Technology

We believe the balanced, authentic, and intentional integration of technology empowers students and faculty and is a driver of AES innovation. It provides opportunities for voice, choice, collaboration, critical thinking, and content creation across grade levels and content areas.

We also believe that a maker and a researcher mindset empowers learners to explore, create, discover, and de ne their learning journeys.

We believe that engaged makers and researchers are:

• Evaluative

• Curious

• Equipped with a growth mindset

• Re ective

• Responsible

• Empathetic

• Agents for change

We make this happen at AES through a 1:1 device program: iPad’s for ES; MacBook for MS and HS, a big IT technical and teaching sta including coordinators and teaching assistants in every division, and several dedicated spaces on campus. Overall, last year, through our academic classes including Makerspace, Design Lab, Robotics, and IB Computer Science, we reached 458 Elementary School students, 208 Middle School students, and 115 High School students. We reached many more through our extra-curricular o erings I-Pop in ES, ASA in MS and Clubs in HS. Activities included everything from Macrame to Coding, from 3D Paper Models to 3D Design and Print, from using sewing machines to using laser printers, from Lego Stop Motion to Games Development.

Good schools, such as AES, value the concept of being a learning organization where everyone is always learning and engaging in their work with exible mindsets. Professional learning, otherwise known as professional development, is central to the mission of AES. It is the key to continuous improvement for teachers and for improved success for our students. AES has supported professional learning as a tool for attracting and retaining great teachers. We are committed to teachers who are lifelong learners, who focus their extra energy on adding to their toolkits and their capacities in order to create the most e ective teaching and learning environments for all of their students. We support our teachers through training that targets deeper learning in their content areas, e ective teaching strategies, and methods for enhancing student well-being.

More speci cally, AES supports professional learning in a number of ways: Teachers have access to personal professional development funds each year to support them in attending targeted conferences, graduate programs, or workshops, both virtually and in person. The Teaching and Learning team also often supports bringing consultants or research-based trainings to campus, both virtually and in person for needs that have been identi ed within our programs. Then, NESA, Near East South Asia Council of Overseas Schools, often partnering with other schools to learn more about successful teaching and learning strategies—all based on professional learning standards—sponsors professional development events. These are usually conferences and workshops for school leaders and teachers to attend with other educators from around the region—always a great opportunity for learning and establishing connections for future collaboration.

All of our in-house professional training is focused on student achievement and well-being. Twice a year, we have two back-to-back professional learning days when teachers are engaged in professional learning that supports school wide initiatives, our accreditation goals, and areas that are important to student and teacher achievement and well-being. In addition, at times, we have Teachers Teaching Teachers sessions to encourage teachers to learn skills and new teaching approaches from their peers.