TECHNOLOGY IS A CRUCIAL PART OF EDUCATION

By ES International School (ESIS), Barcelona.

Information technology has become a crucial and important part of education here at ES International School. To be successful in the 21st Century, students must be proficient in the use of IT. Many students’ lives today are filled with technology which gives them infinite access to information and resources, enabling them to pursue their interests in their own way and at their own pace. The opportunities are limitless.

The Academia Sánchez-Casal, in conjunction with ES International School, offers players who aim to become tennis professionals the possibility of completing an American educational program on campus.

In order to help prepare students for university life, we have developed an Electronic Device Policy designed to assist students in making constructive decisions about how they use information technology and develop skills that allow them to succeed in the future.

Our Bring Your Own Device Program (BYOB), in conjunction with eTextbooks from various educational publishers allows our High School student-athletes the opportunity to explore learning in a way that is familiar and amenable to them.

These two tools give student-athletes the freedom and convenience of studying more effectively while on tournament, avoiding the need to carry overweight luggage due to textbooks, and paying excess baggage fees at airports.  Instead, all their books can be placed on a practical and convenient laptop.

In an international environment such as that at ES International School, with parents who live far away from their child, we have started using Sycamore Education – a comprehensive online student information system. Sycamore allows us to have up to date information about our families and students and provides quick and comprehensive online information regarding their child’s education, all in one virtual place.

With Sycamore, teachers keep accurate and real-time records of all their classes and parents have easy access to their child’s grades, attendance records, daily schedule, teachers’ contact information and school news.

Our students also use the Edmodo online educational platform in order to communicate with their teachers while away on tournament. Teachers create virtual classrooms and post the class assignments through Edmodo. Students can keep up to date with the classwork while they are travelling, and parents also have access, can see the work their child is completing, and communicate with the teachers.

Information technology has become a fundamental tool for the 21st Century student-athlete, and at ES International School, we believe that “Integrating technology with face-to-face teacher time generally produces better academic outcomes than employing either technique alone.” Edutopia. Our students’ academic results show that this is true for student-athletes, as technology makes academic excellence a realistic goal for those travelling on tournament, permitting them to access the classroom and the tennis court when needed.

ES International School (ESIS), Barcelona