SEK Future Learning Model

Our main objective is to ensure the continuity of each student’s learning process, as well as their balanced social and emotional development.

The current situation is also an opportunity to continue developing the principles that characterise our educational model:

• Promoting self-led learning and students taking responsibility for their own learning process, encouraging students to take initiative and develop at their own pace.
• Offering an increasingly personalised learning experience.
• Cultivating peer learning.
• Supporting the development of students’ self-control skills.
• Strengthening competency learning.
• Establishing a healthy balance between screen time (synchronous learning) and independent activities (asynchronous learning).

In the event that a transition has to be made to an online learning for these stages, the bond between teachers and children will be forged, maintained and strengthened, since relationships are an essential component of learning at these ages. In addition, we will seek to help families deal with this difficult moment through proposed meaningful activities, providing materials and resources and ensuring constant emotional support.

The stage tutors and coordinators will be in permanent communication with families. If it is necessary to shift to online learning, teachers will upload onto the SEK Blogsphere and the MySEK Digital Diary videos made especially for children and suggestions for activities that families can carry out in a simple way, using both materials and resources they have at home, such as a series of resources that the school will provide and send to each student, through a SEK home-learning box.

Students from ages 3 to 6 will continue their learning process within the framework of the IB Primary Years Programme, through video lessons recorded by teachers, following the flipped learning method, as well as a series of suggestions for activities and learning experiences that children can do asynchronously. In addition, each group will also have daily assemblies, where teachers and children will meet to talk, explore learning content and keep in touch, thus strengthening close bonds that are so necessary at these ages.

The objective for this stage in the event we need to shift to online learning will be to continue with inquiry-based learning, within the framework of the IB Primary Years Programme. In order to do this, students will take part in synchronous online learning experiences, connecting with their classmates and teachers. They will also be provided with asynchronous experiences, following the instructions from their teachers, and using different resources developed specifically for this purpose.

In addition, they will use of a series of resources that the school will provide them through a SEK home-learning box. These materials will help them take part in the learning experiences led by teachers in the online lessons and they will have the opportunity to apply their learning in a specific way, thus reinforcing meaningful learning.

Students will be able to continue exploring the ideas and units of inquiry through very diverse learning experiences, just as they do in their face-to-face lessons. Teachers will share resources, content, and instructions through the SEK Blogosphere and Microsoft Teams, where they will post videos, activities, and web resources.

Learning will take place with the support of the MySEK platform, which contains the following applications for managing distance learning:

• Microsoft Teams to facilitate discussion and dialogue, lead group meetings, and share resources online. Learning will be carried out synchronously (through online classes, with teachers and the entire class group) and asynchronously (tasks assigned by teachers, which students do at their own pace, while respecting the deadlines set by teachers).
• SEK Blogosphere for posting videos, suggestions for learning activities and other information, using the flipped learning method. With this method, teachers will share video messages with their students presenting the session’s learning objectives every day:
  • Video messages to outline learning objectives of the day’s session.
  • Other content or videos that explain a task, present content or invite questions.
  • Lists of suggested extension or reinforcement activities, so that students advance at their own pace.
• A series of learning support resources will also be used, such as Leobien, Didakids, RazKids or Reading A to Z, among many others.

If years 1 to 4 of Secondary School have to shift to online or blended learning students will continue with their IB Middle Years Programme, made up of eight subject groups that foster a varied and balanced learning experience.

If it is necessary to offer a blended or fully online model, we will implement the online learning protocols put into practice last year, now improved thanks to the feedback given by our entire community through surveys and focus groups. We will continue to use our MySEK platform, featuring the following applications for distance learning management:

• Microsoft Teams: synchronous classes with teachers that seek the participation of students in lessons, chats and notice boards, assigning tasks or activities, uploading files and evidence of learning.
• ManageBac: for assigning tasks and sharing resources.
• OneNote: learning notebook.
• BlinkLearning: access to digital textbooks and other resources.
• Stream- Access to the video library of shared resources and video tutorials that teachers have recorded.

Each teacher will be able to determine the use of other resources and platforms to create motivating and diverse learning environments.

Our prime objective at this stage is to maintain continuity in students’ teaching and learning process and give them a first-class preparation for them to be admitted to the best universities in the world.

If it is necessary to offer a blended or fully online model, we will implement the online learning protocols put into practice last year, now improved thanks to the feedback given by our entire community through surveys and focus groups. We will continue to use our MySEK platform, featuring the following applications for distance learning management:

• Microsoft Teams: synchronous classes with teachers that seek the participation of students in lessons, chats and notice boards, assigning tasks or activities, uploading files and evidence of learning.
• ManageBac: for assigning tasks and sharing resources.
• OneNote: learning notebook
• BlinkLearning: access to digital textbooks and other resources.
• Stream Access to the video library of shared resources and video tutorials that teachers have recorded.

Each teacher will be able to determine the use of other resources and platforms to create motivating and diverse learning environments.

The experience of last year’s Diploma Programme exams caused concern for our students and their families. Despite having been an experience with many uncertainties, SEK Schools are extremely happy with the outstanding results that our students finally obtained, which are the best in the history of our schools. We are confident that, in this new school year, we can continue to offer a quality learning experience that will best prepare each of our students to meet the demands of the 2021 IB exams. Currently, the IB has not released any statements regarding plans for the forthcoming exams, but we hope that they can go ahead normally in May 2021. We are keeping up to date with any communications and news from the IB.

With the aim of continuing to offer a quality educational experience to our Diploma Programme students while safeguarding their health and safety, we are in contact with the authorities to establish and respect the official guidelines for teaching and learning that best meet the needs of our students.

If it is necessary to offer a blended or fully online model, we will implement the online learning protocols put into practice last year, now improved thanks to the feedback given by our entire community through surveys and focus groups. We will continue to use our MySEK platform, featuring the following applications for distance learning management:

• Microsoft Teams: synchronous classes with teachers that seek the participation of students in lessons, chats and notice boards, assigning tasks or activities, uploading files and evidence of learning.
• ManageBac: for assigning tasks and sharing resources.
• OneNote: learning notebook.
• BlinkLearning: access to digital textbooks and other resources.
• Stream: Access to the video library of shared resources and video tutorials that teachers have recorded.

Each teacher will be able to determine the use of other resources and platforms to create motivating and diverse learning environments.

Assessment throughout the different stages is a continuous and holistic process and takes into account the student’s learning progress in all academic areas.

At SEK Schools we implement an Evidence for Learning approach, with an emphasis on the acquisition and development of skills, not just marks. We strengthen the feedback that is given to students and we offer specific information on what the next steps are in their learning process.

The protocols and systems have been implemented so that all the coordinators, tutors and teachers responsible for the different academic areas collect the necessary evidence for learning to assess the attainment of the stage objectives and conclude with a final assessment. This assessment is done both by teachers and students themselves, in addition to incorporating elements of reflection among peers.

Feedback plays a crucial role in the context of online learning. We leverage technological resources to facilitate constant communication between teachers and students. Teachers use a variety of strategies, such as recording videos to deliver general responses to students or recording voice notes to comment on individual assignments. Students also collaborate to identify work and tasks that best demonstrate their learning. In this way, there is ample evidence to be able to draw conclusions regarding each student’s learning process.