What makes a ‘good’ person?

It might seem slightly unusual to be discussing what it means to be a good person in the context of innovation, but at ICHK we believe that education must evolve to cultivate an alternative mindset—one that prioritizes contentment, security, and relational well-being. Our school’s educational approach serves as an apprenticeship in developing and promoting this new mindset, equipping students with the skills and perspectives necessary to navigate and reshape a world urgently in need of sustainable practices and deeper connections.

Within an apprenticeship structured via a Human Technologies lens, we aim to inspire students to become thoughtful leaders and responsible citizens. Our intention is to empower them to forge a viable future, one that balances personal fulfillment with ecological and societal responsibility: in other words, supporting the growth of sustainable people.

A sustainable person is someone who is secure in their attachments, capable of regulating their emotions, confident in their abilities, and positively oriented towards the well-being of others. ICHK Secondary seeks to support the development of these personal characteristics, values and competencies that equip students for optimal decision-making and action-taking in both their personal lives and within the broader community.

Human Technologies (HT) is a lens and framework for learning, and its approach equips students with the capacities they will need to navigate the complex, rapidly evolving world of the 21st century. HT occupies a central role in ICHK Secondary’s epistemic apprenticeship and is, therefore, instrumental in promoting sustainable people. The framework promises to cultivate in our students the cognitive, ethical, relational, environmental, and forward-thinking capacities necessary to "human well" in an increasingly complex, interconnected, and always technologically-mediated world. One example of how we seek to develop this can be found within our Year 8 ‘Personhood’ unit.

In this HT unit, students embark on a journey to explore the multifaceted concept of "Personhood." The adventure begins with a humbling exercise: building a scaled model of the solar system. This isn't just a science project; it's a way to grasp the vastness of the universe and appreciate the importance of perspective and mindful observation.

From the cosmos, the focus shifts to our own planet and its immense history. By creating a 24-hour clock representing Earth's timeline, students confront humanity's relatively recent arrival and grapple with our impact on the planet, even delving into the concept of the Anthropocene.

Next, the unit explores the complex world of culture. Students learn to define culture, understand its visible and hidden aspects through the Cultural Iceberg Model, and analyze their own school culture as budding anthropologists. They confront the challenge of generalizing about cultures by understanding the Bell Curve and explore cultural differences using Hofstede's cultural dimensions.

Finally, the unit turns to the inspiring figures of heroes. Students examine the role of heroes in different cultures, research folk heroes, and identify the qualities that make them compelling. The culmination of this exploration is a deeply personal activity: creating their own "Hero's Charter," a document that defines the qualities and commitments that embody an everyday hero. The unit closes with an evaluation, encouraging reflection and improvement for future iterations.

The Human Technologies program is designed so that, through their active participation, students are able not just to know and learn about the insights it shares, but, more significantly, to encounter and undergo subjective experiences that internalise their knowing and learning as enduring, deeply felt aspects of personality. 

Innovation, in learning, in action, building good people.