FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL We see several broad shifts that should drive innovation in an AFS education: Childhood has changed. Previous generations were shaped by a great deal of freedom and independence outside of school— building social skills, imagination, resilience, and resourcefulness apart from the continual supervision of adults. How can the school day provide the robust opportunities needed for building these critical strengths? Technology and digitally mediated experience are ubiquitous today, bringing new levels of connection to people and resources, but replacing too much of the physical play and varied natural and tactile experiences that nourish the development of healthy bodies, minds and spirits. How can school provide this rich tapestry of daily experience while promoting healthy engagement with technology?
Our children are going to school in a profoundly diverse community, a powerful foundation for an education that previous generations did not experience. It shifts our worldview, our understanding of the past, present and future of our nation and pushes us to a new understanding of equity, justice and engagement imperatives. How can a fully developed, widely shared vision of equity, inclusion and dignity at AFS lead us to our full potential as a diverse community? The larger world has never been more accessible and available to teachers and students, providing unprecedented opportunities to ground an outstanding academic education in experiential learning. Connections to practitioners in all fields, to authors, native speakers of languages, to culture and arts all over the world are ever-present. Schools of the twentieth century were built around comparatively very limited resources and most experience was mediated through books alone. How can an AFS education be transformed by the power of wide, direct experience? Our understanding of learning has advanced dramatically from the previous generation. Research in cognitive development, connections between social-emotional and intellectual growth and research-based practices for fostering independent, resourceful learners is expanding our ideas about what education at its best looks like. The learning lives and focused growth of teachers has become the engine for innovation and program development. How can we create the R&D space for teachers to learn, grow and innovate?