The iSpace

Technology for Enhanced Learning

Young people coming of age in this century live in a world that is dramatically more complex than it was not that long ago.  In a remarkably short period of time, the world and its people, economies, and cultures have become inextricably connected - driven largely by the Internet and tech innovations in mobile devices and low-cost telecommunications

This global interdependence has profound implications for all aspects of society - from how we think and work... to how we play and learn.  "9 to 5" has been replaced by "24/7", as technology keeps us connected with friends, family, workforces, markets, and economies that extend across every time zone.  Information has become a commodity, with its availability and accessibility impacting teaching, learning, and classrooms across the globe.

Literacy in today's world has taken on multiple meanings.  We now talk about language literacies, numerical literacy, info literacy, cultural literacy, digital literacy, and others.  Alongside these, a whole new set of required competencies has emerged, commonly termed "21st-century learning".

At CIS, we believe that technology has an important and powerful role in supporting learning in all of these areas and across all subjects, and that we are ALL learners.  To this end, we envision a learning environment at CIS...

• where students are highly engaged, motivated, and taking ownership of their learning

• which promotes differentiation and caters to multiple intelligences and diverse learning styles

• which is flexible, unbound by the walls of the classroom and restrictions of the timetable

• which allows for authentic connections to the "real world" and to learners and experts in other places in addition to those in our own community

• which supports interdisciplinary projects, meaningful collaboration, innovation, creative thinking, and problem-solving

• where all of us are partners in learning – students, parents, and teachers learning from each other