Overview
An AIS education has four areas of focus:
- Knowledge
- Understanding
- Academic Skills
- Values & Behaviors
Knowledge:
The philosopher Plato famously defined knowledge as “justified true belief”. At AIS, knowledge refers to the facts and details in the school curriculum that the students must memorize in order to help them construct deeper understandings.
Understanding:
Understanding is the ability to conceptualize and use knowledge purposefully. A student can demonstrate understanding by 1) Explaining, 2) Interpreting, 3) Applying, 4) Perceiving (one or more perspectives), 5) Displaying empathy, and 6) Revealing self-knowledge. At AIS, teachers aim to develop these six facets of understanding in their classrooms. And, by focusing our teaching on understandings, the students connect their work more closely to themselves and their surroundings, which is more stimulating, more motivating and more effective for developing lifelong learners.
Academic Skills:
Academic skills (also known as 21st century skills) equip students for constant learning throughout their lives. At AIS we group our 25 academic skills into the following five categories: 1) Writing skills, 2) Presenting skills, 3) Critical thinking skills, 4) Technology skills and 5) Global citizenship skills. The attainment of these skills is vital for adapting to globalization and the constant advancements in modern technology.
Values & Behaviors:
Values and behaviors are assessed throughout each topic as part of the school’s formative feedback system. The aim is to inform students on aspects of their behavior where they can focus attention to improve their academic performance. We group our 25 values and behaviors into the following five categories: 1) Motivation, 2) Citizenship, 3) Innovation, 4)Responsibility and 5) Respect.
