INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SCHOOL OF ADDIS ABABA
HIGHLY EFFECTIVE LEARNING PROGRESSIVE
We believe that all students can learn and engage at high levels . We balance the required curriculum and instruction to be able to succeed at reading , writing and math to succeed in standardized tests and IB exams . At the same time , we include project and collaborative based learning , group and individual personalized work that develops collaboration , critical thinking , research and data analysis skills .
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES
PLCs are as much of a philosophy and mindset as it is an actual framework and structure . It is a continuous growth opportunity . PLCs are collaborative teams of teachers , coming together , sharing together , learning together and are having focused conversations and clarity on student learning targets and concepts . PLCs bring clarity , consistency and coherence to the educational experience .
PLCs focus on learning by asking 4 critical questions . Q 1 : What do we want our students to learn , understand and be able to do ? Q2 : How will we know when our students have learned it ? Q3 : How will we respond when there is evidence that our students are not learning ? Q4 : How will we respond when they already know it ?
DEFINITION OF LEARNING
To ensure that we teach students how to learn , we ’ ve develop a definition of learning that gives us intentionality , direction and parameters for us to create optimal and innovative learning every day . Our definition of learning is that “ learning is an ongoing process in which learners acquire , develop and apply knowledge skills and dispositions essential to thrive in and contribute to an ever changing world .”
PERSONALIZED LEARNING
All our students at ICS engage in personalized learning experiences throughout the school year . Additionally , we provide a dedicated 3-5 weeks time frame for a personalized learning experience , called PLEx .
PLEx is designed with three main elements :
• Learning pathways
• Learning progressions
• Reflection
Learning is optimized when it is meaningful , authentic , reflective , collaborative , conceptual , transdisciplinary , active , or personalized .
LEARNING COMMUNITIES
At ICS we have learning communities all over campus within each grade level from EY2 to seniors in high school . Learning communities are literal spaces where teachers and students come together to learn ; a space where learning is collaborative and co-constructed between teachers and students ; a space where students work with other students to learn , grow and excel together . Examples at ICS are the elementary purpose built classrooms , the high school math hub and the collective and community spaces in middle school .
IMPACT OF COVID
The start of the 2020-21 school year was delayed by a month and started on September 21 , 2020 , with both online and on-campus options . The situation was dependent on the Ethiopian government ’ s plans for how all school needed to handle the pandemic . Classes were taught synchronously online through the end of April and asynchronously through the end of the school year .
ICS was able to keep our community safe while providing a continuing education to our nearly 1000 students . While no one , likes online learning , it gave a unique opportunity to continue to teach , continue to connect with our students and for students to continue to learn .
Learning Pathways speak to the “ what ” a student can choose to do for their PLEx project . The Pathways allow students to develop proficiency in transdisciplinary skills such as critical thinking , communication , collaboration and creativity . We have created four Pathways that are grouped by disciplines and allow for a wide range of personal learning experiences .
The four pathways are :
• Citizenship
• Personal Development
• Expression
• Systems and Structures
Learning Progressions speak to assessment and growth during PLEx . Progressions offer students discrete steps or stages for mastery of reading , writing and mathematics . Students demonstrate mastery at their own pace . The progression of skills that are used in PLEx is based on the Approaches of Learning ( ATL ) from the International Baccalaureate ( IB ). Through the use of the ATLs , students develop the skills necessary to answer the four PLC questions .
At the heart of understanding how to learn is ongoing reflection . Throughout PLEx , each student is given time to consciously reflect on how their learning outcome / product connects with the ICS Vision of ‘ our best with Africa and our world ’.
MERIT SCHOLARSHIP
ICS Addis typically grants four scholarships each year to high achieving Ethiopian grade 8 students from schools throughout Addis Ababa . Each scholarship covers full tuition for four years , enrolling each scholarship recipient in ICS throughout high school . The scholarships are need-blind and merit-based . Many of our scholarship students earn full-funding at high-ranking universities throughout the world .
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