New Year, New Beginnings

As we embark on the new year and decade ahead, and in the spirit of new beginnings, it is with a sense of excitement, pride, and honour that we launch ISZL’s new guiding statements.

We would like to extend our deep levels of appreciation for our community’s involvement in the development of our new mission, vision, and values. The year-long process that led to this moment involved embracing a design principles approach. We engaged with hundreds of community members to explore the existential questions associated with our school’s purpose and direction.

The outcome of this work is a mission that commits not only students, but all adults in our community, to a culture of learning and a determination to make a positive difference. The new vision, in turn, speaks to our paramount focus on ensuring students realise their full potential and are able to turn their learning into action. 

Our community-wide process also resulted in the adoption of ISZL’s past mission-related words – respect, motivate, and achieve – as our school’s values. They have been transformed into action statements to further hold us accountable to realising these ideals. These values serve to celebrate ISZL’s history and recognise the efforts of those past community members, whose ‘shoulders we are now standing on’, who are enabling us to envisage the next steps for our school’s future.

We hope you take some time to engage with the complete set of new ISZL Guiding Statements. The statements include a reference to the school’s identity in addition to a newly introduced and critically important set of learning principles designed to guide teaching and learning at ISZL.

To that end, it is with great excitement and belief in our future that we share ISZL’s new mission, vision, and value statements:

OUR MISSION
We are a community of learners determined to make the world – or our corner of it – a better, kinder place. We reflect our values in everything we do so that we make the most of the opportunities and challenges in a spirit of enthusiastic inquiry.

OUR VISION
We help every student turn learning into action, creating opportunities for students to stretch themselves further and achieve more than they believe possible.

OUR VALUES

  • We respect. We show empathy and are inclusive and thoughtful in our interactions with others. Every person is valued and valuable.
  • We motivate. We inspire each other and grow by building on everyone’s individual and collective passions.
  • We achieve. We create an exceptional learning environment focused on academic achievement and holistic development.

Looking ahead, these new statements must be much more than simply ‘words on paper’. Our collective commitment is to turn these ideals into action and to ensure our guiding statements come alive every day to guide our work, decisions, and strategy. Over the next year, we will bring you stories of how our statements guide the advancement of our culture, school development, and approaches to teaching and learning. We encourage you to follow ISZL on social media to stay up-to-date with our progress: ISZL Facebook, ISZL Instagram, ISZL Twitter and ISZL Linkedin.

In terms of next steps, we are currently working through the thousands of feedback data points submitted by our community during the design process. This will assist us in establishing a strategic framework and corresponding objectives to realise ISZL’s new mission and vision. We expect this work to be completed in the next few months. 

It is thrilling to start the year with a renewed sense of clarity about who we are and who we want to become. We are thankful to be on this journey with you and look forward to everything our community can achieve together in 2020 and beyond!

Barry Dequanne (twitter: @dequanne)

Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash

A Sense of Wonder

In 1974, a young boy named Harold Whittles is about to experience his world in a new and astounding way. For the first five years of his life preceding this moment, Harold has not heard the sounds around him as he has been deaf since birth. This is about to change as technological advances have led to Harold’s meeting with a doctor to be fitted with a hearing aid.

The remarkable picture below captured the moment when Harold heard for the first time and was transported from a world of silence to one filled with seemingly countless different sounds emanating around him. Harold’s eyes are wide with astonishment and wonder.

It is this sense of wonder, conveyed in an emotional and extraordinary manner through Jack Bradley’s photo, that serves as a reminder of our role to nurture the natural curiosity in our students and their exploration to understand the world around them. Our students also remind us each day that we adults should never lose a child’s sense of awe and wonder.

As we prepare for our annual community Thanksgiving celebration, I was drawn back to Harold’s story and the importance of both gratitude and wonder. In the spirit of giving thanks, I would like to convey my deep levels of gratitude to be a member of a community dedicated to ensuring a learning environment that regularly leaves students and adults in a state of wonderment.

P.S. Thank you to our talented science teacher, Stephen Boyd, for introducing me to Harold’s story.

Photo by Kristine Weilert on Unsplash: Sunrise breaking into the forest.

