Why did we embark on this path?
It is the fundamental responsibility of an education system to act in a forward-looking manner because the future is its point of reference: third-graders in the school today will graduate in about a decade, so it is appropriate to align the way they are educated to the development of the knowledge, skills, and values which will be essential for them in facing that future.
The school has always placed the need “to be a leading quality educational institution in pathfinding the future” at the center of its vision, and this is also the essence that guided our decision to embark upon this path.
The program’s development process:
Starting in mid-2019, the school has conducted a multidimensional process of analyzing future trends, examining leading models in education, and developing a pedagogical and organizational framework – adapted to the nature and vision of the Reali school. The process was led by the school’s vice president of pedagogy Zohar Ginosar together with all members of the School’s administration, accompanied by Dr. Eran Barak Medina and Dr. Irit Aharon, in which teachers, parents, and students who formulated the main components of the program participated. The program is based on pedagogical models which were validated in leading education systems in the world (in Singapore, Finland, Canada, and more), on the OECD “Learning Compass 2030” program, uniquely adapted to the Reali school’s vision and character. for further reading regarding the pedagogical foundations of the program, please click here>>>
From the beginning of 2021, the process has moved from the development stage to the detailed planning stages and preparation for implementation, through ten different planning teams led by members of the school administration. The planning and preparation processes are carried out while constantly examining and thinking about the program and its consequences, further examination of models for implementation, whilst conducting a constant dialogue with members of the school community – teachers, parents, and students, and with leading academics and practitioners in each field.
Alongside the program’s development processes, the school has also become a significant partner in pioneering pedagogical projects with the Ministry of Education, the Technion, and more. This also includes The Graduate’s Image project – led by the Ministry of Education,”Academy – schools interface for the advancement of the education system in the assimilation of 21st century skills “ project – led by the Technion and with the participation of the IDF, the Ministry of Education and leading research bodies.
The directions that emerge in these thinking and implementation teams are integrated into the program, which is a milestone in the development of the future of education in the national arena as well.
Facing Future Challenges:
In recent decades, the world is immersed in a process of accelerated transformation. Within this, every educational system will be required to transform from a state of mind of incremental reforms to a state of a continual transformation – as a system that is adapted to respond to the changing needs of reality. and is capable of transforming in itself accordingly.
One essential component of these future developing trends is the accelerated technological advancement: Technology is already an inseparable part of children’s lives today and plays a significant role in shaping the future of the society to which these children will graduate. This trend is far vaster than the world of computers: The varied dimensions of technology have been developing for many decades, as we are now in the midst of the fourth industrial revolution, with multiple implications.
These trends are joined to by the accelerated development of information – were during recent decades, human society has been doubling the volume of information it produces and stores every two years. In such a world the skill of children’s preoccupation with information, as well as the fact of relating to the education system as one whose traditional role has dealt with the transfer of information, should be different; We are required to promote the development of graduates who will be able to cope with a world in which information is constantly evolving and changing and to impart to them high skills related to the ability to search and locate information, filter it, process it, assimilate and implement what is needed.
Finally, if these trends are combined (and there are many more), it is important to take into account that they have evolved over decades, in parallel with the acceleration of demographic development in the human population, in a world that is very unrestrained, and even destructive in its production and consumption patterns. This has brought us to a reality of a very disrupted world with regards to our relationship with the environment, through significant gaps in economic and social balances, in our capacity of governance, in family values, and more. Throughout the development of the concept of “Reali 2030” we have been struck by the recognition that the children we are raising today will face a world that they will have to fix, in a much more significant way than preceding generations.
In order to do this, we are required to create the conditions for the development of students who are able to determine their self-motivated values, and moreover – to become social entrepreneurs for the betterment of our future, based on these values. The “Learning Compass 2030” – the development of the OECD’s education strategy that has taken place in the last two years – also raised the fundamental question of the image of the human society we want to shape, as a starting point for designing the type of education required to provide students. It is important to take note of the fact that this is the first time in recent decades, where a global educational concept is being developed in order to develop graduates who are aimed to be remedial to our future society, beyond the question of their adaptation to the current job market requirements.
Leading educational models which have acted as a source of inspiration in shaping the program:
The Reali School is not, of course, the only body that examines the future of education There are quite a few leading education systems in the world and international bodies that have been engaged in this in recent years, among them are leading models that have been successfully tested and validated in these systems over the past two decades, from which inspiration can be drawn. One of the main models is the OECD’s “Learning Compass 2030”, which includes many elements of the curriculum, pedagogy, and evaluation. These are currently implemented in leading education systems around the world are embedded, as shown in the figures below:
AGENCY – as a key competency:
One of the main issues facing the concept development team is related to the question of what are the key competencies that must be developed among our students to play a formative role in the future of society. . The key competency of Agency, to which the OECD learning compass also refers as of one crucial importance, is based on the perception that learners have the ability and desire to positively influence their lives and the world around themes independent learning agents that shape reality. To this end, we are called upon to create for them a developmental environment that will enable them to set goals for themselves, strengthen the sense of their ability to accomplish these goals, create self-management tools in striving to achieve them, and perhaps even more importantly – the positive experience of being able to influence themselves and their environment through this process within a Growth Mindset.
