Dar Al Marefa Distance Learning and Digital Design

At Dar Al Marefa, we use online learning platforms as part of everyday teaching and learning, this has allowed us to shift seamlessly to our Distance Learning Programme and to continue to deliver our world-class IB Curriculum without interruption.

To ensure that every child receives the best learning experience, all our virtual classes are held via live interactive sessions to allow real-time responses and interactions between teachers and student to provide support, answer questions or clarify confusion, rather than through pre-recorded sessions. We also offer recorded sessions for students to access the learning objectives according to their time preference.

Since the start of our Distance Learning Programme, Dar Al Marefa has introduced 25 new and different learning methods to make the engagement as stimulating as possible. Through a well-designed system of tasks and activities, your child’s remote learning is interactive, impactful and continually monitored.

All class material and resources are available online for students to easily access before, during and after each class.

Have a look at the Dar Al Marefa Guide to Distance Learning for more information.

Digital Design

Digital Design is an umbrella term that encompasses several different roles and disciplines. It is the process of mapping out the look and feel of the content that people view and interact with on a digital interface. Digital designers do more than design graphics; it is all about creating designs crafted for specific devices, considering factors like user experience, interactivity, and overall aesthetic balance.

Each of the roles that fall within the sphere of Digital Design involves the core practice of designing what people see on a screen, but the most common digital design roles have a more interactive element to their work. With the face of technology rapidly evolving, digital designers must continually update their skillsets to ensure the content they design can meet the changing needs of their users.

At Dar Al Marefa we encourage the use of technology to power student learning. In Digital Design we can see this happening. Students using technology in Design take part in a journey of continuous inquiry. Students use a wide range of programs including Office 365, different programming software(such as Scratch, Python and JavaScript) and AutoCAD. Students develop skills that will benefit them in many areas and careers in the future.

Technology & Learning Platforms

We use an assortment of digital teaching and resource platforms to cater to each grade. Some of our key platforms are:

• Managebac – Used for planning, assessment and reporting the IB Curriculum
• Microsoft Office 365 Teams - Facilitates virtual discussions, lectures, meetings and sharing of resources
• Microsoft Office 365 One-Note – Allows students to easily collect, organise and collaborate their notes
• Kognity, iMaths, nThinking, Literacy Planet, RAZ Kids, and Maths Whiz – Used for attaining and sharing online resources

Training and Implementation

We, at Dar Al Marefa, were ready for possible closure due to the Coronavirus outbreak. We have conducted many teacher training courses and online pilot lessons with students in the classrooms before school closure, to prepare users for this new classroom environment and to provide them with the necessary skills to use their distance learning programmes. In addition, we shared with students, parents, and teachers video tutorials and newsletters with the system updates and we held online sessions to keep them informed with the latest updates to support them during this period.

Students' Online Safety

To guard our students' safety, we set up certain policies and restrictions. These policies can prevent unauthorised users from gaining access to online classes, can allow teachers to remove inappropriate messages quickly and easily, and manage class disruptions.

Your Child’s Well-Being

The change in the way your children are learning may create a few challenges, so Dar Al Marefa has developed and implemented nine mindfulness strategies to relieve stress and provide direct individual support to students who need it.

Our Well-Being Support Team is here to help ensure that every student is adapting well.

• Tahera Al Hashimi, Counselor & Cultural Ambassador: tahera.a@daralmarefa.ae
• Sahar Dorra , Head of SEN & Inclusion: sahar.d@daralmarefa.ae
• Karl How, Assistant Headteacher & Student Well-being: karl.h@daralmarefa.ae

Planning for Future

To provide a better educational environment and keep pace with the crisis, if it continues for the next academic year, we are working on implementing more advanced programmes and solutions that are capable of meeting the needs of users, building an e-curriculum for all phases with the possibility of holding online classes and sharing resources - all in line with the requirements of the IB Curriculum.

Support Hotlines & Email Addresses

If you have any enquiries or concerns, please feel free to call the respective numbers for assistance.

• Early Years: 056 6045659 - lama.j@daralmarefa.ae
• Grades 1 & 2: 058 1198095 - rand.S@daralmarefa.ae
• Grades 3 – 5: 056 3851955 - ruba.s@daralmarefa.ae
• Grades 6 – 12: 056 7590137 - hager.h@daralmarefa.ae
• IT Department: 056 8665136 - it@daralmarefa.ae

Coordinators & Support Teams

If you are facing technical issues or require further assistance, please contact our teams below.

• Principal Ms. Naira Hamdy: principal@daralmarefa.ae
• IT Department: it@daralmarefa.ae
• Admissions Departments: admissions@daralmarefa.ae