The Department of Learning coordinates all learning programs from Pre-Kindergarten to adult learning.  We work cooperatively with other administrators and teachers to develop and align the curricular programs for all students, K-12.  Program improvement is ongoing and is based on current research related to best practice.  New resources are acquired every year and the manuals used as our main references are replaced on a cycle of a maximum of six years.  With respect to adult learning, we promote conferences offered by NESA (Near East School Association), ECIS (European Council of International Schools) and many other reputable educational organizations for our faculty and staff.  We also organize sessions offered at AIS-R by visiting consultants and by our Professional Learning Community.  Sessions that support our school initiatives are offered by members of all levels of the school including principals, directors, teachers and staff.  The knowledge of our faculty and staff is shared as part of our in-house Professional Learning Program and within the different grade-level teams.  This year, our staff participated in a host of workshops on topics ranging from Writing & Reading Workshop, Skyward, Excel, Access Database, Web 2.0 Tools, Art, Digital Streaming, Physical Activities, and Understanding by Design, just to name a few.  Numerous teachers are also pursuing Masters Degrees through a combination of online courses, on site studies, SUNY Buffalo Saudi Cohort, and/or through the Principals Training Center (PTC).  Teachers-Training-Teachers workshops are also available in our After School Training Program.

There are always many projects taking place in the Learning Department.  As a school, we have chosen five Overall  AIS-R Learning Initiatives this year.  They include Assessment. Teaching for Understanding & Understanding by Design, Technology/Blended Learning/eLearning, English Language Learners/English as a Second Language, and, as we are affiliated with NESA and the US State Department, we are also committed to supporting all of the initiatives they introduce.

We have spend the better part of this year researching and discussing best practice in assessment.  By the time we break for summer, we will have developed an Assessment Policy that is standards-based, best supports our students' learning, and considers the practices of Ken O'Connor.  This new Assessment Policy will be piloted next year, and we will collect feedback and recommendations from staff and students to make the necessary amendments and finalize the process.

Our second initiative, Teaching for Understanding, will lead to the development of a planning and mapping framework that will include the elements of Understanding by Design and the Teaching for Understanding Framework, that was developed as part of Project Zero at the Harvard School of Education and actively engages students in the critical-thinking and 21st century problem-solving skills that they will need as adults.

Since the development of 21st century skills is at the forefront of student learning, AIS-R teachers are always improving the way in which they teach in order to provide opportunities for mastery of such skills.  One of the many ways we can do that is through blended learning.  Blended learning is a combination of face-to-face and computer-mediated activities.  This means that students do not solely depend on their teachers to learn critical information; they can also access it through the digital world that they are so comfortable navigating.  Many of our teachers use Web 2.0 tools such as podcasting, blogs or wikis with their students.

Since many of our students have learned English as a second or even third language, knowing our students and how to meet their needs is essential.  Teachers plan accordingly and differentiate activities in their lessons in order to meet the learning needs of each child.  This will be facilitated by the addition of an ELL Coordinator to our staff in August.

Welcome to AIS-R! We'd love for you to Learn With Us!

Renee Couturier
Director of Learning