Global Collaboration with Alumni at GEMS International School, Dubai

This is an article published in issue 2 of GEMS Family Magazine.  Great work by the staff and Grade 3 students at GEMS International School in Dubai.  This brings in so many elements of real life learning and future skills that I just had to share!

See p51 for the article as published: http://gemsfamilymagazine.com/

A digital design project with Grade 3 students at GEMS International School Al Khail (GIS)  in Dubai was not only a fun learning experience but also produced some exciting surprises for all involved.

Grade 3 students at GIS were recently involved in an exciting project to design their own city using an online tool called Google SketchUp. The project was part of the PYP (Primary Years Programme) at GIS and related to their Unit of Inquiry entitled “How the world Works,”  the ‘Central Idea’ being “Successful Cities Require Planning.” The project also involved a surprising online collaborative process via YouTube with a teenager based in London, England. It was not until later we discovered that the teenager, Justin Kreule, was actually an ex-GEMS student from the GEMS school in Tripoli, Libya.  This alumnus connection proved to be very fruitful for all involved, demonstrating the enduring strength and support on offer within the GEMS family.

Initial planning involved the PYP teachers in Grade 3 and collaborative meetings with the Digital Learning Coach at GIS. As part of the process of ‘spinning,’ where gifted students work separately with the Digital Learning Coach, students experimented with a variety of applications that would suit the needs of the Unit of Inquiry. After a search of various applications and searching YouTube for examples of building cities, the students found an ambitious series of videos using the method of ‘speed building’ where the author, Justin Kreule used a form of time lapse or sped-up video footage of building a small city. The application he used was Google SketchUp and this was the beginning of an amazing journey of discovery.

The students quickly picked up the idea that using an island gave us the ability to contain the city and give it boundaries. Using the idea of a ‘flipped classroom,’ the students simultaneously began to watch the tutorial videos at home, plan their cities and experiment with the basics of SketchUp. The ‘spinning’ group gave short demonstrations and talks after analyzing Justin’s videos on the various tricks and techniques.   The process involved each student designing their own island with the appropriate amenities using pencil and A3 paper. Once the design was completed then the students began building their city on Google SketchUp. They followed the techniques and process as showed in Justin’s videos. Justin said later that he was amazed that children so young could learn these techniques and produce such sophisticated results.

We ran into some problems when we weren’t sure how Justin had created some aspects of his construction so we began asking questions on You Tube.  Justin was happy to reply and make suggestions and a dialogue began. At the beginning we didn’t t know where Justin was or how old he was so the Digital Learning Coach suggested a more formal contact and Justin began talking with the Digital Learning Coach via email. We found out that Justin was a teenager living in London, then a Skype conference and Q & A session was organized. Unfortunately the Skype session coincided with Justin’s exams and it didn’t happen. However, the dialogue continued and we found out that Justin had previously been a student at a GEMS school in Tripoli.

The students completed their projects and mounted them on display boards. We sent a video about the project set to music and put it up on our YouTube channel. The children were impressed that Justin was an ex-GEMS student and we all agreed that they would like to work with him again. Projects of this nature, collaborations with experts on the other side of the world, or being able to collaborate synchronously with another class of students, are now a normal and enjoyable part of learning at GEMS International School Al Khail.

Justin commented:  "My experience at a GEMS school was when I went to the International School of Tripoli from 2007 – 2009: two of the best years of my life! Many years later I spent a lot of time working on architectural projects on the SketchUp program, and posted YouTube videos of them. I had the opportunity to show students how to go about making cities, and they made a big display board of all their cities made on SketchUp. It was great to see kids engaging in SketchUp, a program usually considered suitable for advanced designers. I was really happy that my projects were inspiring others to create projects of their own."

Watch our video review of the project here:

http://gistechnology.weebly.com/gis-technology-blog/grade-3-city-project-with-sketch-up

Gavin McLean is Director of Digital Learning and Technology at GEMS International School Al Khail in Dubai.

Questions, questions...

I was asked to answer some questions on tablet use in schools for a national newspaper in the UAE... here's the uncut version!

When did GEMS schools start embracing digital learning in Dubai?

GEMS schools have long embraced digital learning as an essential element of 21^st Century education and a medium through which we strive to instill our four core values: Leading Through Innovation, Growing by Learning, Global Citizenship and Pursuing Excellence.  GEMS Royal Dubai School was the first in the emirate to deploy iPod Touch devices and iPads across the school, back in 2010.  Since then, the school has been recognized by UNESCO as a leading institution globally for effective digital learning. Recently, GEMS World Academy Dubai and Winchester School Dubai became the first schools in the region to be certified by Common Sense Media, a global leader in the provision of K-12 programmes in Digital Citizenship. 

