For Love of Education and Ice Cream

Summer’s here, and hopefully you’re getting yourselves out of the classroom for a bit to recoup and recharge! Some of you might even be lucky enough to get in some travel. And if you are finding your way across our vast globe, we suggest you check out some of the many incredible and unique school systems our world has to offer! From radio schools to Apple schools to cube schools, there’s a lot of interesting opportunities for our students.

Today, Education World shares a few fascinatingly unique schools you might stumble upon this summer. But we can’t stop there. If you’re going to do your summer vacay right and beat the heat, you’ll want to know where to find a frozen treat! We’ve included not only a profile of some of the world’s most interesting schools, but a local’s guide to some of the best ice cream in the area! Happy travels, and stay cool!

City Montessori School (Lucknow, India)

Image courtesy of City Montessori School.

Let’s start big, yeah? Really, really big. If you’re making your way to Lucknow, India, you might have the opportunity to visit City Montessori School: the largest school in the world (Guinness Book certified). In fact, in 2015, the school’s enrollment was reported at 52,000 students being taught by over 2,500 teachers. This K-12 school was founded in 1959 by the husband and wife duo, Dr. Bharti Gandhi and Dr. Jagdish Gandhi, originally catering to five students in a rented facility at $5 a month.

As legend has it, the first words that students wrote on their slates on the first day of school were “Jai Jagat”, or, “Glory be to the World,” which became the school’s motto. Spanning multiple campuses across Lucknow, the City Montessori School has kept true to this motto, nurturing a curriculum of “religious harmony, world unity, and peace education.” And despite its size and renowned status, the school’s fees are 25% less than some of the other nearby elite schools of Lucknow.

Best Ice Cream in Lucknow? Frozen Factory

If you’re going to make the trip to Lucknow, you actually have a tough decision before you: ice cream rolls or kulfi?

Image courtesy of Zomato.

Frozen Factory boasts 28 different flavors, ranging from saffron almonds to oreo blueberry to malai pan (a Lucknow original with rock candy and dried fruits). And if you’ve never had ice cream rolled up, it is very much the “correct” way to eat our favorite frozen treat. Throw one of their waffles underneath, and life is a better place to live.

An honorable mention here must include Prakesh Ki Mashoor Kulfi. “Kulfi” is often described as “traditional Indian ice cream”. Kulfi is similar to Western ice cream, except it is generally denser and creamier, and not whipped. And apparently, Prakesh Ki Mashoor Kulfi serves the best of the best.

School of the Air (Alice Springs, Australia)

Image courtesy of TripAdvisor.

Going “down under” this summer? Australia’s School of the Air might interest you. In short, this program began in 1951 as a series of radio broadcasts meant to serve pupils living in remote areas. And impressively, it has modernized its programming and continues their mission to this day.

First broadcast out of the Royal Flying Doctor Service in the Northern Territory’s Alice Springs, there are now over 16 schools of the air working with Australian communities across the country. No longer needing the old pedal-powered radios, many SOA students use high frequency (HF) radio transceivers, which allow students to talk to each other, as well as their teacher during classes.

Each student is mailed printed resources to go along with the school’s curriculum, which supplement the on-air lessons. As more and more technology is being incorporated into the program, video cameras and electronic whiteboards are beginning to replace the transceivers. In these cases, teachers at the studio site can give lessons via satellite while watching students can respond and participate in real-time.

Best Ice Cream in Alice Springs? Uncle Edy’s

Image courtesy of TripAdvisor.

If you’re off to visit the original (still-functioning) site of School of the Air in Alice Springs, you’re going to want to drop by Uncle Edy’s Ice Cream. No, not that Edy’s.… Maybe the lesser-known uncle, though? Uncle Edy’s is a family-run ice cream business with charm. The old-school atmosphere, friendly staff, and corner jukebox really make this place feel like home. Perhaps even more exciting is the fact that their ice cream is made with 100% Aussie products: keeping it fresh, and keeping it local. Popular flavors? We’d maybe suggest the chocolate mousse, date and walnut loaf, or the beloved Ferrero Rocher.

Steve Jobs School (Johannesburg, South Africa)

Image courtesy of The South African.

The beautiful city of Johannesburg has so much to offer visitors, from the thriving city to its sublime nature preserves. It is also the home to one of the world’s two Steve Jobs Schools. Go check it out; it’s fascinating to see how the innovation (and resources) of the Apple company plays out in the educational landscape.

