CONTEXTUALLEARNING

April / May 2013

AT

Contextual Learning is about Willingness To Learn through Experience

A Curricular Change at CIS for Middle School

Beginning next year CIS is including, in addition to the current curriculum, a CL unit that is multi-disciplinary and cross-curricular. CL is a model tailored to the developmental needs of young adolescents. Each academic year the focus is on a different fundamental, in sync with the evolution of the children. Rather than focus on subjects, the focus is on the individual: self-awareness, understanding and compassion. These are core principles that inuence our interpretation of all other experience. computers and TVs. The scales have tipped and voyeuristic screen time outweighs a childs hands-on learning. CL helps to rebalance this inequality.

As of August, 2013 grades 6, 7 and 8 include a unit of Contextual Learning

they eat, explore, visit, experience, discuss, help, and take risks together. They then have the chance to process the experience under the guidance of mentors, considering the complexity of some of the issues encountered and turning their thoughts and ideas into nished projects. This experience will be life changing. The students will have a real reason to learn, as it is used in context. CIS students will share other ways of living and thinking, to better understand differing points of views. Contextual Learning will help CIS students grow into enriched and thoughtful citizens.

Bimonthly Newsletter of Contextual Learning at CIS

The program is customized to allow young adolescents to see the world for themselves. It has been developed to include preparation, experience and reection time. This is not about being plunged into the deep end. The students will be provided the support needed to interpret and evaluate the world they encounter. On-Site portions are carefully planned according Students of Middle School age to learning objectives. Learning are growing, changing, and steps out of the classroom and becoming adults. This is a embraces real experience. critical time for them to be challenged and inspired. During the CL unit, students will require academic rigor to learn To d a y, y o u n g p e o p l e a r e and study about the places and exposed to an inundation of people they will visit. Next, they information due to Internet, will apply what they learn, as

April / May 2013

How CL ts in at CIS
CL Begins with the Academic Year... and becomes full-time during the last four weeks
Preparation:
Experience has shown that preparation and processing times maximize the benets of the program. Knowledge and research need to happen before the On Site portion. Book reports, animal studies, history, geography, politics, economic and social issues etc. all need to be discussed and prepared before departure. Planning for Contextual Learning will be incorporated into Strategies for Success classes and will be ongoing throughout the year. Subject classes will also incorporate relevant preparation material during the year.

MS excursions will no longer occur at CIS. The CL program expands, deepens and transforms these excursions into enriching curricular content.

while the other group will be On Site in various venues around India.

On Site Experience: The Whole Unit Occurs within India

For 2013/14, Experiential Learning will occur over 3 weeks and be divided into two groups. One group will be Bangalore based, On Campus at CIS,

The On Site experience is so stimulating that the students spend time discussing and recording their Reection: emotions and reactions rather than producing more research. The processing time is a chance to re s o l v e i s s u e s t h a t c o u l d n t b e During the On Site portion individual completed during the On Site portion. It projects must be shared with the is a chance to giveback to the group, providing the children with the communities they now feel part of, to chance to be leaders and guides. There share what they experienced with the is also the discovery that what they school and their parents, and to edit research and what they discover is not and publish their thoughts, ideas and necessarily the same thing. This is conclusions. critical information for their understanding of reality. Reection time occurs on CIS campus for all students with discussion, Contextual Learning will be a portion recording, and nally presentations of the each student's course work to peers, teachers, and parents. grade. This will occur the nal week of school.

3 weeks will be active learning focusing on self-awareness, understanding, and compassion. This is planned for mid-May.

Bimonthly Newsletter of Contextual Learning at CIS

How CIS Students Benet:

Study becomes immediately relevant as it is used during the On Site experience CL expands the students learning environment at a time when they are seeking a larger picture Middle school students are at the age when most cultures have a rite of passage; this provides one In this era where exposure to Internet, computers, television and press are omnipresent it is easy for virtual experience to eclipse direct experience. T h i s p ro g r a m b e g i n s t o rebalance that situation Travel teaches adaptability, exibility and a wide view of the world: all characteristics

Summative assessment, M A P Te s t i n g , a n d Cambridge Secondary 1 testing will occur before the experiential section begins.

necessary for a successful future Travel involves the whole student and relies equally on many types of intelligence The students are exposed to cultures and situations unlike their own and have enough time to prepare for the experience and discuss them On Site experience provides a valid reason for high-tech teaching / learning aids (such as I-Pads) CL proposes a format that respects the early adolescents need to acquire more autonomy The emphasis on learning taking place outside the classroom shows the world as a learning opportunity and helps generate lifelong learners

April / May 2013

Qualication to External Program

Travel mixed with education is more rigorous and more tiring than regular school. It is very important that the children be t, both mentally and physically. They must be prepared to handle additional stress and challenge. Not all children will be eligible for the On Site portion of the CL unit. Children who have academic or behavioral difculties will not be admitted to the On Site portion of the CL unit. Also, children who have health issues or who do not feel ready for such an experience will be recommended for the On Campus program. Teachers and administration, in discussion with parents and the students themselves, will d e t e r m i n e t h e s t u d e n t s qualication to the program. Decisions will be reached before November, 2013 for the trip occurring in May, 2014.

