Feature: Swedish School Redesigned for Digital Pupils

– The March issue of Wired UK Magazine reports of a Free School in south Stockholm, Sweden who have redesigned how students learn, all set for the digital future their pupils will experience.

Part of the Swedish Free School Organization, Vittra, and opened in August 2011, the school welcoming children and pupils from the preparation class (6 years of age) to year five years (11 years of age) – the school will grow up to year nine. The Principal, Jannie Jeppesen shares the schools vision of how the philosophy offers a glimpse into the future…

The educators at Vittra Telefonplan have given each child school days filled with a strong set of values and belief in their own capacity. This has created confidence to experiment, to think innovatively and to work with motivation. Several pioneering projects over the years have attracted attention. It was obvious to choose to work with the world around us. Parents, cultural institutions and businesses have contributed, and they have also learned something from the children in various projects.

The design of the school was based on what actually happens when we learn, a difference from traditionally built school buildings. It stimulated the children’s curiosity and creativity; it offered reflection and cooperation in the school, in mobile teams and on the web. The students were equipped with the latest digital technology in a rapidly changing world.

When we look into the future, we need an understanding of what skills are required in the future and the knowledge of how we learn.

Worried about levels? Wired reports that the school accommodates pupils speaking 26 languages, and that 84% of Grade 6 pupils passed the maths assessment, achieving better results than the Swedish national average, although the principal acknowledges that it is still too early to generalise.

Their promotional video shows the inside of the school, showing the relaxed, calm and technological nature (English Subtitles available)…

Images from School Website (Click here).

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