The days at IFS are rapidly turning into weeks. ….
The daily football training program is very much being enjoyed by our students. We observe their smiling faces as they enter the classroom each morning once they’ve showers and have enjoyed the short morning tea break. The ‘enjoyment mood’ is being carried into our lessons too, – generally in a good way; most students are learning to quickly shift from their ‘football brain’ into their ‘academic learning brain’.
It continues to be inspiring when Paul speaks about the ideals for IFS, in particular the direction we all wish to see our academic program further develop, for this will ensure that our students become ‘life-long learners’.
At present, if you enter into our Open Learning Space, you are likely to see students spread out all over the place:
– some working at tables, some on the lounges, some on the floor, possibly some even outside on the verandas. There will be students busy doing their own individual tasks and at the same time there will be group work happening. For all of the students, our approach is very new
– a bit strange, and it will take some time for them to get used to. It is a far cry from the traditional ‘Teacher talking at the front of the class, and the students taking notes which they will be later tested on.’ The Open Learning Space approach is of course not unique to IFS
– many colleges around the world have successfully implement it. Leading academics Ken Robinson and Stephen Heppell, advocates of OLS, encourage educators to embrace innovative ideas that support and prepare our students for the 21st century. We, the teachers at IFS, are all working hard to implement our dream. Personally, I am very much enjoying what we are working hard to create at the college. Things are slowly beginning to ‘hum’
– and the students are recognising that the learning is being placed more and more into their hands, and that we, their ‘teachers’, are there to support, guide and challenge them to the best of our ability.
Rodney
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