Students today are preparing for jobs that don’t exist yet, jobs that will increasingly require training and mastery of social-emotional skills, technology and experience with different cultures. These jobs of tomorrow won’t exist in a boardroom or a building. Instead, they’ll exist across continents and cultures.
In a rapidly evolving and adapting global world, technology savviness and understanding the latest innovations and using them is vital. Children who master these skills are the ones who will thrive in a 21st-century world. Does this sound like your child?
To succeed, your child needs to constantly learn and upskill as this is what the future world will be looking for. Therefore, it is almost a necessity that we nurture 21st-century competencies among our students who can benefit from Smart learning environments. Also known as the ‘schools of the future’, these education institutions prepare students to be competent and competitive in an unpredictable world.
Singapore as a Smart Nation
Singapore’s digital-first vision is one that aims to transform the nation through technology. Through digital services offered, citizens are able to perform tasks such as banking, improve health and wellness, transact business, and more in a fraction of the time previously required. Increased efficiency, higher levels of safety and the ability to reach beyond Singapore’s city limits are only a few of the outlined objectives. Others include:
● Improved digital literacy across the board
● Digital accessibility to everyone in Singapore
● Widespread adoption of technology by businesses and organisations
● Digital tools that are inclusive to all who wish to use them
Of course, as Singapore grows and develops in digital technology, it’s the youngest citizens who stand to reap the most benefit. By making digital-first technology a priority, the island nation also sets the onus on the education sector to continually adapt in order to keep pace with the rapidly changing world.
To tap into the future of education, a smart campus is a prime example of being in tandem with the world of tomorrow.
Goals of a Smart School
A smart school aims and delivers better student learning outcomes, helping them to accomplish over and above academic excellence. To compete successfully in this new, technologically advanced world, students must practise other skills as well, including:
● How to be a good global citizen
● How to take ownership of their learning
● How to create and innovate
● How to communicate effectively with others
● How to think critically and solve problems
● How to work well as a member of a team
● How to use technology efficiently
● How to become a life-long learner
These students are encouraged to work in open, collaborative spaces. They use technology to connect with teachers and students in other parts of the world.
They tackle real-world problems and apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to real-life scenarios. And they engage in high-quality learning, which is engaging, experiential and diverse. As a result, these students are well placed to succeed in a post-secondary-school environment, anywhere in the world.
How GIIS SMART Campus is Making a Difference
As students at the GIIS SMART Campus in Singapore, children are nurtured for a 21-st century world. The ability to change and innovate at a second’s notice is key to succeeding. Taking ownership of learning and academic progress, mastering technology and innovations and becoming empathetic, compassionate leaders is at the heart of GIIS.
To meet these goals, the Campus features state-of-the-art facilities with cutting-edge technology and trained educators. Along with teaching students how to use digital tools, our highly-qualified and experienced educators also focus on the principles of digital responsibility.
The GIIS SMART Campus offers multiple international curricula and an Indian curriculum to allow students to thrive through their individual learning styles. Our holistic educational framework, the 9 Gems pedagogy, looks beyond academic prowess, laying a significant emphasis on sports, visual and performing arts, creativity, entrepreneurship, community care and more.
Our students learn from educators who are at the top of their field and who model the same values we expect from our student body. Progress is measured using data analytics that record both academic and personal development. Classes are held indoors, outdoors, online, in common areas and in collaborative groups as needed.
Students are encouraged to work well independently and in teams to accomplish goals, and values such as hard work, leadership and community care are promptly rewarded.
Some of the advantages students enjoy at our smart campus include digital classrooms with smartboards that double up as whiteboards, projectors, audio-visual systems, high-speed wi-fi connectivity, remote and hybrid learning options, more than 40 skills-based studios to allow students to explore a range of interest areas and a variety of extracurricular and co-curricular options.
Also read: Primary School facilities for 21st century students
The nature of the 21st-century world, characterised by globalisation, post-industrialisation and unpredictable economic and social events, demands that a key aspect of our education must be to prepare young people for uncertainty. To this end, future-looking learning environments allow our students to grow up well-armoured to take on challenges that are yet to come, and can be opportunities for success.
If you’re interested in learning more about how our GIIS smart campus is changing the face of education, we invite you to schedule a campus tour today.
Melissa Maria
GIIS Singapore SMART Campus principal, Ms Melissa Maria’s journey as an educator started when she was only 16 and continued in the field after she completed her Master’s degree in History and Bachelor’s degree in Education. For over 25 years now, she has been at the forefront of introducing new ideas and methodologies to education. She is also the City Coordinator for Singapore, selected by the CBSE Board for Grade 10 and 12 exams, 2021, managing two other international schools besides GIIS. With numerous achievements sprinkled across her distinguished career, Ms. Maria has been recognised for her efforts as a Mindef volunteer by the Singapore government.
