Personalised Learning: The Student At The Centre
One of the trademark features of Alegra’s educational model is to help students discover and develop their own talents through a personalised learning experience. How? It is a common objective of the three Alegra programs. In the British System in Infants and Primary (Prep School), the International System (IB) in Secondary and Baccaulorate, and the Christian formation program throughout the school.
How does personalised learning come to life in Alegra?
It is 11.45 in the morning: we are in a Year 1 class. The Humanities class has just finished, and the students stand up. Some stay in their place, the rest leave the class. Other students from other classes appear through the door and a new group is created. Phonics class begins. Why do they move? At Alegra, we meet students at their developmental stage, and all students have different learning rates and ways of achieving the same goal. However, our purpose is to help them achieve their highest potential, based on their own unique talents.
“All children have different ways of learning: some are more visual, others more analytical, others more creative… They have different ways of approaching knowledge”, comments Josephine Poultney, Infants Coordinator. “The important thing is to know the student in-depth and to accompany them to maximize their talent”. This way of teaching comes to life through different methodologies: work groups, reading dynamics, work with peers, etc. Also, in the younger Early Years classes we work with the Continuous Provision methodology in which, based on the interests, abilities, and capacities of the child, games related to the subject of learning are planned.
Change of scenery. Now we are inside the Secondary building (MYP in Alegra). The teacher gives the leading role to the student and becomes a facilitator who plans and implements different strategies depending on the learning styles found in the classroom.
“Inside a class, we can work in work groups that are sometimes more homogeneous and other times more heterogeneous where it is the students themselves who ask questions and explain to each other led by the teacher”, explains Militza Hernández, Alegra’s Academic Director.
Inspiring teachers
Teachers are the driving force in Alegra. As educators, they are able to organise and manage the class and constantly redesign what happens in the classroom. “If we see that a student has already reached the objective of a subject, we expand the content so that she can dive deeper into the subject. On the other hand, if we observe others who have not yet reached the goal, we reinforce them with other activities to accompany them and help them achieve it”, explains Almudena García Nieto, coordinator of MYP 2 and 3.
Personalized Learning Beyond The Classroom
The personalisation of learning does not remain inside the classroom, it is conceived as a way of understanding education that encompasses the entire trajectory of the student in the school. The preceptuación is a clear example. The figure of the preceptora is essential to get the best out of each of the pupils, academically and personally. But in addition to the preceptora, at Alegra, we have activities and programmes –arts, culture, sports, etc– whose ultimate goal is to strengthen the intellectual and emotional maturity of the students.
