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In July 2023, Ms. Ergül and Ms. Young, two middle school learning guides, had the opportunity to participate in the summer academy at the Future Classroom Lab in Brussels. The Future Classroom Lab is an innovative classroom with a variety of technological possibilities. Together with about 25 teachers from all over Europe, they experienced an exciting exchange among professional colleagues.
The main theme of the week was fostering innovation and creativity in the classrooms of the future. Teachers learned how to actively engage their students in the learning process by using a variety of differentiated learning methods. One important aspect was the creation of "learning zones": instead of passively listening to a teacher, students were encouraged to independently research, create, present, interact with others, share and develop ideas. Over the course of the week, participants were introduced to new technological developments that are proving useful in the classroom. In addition, an impressive aspect for Ms. Ergül and Ms. Young was a discussion about the use of artificial intelligence in the classroom and how it can support both teachers and students. The training was characterized by a hands-on approach. Everything that was shown to the teachers, they had the opportunity to try it out for themselves. Afterwards, they reflected on how they could use these new methods in their own classrooms. At the end of the week, the assignment was to plan their own series of lessons incorporating several new methods. This presentation was made to the group.
Ms. Ergül and Ms. Young found the training extremely interesting and are excited to now share their acquired knowledge with their colleagues at Klax School.
