2018年4月9日
2018年度スクール目標 今年で6年目を迎えましたISN。「子育てに皆(保護者、スタッフ、市)が参加し、イノベイティブで人を繋ぐ寺子屋」で「コミュニケーションが上手な家族」を目指します。保護者の皆様一人一人が子どもたちに託す夢を、2歳からスクールスタッフと共有し、スクールコミュニティー(生徒、保護者、先生、スタッフ、スクール関係者、地域の人々)一人ひとりの力があってこそ、ISNは前進します。
ミッション – スキル、態度、知識。世界という選択肢を全ての子供達へ –
→ 数字では測れない、個性と心。好きな事で長ける。毎日、思いっきり楽しみながら探求!
ISNの特色
- 日本文化と外国の文化が共存するグローバルな学びの環境 : 国際バカロレアPYP実施校。外国人担任、日本語授業と英語による学び、日本のみにとどまらない基準で学則を設定。
- UOI : セントラルアイディアと呼ばれるコンセプトの理解が学びの要。探求の時間(UOI:Unit of Inquiry)が主となり、「態度」「スキル」「知識」を育む学びが展開。”理科の時間には理科を学ぶ”を超えた、学び本来の、”全ての要素が繋がっている総合学習”が、ISNプログラムの主軸。
- Stand alone : 教科の知識や技術取得に集中した取り組みはStand aloneと呼ばれる。ISNプログラムののUOIとStand aloneの時間の割合は、およそ7:3から8:2程。
- 学びの中核、コンピュータ、ICT、プログラミング ：1年生からコンピュータを使って、学びをオンラインポートフォリオ、バインダーのポートフォリオに整理。生徒は自主的に学習リサーチし、大小プレゼンテーションの準備をする。単科(UOIでない)算数は、教科書、テキストの他アプリケーションを使って、個別対応。サポートが必要な生徒、もっと進みたい生徒の個別要望に応えることに成功。先生の時間の効率化。プログラミング導入。
- 評価方法 ：1)コンセプトの理解と、2)実際に行動を起こすことが3)多角面に評価される事が前提となるカリキュラム。(テストの点数が大半を占めることはないという意味。)
- タイムリーで直接的な保護者、スクールコミュニティーとのコミュニケーション :生徒の学びの様子が、生徒やスクールによって日々アップデートされ、ブログやオンラインポートフォリオは保護者とシェア。先生の忙しさと保護者の忙しさのなかで、質の高いコミュニケーション実現。
- １年間に6つのユニット(探求テーマ学習)を通し、学びが発展する。
- 学びに対するフレキシビリティー ：子供達が学びの舵を取る探求のために、学びの環境が学びの中心である子供達と、ファシリテーター(物事をやりやすくする人)である先生達にとってフレキシブルであること。そのために時間の枠という縛りを限りなく無くし、校長、プライマリーイヤーズプログラムコーディネーター、ISNのトレーニングを受けた担任、アシスタントの先生達の裁量で、生徒達に一番適した形で時間を含めた学びの環境が提供できる形態。
- 先生：プランニングの時間の確保 : 計画、準備、振り返りなどの為、学年担任のミーティングの時間が平均1時間30分/週、該当クラスの準備の時間が1時間30分/週、スクール全体でのミーティングは1時間/週、設けられている。年間が始まるユニット(年間4らか6）の数週間前にはユニットプランニングデーとして、学年の先生、アシスタントの先生、プログラムコーディネーターが、ユニットの準備に徹する為の1日が設けられている。それ以外に、個々で準備する時間は月約25時間。
- プレスクールの生徒先生比： 認可外保育施設基準に準じる。
- 小中学部少人数制 : 1クラス15人から20人。
- 一人の生徒に対し 沢山の先生がサポート : 代表、プログラムコーディネーター、担任、アシスタントの先生達、日本語担当の先生、音楽、体育、水泳担当、夕方プログラムの先生達など、一人の生徒の成長に毎日たくさんの人間が関わる。
- 発展の続くカリキュラム ：教育とは計画、実行、振り返りを繰り返し、常に良い方法を模索するべきもの。これまでのISNがそうであったように、既存の時間割の構成は毎年より良い方向に変化することがある。 確固たるもの←→イノベーション
- シーズンプログラム ：春、夏、冬の長期休暇にあたる時期に、特別プログラムを提供することで、生徒達によりバラエティーに富んだ活動を提供できる。
- 開園/校日数 ：担任はシフト制で休暇が取れるシステムで、開校日数を多く確保。共働きの家庭の生活サポート。
- 全国テスト、英検 :2年生以上の小学部は4月、前年度の総まとめテストに参加。ISNは英検準会場(希望者参加)。
Parents and School Liaison Committee in 2018
April 9, 2018
ISN goal for 2018
ISN commemorates its 6th anniversary this year. Importantly, this year we aim to build a “TERAKOYA”, which is an innovative initiative aimed at connecting individuals. The idea of building a TERAKOYA is so that all people (parents, staff, local groups, and city) can join in the responsibility of child rearing. In this way, we hope all groups can communicate freely as a close community like a family. Certainly this endeavor highlights ISN’s commitment to encouraging this sense of community, valuing parents’ dreams for their children, and the trust they have put in ISN staff in giving their children (beginning at age 2) the best start in being a life-long learner.