Civic Responsibilities

One of the many things I appreciate and admire about Switzerland is the collective commitment to civic responsibility. The pragmatic Swiss approach to the establishment of community norms in combination with both an individual and societal belief in supporting and adhering to these agreements have resulted in a country that runs incredibly well.

ISZL‘s commitment to these ideals was evident during last week’s road safety training. Our Kindergarten students had the opportunity to learn from a local police officer about traffic rules and, more precisely, how to navigate pedestrian crossings. The fact that young children in Switzerland take public transportation and make their way to school unaccompanied by an adult does not happen by accident. The effectiveness with which the local police partner with schools to educate young children about their civic responsibilities is clearly by design.

The police officer who met with our students demonstrated the highest levels of professionalism and impressive pedagogical skills. The traffic safety lesson, conducted in partnership with ISZL’s teachers, involved differentiated and personalised instruction, focused on building relationships, and provided students with an opportunity to develop their German language skills.

The resulting demonstration of learning involved each student individually stopping traffic with a hand wave, looking both ways to ensure their safety, and then crossing the street at the designated crosswalk. Of course, the students were also encouraged to give a wave of thanks as they passed in front of the cars. For those students who were initially reluctant to cross the road, the police officer and teachers gently helped them to develop the understanding, skills, and confidence needed. It was exemplary teaching at every level!

ISZL’s vision is to help every student turn learning into action, creating opportunities for students to stretch themselves further and achieve more than they believe possible. The realisation of this vision will look different at every level of the school. At the Kindergarten level, our students were able to turn their learning into something they may not have thought possible – to cross a busy street alone.

Thank you to ISZL’s teachers and the Zuger Polizei for their important work to ensure our students continue to learn about their civic responsibilities and turn their learning into responsible action.

Featured Image by Ryoji Iwata on Unsplash

Transformative Competencies

The Future of Education and Skills 2030, published by the OECD, identifies three “transformative competencies” that students need to contribute to and thrive in our world. The first competency is about creating new value and our commitment to innovate and “think outside the box” to shape better lives. This focus integrates a sense of purpose with critical thinking and creativity. The second competency considers our ability to be comfortable with complexity and ambiguity in an interdependent world, while also developing a high degree of empathy and respect. The third competency refers to the commitment to take responsibility for our actions as our students are guided by a strong moral compass that considers personal, ethical, and societal goals.

There is certainly alignment when considering ISZL’s vision in the context of the OECD’s aspirational goals. Our vision at ISZL is to help every student turn their learning into action – an approach that is designed to support every student in realising how much they’re capable of and to go on to make the most of who they are. In support of both ISZL and the OECD’s vision for learning are our school’s Personal Development Week (PDW) experiences that offer students exceptional learning environments and meaningful and relevant growth opportunities.

During last week’s PDW experiences, more than 1,000 of our students were engaged in experiential learning opportunities ranging from locations in Zug and Switzerland to Europe, and around the world, including destinations such as Iceland, Ghana, and the Himalayas, among others Throughout the week, our students were actively developing the OECD’s three transformative competencies in meaningful and active ways. The long-term impact of the PDW trips was highlighted at a recent ISZL alumni barbecue when several former students shared how the PDW experience was transformative to their learning experience and a highlight of their time at ISZL.

One of ISZL’s longstanding PDW trips is related to our school’s involvement with the NAG program in Nepal, which is a charity in Kathmandu that provides critical and essential support for young children. To advance this important work, ISZL will be holding its annual NAG Charity Run later this month to raise awareness and financial support. All community members are encouraged to join this special event.

A heartfelt thank you to all of the teachers and staff members who coordinate and lead these unique learning experiences, in addition to travelling and supporting our students during the trips. Without the dedication and commitment of teachers and staff, these trips would not be possible.

Photo Credit: Diego Jimenez on Unsplash

Never Odd or Even

“Never odd or even.” Why not start a blog post celebrating the beauty and oddities of language with an intriguingly perplexing phrase that is also a palindrome – a word or a sentence that reads the same backwards? First, my apologies in advance to anyone who suffers from a fear of palindromes, or what the Germans refer to as “Eibohphobie”, which is, in a deeply ironic twist, a palindrome itself! Okay, now on to what is already looking to be a higgledy-piggledy blog post originally designed to commemorate the September 26th European Day of Languages.

