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There are many different ways that children can learn, and the educators at Rising School in Dubai are constantly exploring ways to engage with students in a hands-on and meaningful way. That is one of the reasons why they have partnered with LEGO Education to create exciting new ways of teaching.
Rising School is an official partner with LEGO Education in the UAE, using official products to ignite enthusiastic, effective and lifelong learning. By using LEGO bricks to turn ideas into models that can be touched and interacted with, it can help foster real learning in a more engaging way. Since 1932, LEGO has been a popular play toy, but its use in learning can be invaluable.
Some of the ways in which LEGO can help include: taking abstract concepts and turning them in to tangible models; showing students how to collaborate to solve problems; allowing students to be hands-on with their learning; and encouraging 21st Century skills that can be applied in the classroom and beyond.
LEGO makes it easy for teachers at Rising School to incorporate it in to their lessons, offering teacher guides, lesson plans, activities and assessments. Rising School also trains members of staff in ‘LEGO Best Practices’, a professional development program that ensures teachers and students are successful in using LEGO bricks and technology in the classroom.
Students in grades K-5 are able to discover and explore using LEGO products to learn subjects such as maths, English, science, technology and engineering. Examples of use include creating Alphabet letters using LEGO bricks for literacy, designing a maze for innovation problem solving, using the Math Train set for learning mathematics concepts, and constructing robot models to learn about gears and gear ratios along with the concept of designing and building for a specific purpose. Rising School Library also has a free play and design challenge center, which contains LEGO sets for use by students in grades 4 and 5, to extend self-learning opportunities.
Dr. Michael Bartlett, Executive Principal of Rising School Dubai explains how partnering with LEGO will benefit both students and teachers: “Using LEGO in the classroom is fun and interactive. It allows students to visualise problems and work collaboratively to find solutions. Lessons are no longer just about a teacher sharing information to a class, but allowing students to fulfil their potential by working together and furthering cognitive ability through practical, interactive tasks. We are seeing real engagement with our students from using LEGO products and have found students have a far greater understanding of the underlying messages of the lessons.”
Each Rising School classroom is equipped with LEGO Education products and these unique learning environments are fostering great results.
“LEGO bricks, sets and technology solutions allow 21st Century learning to be playful, fun and invisible. Students see the activities as play, while our classroom teachers see student learning, growth and confidence being developed.”
Rising School is already seeing tangible results by using LEGO within lessons. Using the tools within classrooms captures the child’s intrinsic interest, building on the child’s foundation of motivation and learning.
LEGO also directly ties in to Rising School’s 5 C’s for 21st Century learning: creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, communication and community. Students demonstrate the ability to share, guide, construct and take ownership of their learning, building the student's confidence in their ability to complete a task using all stages of the design cycle: plan, design, build, evaluate, reflect, repeat.
Dr. Bartlett sums up the use of LEGO in the classroom: “With LEGO, Rising School students develop an "I can do it" attitude.”
The school is currently enrolling students in grades K-5 for terms in 2018, having opened in September 2017. For further information please visit www.risingschool.ae or visit the campus in Nad Al Sheba.
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