Agora Portals International School's methodology is an investigative and active approach in which each pupil, guided by their teachers, is the true protagonist of their own learning. Pupils actively participate in classes, analyse their surroundings, engage in dialogue based on respect and tolerance with their classmates, work in an experimental, multidisciplinary and collaborative way, and value the culture of effort. The teacher's task is to motivate and guide educational development so that students find their own solutions to the problems posed, acquiring essential skills such as communication and teamwork and building their own knowledge to help them cope in the real world.
Motivation and Challenge
It is a fact that students learn more and better when their work is stimulating and appropriately challenging, which is why our students are provided with motivating, interactive and experiential methods: the basis of our learning to learn concept. Thus, laboratories become places to cultivate the scientific method and critical thinking, while cultural excursions and sports outings help them avoid routine and contribute to their overall education.
Personalised Teaching Methods
We firmly believe that our teachers must do a coaching job, combining all available resources to get the best out of each student. That is why our work with students begins with a study of their abilities, aptitudes and preferences in order to personalise methodologies, putting a wide range of teaching techniques at the service of each student's development: project work, inverted classes, Problem Based Learning or Challenge Based Learning, among others.
Collaborative Learning
The basis of collaborative learning is team work, meaning that social and communicative interaction, two key elements for the development of their communicative skills, form part of the students' daily life. In this type of learning, all the members of the team are involved, participate actively and equally, and are responsible for the work to achieve a shared goal.
Critical Thinking
At Agora Portals International School our aim is to get our pupils to "learn how to learn" and therefore attain intellectual self-sufficiency. The key to fostering critical thought lies in working on certain skills from a young age, at the Infant School stage. Throughout their school life, the pupils develop their critical thought which helps them to research, analyze, evaluate and create.
Evaluation and feedback for learning
Student evaluation is constantly evolving and improving at our school. Part of this process of evaluation relies upon a formative assessment based on a variety of sources and inputs (for example, marks obtained, classroom observation, chats with pupils, best work portfolios). By giving regular and incisive feedback our teachers are able to identify the next steps to be taken in the learning process of each pupil and review the process overall. Sharing categorised information and success criteria make for greater academic success.