A day to celebrate language represents a fabulous or, borrowing from Mary Poppins, a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious opportunity. There are currently between 6,000 and 7,000 languages spoken among approximately 7 billion people. There are about 225 indigenous languages in Europe, representing about only 3% of the world’s total. Most of the world’s languages are spoken in Asia and Africa and at least half of the world’s population are bilingual or plurilingual.

The evolution of so many languages over the centuries has resulted in words that are especially descriptive and specific. For example, the Slovak word, prezvoniť, means to call someone’s mobile from your own without the other person picking up with the intention of leaving your number in their phone’s memory. The Albanian word, vetullhen, refers to an eyebrow arched like the crescent moon. The Dutch word, broodje-aap, refers to an awful, often invented story that is told as being true, thus becoming a myth. The Irish use the verb plubairnigh to describe the distinctive thick, bubbling sound that porridge makes when boiling. The Germans use the word, Zechpreller to describe the person who leaves without paying the bill. And, perhaps my favourite, the Finnish use the word poronkusema to describe the distance equal to how far a reindeer can travel without a comfort break (about 5 kilometres if you were wondering).

With the risk you may think this is all poppycock or, worse still, tarradiddle, let’s take a look at some tongue twisters that challenge our language skills.

English speakers may recall reciting this children’s song: She sells seashells by the seashore. The shells she sells are seashells, I’m sure. So, if she sells seashells on the seashore, then I’m sure she sells seashore shells.

How about this French tongue twister? Combien de sous sont ces saucissons-ci? Ces saucissons-ci sont six sous (How much are these sausages here? These sausages here are six cents).

Or, try this German tongue twister: Zwei schwarze schleimige Schlangen sitzen zwischen zwei spitzen Steinen und zischen (Two black slimy snakes sit between two pointed stones and hiss).

A Polish variation: Król Karol kupił Królowej Karolinie korale koloru koralowego (King Karl bought Queen Caroline coral-coloured bead).

And, finally, a Swedish tongue twister: Far, Får får får? Nej, inte får får får, får får lamm (Father, do sheep have sheep? No, sheep don’t have sheep, sheep have lambs).

Idioms also represent a deeply interesting aspect of language, usually highlighting cultural, historical, and traditional themes. By way of an example of how an idiom can span languages, all of the following idiomatic expressions are similar to “The apple does not fall far from the tree”:

  • Æblet falder ikke langt fra stammen. (Danish)
  • Der Apfel fällt nicht weit vom Stamm. (German)
  • Nem esik messze az alma a fájától. (Hungarian)
  • Obuolys nuo obels netoli rieda. (Lithuanian)
  • Niedaleko pada jabłko od jabłoni. (Polish)
  • Jabolko ne pade daleč od drevesa. (Slovenian)
  • Äpplet faller inte långt från trädet. (Swedish)

Did you know that there is a word in the English language that describes the fear some people suffer from when they come across long words? The word for this phobia is hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia. While it is in no way my intention to diminish the suffering anyone with this phobia experiences, it is hard to ignore the irony here given the length of this word! So, if you are a hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobic, please skip this next section as it will highlight some of the longest words found in languages.

  • Hippopotomonstrosesquipedalianism (English word for the love of long words; 33 letters)
  • ακτινοχρυσοφαιδροβροντολαμπροφεγγοφωτοστόλιστος (Greek word meaning to be dressed in golden-shining, thundering and incandescent clothes; 47 letters)
  • Kindercarnavalsoptochtvoorbereidingswerkzaamheden (Dutch word related to the preparation activities for a children’s carnival procession; 48 letters)
  • Speciallægepraksisplanlægningsstabiliseringsperiode (Danish word for the period when a specialist doctor’s planning of the practice is stabilized; 52 letters)
  • Lentokonesuihkuturbiinimoottoriapumekaanikkoaliupseerioppilas (Finnish word for a technical warrant officer trainee specialized in aircraft jet engines; 61 letters)
  • Grundstücksverkehrsgenehmigungszuständigkeitsübertragungsverordnung (German word for a regulation about competences; 67 letters)