Every GEMS school has a designated Digital Learning Leader, responsible for ensuring high standards and targeted innovation to improve student learning and this network meets regularly face to face in addition to collaborating online with GEMS schools around the world. It is vital that, as educators, we engage with and model this global and digital approach to professional development and school improvement, as we look to transform learning for our students.     

How many of your schools use tablets in classrooms instead of actual school books?

Although traditional textbooks are still in use in most of our schools, these are becoming more of an examination board and curriculum content guide, as expert teachers plan individualized learning paths for their students, using a vast array of digital content and tools. 

GEMS Kindergarten Starters School in Al Garhoud moved from a conventional textbook approach to a blended approach (e-learning combined with face to face sessions) in December 2012. The school piloted this approach for a period of four months before commencing a textbook-free programme in April 2013.

“The declining costs of computational technology will probably place a tablet in the hands of every learner in the coming years that will transform the way children and adults learn. But it is not as simple as it seems. The answer lies in the way we use these technologies to harness the power of the e-revolution.” Asha Alexander, Principal, The Kindergarten Starters.

What are the advantages of using tablets as learning tools?

Textbooks are often out of date as soon as they are published, so there are obvious benefits to digital versions if they can be updated in real time.  Tools embedded in digital books and third party applications can provide students with an enhanced workflow, enabling learners to access and assimilate information more efficiently.  Furthermore, with a digital device in hand, students are able to collaborate, create, share and evaluate their own work and that of their peers in a seamless and dynamic learning process.  They can access sources of learning ‘beyond the book’ and they have the opportunity to continuously develop digital fluency, a key skill now and in the future.

Publishers are playing catch-up in this area, however, and we should be wary of simple substitution of digital over paper, even if digital versions bring video and simulations to the table. There is no benefit in students and teachers working through a digital textbook in much the same way as they did with the paper version. Real transformation comes from innovative curriculum design and expert teaching, embedding high quality formative assessment of student learning within both the online and face to face environments.  It is important to recognize that the device itself is not the key factor when considering a shift towards digital learning. Whether a student uses a tablet, laptop, smartphone or other device will depend on the suitability of that tool in any given situation. Learning to learn digitally is a key 21^st Century skill and selection of the most appropriate tool by the student is an essential element of this.

What is its impact on children’s learning?

Research shows that student ownership of digital devices transforms the learning process and also increases peer and family engagement, both key factors in raising student achievement.  It is important to recognize that the device itself does not transform learning.  There needs to be a change in mindset and our approach to how students learn and how teachers and parents engage in the learning process.  We cannot simply substitute digital for paper and keep doing the same things we have always done. 

“We need to move away from using these technologies merely as sources of information and computing to unleashing their power to help us think, collaborate and create. This is what we have been doing at our school and the impact is evident with students being excited and enthused by the learning.” Asha Alexander, Principal, The Kindergarten Starters.

What is its impact on teachers and parents? 

The shift to digital, online and blended learning presents a significant challenge to schools, teachers and the families they serve.  Success requires ‘unlearning’ and eradicating many of the outdated approaches that have been prevalent in education for centuries and moving towards a normalization of digital methodologies, whilst maintaining the elements of traditional teaching and learning that research shows still hold true.  Visionary school leadership, effective parent engagement, continuous professional development for teachers, student voice and a transparent, innovative approach to curriculum development, are all key elements in ensuring that digital innovations have real impact on learning.  Schools need to build and sustain effective and transparent partnerships with parents and students, formulating a vision of learning together, which is communicated to all stakeholders and then continuously evaluated and lived and breathed throughout the learning community.

“The fear of the new and the unchartered terrain is not something that draws out the best in everyone. There are many who cling to the comfort of the shoreline while dreaming of riding the waves. Just as in learning a language, the use of the digital technology requires fluency in the use of the medium and ultimately the mastery of a language is one’s ability to use it as a tool for expression of one’s thoughts and ideas. In order for that to happen, we have to place a device in the hands of learners. Mastery comes from practice, from using the technology to meet the needs of the learner. With digital fluency we are helping our children acquire the necessary prerequisites to obtain a job and find their place in the digital society of the future.”

Asha Alexander, Principal, The Kindergarten Starters