Success through 6Cs
MICHAEL Fullan is a respected leader in education research and the former dean of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education ( OISE) of the University of Toronto.
Fullan is a champion for Ontario education and praises its focus, consistency and collective capacity as core strengths, while looking to the future for continued growth, development and success. As an educator, Fullan’s focus is on what is practical to test what works and spread effective practices.
He developed the concept of the 6Cs – six interrelated clusters that provide rich learning experiences that develop valuable skills and dispositions sought after by employers worldwide.
The 6Cs include character education, citizenship, communication, critical thinking, collaboration and creativity. Each cluster is applied in a variety of ways to the Ontario curriculum, courses of study, extracurricular activities and also instilled in the school culture.
Fullan’s vision and influence is visible in Sunway International School ( SIS), the only Ontario high school that offers Ontario’s rich and competitive curriculum to students aged 12 to 18.
As soon as the students enter the school they can see character education with our monthly theme hanging at the entrance.
This banner primes students for ongoing activities that engage students and enable them to reflect on the importance of traits such as tolerance and perseverance as well as how to apply these traits to their academic and professional lives.
Citizenship stresses global knowledge – sensitivity and respect for other cultures and active involvement at a global scale. Our international student body enables a rich sharing of cultures, ideas and understanding.
The teachers at SIS take advantage of Malaysia’s strategic location to present perspectives and foster respect as well as motivate students to be world changers.
Communication is a daily practice in SIS. Students are constantly sharing their ideas via presentations as well as in their written lessons and assessments. SIS takes full advantage of the Internet as students learn to communicate with many different digital tools, including the Google Apps for Education.
Critical thinking trains students to problem- solve, critically design and manage projects. Daily lessons at SIS encourage critical thinking by taking students out of their comfort zones and challenging them to think outside the box.
Collaboration revolves around effective teamwork. This is emphasised with the great deal of team- based activities that SIS teachers facilitate. Students are prepared to learn from and contribute to the learning of others as well as develop empathy when working with diversity.
Creativity at SIS is evident in the teaching and learning. The dedicated teaching staff offer many activities that inspire students to be economic and social entrepreneurs, take the initiative, adopt leadership roles and pursue novel ideas.
Fullan’s leadership is evident in SIS. It is clear from our mission statement of Nurturing Minds, Building Character to the daily interactions between staff and students.
This multilevel approach and application of the 6Cs explain why so many students love SIS and move on to be successful global citizens in an evolving digital landscape.
In The Principal: Three Keys to Maximizing Impact, Fullan said, “When the school is organised to focus on a small number of shared goals, and when professional learning is targeted to those goals and is a collective enterprise, the evidence is overwhelming that teachers can do dramatically better by way of student achievement.” –
SIS opens its doors to parents and children during its Open Days next month ( October).
For more information, visit sis. sunway. edu. my/ openday.