Mission – To empower all children with knowledge, skills, and attitudes making the world reachable for them.
→ ISN believes that each student’s personality and potential cannot be measured with numbers, but can be nurtured in an environment that stimulates a love of learning and participation.
ISN aims to have each and every student become proficient in whatever interests they have, and enjoy exploring the world around them every day.
Characteristics of ISN
- ISN fosters an environment of global learning where Japanese culture is valued along with other cultures: International Baccalaureate PYP school. All teaching staff, both Japanese and non-Japanese, support school endeavors to implement an inclusive curriculum that highlights local, national and international endeavors. Teacher collaboration and networking with other schools is an important aspect of the ISN philosophy.
- UOI (Unit of Inquiry)
Students at ISN are encouraged to view learning as a time of discovery and making connections – connections between disciplines and connections between their current personal life and understanding, and the wider world around them. Importantly, each central idea leads each student through a wide variety of learning opportunities encouraging them to use a range of disciplines, skills, and attitudes. For example, students can learn more than science in science class. ISN focuses on the concept that each student connects their ideas to the wider world around them, and thereby gain a deeper understanding that adds to a meaningful knowledge-base for them as a life-long learner.
- Stand-alone:
Using some carefully selected stand-alone skill-focused lessons, teachers assist students with their writing, reading, speaking and mathematics.
The ratio of time for ISN program’s UOI activities and stand-alone activities is between 7:3 and 8:2.
- Core of learning, Computers, ICT, Programming:
Computers are introduced as a useful inquiry tool for ISN students beginning in grade one. ISN teachers, supported by thoughtful, informed planning, as well as teacher guidance, help students to use computers independently for research, to record their ideas, and for intra-school communication. Their learning will be organized in both online portfolio and paper files. Students can also prepare for various presentations. Students learn mathematics (non-UOI) using textbooks and applications etc. These enable the teachers to support students who need individual help or who want advance further in their learning. Computer programming is also introduced into class.
- Evaluation method:
Evaluation is based on the student’s ability to:
- understand the concepts of the transdisciplinary theme,
- make a connection between those concepts and practically implementing this in their lives.
This means that a diverse, differentiated strategy of evaluation is applied. Students will never simply evaluated by examination alone.
- Communicating with parents and the school community timely and direct:
The status of students’ learning is updated daily by students and school through reflection time, and blogs. Online portfolios are shared with parents. ISN continually endeavors to provide the best communication between students, parents, staff and wider community members.
- Students investigate 6 central ideas each year through the IB Transdisciplinary themes.
- Flexibility for learning: Students take part in 6 units of inquiry (Inquiry-based learning) each year. ISN staff plan for every student to take an active role in their education. The learning environment has an aspect of flexibility so that the children,who are the center of learning, have opportunities to make decisions, and the teachers, who are facilitators, can foster increased student engagement in all that they do. ISN staff (the Head of school, PYP coordinator, homeroom teachers, and assistant teachers) collaborate frequently in planning sessions to ensure the best possible learning environment and time schedule for all ISN students.
- Ensuring enough time for teacher preparation:
Homeroom teachers have weekly hour and a half meetings with the PYP coordinator, ensuring a carefully planned, caring, quality educational environment for every child. Also, they have one and half hours per week to prepare the classes.
For the initial planning of a unit of inquiry, homeroom teachers , the PYP coordinator, and assistant teachers use a whole day to plan all the details and processes of that unit. Whole staff meetings also occur on a weekly basis for one hour. An average 25 hours/month is also set aside for staff to prepare classes individually.
- The ratio of preschool teachers to students at ISN conforms to non-registered daycare facility standards.
- ISN values small classes for Elementary and Middle School with 15 to 20 students per class.
- At ISN,one student is supported by many teachers: the Head of School, the PYP coordinator, homeroom teachers, assistant teachers, Japanese language teacher, music teacher, physics and swimming teachers, librarian, The Project(after-school) teachers. This quality staff group guides and nurtures the growth of each student everyday.
- ISN believes that curriculum development never stops: education is a cycle of planning, execution and review which seeks better ways always. In the past 5 years ISN has and will continue to review timetables to ensure quality use of time and resources.
- ISN Seasonal programs
ISN offers Spring, Summer, and Winter Programs that run during the holidays of local schools. In these programs, students can enjoy a wide variety of activities that foster friendship, fun and a love of learning.
- Opening hours for preschool and school days: ISN uses a system by which teachers can take days off in shifts in order to ensure many opening hours on school days to support the daily life of double-career households.
- National testing(EIKEN)
ISN supports students who wish to enroll in Eiken testing (English language proficiency test). In April, students older than 2nd grade will take the Eiken to review and consolidate their learning from the previous school year. ISN is a secondary Eiken exam station. Any ISN student who wishes to take the test may participate.
