An Icelandic experience about the Design Down Process or the differentiated teaching
Birgir Edwald, an Icelandic teacher, registered his school with our project in 2001. Since then, he, his colleagues and pupils took part in various myEUROPE activities. Now he changed school and as principal, he tells us about an interesting experience of applying a new pedagogy focussing on differentiated teaching.
Last year in August, Birgir was appointed principal at Sunnulækjarskóli in Selfoss, a small town with 5000 inhabitants. He says:
The design of the school building was inspired by Minnesota Model or the Design Down Process. Several years ago, the architect Bruce Jilk was hired to help designing the Ingunnarskóli school in Reykjavik. In Selfoss, an Icelandic school consultant, Auður B. Kristinsdóttir, led the designing process in a similar fasion.
We started the 23rd of August with 150 pupils in four grades. In every grade there are two teachers working in a team in an open space building, and developing a differentiated teaching. So, we are working with three main pillars in our school development, differentiated teaching, teacher teams and open space building.
The Design Down Process is a new pedagogy focussing on differentiated teaching in open areas, which incorporate dedicated small corners for five to ten participants. The educational area, like Birgir' school, includes also larger gathering places and individual and independent places. Birgir, his colleagues and pupils send us the pictures below. They are very proud of their new school.
Click here to find out more about Birgir school and the methods they use there, in Iceland.