Of a particularly impressive note, the Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes coined the following 183 lettered word meaning a dish compounded of all kinds of dainties, fish, fowl and sauces:

Lopado-temacho-selacho-galeo-kranio-leipsano-drim-hupotrimmatosilphio-karabo-melito-katakechumeno-kichl-epikossuphophatto-peristeralektruon-opto-kephallio-kigklo-peleio-lagoio-siraio-baphe-traganopterugon

While these are fascinating and interesting language facts to consider, I should move beyond what some would consider my lollygagging and return to the motivation for this post – the celebration of language. While I am currently living in Europe and the European Day of Languages is certainly of great importance to the region, I would also like to extend the celebration to all languages and areas of the world when highlighting how important language is to our cultural heritage, to our understanding of ourselves and others, and to our ability to see and understand the world in different and new ways.

The International School of Zug and Luzern (ISZL) is fortunate to have Lorna Caputo as a member of its team serving as a language specialist and overseeing, among her other duties, 16 after-school language programs. In her blog, Exploring Multilingualism, Lorna highlights the importance of all languages:

It is the harmonious coexistence of languages that enables people to develop intercultural understanding, appreciate cultural diversity and work together better. Multilingualism is what unites many different regions within countries and is at the core of many national identities. Even in multicultural cities, you can observe local dialects and languages coexisting with other international languages. It is helpful to understand how schools can often be located within this linguistic intersectionality, and how schools prepare their students to navigate their familial, local, national and global linguistic landscapes.

Lorna will also be quick to discuss the research supporting the advantages associated with children learning multiple languages at a young age, which features an important aspect of her work with ISZL’s learning program.

In a note to community members this week, Lorna asked us to build on our recent inclusion work (see Inclusion & Community) and translate the phrase, “We are all ISZL” into their native language. Here are some of the wonderful responses:

  • We are all ISZL (English)
  • Мы все ISZL (Russian)
  • Me ollaan kaikki ISZL (Finnish)
  • Vi är alla ISZL ( Swedish )
  • ISZL 我們是一家人 (Mandarin)
  • Siamo tutti ISZL (Italian)
  • Hepimiz ISZL’iz (Turkish)
  • Wir sind alle ISZL (German)
  • Nous sommes tous ISZL (French)
  • Todos somos ISZL (Spanish)
  • Tots som ISZL (Catalan)
  • Somos todos ISZL (Portuguese)
  • Wij zijn allemaal ISZL (Dutch)
  • Mi mind ISZL vagyunk (Hungarian)
  • Είμαστε όλοι ISZL (Greek)
  • Mi smo svi ISZL (Serbian)
  • Vi er alle ISZL (Danish)

In closing, I hope you didn’t find this post to be too higgledy-piggledy, but rather a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious experience! While my hope has been to highlight some of the interesting and unusual aspects of language, there is always the shadow of kakorrhaphiophobia, or the fear of failure, associated with this quixotic endeavour. There is a lurking feeling that perhaps I should have been more pauciloquent and that this text had been less argle-bargle in style, avoided goggledygook, and did not generate any bobsy-die. The last thing I want to do is to leave you bumfuzzled, frustrate you with the confusing “never odd or even” palindrome, or to diminish your status as a deipnosophist. Finally, I hope you don’t see me as a blatherskite, a hoddy-noddy, or a floccinaucinihilipilificator at heart!

Okay, this is probably enough tomfoolery, twaddle, and balderdash for today!

In the celebration and appreciation of all languages!

_____________________________________________

Some Definitions:

  1. Argle-bargle: copious but meaningless talk or writing
  2. Balderdash: senseless talk or writing
  3. Blatherskite: a person who talks at great length without making much sense
  4. Bobsy-die: a great deal of fuss or trouble
  5. Bumfuzzled: to be confused
  6. Deipnosophist: a person skilled in table talk
  7. Floccinaucinihilipilificator: the action or habit of estimating something as worthless
  8. Goggledygook: language that is meaningless
  9. Higgledy-piggledy: in confusion or disorder
  10. Hoddy-noddy: a foolish person
  11. Kakorrhaphiophobia: an irrational fear of failure
  12. Lollygagging: to spend time aimlessly
  13. Pauciloquent: using few words in speech or conversation
  14. Poppycock: nonsense
  15. Quixotic: extremely idealistic; unrealistic and impractical
  16. Tarradiddle: pretentious nonsense
  17. Tomfoolery: foolish or silly behaviour

