’s Taxonomy illustrates, rote
learning focuses on the most basic of learning objectives,
but is confined to these lowest levels, while the process of
experiential learning reflects the upwards movement of
learning towards the highest categories of educational
attainment.
The Experiential Cycle
What innovative ways can we use to foster experiential
learning? Kolb (1984) articulated this process as a cycle
which calls for four actions: Experience, Reflection,
Conceptualization, and Experimentation. We engage our
students in hands-on experiences, then call on them to
reflect on what they experienced, they then connect abstract
concepts to that experience, and finally advance the cycle
by experimenting with that idea. Let’s observe what that
looks like in various disciplines.
Applying the Experiential Concept
th
Consider our 6 grade science students-turned-geologists.
As they experimented with forces on their crackers, they
re-created what happens in nature, evaluating which
forces resulted in the most significant erosion. They made
predictions, experimented with the process, and reflected
on what they discovered – then repeated the process. This
active participation in the learning process reflects the
highest categories of academic achievement as identified
by Bloom.
Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is a meaningful work that
wrestles with challenging moral concepts. A literature
teacher could present students with various moral and
philosophical perspectives – is Lennie (spoiler alert!)
responsible for killing Curley’s wife? Should mentally
handicapped people be held liable for actions they don’t
understand? Do intentions matter if someone commits a
heinous crime but doesn’t intend to do evil? Is vigilante
justice acceptable if the justice system doesn't address a
crime fairly? Our literature teacher decided, instead of
lecturing on the subject, to put Lennie on trial. Each
student became a character, either for the defense or the
prosecution. They argued the case using evidence from
the novel. Throughout the process they experienced the
passions and struggles of the characters, and they
reflected on what the tragedy meant in light of their
newly-found perspectives. They conceptualized abstract
ideas through
concrete action, and they experimented with these
concepts as they argued for their side through the trial.
36 MARCH | 2020

Expert Insights
ABOUT THE
AUTHOR
Dr. Jim Cianca
Executive Director
Dr. Jim Cianca is the Executive
Director at Alliance Academy
International, an international
Christian school in Quito,
Ecuador with a 90 year
history of providing a US
style, English language
education to both expats
and Ecuadorians. Dr. Cianca
has bachelor’s degree in
English from Liberty
University, a master’s in
English Education from
State University of NY at
Buffalo, and a PhD in
educational leadership from
Columbia International
University. Jim has been
involved in high-quality
private education in many
roles, including as a head of
school, an academic
administrator, director of
marketing &
communications, an
academic department chair,
faculty member, and parent.
MARCH | 2020 37

Our students didn’t learn about justice and its complexities;
they experienced it, solidifying abstract concepts through
active participation and reflection.
Consider the following examples of how I have seen
experiential learning achieve similar results:
• Societal re-creation (social studies/history/civics): Create
a fully operational society based on a political-economic
model (capitalism, socialism, etc.). Appoint government
officials, a press, business leaders, a financial system with
its own currency, and give students roles to play within a
socio-economic class structure. Students are given
objectives and are mentored through the struggles of
trying to accomplish their goals within the political
economic structure.
• Stock market game (math/economics): Students use real
global market data to simulate financial investing and
personal money management. Simulated funds are
impacted by the volatility of real-world markets.
• Culture and language immersion (modern languages): At
Alliance Academy International, our student body is made
up of over 30 nationalities, yet we are widely regarded as
the best English language school in the country. Why? In
part, because of our experiential approach – a full
immersion with our native speaking faculty in class,
sports, drama, and travel to English language countries.
• Planting a garden (environmental science/botany):
Students till the soil, choose plants, nurture growth, and
harvest results. They experience failure and success as
they interact with the natural world, engaging in the
experiential cycle over and over. Bringing the produce to
market introduces inter-disciplinary elements as well.
It doesn’t take complex activities like some of those listed
above, however. Every day, in little ways, we can foster
experiential learning. Students can create their own
questions, teach their peers, use manipulatives, take
risks – and participate in their own learning. So, whether it's
with crumbling cookies, outdoor activities, or global
markets, learning through doing will pay dividends now
and turn our students into lifelong learners.
References
Felicia, Patrick. (2011). Handbook of Research on
Improving Learning and Motivation.
Kolb, David A. (1984). Experiential Learning: Experience
as the Source of Learning and Development.
Nicomachean Ethics, Book 2. Chase translation (1911).
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Class five and six students adhere to the Third Stage of Primary
Education, which is fundamental for the completion of the
consolidation of study habits, responsibility, critical sense,
decision-making, and greater autonomy.
The IB Primary Years Programme explores the learning, social,
and emotional well-being of pupils. This pushes them to
develop individuality and to seize responsibility for their own
learning. It facilitates their efforts to figure out the world and
how to function within it. Further, it helps students to discover
personal values as a basis on which a foreign mindset grows
and flourishes.
Here, trans-disciplinary themes provide the IB World Schools
with an ability to integrate local and global topics into their
curriculum and allow students to ‘step up’ beyond the field of
learning in the subject areas.
Secondary Education
Secondary Education represents the final stage in the Zürich
Schule Barcelona curriculum. It encompasses four decisive
years in which the pupils must be prepared for the last two
years of Baccalaureate before going to university.
As an IB candidate school, the school’s Middle Years
Programme (MYP) emphasizes intellectual challenge. This
helps secondary school students to make concrete links
between their learning and the real world and trains them for
success in their future education and in their lives.
In-Line with the Technology
The school is of the opinion that contemporary technologies
have brought revolutionary transformations in personal,
cultural, and economic contexts. Hence, Zürich Schule
Barcelona has been incorporating technology into its
curriculum since 2014. The focus here is to prepare learners for
the constantly changing world.
According to the school, the current advances in technology
and communication make the iPad a necessary resource for the
development of the pupils. The school also believes that the
focus on applying new methodologies becomes even more
important. It cites examples in the fields such as the approach
42 MARCH | 2020

