At I.S. - Al Koura, we have always been at the forefront of keeping up with the times. Now, more than ever, we have to continue being those pioneers. We owe it to our students, we owe it to ourselves, to continue teaching the success skills needed for such times.
The launching of our vision for I.S.ALKOURA 2020 began in April 2017, and the easy part was announcing it. However, what was needed was courage translated into passion, resilience, and perseverance for long-term goals. It was essential to find the courage to make decisions related to the role of technology in the classroom that is commensurate with everything that I.S. stands for. Technology, like all educational resources, became an inseparable tool in the instructional process. For that, we introduced the use of:
- Promethean ActivBoards: All our classrooms (K to 12) have been equipped with Promethean ActiveBoards since 2007. Interactive learning is an integral part of the learning process at I.S. - Al Koura and is an effective and creative way to engage students of all ages during school hours.
- ALMA, a Student Information System and Learning Management System (SIS and LMS), gives students, parents, and staff easy access (web or mobile) to all aspects of the learning process (grades, assignments, links, attendance, important dates, latest news, etc). ALMA empowers students and helps them monitor their progress.
- Mozabook: Teachers create presentations by turning their textbook files into interactive digital textbooks that students can access on their devices at home without having to carry their book bag home. Digital books and presentations can be enriched with images, drawings and interactive 3D scenes as well as custom exercise books that provide a unique way of reviewing and deepening acquired knowledge. Students in Grades 4 to 10 have MozaBook access.
- Google Workspace is a suite of tools by Google designed to empower educators and students as they learn and innovate together. With G-Suite for Education, educators can create opportunities for learning, streamline administrative tasks, and challenge their students to think critically - all without disrupting current workflows. We have set-up a school-wide email system and have given our students access to Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Calendar, Drive, MEET, and many other apps.
- Nearpod is an instructional platform that merges formative assessment and dynamic media for collaborative learning experiences that easily integrate with Google Classroom. Teachers can use Nearpod synchronously (live) or asynchronously (student-paced) depending on learning objectives.
