One private school’s journey to prepare young learners for future success

Employers across various industries are sending a clear message: There is a significant gap between the skills they need and what potential employees possess, as was shown in The Future of Education Report by the Future Design School (FDS). Many of Canada’s private schools are stepping up to address this challenge.

One of those schools is Rosedale Day School (RDS) in Toronto. RDS is the first private school in Toronto to become a certified Future Design School. Based in Toronto, Future Design School empowers school leaders, educators and students with the skillsets they need to be future-ready. FDS leverages its global network and deep expertise to provide schools worldwide with transformational strategies, professional development and a wealth of global and local research, tools and resources.

“We wanted to set Rosedale apart and as a partner, FDS really fits with our small, downtown Toronto school where students can enjoy a rich learning experience and not just sit in a classroom every day,” says Constance McGuire, assistant head of school at Rosedale.

Since 2015, RDS has benefited from global and local perspectives and insight offered by FDS in such areas as professional development, strategic planning, project-based learning, design thinking and assessments. Rosedale’s partnership with FDS places the school among a prestigious group of forward-thinking schools and leaders worldwide, offering new opportunities for both educators and students.

“Our priority has always been to prepare our students for whatever the future brings. We’re focused on helping them develop collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity – skills that will help them succeed at RDS and throughout their lives,” McGuire says.

Future Design Schools are dedicated to creating high-quality, student-centred learning experiences that intentionally build key skills identified in the FDS Portrait of a Graduate. This Portrait outlines the full set of competencies high school graduates need to thrive in learning, work and life, such as leadership, communication, critical thinking, empowered citizenship, cultural awareness, collaboration, lifelong learning and problem-solving.

“At FDS we use the elements of exceptional learning. It includes interdisciplinary learning, experiential learning, learning that leverages students’ strengths and to create an inclusive classroom,” says Leslie McBeth, director of special projects at FDS. “Then we explore how to create these exceptional learning experiences for students so they can make connections between what they are learning in the classroom and what is happening in the world outside of the classroom.”

FDS uses an approach called Journey-Based Assessment to help students ask critical questions, and do ongoing reflection and goal setting. “Using the journey-based assessment approach, our students are getting constructive and regular feedback with multiple opportunities to demonstrate their learning. We believe that the journey is just as, if not more important than, the destination,” McGuire says.

“It’s been exciting to see FDS in action here at Rosedale,” McGuire says. “Our priority at Rosedale has always been to ensure our students are ready for whatever the future is going to bring to them. We want to help them develop collaboration and communication skills, critical thinking and creativity – all those things that will help them stand out here at RDS and for the rest of their lives.”

Teachers at RDS are supporting student development of these skills by embedding them into lessons, projects, assignments and unique experiential learning opportunities. “All of our teachers gathered for three days in August with our FDS adviser to collaborate and plan for this across all subjects. It is important that we are incorporating these new learning experiences in a way that is co-ordinated and interdisciplinary. Our FDS adviser also meets with us monthly and we have weekly FDS planning meetings among the teachers in the middle school,” McGuire says.

Rosedale’s teachers are currently planning an interdisciplinary learning experience for students in the middle school focused on place-based learning, a pillar of its strategic plan, to use the Toronto waterfront as a teaching opportunity. They hope to engage experts from the community to talk about the past, present and future of the Toronto waterfront, helping the students learn from multiple perspectives while also developing their skills in critical thinking and constructive doubt.

“Our students like the collaborative approach. They love going off campus and learning through experience. They’re hearing about it authentically from experts and it doesn’t feel like a lecture,” McGuire says. “Part of our goal is to shine a light on the FDS program and what it will mean for them coming out of Rosedale to be an FDS graduate.”

McGuire says not just the students are excited. “There is a level of excitement among our teachers as well that is truly inspiring,” he says. “Part of our goal as we plan head for next year is to look at how we can introduce this approach to the junior school.”

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