Over the last ten years, MSA has implemented the internationally recognised Canadian Alberta Curriculum and embraced modern collaborative teaching techniques. Principal Sue Moench – alongside Vice Principals Anna Machado, Kim Raymond and Christopher Tannock – explained how this allowed all their students to excel and prepared them for universities in both North America and Europe.

The traditional ‘stand and deliver’ method of teaching has never catered to all students in the classroom and when Mrs Moench, herself a former pupil of MSA, returned to the school after working in Canada, she began working with the teachers to implement new teaching and learning strategies that would change this.

In 2015, MSA adopted the Reggio Emilia philosophy and later implemented Kagan Cooperative Learning for Student Learning in 2016. Together these strategies allow teachers to inspire students according to their own interests. “Reggio Emilia is based on inquiry,” explains Mrs Machado. “It puts the student in the driver’s seat of their learning by being more student-centered. The openness to different options draws on students’ strengths and lets them communicate what they know in a way that builds their confidence.”

“Kagan structures are instructional strategies which are designed to promote cooperation and communication between students,” says Mrs Moench. Its purpose is to boost students’ confidence in their learning and to assist them in retaining information and interest in classroom interaction.”

How does Kagan support the Alberta Curriculum? “Learning is more discussion based,” says Mr Tannock. “For Social Studies, I was able to teach students how to critique and analyse information, whereas before it was memorisation and giving a test. Now it’s all about teaching concepts rather than facts. I found that through this teaching style, I was able to help students become life-long learners, keep up with current events, and develop critical thinking and life skills.”

Also, incorporated into the curriculum throughout all grade levels are the STEAM subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math, as well as music, physical education and second languages. Previously known for their large class sizes, MSA now prides themselves on limiting their classes to 15-20 students, which is an ideal number for optimal learning.

An important aspect of the Alberta program is the standardised testing which happens annually in grades 3, 6, 9, and 12. These provincial tests determine if students are meeting the learning objectives, report to parents how their child is achieving in relation to provincial standards and monitor and help to improve student learning. “We are pleased to report that generally our exam results meet or exceed the provincial standard,” said Mrs Moench.

“We decided on the Canadian Alberta Curriculum as it gave our students the opportunity to graduate with an Alberta High School Diploma,” explains Mrs Moench. “Alberta has the reputation as being one of the best education systems in the world. Students graduating with the Alberta High School diploma are equipped with foundational competencies for their future. Generally, our students go to the UK, US and Canada for post-secondary education and they are prepared and doing well.” “When our students go off to university, it’s always exciting to hear back from them,” Mrs Moench said. “We want to know if they were prepared for university and that their math and writing skills are on par with the other students. Hearing positive results shows we are preparing our students well.”

From the struggling learner to the strong academic, we have a programme that is inclusive and will meet the needs of all learners.

“Adopting the Alberta program has been one of the biggest changes we’ve had in our school,” continued Mrs Moench. “From the struggling learner to the strong academic, we have a programme that is inclusive and will meet the needs of all learners. We can challenge and excel students as well as assist and differentiate. The route to the High School diploma is different for every child.” MSA is a Catholic school, but embraces and welcomes students of all religious backgrounds.

The post Get to know the MSA of Today appeared first on RG Magazines.

by Jonathan Starling

In 2015 the UN agreed on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity ‘for people and the planet, now and into the future’. At the heart of this 2030 Agenda are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), each with various targets, which, taken together, serve as a roadmap for every nation and the world as a whole. 

With this being the month of ‘back to school’ the focus of this article is on the fourth SDG – Quality Education, and in particular target 4.7 of this SDG, which refers to education for sustainable development (ESD). Here I will discuss what ESD is, why it matters, and how it applies in Bermuda.

The SDG 4 is ‘ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’. There is a total of seven targets under this goal, of which the relevant one for ESD is number 7:

“By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and culture’s contribution to sustainable development.”

For this target, there are two indicators:

• Percentage of population in a given age group achieving at least a fixed level of proficiency in functional (a) literacy; and (b) numeracy skills; by sex.
• Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development, including gender equality and human rights, are mainstreamed at all levels in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment.

What It Is & Why It Matters

Now what this means is that ESD is focused on empowering learners to take informed decisions and actions for environmental integrity, economic viability and a just society, for present and future generations, while respecting cultural diversity. Furthermore, it is not restricted solely to the formal education system but is about lifelong learning (and equipping citizens with the skills needed for that) and is fundamental to quality education (the 4th SDG itself). 

It is also a holistic approach to education – every subject is relevant to ESD, not just biology or science classes generally, as is all too often the perception. ESD and the principles involved are as relevant for subjects such as economics, civics, art, history and mathematics as they are for biology and science classes. Nor is it supposed to be restricted solely to the classroom – ESD envisions a whole school approach, as well as involving the wider community. The point of ESD is not simply that of achieving quality education but the goal of transforming society.

Education for sustainable development is crucial for developing citizens who are able to cope with the challenge of sustainability and the various crises of climate change and biodiversity that are expected to dominate the 21st Century, with particular consequences for small island states like Bermuda. 

