International curriculum

by

Art of Learning

Art of Learning

Setting up an international school is not just about bringing students and teachers of different nationalities together.

It is about an international curriculum that promotes international mindedness, in all the constituents of a school community.

At Art of Learning, we help you develop and design school systems with international outlook and as per international benchmarks.

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Teacher Training

Curriculum Design

Development & alignment of practices

Information Management

Assistance with Certification / Authorisation

International curriculum

Global village is now a reality. The exponential growth in global trade, increased interdependence of financial markets, greater mobility of workforce has contributed to a need to have a global vision along with a local focus.

Within this context, international education has evolved. It is a dynamic concept, shaped by changes in technology, increased availability and dependence of information and complexity of interaction between global participants.

“At the heart of international education lies a fundamental tension between human unity and human diversity. Learning to live with this ambiguity is the essential challenge of international mindedness”

(George Walker, 2004)

Teacher Training

What it takes:

Didactic content with international orientation

Skills assessment and evaluation

Research and best practices

Unlearning to learn

Job and site orientation

Classroom support

“A school system's most important asset is its teaching force. And, the most important investment a school board, administrators, and parents can make in a school system is to ensure that teachers continue to learn.”

American Federation of Teachers

What makes your teachers teach the child and not just the

curriculum?

Curriculum Design

“A curriculum provides the framework for what actually happens in a planned environment where children interact with materials, their peers, and adults…”

Diane Trister Dodge & Laura J. Colker

What it takes:

Interdisciplinary, Multidisciplinary, Transdisciplinary

Operational framework

Vertical and horizontal alignment

Coherence and balance

Resource acquisition

Collaborative effort

What makes your curriculum relevant, significant and

developmentally appropriate?

Development & alignment of practices

You ask what is the use of classification, arrangement, systemization? I answer you: order and simplification are the first steps toward the mastery of a subject-the actual enemy is the unknown.

Mann, Thomas

What it takes:

Programme standards and expectations

Process mapping

Differentiated design

Best practices

Monitoring

As a school, do you work hard or work smart on the journey to the

goal?

Information Management

Not having the information you need when you need it leaves you wanting. Not knowing where to look for that information leaves you powerless. In a society where information is king, none of us can afford that.

Horowitz, Lois

What it takes:

Collaboration amongst stakeholders

Integration of priorities & requirements

Clarity of thought

Review and refinement

Transparent practices

Do you document the journey spelling out the who, what, where,

why….?

Assistance with Certification / Authorisation

“When you have completed 95 percent of your journey, you are only halfway there.”  

Japanese proverb

What it takes:

Vision

Action plan

Gap analysis

Landmarks and milestones

Review & evaluation

Have you mapped the journey as well as the destination?

International Curriculum : The Indian Experience

In India, international curriculum in educational institutions is a very recent phenomenon. There are a limited number of schools who offer international curriculum. For most schools, the journey to authorisation has involved significant learning and rework through trial and error.

Some of the common issues relating to the conceptualization and implementation of an international curriculum have been:

Inefficiencies in the design and implementation process result in significant wastage of resources

• Significant unlearning for all stakeholders

• Lack of adequate understanding of the programmes requirements / regimen

• Lack of trained manpower resources

• A tendency to adopt and adapt rather than create

Payal MahajanDirector, Art of Learning

Art of Learning is the brain child of Ms. Payal Mahajan. Ms. Mahajan is an educationist with over 15 years of experience in the field of education and has been involved with schools in India, Indonesia and Canada. She has worked in various capacities with schools offering both national curriculum as well as international curriculum. She is also a member of Ontario College of Teachers.

Ms. Mahajan has been instrumental in the implementation of international curriculum in schools in two different continents (Asia and North America), and has in-depth working knowledge, experience and requirements of CIE, IBNA and IBAP. Her training in India and Canada and her work with schools has given her a global perspective and an insight into best practices and key success factors which she is able to customise to the requirements of individual schools. Since her return to India in December 2008, she has undertaken a few advisory assignments with international schools to help develop their systems and capabilities.

She has also co-facilitated Teachers’ Training workshop in collaboration with The Institute of Career Studies.

Ms. Mahajan has co-authored a series of five General Awareness Activity books for Grades 1 to 5 and edited a set of two workbooks in compliance with the new curriculum for a leading publishing house of India (1999 – 2000). She has also been an assistant-editor for a non-governmental organization working in the field of environmental conservation - Friends of the Doon Society.

Career Timeline

2006 - 2009 2001 - 2005 1997 - 2001 1993 - 1997

Maple Crest Pvt School, Canada

• Led and supervised planning and implementation of the IB MYP in keeping with multiple intelligences and diverse learning styles

• Striking a balance between IB MYP, IGCSE & National curriculum

• Developed PIE (Program of Intensive English) to deliver the curriculum to ESL students

• Taught the IGCSE & IB MYP curriculum

• Conducted in-house workshops & provided guidance about implementation of IB MYP and IGCSE

• Coordinator of the Senior School Extra-Curricular Activities. Organized 27 clubs as Friday activities for senior school to ensure smooth and successful delivery of the informal curriculum

• Co-facilitated All-India Training Workshop ‘Teachers as Counsellors'’ in collaboration with the Institute of Career Studies

• Founded and coordinated the Student Guidance and Counselling Cell

• Taught ICSE curriculum

• Creating school systems & policies (curriculum design, instructional strategies & assessment and reporting tools) in accordance with IB PYP Standards

• Develop action plan for the school improvement

• Gap analysis with regard to the implementation of PYP in the school

• Striking a balance between Provincial and IB PYP curriculum and expectations

• Professional development of teachers

• Liaison between the school & IB

• Coordinator of Literary Activities of the Senior School . Scheduled, organized and managed informal curriculum

• Teacher-in-charge of the Students’ Council- facilitating meetings and action plan for school improvement

• Organized Inter-school events like ‘One Earth’ quiz

• Taught ICSE curriculum

• Assistant Examiner for ICSE

Gandhi Memorial Intl. School, Indonesia

St Joseph’s Academy, Dehradun, India

GRD Academy, DehradunIndia

Education Timeline

ISC - School leaving CertificateRanked first in the District

Bachelor of Arts (Honours) (Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University)

Masters of Arts (History)Ranked third in the University

Bachelor of Education (Indira Gandhi University, New Delhi)

Additional Qualification (Primary) (York University, Canada)

Additional Qualification (Junior) (York University, Canada)

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Professional Development

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Participated in IB Workshops (PYP & MYP) - Level 1 & 2, in Indonesia and Canada.

International Study Group, Reggio Emilia, Italy (April19th - 24th, 2009)

Participated in the Cambridge Workshop conducted by CIE, UK

Certificate course in Students’ Guidance and Counselling from the Institute of Career Studies

Volunteer work with Frontier College, Toronto and JUMP (Junior Undiscovered Math Prodigy), Toronto ( ESL and Math tutoring to adults & school kids)