Celebrating innovation and diversity: Rodion Pedia gives every child a space to thrive with Microsoft 365

From its inception in 2003, Rodion Pedia has harnessed digital innovations to foster personalized and inclusive learning experiences for every child. Using Microsoft 365, teachers adapt teaching to the different needs of students: from cultivating sensitivity and solidarity between students, building knowledge and developing skills, to providing appropriate learning support for students with different learning readiness. The school has transformed the dynamic of learning, allowing students to expand their intellectual horizons, collaborate with their peers, and succeed inside and outside the classroom.

Rodion Pedia is an innovative and progressively developing school offering high-level education, in a stimulating and attractive learning environment. Founded by six dedicated educators, they provide a friendly and collaborative space for children aged three to 18. The teaching approach of Rodion Pedia highlights individual development and social values.

Modern learning approaches and innovation

“To foster a creative, multidimensional, and learning environment where students can construct knowledge collaboratively, it's essential to incorporate digital technologies, notably Microsoft applications, into education,” says Kyriakos Kyriakoulis, General Director of Rodion Pedia. Rodion Pedia has adopted modern educational methods, blending digital technology into its curriculum design. “This integration not only shapes the learning environment but also emphasizes how technology can support adaptive educational objectives. Microsoft tools such as Class Notebook, Forms, OneNote, Teams, Yammer, Stream, and Sway have been ingrained in our educational approach for years, benefiting both teachers and students,” he adds. Rodion Pedia’s educators were able to take advantage of comprehensive training and educational programs to ensure they can use these technologies efficiently. Notably, even before the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the school delivered lessons both synchronously and asynchronously to accommodate students unable to attend school, ensuring no disruptions in their education.

Furthermore, Rodion Pedia introduced several tech-driven educational innovations. These include tools for student self-awareness, reflection, and self-regulation; self-assessment instruments; tools for formulating graded activities; teaching reflection systems; and tools for descriptive student evaluation.

“To foster a creative, multidimensional, and learning environment where students can construct knowledge collaboratively, it's essential to incorporate digital technologies, notably Microsoft applications, into education.”

Kyriakos Kyriakoulis, General Director, Rodion Pedia

Equal access, equal chances

“One of the major disadvantages of traditional teaching is that it focuses on the level of the average student, assuming that this is how all students learn. In this way, however, the needs of many students remain unsatisfied", Mr. Kyriakoulis. The people of Rodion Pedia believe that the differentiation of teaching can be the answer to this problem. In the context of differentiated teaching, teachers can adapt their methods according to the diverse needs of their students. The use of digital technologies plays a pivotal role in this. "The composition of our student body is diverse, as is our society. Students with particularly high intellectual abilities and children with neurodiversity are together in the same class. Our mission has always been to create an educational environment using digital technologies where the intellectual and emotional development of the students is a top priority," reveals Eleni Kyriakoulis, Strategy Director of Rodion Pedia.

"Students who graduate from school must be able to interact with other people, both at work and in life," says Evripides Anagnostakis, Director of Rodion Pedia Senior High School. "As educators we need to recreate these environments in the classroom and technology is critical to that.”

"With Class Notebook, the teacher can give the same work to all students, but by distributing different pages" says Marios Chatzimichalis, Director of Rodion Pedia Junior High School, who leads the implementation of Microsoft's educational programs at the school. "Different guidance allows children to work on the same complex topics, while we cater to each individual's unique needs."

In the classroom, each student has their own laptop. "We have created an environment in which the teacher can easily and quickly push rich digital material to the students’ digital notebooks. Students can collaborate in groups, recording their thoughts using digital pens, and explore various sources, guided by the teacher,” explains Chatzimichalis. “The beauty of this one-to-one device and learning model is that it respects each student's learning pace. They can revisit materials or watch videos multiple times using their headphones, ensuring greater comprehension and completion of tasks. In this way we achieve higher participation of the students in the lesson, if not total," Chatzimichalis asserts. "Students realize the value of research and actually learn how to learn, and delve deeper into the subject matter, while cultivating life skills at the same time. All in the physical space of education which is no other than the school," says Vlasis Tsinnas, Director of Operations at Rodion Pedia.

Teachers and students also use the Microsoft 365 suite to connect, collaborate and organize their work, while Microsoft Teams enables communication inside and outside of the classroom. "Working in groups is exciting for children, but it also allows them to understand others' points of view and come to common conclusions," adds Ms. Doukissa, mother of a student of Rodion Pedia.

Empowerment through diversity

The main goal of teachers Rodion Pedia is to engage all students mentally, physically, and emotionally. “Differentiated teaching using Microsoft tools focuses on every child whether they excel or need extra support,” Tsinnas argues. Dionysis Spanopoulos, Director of Rodion Pedia Primary School, notes that students with unique talents and abilities also have their own 'special needs'. “They possess a remarkable capacity for rapid learning, exhibit heightened curiosity and creativity, and often display specific interests or inclinations.” Ms. Doukissa highlights how sharing files tailored to student interests through OneNote in real time helps children like her daughter: “By having the opportunity to revisit and review class material at her own pace, Maya has time to formulate an opinion and develop critical thinking. And that's an essential skill for her future.”

Technology also helps foster empathy and solidarity among students. "By only grouping children based on their academic performance, they might excel faster. But they don't have the opportunity to understand how the real world works," says Mr. Kyriakoulis. "In a mixed classroom, students learn from one another, shifting the usual classroom dynamics and building social skills." Mr. Kyriakoulis gives the example of a student with Asperger syndrome"While he was intellectually gifted, this student struggled with social cues. Thanks to tools like the Class Notebook, he could follow a clear structure while collaborating with his peers. Now, we see him participating in class and making friends easily. Now, he can achieve the learning outcomes and success he sought."

“When we include diversity in the classroom, we include diversity in our society. When these students grow up, they can become more empathetic, better leaders who can change the world.”

Eleni Kyriakouli, Director of Strategy, Rodion Pedia

Ms. Doukissa adds that being familiar with modern tools boosts her daughter’s and other children’s confidence, getting them ready for real-world challenges. “Through technology, children face different people, abilities and perspectives, expanding their mental and intellectual horizons. Thus, they become braver, more knowledgeable and understanding," she says. Ms. Kyriakouli agrees: “When we include diversity in the classroom, we include diversity in our society. When these students grow up, they can become more empathetic, better leaders who can change the world,” concludes Ms. Kyriakouli.