And of course, there are transferable skills that arise from ESD (although the intention is that citizens apply sustainability thinking in all things, so that isn’t exactly surprising). In 2017 UNESCO released an outline of the eight competencies that define ESD:

1. Systems Thinking: The ability to recognise and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; to deal with uncertainty.
2. Anticipatory: The ability to understand and evaluate multiple futures – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future; to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes.
3. Normative: The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate sustainability values, principles, goals and targets in a context of conflicts of interests and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions.
4. Strategic: The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and beyond. 
5. Collaboration: The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others; to deal with conflicts in a group, and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem-solving.
6. Critical Thinking: The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s values, perceptions and actions; and to take a position in the sustainability discourse.
7. Self-Awareness: The ability to reflect on one’s role in the local community and global society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires.
8. Integrated Problem Solving: The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development.

As you can see from the above, ESD is not simply about learning about Bermuda’s natural history, as important as that is (and is part of it). Nor is it simply a school creating an environmental mural or growing vegetables in a school garden (although that can be part of it).

Eco-Schools

In Bermuda the SDG’s, and SDG 4 do inform our educational policies. While schools can incorporate education for sustainable development in various ways, one of the most popular approaches is the Eco-Schools Programme, formerly operated by Greenrock and now by the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI).

As an overview, the Eco-Schools Programme is part of the Foundation for Environmental Education, which works with UNESCO to achieve ESD through its various programmes, of which Eco-Schools is their flagship. 

The process involves a seven-step method, which begins anew with each school year, involving:

1. Establishing the Eco-Schools Committee – which also selects the theme focused on for the year.
2. Doing an audit relevant to the theme – such as energy, this would involve reviewing the school’s energy use and what is using the energy at the school.
3. Developing an action plan – if energy, how to reduce energy usage?
4. Monitoring and evaluation – is the action plan working? If not, why not? 
5. Curriculum linking – Eco-Schools isn’t supposed to be limited to just the committee or just one class. The theme is supposed to link with the entire curricula of the school. The data from the audits, for example, can provide relational knowledge for maths class, or economics. English class can involve literature or poetry themed around the chosen theme. Same for art class. The theme also can be applied in history (history of electricity, of greenhouse gas emissions, etc.) and of course in the science (what is electricity; what are fossil fuels; how do renewable energy sources work, etc.).
6. Informing and involving the wider community – community outreach and involvement, first through a whole school approach and then to the wider community.
7. Developing an Eco-Code – to reinforce the lessons from the theme.

Of the different themes available, there are twelve to choose from, and schools are encouraged to select one per year – but to maintain past themes each year too. The twelve available themes are:

1. Biodiversity & Nature
2. Climate Change
3. Energy
4. Food
5. Global Citizenship
6. Health & Wellbeing
7. Litter
8. Marine & Coast
9. School Grounds
10. Transport
11. Waste
12. Water

For more information about Eco-Schools and how you or your school can get involved, contact BUEI at [email protected] 

The post Education for Sustainable Development appeared first on RG Magazines.

One person is all it takes to make a difference.

That one person taking up the task is David Bascome with the Power of One, which he is introducing to Bermuda schools this year. Everything he has been through in his life has led to him pulling together what he calls a framework for success. It’s part of what has helped him to endure and to grow.

“The greatest value of my life is my legacy,” Mr Bascome said recently while he was on the island working with teachers at TN Tatem Middle School, which is the global model school for the Power of One.

“Power of One started from all of the things I’ve been through in my life that have made me successful. Through 18 years of playing football and ten years of coaching, a lot of those tools I learnt I can now teach others. One person can help others and they can then go on to help others. It’s simple but it works.”

Mr Bascome is the assistant coach for the Baltimore Blast, and while he has Power of One implementation teams working in schools in the United States, it was in the Bermuda public school system where it made the most sense to create a model school. Power of One leaders will be able to witness the impact the programme has had on teachers and students, and how its effects can easily be transferred to anywhere in the world.

“Bermuda gave me my voice and I wanted the opportunity to give something back that was home-grown. Our young people need to be empowered about their why – what is their purpose.”

Students and teachers at TN Tatem and Victor Scott Primary, which is the model primary school, have been part of the implementation and development of Power of One. It has been a journey of three years for the initial programme to come to life.

“All the evidence and data finding has come out of spending time in the schools, in the sports clubs on the island and in inner city schools in Baltimore.”

The Power of One is a four-part framework with the school as the “hub” having an impact on many facets, said Mr Bascome. “One starts with self-esteem: first I have to know myself and who I am and how that has an effect on what I do.

“Two is empowerment, teaching leadership and how to lead.  Three is the tools that I need to use, and four is engagement, using those tools and personality traits to figure out my why.”

What this looks like within the schools is a change in language and a change in the way that the students view school. “The power of language is crucial,” said Mr Bascome. “There are power words that are embedded around the school that become part of the everyday language.  For instance, instead of saying a student has been rude, we say they are tarnishing their brand; or polish your brand if you do something good. It’s the branding shop instead of school, and the kids have really taken to that: the language you use, the way you care for yourself and the words inspire confidence.”

With the school as the hub that has an impact on academics, sport, culture and leadership, Mr Bascome is making sure to reach out and to involve everyone who has a role to play with influencing students, including teachers, parents and the community.

It means that his involvement stretches far wider than the school’s gates, whether he’s on the football field coaching the junior players at Hamilton Parish, at his football camps or as a motivational speaker through his organization, Bascome Enterprises.

“The Power of One isn’t a replacement for a curriculum but a three-phase process of empowering students, parents and empowering the school. The third phase is building leaders and making them leaders in the community. It’s a cultural shift that has to happen within the school, outside the school and in the community.

“My final outcome for this is to see our young people growing and having a positive effect on the community. We need to put young people at the forefront and focus on joyful positivity.”

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