_____________________________________________

Reference: The majority of the sources for this article are from the following website: https://edl.ecml.at/ (Take their language challenge: QUIZ)

Photo by Susan Holt Simpson on Unsplash

_____________________________________________

Inclusion & Community

‘We are all ISZL’ are the words that best capture our recent work in the area of inclusion. For the past year, ISZL staff and representative groups of students and parents have been engaging in professional development sessions, workshops, and discussions focused on inclusion and what we value as a community.

The International Baccalaureate (IB) plays a vital role in supporting this effort. The IB’s mission is “to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect”. As an IB School, ISZL has been embracing inclusion and acceptance of different perspectives and people for years. It is a priority to ensure that every member of our community feels safe and has a sense of belonging. Our commitment towards realising this goal is achieved, in part, through the adoption of the IB’s learning principles and learner profile, in addition to engaging and fostering a welcoming international community. The IB’s mission statement serves as an important additional reference as we further articulate ISZL’s values and beliefs, foundational documents, and associated policies.

In order to further advance awareness associated with inclusion, a group of teachers, leadership team members, and counsellors partnered with Educate and Celebrate, an organisation from the United Kingdom that supports schools as they work to ensure environments that prioritise inclusion. From this partnership, ECCO (Educate and Celebrate Coordinators) was formed to identify and implement 31 action items over the next two years. One of the most critical action items was to update the ISZL Inclusion policy:

ISZL agrees to support, respect and seek inclusion with regards to the safety and care of all community members. This includes but is not limited to: age; disabilities; ethnicity; gender; gender expression; gender identity; health needs; languages spoken; marital status; mental health; national origin; political affiliation; race; religion; sex; sexual orientation, and any additional characteristic protected under Swiss law.

ISZL endeavours to understand and protect the civil and human rights of all individuals within the community, striving to maintain a high level of multicultural awareness and knowledge about all applicable laws and statutes related to non-discrimination and inclusion. This policy relates to all decisions and advocacy regarding staffing, recruitment, student care, suitability of external organisation partnerships, and curriculum. ISZL will review this policy, as well as practices and procedures, periodically.

The policy was then transformed into a poster that shares the essence of the updated inclusion policy and the sentiment that ‘We Are All ISZL’. You can see this poster below.

If you are interested in learning more or getting involved in supporting the work of this group, please contact our Counsellor Stephany Herzog. I look forward to sharing more developments in this important area throughout the coming year.

“We Are ISZL Photo” by ISZL’s fabulous publications and communications team.

Feature Photo by Timon Studler on Unsplash

Reflections on the Future of Learning

Consider the future for our current kindergarten students and what the world will be like when they graduate in the year 2031. Given the technological advances we are witnessing today, any description of our near future that does not resemble something out of a science fiction story may likely represent an underestimation of the changes that will impact our lives. It is within this context of accelerating change that we are tasked with the challenge to reimagine school and learning. If one word could be used to describe the current educational landscape, it would indeed be change. Three factors associated with driving this change are arguably the areas of social and emotional development, personalised learning, and emerging technologies.

Social and Emotional Development

While the discussion surrounding social and emotional skills is not new, there is an ever-increasing importance placed on this area. The developmental abilities of empathy, initiative, curiosity, resilience, and adaptability will be vital in preparing our students for the rapid changes in society we are experiencing. How do schools ensure that students are ready to communicate effectively, engage with others in meaningful and authentic ways, and embrace the inherent beauty of human nature?

Thomas Friedman argues in his book, Thank You for Being Late, that our students are growing up in an age of acceleration in which technological change is outpacing human adaptability, as per Eric Teller’s graph.

If it is correct to assume that technology and globalisation will not slow down, then our focus must be on improving human adaptability by ensuring a population that is more agile, creative, and adaptable.

