How Munich International School prepares students to inhabit this new world

How will schools enable students to seamlessly move between platforms and modes of operation, so they still gain the learning goals that they seek?

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This past autumn, Director of Learning Technologies at Munich International School, Daragh Comerford had the privilege to be invited to speak at the 6th Innovation Spaces Summit in Berlin. The summit was intended for learning institutions to discuss what makes a space innovative and what technologies, architectural designs and curriculum designs facilitate innovation. The breadth of discussion was wide and there was a wealth of experience on show, from professors from MIT to the University of Western Sydney and University of Hong Kong.

After watching many professors of Distance Learning Pedagogy speak, what became apparent to Comerford was that Covid has “thrown the cat amongst the pigeons” when it comes to how universities are managing their courses, and, in turn, their spaces. In their ever-competitive world, the option of allowing students access to lectures, seminars and tutorials remotely is becoming a standard which students expect to be on offer. This new world will use what was learned in “lockdown time” as a catalyst to expel many more learning opportunities to the online world.

Adapting quickly

The world has indeed changed… further education has resigned to a new world, and it must adapt its pedagogy at once. At Munich International School, flanked by excellent teachers and mindful leaders, they are also looking out to the horizon as they look to develop new spaces to learn and prepare their students to inhabit this new world.

Students must be able to seamlessly move between platforms and modes of operation and still gain the learning goals that they seek. It is likely that these goals will centre far less often around content but more likely into the how, the processing, the ability to show that one can adapt and learn new things quickly, adeptly and with confidence.

As the walls, and indeed the roof, of the FAB (Fitness & Athletics Building) begin to gain a foothold on campus, the attention of Munich International School will soon turn towards the “Innovation Hub”, which will be developed on the same ground as the current gyms are located. In this space, they will have the opportunity to establish new styles of classrooms that can offer students choice and extend their interests beyond what is offered in the school.

Teachers and students will be asked to make intentional use of collaborative spaces where they will be able to utilise flexible furniture and technology that will allow them to share, develop and evaluate their ideas to innovate in ways that a normal rectangle classroom struggles to facilitate.

A positive difference

The students from Munich International School will excel at their ATL (Approaches to Learning) skills because of these new practices, to become successful young people in this world and make a positive difference.

“When leaving Berlin, I was mask-adorned, but it was clear in my head that we are making all the right directional moves on our campus, with the generous support of our community, as well as developing our curriculum via the strategic plan to be the school that our young people need to excel later in life. COVID-19 has indeed shaken the world, and it may well continue to do so for more years to come, but a flexible learner with future-ready skills will be able to adapt and be successful no matter what is thrown in their way”, says Comerford.

Want to learn more about Munich International School?

Interested in learning more about the school? Munich International School loves to welcome you at one of their upcoming online Open Days. Alternatively, you are always welcome to book a visit and get the full campus experience on-site!