to diversity, where the engagement of pupils and integrating different
methodologies are a significant help to teachers.
st th
In accordance with the changing world, pupils from class 1 to 10 learn on
their iPad. This serves as their complementing partner in learning material.
Further adapting to the benefit of innovative technologies, Zürich Schule
Barcelona has opted to reduce communication channels with a tailor-made
ZSB app.
The ZSB app provides a single point of access to information and
communication with the school. With this platform, families will channel all
of the school’s communication and information through their mobile phones.
The app provides Push Notifications such as calendar events, school menus,
photos, and many more. It also lets users send attachments (send reports,
images, videos, documents), aid in family-school interaction, school calendar
with many more features. T R
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|
Tom
Wingate
Founder
About the Author
Tom Wingate, Founder of The
Wingate School was educated
at St. George’s College,
Weybridge, Surrey, in Great
Britain. His school’s mission is
to touch lives, promoting
excellent academic standards
imbued with values. He
completed his undergraduate
degree in English and History
and Theory of Art from the
University of Kent and
postgraduate degree in teaching
from the University of Leeds. He
kick-started his career as
teacher administrator at an
international school in Mexico
City. Later, in the 1990s, he
served as the Principal and
Assistant Headmaster of a
developing high school, also
receiving his Masters in
Administration and Supervision
from Georgia State University. Head of the intake Year 9 at City of London School in the
early 2000s, he coached many successful public speaking and debating teams, winning
the ESU's British and International Debate Competition in 2006. He also holds a
postgraduate degree in Victorian Studies from Birkbeck College, University of London.
Tom has taught from kindergarten to teachers in their Masters programmes. He is an artist
and photographer, greatly enjoying history of art. An avid collector of old documents, with
a special interest in the life of Dickens, he also contributes to the international “Dickensian”
magazine.
44 MARCH | 2020