Schools also have a responsibility to reconsider what is now commonly viewed as our outdated and misaligned systems and metrics of success, which are associated with rising rates of mental illness. The narratives related to achievement and personal realisation are considered to be contributing to the adverse health outcomes found in society. How can schools and society support our students in redefining measures of success that include balance, health, and well-being? Several collaborative groups are seeking to answer this very question, which is exemplified by the Mastery Transcript Consortium and the work of universities and K-12 schools to redefine student transcripts.

Personalised Learning

In the recent KnowledgeWorks, The Future of Learning Report, the authors describe the future of learning as one where, “flexible configurations of human educators and mentors, along with digital learning coaches and companions, will be coordinated seamlessly to support learners’ short- and long- term needs and help all students reach their goals.” Personal growth of this nature is requiring the development of customised learning relationships and connections with an expanding range of learning partners. Our current school structures do not necessarily always lend themselves well to this system of learning, particularly when considering an expanded view of what constitutes mentors and learning coaches.

Schools are experimenting with systematic changes, such as flexible scheduling, blended learning opportunities involving both face-to-face and online opportunities, the redesign of campus learning spaces, and alternative credentialing, including a complete redefinition of report cards and transcripts. Technology is, of course, also challenging schools in many ways as learning continues to be more and more personalised due, in part, to a push towards 1:1 computing environments and an increase in adaptive software systems.

Emerging Technologies

Many of us have already experienced adaptive learning in which a program analyses our performance in real time and then modifies the teaching methods and curriculum focus. The use of an adaptive program or app to learn a new language is now commonplace. The field of education will undoubtedly continue to be revolutionised as machine learning becomes more prevalent. As computer systems use data and statistical techniques to “learn” on their own and continue to improve performance without a human explicitly programming the computer, schools will need to continue to adapt to this new reality. Teachers can increasingly use learning and predictive analytics to connect millions of data points to arrive at conclusions and predict future performance based on past data. One of the key outcomes we see today is an increase in personalised opportunities and students guiding and pacing their learning.

What we are experiencing now is considered to be the third educational revolution, following the high school movement and education for life in the early 1900s and then the support for higher education at around the midpoint of the last century. As the Future of Learning report highlights, schools are now becoming more fluid in that we are moving from a fixed structure driven by administrative convenience to one that is a fluid network of relationship-based formats that reflect a learners’ needs, interests, and goals. Algorithms and artificial intelligence are providing personalised learning opportunities and educators who best match each learner’s needs. We are also increasingly seeing a demand for flexible and customised learning environments which many of our current administrative structures act as constraints.

While there is much work ahead of us, the International School of Zug and Luzern’s (ISZL) foundations of an adaptive and evolutionary mindset provide our community with an effective basis to embrace the changes in the educational landscape we are experiencing today and will continue to do so in the future. Learning at ISZL is guided by an inquiry-based and transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary program that values play, experiential and project-based learning, and hands-on experiences, which are supported by a relationship-based and connected community. It is these set of values, philosophical approaches, and sense of community that will both empower and enable ISZL to adapt and thrive in an environment that requires critical building blocks for a digital economy while not allowing technology to outpace our humanity.

Reference:

KnowledgeWorks. 2018. Navigating the Future of Learning Forecast 5.0. Retrieved from https://knowledgeworks.org/resources/forecast-5/

Featured image: Photo by Myles Tan on Unsplash

Inspired by History

The idea that we are “standing on the shoulders of those who came before us” was a prevalent theme at the recent Swiss Group of International Schools (SGIS) annual conference with the publication of Chalk and Cheese: Celebrating 50 Years of SGIS. As I read through the profiles of the 48-member schools, I was struck by the rich history associated with the organisation and extensive contributions to international education.

Among the international schools listed in the book, nine of the schools have been in existence for more than 100 years. Three of these schools first opened their doors in the 1880’s: Institute Le Rosey (1880), Brillantmont International School (1882), Institute Auf Dem Rosenberg (1889). In total, the 48 SGIS member schools have collectively contributed over 2,700 years in serving the international school community!

Each school has a unique history. Ecole d’Humanité was founded by the gifted pedagogue, Paul Geheeb, whose theories and practice represented the best in the evolution of a liberal and humanising education, which he conceived in response to contemporary “rote and drill schools”. The International School of Geneva, founded in part by the League of Nations, is considered to be the birthplace of the International Baccalaureate (IB) program.

