PAN-AMERICAN SCHOOL

At Pan-American School we believe that High Quality Learning...

… is Social

• Strong relationships with peers and teachers develop skills and competencies.
• We learn with, from, and through our interactions with others.  
• Engaging with a diverse community prepares learners for success in an ever-changing world.
• Learning is a community endeavor that engages students, faculty, parents, local and global community members.  
• Caring for others is essential to a healthy learning community.

… is Complex, Challenging and Continual

• Everyone is capable of learning, and learning is transformative.
• High expectations, appropriate challenge and positive struggle support high quality learning.
• Learning is a complex, multi-faceted process which involves the body and the brain.  
• High quality learning is the ability to apply knowledge, skills and understanding in novel contexts. 
• Learning is lifelong discovery and fulfillment; to live is to learn.

… is Belonging

• Psychological safety underpins learning. 
• Safe, inclusive and responsive learning environments ensure learning for all.
• Effective learning communities value, represent, reflect and leverage their diversity. 
• Celebrating uniqueness and knowing learners’ wide range of backgrounds, cultures, identities and experiences is essential to high quality learning. 
• Positive learning environments create safe spaces which value risk taking and promote a sense of purpose and belonging. 

 … is Empowering 

• All learners are driven and thrive when provided with opportunities to take ownership of their learning.
• Understanding and honoring that we all learn differently and allowing for voice, choice and ownership, allows learning to flourish. 
• Self-management promotes learner motivation and autonomy, which contribute to deeper, more enduring understanding and meaning. 
• Intrinsic motivation leads to greater investment and emotional response.
• Learning how to learn is essential to future success and fosters lifelong learning.

 … is Connected, Conceptual and Contextual 

• Learning happens in a variety of cultural, social, emotional and situational contexts which impact the learning process. 
• Learning develops connections to, and inspires action regarding, the self, others, and global and local contexts
• Learning in a meaningful way involves making the abstract concrete, within authentic contexts. 
• Building on and challenging prior knowledge is an essential component of learning.
• Conceptual learning is essential for developing deep, transferable learning that will allow students to apply their learning in novel contexts.

 … is Inspiring

• High quality learning inspires and expands passion, curiosity and wonder.
• High quality learning inspires optimism, and a belief in our capacity to create a better world for all.
• High quality learning inspires us to take action to positively impact the world around us.
• High quality learning inspires resilience, and a determination to succeed in times of struggle.
• High quality learning fosters creativity, adaptability and flexibility, and prepares learners for success in an era of unprecedented change.

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