West Island College

We live in a world where technology, information and knowledge change and evolve at an incredibly fast pace.  We must prepare our children to face a world where they will be working in jobs that do not currently exist, using technology not yet invented, and solving problems that do not exist at the present time.

To face this reality, WIC has developed its Advantage 21 philosophy. This vision is based on a 21st century pedagogical approach.  In this approach, teachers continue to play the classic role of instructors, giving lectures, multimedia presentations, demonstrations and guided practices.  However, teachers also act as FACILITATORS to help students understand important concepts and ideas.  They guide the students and help them to process information and to explore complex problems.  In addition, teachers play the role of a coach, providing opportunities for students to transfer learning in increasingly complex situations, and giving personalized feedback in activities like cooperative learning, discussions, conferencing, reflections and debates.

These approaches will permit our students to acquire 21^st century skills.
They will become self-directed learners.
They will acquire collaborative, organizational, creative and critical thinking skills.
They will learn to master digital and media technologies.
They will develop refined verbal and written communication skills in both official languages.
They will also understand and appreciate different cultures and their role in the global community.

In order to facilitate the acquisition of 21^st century skills, you not only need the appropriate pedagogical approach. You must also have the proper learning environment. To facilitate this important endeavour, we believe that you need an appropriate student/teacher ratio. At West Island College, we have an average of 21 students per class.

We believe that a learning institution must be a champion of professional development and continuous learning by remaining on the cutting edge of technological and educational evolution. We have and will continue to invest a significant amount of time and human and financial resources to achieve this vision.

A school must continually evolve and prepare its students for an ever-changing future, and this is the foundation our Advantage 21 philosophy.