Some of the basic conditions required of the school in order to create such a developmental ground are the provision of a variety of choices for students, from an early age, and close mentoring as much as possible by the teaching staff in order to assist them in their selection processes. Read more>>
SEL – Social Emotional Learning:
SEL – Social Emotional Learning is a psychological term that refers to the process by which children acquire the skills they need to cope with the challenges of everyday life, develop as curious people, have the ability to understand their own feelings and the feelings of others, maintain positive interactions with others, act out of intrinsic motivation, demonstrate mental flexibility, perseverance, emotional and behavioral regulation and make responsible decisions.
Over the past few years, the concept of SEL has become key in the discourse of policymakers in education, as the essential core capacity required for graduates of the education system in order to cope with a world that is constantly changing, in which it is estimated that they will replace between 10 and 37 jobs during their adult lifetimes.
In such a scenario – the ability to understand your feelings and the emotional state of the other, to form social bonds, to experience empathy, to quickly integrate into different social groups, to collaborate in the team, and more – take on a central role.
Therefore, we have integrated into the Reali 2030 program pedagogical instruments that will enable students to develop and practice these skills, in the form of multi-discovery learning, teamwork, flexible learning, and more. We believe that nurturing these abilities from an early age will best prepare students for the future. (and .
SDG -UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS AS A FOCAL POINT FOR SOCIAL ACTIVITY:
Sustainable Development Goals are 17 goals set in 2015 as a global sustainable development agenda by 2030. The goals were adopted by all 193 UN member states and were designed in cooperation with the private sector and civil society. These goals relate to a variety of social, economical, and environmental issues.
As part of the “Reali 2030” program, the school decided to adopt the goals as a conceptual framework and as a compass for its social activities, as well as some educational activities. We see this to be a manifestation of the “involved and morally influential” aspect of the school’s vision and in the approach of fostering an Agency mindset of “world citizenship” among our students.
The fact of the school joining this global agenda also creates a fertile ground for partnerships with many academic and practical bodies in Israel who have contributed to the process, and in particular – an opportunity to foster global environmental and social awareness among our students, as part of their preparation for a future in which they will take part in the design of a sustainable Israeli and global society.
The program’s vision:
The program sets forth to develop two “families” of fundamental competencies among the school’s students, which are essential, both in view of the need to cope with the acceleration of the transformation and development of technology and information in the world. These are also essential for the capacity of our graduates who will be tasked to shape a more healthy and sustainable future society. These competencies are:
- 1. Life-Long Learning: I constantly motivate myself to learn with curiosity and passion in order to cope with a constantly changing world.
- 2. “Engaged and value-driven entrepreneurs”: I am involved and working to shape a moral society out of my personal code of honor, and a commitment to the betterment of the future of society.
A fundamental element necessary to enable the development of these abilities is the development of the student’s capacity of exercising their free choice and the AGENCY of each student, throughout his years of growth in the school. This aspect, and the skills associated with it, require changes both in the pedagogical dimension, in terms of the learning curriculum, and in designing the learning spaces.
PEDAGOGICAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE:
In order to assimilate the required transformation, the Reali School is applying a new organizational structure. This building will include five pedagogical domains, which will operate within four campuses: Hadar Matus and Ahuza campuses – which contain grades 1-8 (in two pedagogical domains), and the Beit Biram campus, which includes grades 9-12 in two different pedagogical domains. Here are the new pedagogical domains – whose names rely on an agricultural metaphor(*):
- Plowing Domain: Ages 3-6 in the Realigan network. This Domain will emphasize exposure to a range of experiences (literacy bases) while encouraging curiosity.
- Sowing Domain: Grades 1-4. This Domain emphasizes flexible learning while developing the seeds of literacy and the love of learning.
- Germination Domain: Grades 5-8 This domain emphasizes the development of the skills required for self-learning, the advancement of literacies and their implementation in integrated learning projects, and the cultivation of social involvement.
- Budding Domain: Grades 10-9 in the Beit-Biram Campus. This domain emphasizes expanding horizons, social impact, and strengthening the ability to choose through broad exposure to the fields of knowledge and multidisciplinary learning.
- Flowering Domain: Grades 11-12 in the Beit Biram campus. This space will foster academic and social excellence, by regulating and focusing academic efforts in matriculation exams – within an open campus approach and performing social preparation in the last semester of studies.
PEDAGOGICAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL IMPLICATIONS:
This move has many practical implications. Some of them (mainly pilots at the pedagogical level) is already applied. At the organizational level, the new organizational structure includes the transition of students to their new learning domains, the gradual establishment of advanced learning spaces in the various campuses, the Establishment of the humanities and social sciences campus at Beit Biram, and more.
In addition, changes are being made to the agenda in all age groups, new ways of learning and evaluation are implemented, and the implementation of technological literacy programs and the Code of Honor is being deepened.
We are confident that all of this will bring personal and educational growth for the development of students and teachers alike, alongside the continued cultivation of academic and social excellence that characterizes the school’s spirit and tradition.
FOR MORE DETAILS ON EACH PEDAGOGICAL DOMAIN AND OTHER RESOURCES – PLEASE CLICK HERE:
(*) The agricultural metaphor for the educational domains is based upon the methodology originated by Prof. Ezri Tarazi of the Technion Institute – “Innovation through Design Thinking” (Penza Publications 2013).