It’s in our Mission and Vision. ICS is committed to empowering students to do their best with Africa and our world
As a future-focused school, ICS acknowledges that students will be using tools and working in industries that may not yet exist. That is why it is essential to prepare students to achieve success by fostering problem-solving skills, resilience, and adaptability. ICS supports students as they learn how to learn, and the school gives them opportunities to utilize leading technological tools and resources to give them an edge.
Traci Chanyalew is the Director of IT at ICS. Beyond her oversight of school systems and tech operations, Traci is also devoted to leading the integration of technology and innovation into learning spaces across the school sections.
“Our team will determine what type of tech innovation will benefit student learning and enhance how they approach a range of projects,” Traci said. “As a starting point, we will be expanding the way we integrate tools like robotics, virtual reality, and coding into our curriculum. We are constantly researching how new technologies can promote highly effective, learning progressive education that students can put to use beyond the classroom walls.”
Traci is working with students and teachers across the school to implement the expanded use of technology in ways that complement the approaches to teaching and learning already in place. The goal is to innovate and create more modes of learning for students to access and engage with subjects in ways that benefit diverse learning styles.
“By allowing students to experiment and utilize technology for learning, we are empowering them to learn how to learn using new skills and technologies,” Traci said.
On a short walk around campus, one can see students in elementary, middle, and high school enhancing their learning with technological tools, and the school has plans to further explore the way technology can expand access to information, deepen learning, and evolve engagement in disciplinary projects.
The ICS Library is one hub for technology learning. While many people still have traditional ideas of a space filled with books, designed for quiet independent study, the libraries of the future are centers for collaboration, investigation, and access to tech tools for learning in a range of domains. Students at ICS can visit the library to utilize professional grade computer software, 3D printers, a green screen, sound recording and editing tools, virtual reality headsets, and beyond. They use these tools in independent projects, as well as in curricular subjects ranging from science to music.
“The Library at ICS is where students gain knowledge, and it is also where our students are given opportunities and support to use what they have learned in order to create new knowledge,” Head Librarian Ligita Callaway said.
Additionally, technology is integrated into learning experiences for students around the campus, including Lego’s Education Spike for STEAM exploration, and coding for high-level digital design and robotics and iPads for learning, reflecting and sharing,
Technology will continue to increase its presence at ICS – not for the sake of using new tools but as a way to improve learning for students and prepare them for future success.