Educator’s Column
This is a great question and one that we need to ask
ourselves on a frequent basis. In fact, it is the
question, par excellence, that all educators must ask
themselves. Happily, what a delight it is to sit down with
our Pre-Primary and Primary teachers and discuss great
ways to engage all our students in their learning.
First, we believe that our very environment sets the tone.
Although, in our case, we are a relatively new
British-international school in Mexico City, banish the
thought of our vibrant community working within the
confines of a concrete campus. Rather, think of a semi-rural
site on the city’s western edge, basking in sunlight most
days, and all surrounded by low smooth hills carpeted with
trees. And fortunate enough to have a purpose-built first
construction using spacious, light-filled classrooms in
which teachers experiment. With children hailing from
some thirty countries, and Buenos Aires sitting down with
Berlin, wonderful cross-cultural friendships burgeon.
To be truly modern and creative, innovative educators
continually need to mix the old with the right amount of the
new, furnishing pupils’ learning styles with sufficient
variety. To make our motto “Strive, Learn and Serve” a
reality, we also operate with the International Primary
Curriculum (both its Early Years, and its mainstream
Milestone programmes). The projects we select from it
always allow us that flexibility in both content and skills so
useful to any enthusiastic teacher’s heart. Teachers are not
trammeled, then, in what they can attempt to do with the
curriculum. In our planning, main classroom teachers work
hand-in-hand with specialist classes. We especially promote
music – every post-Kindergarten child plays a stringed
instrument – also linking it wherever possible to many
discrete subject areas within bespoke IPC projects. Wasn’t
it E. M. Forster who once said, “Only connect”?
“Serve” is extremely important to our school community,
providing us with plenty of opportunities to be innovative.
Classroom teachers very deliberately fuse the IPC with our
School of Character, exploiting teachable moments to
promote positive values. Moreover, innovative learning
stems from pupils – in an age-appropriate
way – researching and selecting practical initiatives to help
others. For example, it was the pupils, not the teachers, who
opted for writing letters for lonely old folks (and visiting
them subsequently), creating a whole World Cup football
competition with a local Primary, composed of fifteen full
teams, plus an extensive toy collection and distribution
campaign for the less fortunate in society. When children
sense the justice of something, they grow in confidence and
display tremendous drive.
Holding fast to the ‘traditional’ in education, the things time
and cultures have told us work, we have ensured we have
placed the library at the heart of our campus. Three of its
MARCH | 2020 45

four sides are largely composed of glass. Children, walking by, both inside or out, cannot but help to peer in,
see and be intrigued by the constant activity. It welcomes them; it engages. With much mobile library shelving,
its spaces are instantly and effortlessly ‘redesigned’. Activities held there typically include: ICT classes using
Chromebooks; weekly assemblies underpinning IPC topics; drama practises; much live reading to groups;
personal assistance with book selection, and – naturally! – quiet reading and book processing.
(For books - new, old, bought, donated - are constantly being added.) Matching expressed interests, books are
frequently given to children by the school to keep, too. Books, stimulating innovative lines of thought in young
minds, still very much count and always will.
Yet, as we rocket into the new millennium, we inevitably reach out to the innovative and the new. Deliberately
sited within that large open library, staff and children access a lot of our technological gadgets. They are mere
tools to our academic ends, but, what tools! (We are setting up audio and visual contact with divers on the
Great Barrier Reef, in real time.) Most of our Smartboards are fixed within classrooms. However, others kept
in the library can be wheeled into action, like strange wooden fire engines fomenting those intellectual
“conflagrations” poet Alan Paton spoke of, rather than putting them out. What, then, is the nature of the
modern library? The speed of technological advance today is mind-boggling. Thus, the jury is still out, because
the fascinating conversation constantly twists and turns.
The classroom, where teaching and learning occur, now is so much more than a big box. We encourage a host
of innovative afternoon activities where young pupils (and their parents) can begin to choose less orthodox
areas of interest. For example, highly athletic Irish dancing can and does complement our official P.E
curriculum. Gardening Club, linked to the Royal Horticultural Society levels for schools, is ripe for
innovation. (For one, pupils have chosen where new bird boxes will adorn the campus.) Gardening, along with
woodland walks for our pupils in the huge ranch in which we are located, opens up so many avenues, both for
hands-on experiences as well as for incipient science-inclined minds. We have a Debate Club, too.
When all is said and done, our teachers’ collegiality is the engine that powers the active, innovative learning
throughout the school. However, as we genuinely try to put our pupils at the heart of our project, their sense of
contentment and ‘voice’ also are extremely important to us. Our pupils constantly use personal (but shared)
agendas in which all constituents – line managers, all teachers, the pupils and parents – write reflective
contributions. When ‘in class,’ collating knowledge, pupils are much encouraged to work in various teams.
They are crucibles in which to learn content and, more than that, the arena where they acquire and practise
transferrable skills. Invariably, their strengths and weaknesses are tested in the general give and take. That way
they, and their teachers, understand better the needs of patience and teamwork, analysis and critical thought. T R
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