Fast forward to today, SGIS continues to bring together the nearly 50 international schools in Switzerland and neighbouring countries to collectively learn from each school’s history and development. It is this very diversity in schools that make the present and future development of international education in Switzerland such a rich, engaging, and promising endeavour.

One of SGIS’ focus areas is that of professional growth and the promotion and support associated with professional development groups. Examples of these collaborative learning groups include Mental Health Counselling, Science Technicians, Early Learning, Student Leadership, Diploma Coordinators, College and Guidance Counsellors, IB Coordinators, and Librarians, among several others.

In addition to supporting student activities, such as a Leadership and Forensics and Debate events, the SGIS Sports Committee oversees approximately 150 sports events each year involving 18 different sports. Workshops, clinics, and certification opportunities were also recently in football, rugby, volleyball, basketball, and track and field.

The International School of Zug and Luzern (ISZL), where I have the honour to serve as Director, is also an active SGIS member with its own rich history. ISZL story began in 1961 with the current school representing the merger in 2008 of three schools: The International School of Zug, The International School of Luzern, and The Riverside School. After more than five decades of progress and expansion, we are fortunate to “stand on the shoulders of those who came before us” as their passion and dedication have culminated in a special school that emphasises community, relationships, family partnership, and learning focused on the “whole child”.  Today, ISZL is home to more than 1,250 students, age 3-18, representing over 60 nationalities, and more than 330 talented staff members, representing over 35 different nationalities.

Thank you again to the Geoff Tomlinson and Jackie Chan-Kam, the editors of Chalk and Cheese: Celebrating 50 Years of SGIS, for reminding us of the importance of our history. Our gratitude is extended to those before us whose vision, dedication, and hard work have resulted in a collective of successful schools that benefit our students and communities of today.

Featured image: cc licensed (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) flickr photo by Derek: View from Männlichen station (with 2 flags) 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/navona-pics/4240553080/

Connected, But Alone?

As we expect more from technology, do we expect less from each other?

This is the question clinical psychologist Sherry Turkle asks in her book, Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age, which is based on 30 years of her work studying the psychology of people’s relationships with technology. While she is not anti-technology, Turkle presents a compelling case that our current communication revolution is degrading the quality of human relationships.

Based on five years of research and interviews in homes, schools, and workplaces, Turkle argues that many of us, “would prefer to send an electronic message or mail than commit to a face-to-face meeting or a telephone call” (Turkle, 2015, p.3). Her concern is the cost associated with this new type of connection and how technology allows us to find ways around conversation. She argues that “face-to-face conversation is the most human – and humanizing – thing we do. Fully present to one another, we learn to listen. It’s where we develop the capacity for empathy” (Turkle, 2015, p.3).

Reclaiming Conversation argues that, while technology presents us with seemingly endless possibilities to improve our lives, it also allows us to hide from each other even as we’re constantly connected to each other. And, it is this loss of connection and conversation that should give us pause and cause for concern. In having fewer meaningful conversations on a regular basis, we are losing skills such as the ability to focus deeply, reflect, read emotions, and empathise with others, all of which are needed to actually engage in meaningful conversations.

Turkle further argues that the ability to have meaningful conversations also depends on our engagement with solitude and self-reflection. If we are always connected, then we may see loneliness as a problem that technology needs to solve and that being connected is going to make us less lonely. However, Turkle cautions that it is actually the reverse: “If we are unable to be alone, we will be more lonely. And if we don’t teach our children to be alone, they will only know how to be lonely” (Turkle, 2015, p.23).  Research in this area indicates that being comfortable with solitude and, correspondingly, our vulnerabilities is central to happiness, creativity, and productivity.

Building on these considerations and thinking about Turkle’s writing in the context of ISZL, the book presents several compelling arguments for any school and community to consider, particularly given our collective work to support student learning and development. On a personal note, the book challenged me in several ways in terms of my own relationship with technology and my practices as a father, husband, educator, and community member. By way of an example, the following passage from the book has led me to further consider the implications of the presence of a cell phone during conversations:

“What phones do to in-person conversation is a problem. Studies show that the mere presence of a phone on the table (even a phone turned off) changes what people talk about. If we think we might be interrupted, we keep conversations light, on topics of little controversy or consequence. And conversations with phones on the landscape block empathic connection. If two people are speaking and there is a phone on a nearby desk, each feels less connected to the other than when there is no phone present. Even a silent phone disconnects us ” (Turkle, 2015, p.20).