On Site Time Commitment

It is clear that the length of the On Site section can be a challenge for some parents and children, but it is core to the program. Even three one-week trips are not the same as a single three-week trip. During three weeks the students cant hold out for home eat biscuits from their bag rather than eat the local food. Not wash rather than use a bucket shower. Avoid a classmate instead of working through their differences. Also, the broader objectives of CL (self-awareness, understanding, and compassion) require time. The student becomes part of a new group (outside of the family) with different expectations and dynamics. It is a real chance for t h e m t o re a c h b e y o n d t h e i r traditional role and grow. What we wont change in a day, we may grow accustomed to with time. The On Site experience will take place from 19 May for three weeks. Students will commit to the entire time or remain at CIS for the On Campus program. Group dynamics and the cohesion of the entire group will not permit any part-time attendance. For the same reasons, parents are not permitted to visit the students during their On Site experience.

Health and Safety of Children

Although the On Site portion of the trip will be low in luxury (dormitory living, no a/c, and perhaps bucket showers) it will be safe. We will always ensure that there is plenty of drinking water available, and while the conditions will be basic they will not be unhealthy. Each location will be visited by either CL or CIS staff prior to the trip to ensure cleanliness, hygiene and safety. Food will often be buffet style and local, but vegetarian options will be available and we will check kitchen conditions to ensure food safety. In case of minor illness (diarrhea, rash, upset tummy) the children will be treated locally. In case of serious illness, the child will be brought to the closest local hospital and the parents notied immediately. If, as a parent, you have overwhelming concerns about the safety of your child, please consider the On Campus program. Though we will do our best to ensure the safety of all the children, no program can be 100% guaranteed.

Bimonthly Newsletter of Contextual Learning at CIS

Children Who Remain On Campus

For those children who are unable to attend the On Site segment of the CL program, regular attendance at CIS will be required. Similar material will be studied within the classroom of CIS. The same assignments will be completed and contact will be maintained with the On Site group in order to ask questions / provide research. This stationary group will still be expected to become involved in Reection week, and also in the nal Presentations. These elements will be included in their grades.

Details of Trip
The details of the trip are being worked out. End of May in India is hot, and locations must be carefully determined. Also, as this is not just about sight-seeing, locations must be investigated thoroughly to create an itinerary that best meets the goals of the program. Most likely, the students will visit three or four locations, chosen to provide contrast, different experiences, and provocative discussions. A sample itinerary will be presented to parents by the end of May. This should provide a clearer idea of how this program translates into day-to-day activities, and answer many of the questions you have.

April / May 2013

Costs are Included in Tuition

Costs for CL are incorporated into the 2013-14 school fees, as it is a compulsory curricular unit. There will be an additional fee for the On Site portion of the CL unit. A great effort is being made to keep the program costs as low as possible, without sacricing safety or purpose. Precise costs will be provided as soon as possible. Fees will include travel, food, lodging and activities. There may be pocket expenses that the students are responsible for (laundry, souvenirs, etc). A packing list will be provided in advance of the voyage. The costs will not include medical or travel insurance. These will be the responsibility of the parents.

Grade 9 classes, should a teacher attending the On Site portion of CL be missing those classes. Contextual Learning teachers/chaperones will be those who teach entirely or mostly Middle School subjects.

Teaching (On Site and On Campus)

Real teaching and learning will occur during the Contextual Learning unit. Students will be evaluated using a rubric. This rubric will be introduced in August to CIS students and they will become familiar with the Contextual Learning assessment during the course of the school year. Elements included in the rubric: Interpret and Evaluate Input, Synthesize and Organize Content, Formulate Ideas and Opinions, Express Ideas, Respond to Feedback, Transfer Expression from one medium to another. Whether a student is On Site or On Campus, learning objectives will be similar. Both are likely to begin with team building activities focussing on interpersonal intelligence. Students will develop their linguistic intelligence by journal writing, by reading novels or articles during English class that relate to the contextual learning sites to be visited. Problemsolving and economics will be discussed as students explore village life. Whether visiting a hill station, or remaining at CIS, students will be assigned multidisciplinary tasks to complete. At the end of the day these tasks will be shared and then evaluated by teachers.

Team Planning
Middle School Teachers have already begun planning for Contextual Learning. Teachers will be allocated planning time as a part of their teaching load. Students will be preparing and making links to the Contextual Learning unit in their Strategies for Success class and in their academic subject areas too. At the end of May, all IB2 and Grade 10 IGCSE examinations are underway. These teachers will be available to provide high quality coverage of the

Timetable 2013- 2014

August
Preparation Ongoing
during Strategies for Success and subject classes

November
Qualication for On-Site portion determined

...
Continuing preparation

May
Exams followed by Experience
(19 May) On Campus or On Site

June
Reection Week and Presentations

Bimonthly Newsletter of Contextual Learning at CIS

Female and Male Chaperones will be present during each Contextual Learning Unit. The student to chaperone ratio will be 8:1. Each CL unit will have a minimum of 3 chaperones.