The science and engineering curriculum at Colegio Granadino is based on the Next Generation Science Standards developed in the United States. This curriculum arises from the need to teach new generations scientific concepts, as has always been done, but also the practices and skills that are used in science and engineering in real life. Next Generation Science Standards address three dimensions of science and engineering:
Disciplinary Core Ideas (key ideas of discipline).
Disciplinary Core Ideas are ideas of great importance in the areas of science and engineering. These ideas are strengthened and studied in more depth year after year.
Cross-Cutting Concepts (connected concepts).
Cross-Cutting Concepts are important concepts in all areas of science – life sciences, physical sciences, and earth and space sciences – and in engineering.
Science and Engineering Practices.
Science and Engineering Practices reflect what scientists do to explore and understand the natural world and what engineers do to design and build systems and/or solutions to problems. These practices include social, physical and cognitive skills.
Teaching based on the Next Generation Science Standards seeks to teach these three dimensions in a balanced way.
Colegio Granadino uses Units of Study as a curriculum that guides literacy instruction in English and Spanish. This resource has been developed by literacy experts at the top teacher’s college in the United States – Columbia University Teachers College. The units of study are based on thirty years of research into best practices for teaching literacy. They went through testing in thousands of schools worldwide before being published. Colegio Granadino brings them to Manizales and Villamaría, Colombia to be at the forefront of our literacy teaching methodology.
Through the study units, reading and writing is taught through workshops. The workshop begins with a short lesson that presents a reading or writing skill or strategy. Then the students go to work! The majority of workshop time is dedicated to authentic reading and writing work (based on real life) where students have to apply their learning. During students’ reading and writing work, the teacher works with small groups or individuals to track their work and deepen their learning.
For mathematics, Colegio Granadino uses the Common Core American Mathematics Curriculum and units developed by the San Francisco Unified School District.
Here, a more in-depth explanation of mathematical practices:
https://www.todos-math.org/assets/ParentandFamilyResources/pl-7e-smp-spanish.pdf
Advanced Placement (AP) is a program administered by the College Board organization that allows high school students to take advanced level subjects. AP classes are rigorous and of the highest academic level; They constitute an ideal preparation mechanism for university life and enrich the student’s profile, making them more attractive to high-level universities.
To obtain college credit for AP courses, the student must take the College Board final exam and obtain a score of four (4) or five (5), out of five (5) total points. Approximately 2,500 educational institutions worldwide offer college credit or preferential admission for AP students. In Colombia, they include institutions such as ICESI, the University of the Andes, the Javeriana University of Bogotá, among others.
Currently, the Colegio Granadino Association offers six AP (Advanced Placement) courses for 11th and 12th grade students: AP Art, AP Literature, AP Biology, AP Calculus, AP Spanish, AP Human Geography.
In order to provide our young people with meaningful learning experiences that fit their needs and respond to humanity’s current challenges, the School offers a wide range of elective courses in grades 11 and 12. We currently have subjects such as : graphic design, coding, yearbook, dramatic arts, sustainable development, entrepreneurship, psychology, non-traditional sports, functional training, organic chemistry, among others. Electives are annual courses and the offering varies year after year, depending on the interests of our students.
Dual Language is an additive bilingual model that uses two languages for instruction, learning, and communication. It is also an enrichment program with a high expectation of academic achievement in both languages. This program is designed to promote an intercultural environment where both languages have equal importance.
Knowing the neuroscience of bilingualism and the success of the Dual Language model worldwide to train bilingual leaders, we implement the Dual language model in our reading and writing workshops in Primary (link to Units of Study page). In this model, students learn reading and writing skills in their native language (Spanish) and the foreign language (English) to optimize the transfer and application of the skills that the languages have in common. Additionally, there is a space in the schedule to teach the particularities of each language.
Under this model, English and Spanish teachers plan jointly and articulately to guarantee successful processes, where the main objective is to address the needs of children through differentiated and high-quality instruction.
In Dual Language, students benefit from the richness that comes with learning coordinated academic instruction in Language Arts in two languages such as:
- Optimize children’s neuroscience-proven ability to learn two languages simultaneously
- Increase student performance and confidence in speaking, listening, writing, and reading in both languages
- Achieve authentic bilingualism, where both languages have equal importance
- Contribute to a malleable, flexible brain and more developed executive function
- Strengthen empathy, self-concept and cultural awareness
For this reason, the Dual Language model is part of our instruction model at Colegio Granadino.