A central question emerged during the reading of this book: Are we unintentionally inhibiting our students’ development in terms of the skills and tools that are crucial to friendship, love, happiness, work, creativity, and sense of worth? Like anything that is of deep significance, there is no simple response to this question as we continue to understand the benefits and impacts technology is having and will have on our lives.

Turkle believes that our regular connection to be online and “elsewhere” will likely lead to the erosion of the essential human qualities of empathy, generativity, and the mentoring of our young. If this is true, then there are obvious and compelling reasons for our school community to further our reflections, conversations, and actions associated with this challenge. These thoughts may perhaps be best summed up by Cameron, a student Turkle interviewed, when he shared what he sees around him: “Our texts are fine. It’s what texting does to our conversations when we are together, that’s the problem” (Turkle, 2015, p.21).

Reference:

Turkle, S. (2015). Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age, Kindle Edition. Penguin Press.

Featured image: cc licensed (CC BY 2.0) flickr photo d26b73: i I i
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeff_sch/9274657293/in/photostream/

Community & Learning Celebrations

We are reaching the end of another busy and exciting term at ISZL. I find these weeks uplifting as I attend numerous meaningful and special celebrations throughout the school. Just this week, Kindergarten children walked with their families and performed holiday songs at the beautiful Lichterweg in Baar; Grade 4 students participated in the annual Festival of Lights celebrating holiday cultures from around the world; Grade 5 students enjoyed the annual Traditions Lunch hosted by parents; and High School hosted a fun-filled ugly sweater contest and cookie exchange supported by the Student Council and the Parents’ Association.

This time of year also gives me a moment to reflect on what we have accomplished together as a learning community. Personal Development Week still remains a highlight of the term with students engaging in unique global learning experiences and bringing these perspectives back to the classroom. ISZL’s Arts Week was a huge success with students in Grades 3-12 participating in exceptional workshops and performances from our Music Ensembles, Riverside Singers and ISZL Jazz Orchestra. In addition, students led a curated exhibition in the Art Factory and enjoyed a visit from artist Anthony Jegu. And, just last week Middle School students participated in a two-day coding and robotics workshop while others attended a three-day curriculum trip to Chalet Bergheim, our school’s mountain retreat in Wengen. These are just a few examples of the extraordinary educational opportunities that our students experience throughout the year.

In addition, I have been continually impressed with the school’s ability to attract and recruit talented teachers and administrators. High School Principal Eddie Wexler and I attended a Recruiting Conference in Dubai last month and met with hundreds of teachers who were interested in professional opportunities at ISZL. This week, the school is hosting four exceptional Middle School Principal candidates with the hope to make a decision by next week on this leadership position.

ISZL continues to thrive because of the strong partnership between our outstanding students, talented faculty and staff, and supportive and engaged parents. As we come to the close of the calendar year, I hope you join me in reflecting about our special community and the opportunities we have each day.

I wish you all a happy holiday season and hope you take the time to rest and rejuvenate with family and friends. We look forward to new celebrations in 2019.

Kindergarten children singing by candlelight on the Baar Lichterweg earlier this week.
The end of the term is filled with joyful celebrations of the season including the Festival of Lights on Zug Campus.
Musicians performing during one of many Arts Week events.
It was a joy to see so many families at Thanksgiving last month, a true celebration of our vibrant and welcoming community.
Our athletics teams have enjoyed a successful season – here the Junior Varsity Girls’ Football team celebrates winning the SCIS championships on home turf.
High School students are looking forward to the second Youth Forum Switzerland and preparing with some impressive Series events.
I am always inspired by the teaching and learning taking place in our classrooms. During Book Fortnight I had the privilege of reading to these Grade 1 students.
I am immensely proud of our excellent teachers and staff,
 and thank them for their hard work, commitment and dedication to our students this term.

Photo Credits: ISZL’s awesome communications department