Stéphanie Loriente Caux teaches French and tutors 2nd Grade in Iale International L’Eliana School in Valencia. She is one of the most active teachers in technology use in the classroom.
REALINFLUENCERS – How would you define the educational processes at Iale International School and what are the main values that you want to instill in students?
Stéphanie Loriente – At Iale International School we train our students to be principled, responsible and happy people, ready to grow and develop anywhere in the world. So we focus on international education that goes beyond just speaking 5 languages and is based on personalized attention, the pursuit of excellence, innovation and training in values.
We know that technology is very present in the Iale, but what model is implemented ICT center?
The ICT model at Iale is based primarily on the use of tablets as the main teaching tool in all stages of education from 3 years upwards (from kindergarten to high school), which has allowed the teaching-learning process to be even more focused on the student and less on the teacher.
In Iale we have a firm commitment to Apple technology, and are a leading school in southern Europe regarding the implementation of this technology to education. All students have their own iPad from 1st grade (in the case of preschoolers, the iPad remains in the classroom at all times), in addition to a classroom with 25 iMacs and all the infrastructure necessary communication (WiFi, Apple TV, etc.). Moreover, all of our teachers have a MacBook laptop to prepare lessons and an iPad to teach them.
“ICTs have allowed the teaching-learning process is even more focused on students and less on the teacher”
What are the benefits of technology in education and what are the major challenges to overcome when implementing a digital project?
With the addition of the iPad as an educational tool, the student has come to play a much more active role in the learning process and, above all, a great motivation to discover and become a player in the process. The most notable impact has to do with the motivation of students and encouraging their autonomy and willingness to learn, but there are many other areas in which the introduction of the iPad has had a tremendously positive impact:
- Natural acquisition of digital skills
- Learning through practice
- Promoting creativity
- Team work
- Personalized education
- Attention to diversity
- More advanced content
- Creating your own materials
- Optimization of classroom work
In short, both students and teaching staff believe that this educational tool allows them to advance in their learning process in a fast, efficient and personalized manner; it allows teachers to adapt to each student’s learning pace creating a more dynamic, enjoyable and productive setting.
“The most notable impact of ICT is about motivating students and encouraging their autonomy and learning to learn”
Do you create your own educational content?
Yes. As a French teacher at Iale, Blink has allowed me to create additional content for my classes and adjust to the specific needs of my students.
What does Blink bring to the table in the context of technology applied to education?
Blink is one of the platforms that best fits our needs for flexibility. It gives us many options when working with our students, and it allows us to customize their learning either through the adaptation of existing resources that or by creating our own content.