Whittle School & Studios shares best practice with parents and educators around the world, drawing from experience at their global campuses
Whittle School & Studios, a global school with campuses in China and the US, today announces it is drawing upon its experiences of education continuity and sharing them with educators and parents around the world.
After closing its Shenzhen campus at the beginning of February to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, it today announces a series of free webinars to share its learnings with the education community. The move follows the indefinite closure of schools in over 100 countries, impacting more than 670 million children worldwide.
Whittle School & Studios first entered these unchartered waters shortly after the outbreak of coronavirus in China earlier this year. Since the beginning of February, the school has implemented sophisticated distance learning solutions and timetabled lessons in order to maintain routine in a time of uncertainty. Humanities, STEAM subjects and even physical education have all been taught remotely, via a blend of off- and online learning, including live interactions with teachers and classmates.
The world-first webinars will be led by Whittle School & Studios CTO, Adnan Padmanabhan and Dr Richard Kuder, Lower and Middle Division Head of Whittle School & Studio's Shenzhen campus. During the 3-episode workshops launched this week, they will explore:
- How to plan for extended periods of remote learning
- Support mechanisms for teachers, students and parents
- Creating engaging online and offline learning activities
- Setting up a healthy classroom from the home
Teachers of international origin will also be reaching out to their native countries to offer support. For example, an exclusive webinar for schools in Italy is being facilitated in Italian by Alessandro Antonicelli, a well-known artist and Head of Art & Design at the Whittle School campus in Shenzhen.
"Whittle School & Studios is in the unique position of serving as a microcosm for the world in our education community, with dual campuses in China and the US” says Chris Whittle, Chairman and CEO of Whittle School & Studios.
“We have learnt tough lessons during this time of crisis, but there is no reason why other educators worldwide must experience these afresh. Instead, we profoundly believe that this global problem merits a global solution, and we have a responsibility to share ideas, discuss perspectives and collaborate on solutions, in order to overcome this unprecedented global pandemic.”
Like many other schools in the region, Whittle School & Studios recently made the decision to suspend all on-campus learning activities at its Washington DC campus until the end of Spring Break, while its Shenzhen, China campus transitioned to its online model in February. Since then, teachers at the Shenzhen campus have delivered over 1,000 hours of online learning for students stranded in cities all over China and have set up support mechanisms such as a 24-hour IT Service Desk to assist teachers, parents and students to support the transition to remote learning. As a result, the school has been overwhelmed with positive feedback about the roll-out of remote learning, with overall satisfaction nearing 100%.
"We were forced to adapt our approach to teaching in Shenzhen with very little notice, but the outcome has been overwhelmingly positive" says Li Jing, Global Head of Enrollment, Marketing and Communications at Whittle School & Studios. "We are a global school with a global footprint, delivering one curriculum on a global scale. Sharing our learnings with those for whom the worst of this crisis is yet to come is, quite simply, the right thing to do."
For more information about the initiative, to view a webinar recording or register for a live webinar session, click here.
About Whittle School & Studios
Whittle School & Studios intends to create the world's first truly modern school serving students from age 3 to 18, with a global network of exceptional private school campuses. Founded by Chris Whittle, an early leader of the charter school movement in the United States, the school is forming local partnerships in over 30 major cities around the world. Whittle School & Studios will bring together renowned educators to provide an unparalleled level of education for its students, one that is personalized, prepares students for the 21st century, and fosters unique cultural experiences.
