Madison Conger, the Special Projects Manager at Unity Concord International School in Thailand discusses how Britannica is helping to drive cross-curricular teaching and learning within a fast-growing, multicultural community.
Key Takeaways:
• Britannica’s differentiated content supports UCIS’ multilingual learners at varying levels of English proficiency.
• Britannica School has become an integral part of UCIS’s interdisciplinary STREAM program, enabling research used across subject areas.
• The My Britannica feature helps UCIS teachers align content with American Common Core standards, streamlining lesson planning and making it easy to assign resources at the right level for each student.
A Fast-Growing School Embracing Innovation
Unity Concord International School (UCIS) is a young school located in Thailand that’s growing fast and already creating an engaging, learner-centred environment. With over 1,000 students from 30 countries, UCIS embraces its multicultural community, offering a rich, global perspective in its approach to education.
“This is a really exciting place to be” says Madison Conger, Special Projects Manager at UCIS. “We’re growing very quickly and are always excited to implement new programs and technology.”
From Google Searches to Britannica
UCIS needed a reliable research platform that could support students across all grade levels. “We didn’t just want to rely on Google,” says Madison. “With Google, you can find a lot of information, but you can’t always trust it.” The school began exploring tools that would provide reliable, accurate content while catering to various learning needs.
After considering several platforms, UCIS chose Britannica School.
We weighed up a lot of options, but Britannica stood out. The aesthetic, the display, and its ability to cater to different student levels makes it a great fit
Britannica School was especially engaging for younger students, with good graphics and a layout that they took to very quickly. “In fact” Madison adds, “I’ve started seeing students using Britannica in their own time – it’s not just something that they’re accessing in class.”
Feedback from teachers at UCIS has also been positive: “They view it as a safe space for students to do quality research.”
From Science to Art: How UCIS Uses Britannica Across STREAM Subjects
Watch: Madison Conger shares how UCIS utilises Britannica School to support an interdisciplinary STREAM program.
“We’ve been using Britannica School in many different ways,” Madison says, highlighting the platform’s versatility. One standout example of Britannica’s integration into instruction across subject areas, is within the UCIS interdisciplinary STREAM program, which merges Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Art, and Maths.
“Last year, there was a huge cross-curricular STREAM project focused on the solar system. Our students heavily used Britannica as their source of information. They took what they researched and applied it in different classes – creating animations of the solar system in computer class, writing poems in English class, and making solar system models in art class.
“They later presented everything they’d learned on the topic at the Chiang Mai Planetarium. It was an amazing project, the kids got so much out of it – and all of their solar system knowledge came from Britannica.”
Supporting Diverse Learners with Differentiated Content
With its multilingual student community, UCIS has greatly benefited from Britannica School’s differentiated content and language support tools. The platform’s multi-level reading options and translation features have made it easier for students with varying levels of English proficiency to engage with the material.
“The different reading levels have been very beneficial for students with diverse English language abilities,” Madison says. “Older EAL students have the option to access simplified versions of the content if they need it, and younger students benefit from the helpful Read Aloud function.”
Aligning Learning with American Standards
As an American curriculum school, UCIS teachers and staff have a relatively complex task of aligning syllabi, content, and assessment to continuously evolving learning standards.
Britannica School has become a helpful tool in this process, particularly through the My Britannica feature. “The My Britannica function has been super helpful for finding relevant content and aligning it to the right Common Core standards,” explains Madison. Teachers can easily search for articles that match specific standards, then assign them to students at the appropriate reading level. It makes our job a lot easier.”
Preparing students to become global leaders
As UCIS continues to grow and innovate, its commitment to preparing students for the demands of the 21st century remains at the forefront. With the help of resources like Britannica, UCIS teachers equip students with the knowledge and skills to succeed in universities and workplaces worldwide, ensuring they are ready for whatever the future holds.
About Britannica
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