The students and faculty of THINK Global School (TGS) are part of a unique approach to education – one where a fresh look at learning replaces traditional thinking. At TGS, we believe that stepping outside and exploring the world is where real learning begins.
TGS is an independent secondary school whose students live and learn in a different international city every trimester. Lead by TGS faculty, students learn from the people they meet and the places they visit, connecting cultures and ideas for real-time discovery and understanding – in short, the entire world is their classroom. The student body and teachers represent five continents and more than a dozen countries. The ultimate goal of THINK Global School is to not only to provide students with a truly global education and to prepare them to thrive in our international, multicultural world, but to help educators innovate new ways to engage and motivate students by taking a fresh look at the way we teach our children.
Exploring the world, one city at a time.
At each stop along the way, students are given every opportunity to explore and study the host city. The curriculum is built around connecting the seemingly disparate elements of each location into cohesive, cross-border and cross-cultural experience. Lesson plans are built around common themes that tie together the unique educational facets of each city. For example, students learn about the history of Vikings and their cultural impact on Sweden; this lesson becomes part of a larger discussion in their Global Studies and world history coursework over the course of the year as they investigate explorers and conquerors throughout history in each of the cities they visit.
In each host city, students also participate in activities that give them a better sense of the culture of the locals – activities like noodle making in China, learning to play the digieridoo, and seeing the pyramids up close. Special guest lecturers and locals are invited in to talk to and teach the students as well, giving them the opportunity to learn from experts in their home cities.
Technology, Blogging, and Mobile Devices
Technology plays an important role in the life of a TGS student: each is equipped with an iPhone, iPad and MacBook Pro. They are expected to use these tools for school assignments, to record their experiences with blogs and photos, and to share their experiences with students around the world. At TGS, students are expected to keep their cell phones ON during class.
TGS students are able to capture what they see, hear, and feel in real time using the technology in their arsenals. They shoot their own video, snap photos and write weekly blog posts journaling their adventures, sharing what they learn with other students around the world. Student bloggers tell the TGS story as they share what they see, do and learn first hand. TGS students learn early on that making their experiences available to peers helps to bridge the gap across cultures and across borders. Seeing through the eyes of a TGS student is as easy as opening up your own laptop, seeing their photos and reading their words.
TGS is poised to make real change in the way the world looks at education by breaking down traditional, antiquated ways of approaching the way students learn. By taking kids on the road and allowing them to experience the culture and history of the places and people who make up our world, TGS students are encouraged to literally “think outside the box.”
Article for Student Abroad Magazine about THINK Global School
By Elizabeth Allen, Head of Communications
eallen@thinkglobalschool.org
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Learn more about THINK Global School at http://www.thinkglobalschool.org
Student Abroad Magazine 