Aug 19, 2019
The School of the Future is Here – the University School Dresden Opens its Doors
The University School Dresden celebrated its inauguration at the beginning of the 2019 school year on August 19. From now on, nearly 200 pupils in grades 1, 2, 3 and 5 will learn together and receive the rest of their schooling at the new primary and secondary school in Cämmerswalder Straße. Following the development phase, set to continue through 2024, this figure will rise to 750 pupils.
The University School Dresden pilot project is a joint project led by Technische Universität Dresden in cooperation with the City of Dresden, and it is the only undertaking of its kind in all of Germany. For the first time, schooling is based on each pupil’s own development, facilitating individual paths of learning. Digital tools for organization and learning support the school administration and pupils alike. Researchers also work with large pools of data from the project which enable them to comprehensively research how learning takes place at the school – an as yet unparalleled research opportunity.
“The pupils will become familiar with a completely different type of lessons,” said Prof. Hans Müller-Steinhagen, former Rector of TU Dresden. “It’s school that thinks outside the box and focuses on individual learning as well as each and every pupil’s own path of development. For us at TU Dresden, the University School is a milestone in education research and teacher training that engages with the upward trend in digitalization on a large scale.”
Mayor of Dresden Dirk Hilbert remarked, “The goal of the University School is nothing less than the establishment and research of the school of the future. We, the city, are pursuing this vision in the firm belief that education is Dresden’s most important resource. This issue is granted high priority in city politics and management accordingly. Taking on the responsibility of operating the University School represents another essential step in making Dresden’s school system more future-oriented. Together, the City of Dresden and TU Dresden make a winning team. And I am certain that the University School is beneficial for everyone involved: pupils and parents, university and city.”
The academic and pedagogical concept was designed by scholars from the Faculty of Education. Project head Prof. Anke Langner guided the planning and realization of the University School from the outset. “We are thrilled that this idea has finally been transferred to practice. Over the past four years, we have overcome many obstacles thanks to our dedicated supporters. Starting today, the project will be transferred into practice and we will be able to better understand how pupils learn and what assistance they need. We will be able to take these findings and share them with the next generation of teachers at TU Dresden.”
This exceptional approach to learning and teaching, which relies to a great degree on digital tools, is only possible with the help of external sponsorship. Foundations run by TÜV SÜD and Vodafone have aided in providing the school with some of the required technology and training teachers in its use.
Horst Schneider, Chairman of TÜV SÜD Stiftung’s Executive Board, notes, “The goal of our social engagement is to support trailblazing projects for the education of our youth. The University School Dresden looks at German schooling from a new perspective, thanks to innovative educational concepts that reveal promising paths to digitalization and introduce novel methods of teaching for implementation on a systematic scale.”
“The University School is a groundbreaking model. It equips school children with the skills they need for the 21st century,” Inger Paus, Chairwoman of the Management Board of Vodafone Stiftung, remarked about the foundation’s involvement in the project. “The Vodafone foundation is pleased to offer its experience with innovative education to collaborate with the City of Dresden and TU Dresden to showcase what school can look like in the future.”
The Dresden University School is a joint project of the City of Dresden and the Technische Universität Dresden. It is a public and free community school run by the city, where innovative forms of teaching and learning are tested under scientific supervision. In addition, it is a training school for future teachers and, in the future, a further education school for teachers. The school trial is being scientifically supported by the ForUS research center at TU Dresden.
© Amac Garbe
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NameMs Maria Neuland Agüero M.A.
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