21st Century Teaching and Learning Beliefs

A Vision for Learning

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As we move into the 21st Century we realize that Qatar Academy can take advantage of social learning, globally and collaboratively, supported by effective tools for digital literacy and fluency. The vision for learning across the curriculum is for an embedded approach where higher order thinking is fostered, technology is ubiquitous and teachers embrace all aspects of 21st Century pedagogy, including fostering the essential role of the student as a communicator, collaborator and creator.
As the world becomes more technologically and globally interconnected it’s increasingly imperative that we all understand and plan how to facilitate student and faculty acquisition and mastery of 21st Century skills.

"In the 21st Century School, technology must be like oxygen, ubiquitous and necessary"
Chris Lehmann, Science Leadership Academy (SLA), Philadelphia, USA
Our vision is one where technology is a natural and essential part of everyday school life for teacher and student as well as community members. Where technology empowers students to pursue dreams, and purposeful learning experiences inspire students to develop critical thinking skills and support continuous inquiry. A vision where at Qatar Academy all members of the community understand and model respectful, responsible, and ethical uses of technology in academic, social, and personal contexts. A vision where learning is meaningful for all. Qatar Academy has the potential to make a difference in education and to lead the way modeling best practice experiences for collaboration, interaction, online learning and more. We can bring the world to QA and bring QA to the world by extending the walls of our classroom through authentic and rich learning experiences and by using information technology in creative ways.

In 21st Century, 'School 2.0' developments, there has been a change in mindset, a shift in thinking away from technology being an add-on to it being an integral and ubiquitous part of learning for all. Technology in this context is not an end in itself but an infrastructure that can make enormous advances in the quality of teaching and learning for all. Ongoing research is already showing that access to digital learning tools does improve learning outcomes and provides for a differentiated approach.

The following belief statements guide the realization of this vision:

• We believe learning is enriched and enhanced by use of digital tools.
• We believe technology accelerates student learning.
• We believe the use of technology will prepare our students to function more effectively in a digital society and economy.
• We believe students and staff must be skilled users of technology, and that acquiring and maintaining skills is a continuing process.
• We believe students and staff must understand and apply the ethical guidelines associated with the use of technology.
• We believe students and staff must have access to reliable and efficient technology resources.
• We believe all teachers must be responsible for the appropriate integration of technology across the curriculum.
• We believe parents play a major role in the education of their children and must work actively with teachers to connect formal and informal uses of technology.
• We believe in being leaders in educational technology, and will investigate, ensure, and develop best practices in the integration of technology.

Coming towards an understanding of E-Learning

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E-learning is an approach to facilitate and enhance learning through, and based on, both computer and communications technology. E-learning may also be used to suit distance education through the use of the Internet, and may also be considered to be a form of flexible learning where just-in-time learning is possible. Essential components of e-Learning include:

• The use of online technologies including Internet and Web 2.0 tools in the learning process
• The use of learning technologies to enhance the learning experience for all
• The use of digital tools for curriculum delivery and assessment
• The use of digital tools for ongoing professional development, interaction and collaboration

21st Century Learning

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[Acknowledgment to the American School of Bombay for the information in the section below]
We are in the 21st century, where rapidly changing digital technologies have redefined the concepts, skills, attitudes and actions that our students need in order to be prepared to meet the challenges of living in the digital economy. In addition to the core subject knowledge and skills, they need meaningful learning opportunities to develop 21st century skills – critical thinking, innovation, problem solving, collaboration, leadership, communication, creativity. Providing these opportunities requires a transformation in traditional teaching/learning environments. The goal is to embed technology integration through the creation of these 21st century learning environments where traditional assessment criteria and expectations are exceeded.

Technology by its nature challenges traditional classroom teaching and learning models, and the way a school interacts with its community. ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) outlines the characteristics of these new learning environments.

Guiding questions

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What does it mean to be a teacher and a learner at QA?
What are the recognised 21st Century skills and attitudes we want to include?
What does 21st Century teaching and learning look like?
How does this interface with the IB programmes?