We are at a wondrous time in the world, where things are changing and evolving at such a fast rate that it is almost impossible to predict where the next world-changing innovation will come from.
Within these times, it’s a challenge to find a school that provides the learning spaces necessary to adapt with these constant changes. At Nagoya International School (NIS), we take pride in our ability to provide our students top tier facilities.
Rather than focus only on what our students are learning, we choose to focus on how they learn. By providing and embracing creative learning spaces, our school can offer your children access to a learning environment that will help them adapt and teach them how to thrive in a modern workplace.
We recognize the importance of creating innovative learning spaces for our students so they can have the tools they need to inspire a lifelong love of learning from within. Our innovative learning environments are thoughtfully designed and were meticulously researched so NIS can provide your children with a strong educational foundation that they will carry with them throughout their lives.
There are so many factors to consider when designing creative learning spaces that it can be a challenge to know where to start. What are the parameters of intentionally-designed, innovative learning environments?
The “conveyor belt” model of education, the concept that the role of education is to teach students what to think in order to land a job, as described by David Hood in The Rhetoric and the Reality, is no longer the trusted model. Mark Osborne, Senior Advisor in Future-Focused Education in his white paper Innovative Learning Environments, defines a creative learning space as “one that is capable of evolving and adapting as educational practices evolve and change”.
During the development process of our new East Building, we outlined what was lacking in our old learning spaces and modeled our designs with this principle in mind.
Now, our campus offers thoughtfully designed, innovative environments that include science labs, art rooms, music rooms, a large multipurpose hall capable of seating 247 people, and more. Additionally, we implemented multipurpose spaces with flexible design features to suit the current needs of our teachers at any given time.
“This building helps us provide a more complete picture of that exceptional educational experience, that we have dedicated spaces that are meeting students’ needs,” said Director of Business operations, Carol Walter.
What makes NIS facilities different from those offered at a traditional Japanese school? To learn more about the differences and how they can benefit your children, click here to know more.
In order to deliver on our promise of offering a modern education to our students, we made sure our facilities and innovative learning environments housed everything they could possibly need, be it for a project, a hobby, or a new passion.
“We now have these collaborative spaces on the campus as a whole, and you don’t get that by just herding kids from room-to-room to study in isolation, you get that by having some connective tissue between the different parts of the curriculum. To do that you need collaborative, flexible spaces,” said Head of School, Matthew Parr.
The ability to collaborate and to think creatively is a critical skill we seek to develop in our students. Creative learning spaces, such as our flexible furniture and our open, bright, and airy facilities, mean your children will have every opportunity to explore and expand their boundaries.
“We have all of the spaces now for collaboration. What you’re seeing now is the whole campus is able to breathe again, and each part of our campus can finally do what it was originally designed to do,” said Parr.
NIS provides innovative learning spaces in order for your child to learn how to think creatively, develop an innovative mindset and increase their collaboration skills with their peers.
Choosing a school with thoughtfully designed learning spaces is an essential part of your children’s educational foundation and should be a key part of your ultimate choice of an international school.