As you’d imagine, the primary school is completely digital, stocked to the brim with Apple’s groundbreaking devices. But the organization has some interesting characteristics. First, there are no “grade-level” classes. Instead, there are core groups of approximately 18-25 children, usually within an age difference of 1-3 years. Older children are generally expected to be leaders within the group. From the core classes, students attend workshops and lessons with students at the same academic level in that particular subject.

The exciting part of this school, however, has to lie in its ability to foster highly individualized development plans. Students are encouraged to work at their own pace, which is closely monitored and tracked by classroom coaches. These coaches work closely with the other educators within the building to make sure that the student learns this content, using the methods that the child prefers. “Like the little boy that did not understand mathematics at all, but just loved to tinker with anything engine-related. Every Saturday he was allowed to help out at a garage of one of his parents and it turned out that he had no trouble whatsoever with crunching numbers that were related to his passion. He is now very good at math,” boasts the Steve Jobs School’s website. If you can get there, it is absolutely fascinating to see this school in action, day to day.

Best Ice Cream in Johannesburg? Paul’s Homemade Ice Cream

Image courtesy of inyourpocket.

And if you’re going to be bopping around Johannesburg anyway, you’re going to need to drop by Paul’s Homemade Ice Cream. Just check out the menu. It’s free from preservatives, additives, and chemicals, made in small batches with little more than fresh milk, full cream, eggs, and sugar. And that freshness comes through with every taste.

Depending on the timing of your visit, once a month Paul hosts “Ice Cream Sundays,” where he and his team put together absurdly decadent and over-the-top creations at the store. Just be sure to get there early!

Ørestad Gymnasium (Copenhagen, Denmark)

Image courtesy of Business Insider.

If you’re visiting Denmark, you’re going to want to check out the Ørestad Gymnasium in Copenhagen: the school where architectural design meets pedagogy. It’s a big cube. The Ørestad Gymnasium (designed by 3xn) is completely free of the traditional, walled-in classrooms, in favor of an open space where all activities are visible to everybody in order to “facilitate communication and inspire each other.” The developers believe the layout “promotes innovation and self-directed learning in the Danish education system by recognizing this millennium’s shift to an ideas-based global economy.” Working closely with educators, the designers have created a school environment where “the prototypical factory model with its self-contained classrooms is replaced by an environment that features a diversity of spaces that flow into one another. The design promotes reflective, collaborative learning that mimics the way teenagers think, learn and socialize.”

The school currently has over 1,000 students, aged 16 to 19, and focuses heavily upon nurturing independent student-centered learning. The school also claims to be fully digital: lessons taught using computers and iPads, while teachers facilitate learning, walking around the school’s “learning zones.”

Best Ice Cream in Copenhagen? Østerberg Ice Cream

Image courtesy of VisitCopenhagen.

There’s a whole lot options when it comes to frozen treats in Copenhagen. But you’re unlikely to be disappointed visiting Østerberg Ice Cream. Not only do they have around 50 flavors, they change nearly every day! For the bold and adventurous, be sure to try more uncommon flavors like jackfruit, mangosteen, tamarind, avocado, “havtorn” (seaberry), or “hyldeblomst” (elderflower).

The King’s School (Kent, England)

Image courtesy of Britain Express.

Once you’ve visited the largest school in the world, be sure to round out the record book and visit The King’s School: the oldest continuously operating school, technically founded in 597 AD. The school has made a few changes since its inception, providing all the necessary technology and resources of a modern education system. And yet, many of the traditions of the ancient school remain today, including the “house shout” shouting competition, good morning assembly calls, and a variety of uniform house privileges.

Walking through the campus is nearly surreal, seeing the mix of boarding houses and classrooms from the 13th century to the 21st. Students practice drama in a medieval hall that once claimed playwright Christopher Marlowe as a student. Science classrooms once occupied renowned scientist William Harvey, who later discovered how blood circulates through the human body. Each step through the halls of The King’s School feels like an expedition through the brave evolution of our modern education system.

Best Ice Cream in Kent? Morelli’s Gelato

Image courtesy of VisitThanet.

It’s a tough call, looking for the best ice cream in Canterbury. Many will point you to Knoops >over in Rye. Not a bad choice, but it’s a bit of a haul, and the locals are going to tell you to hit up Morelli’s Gelato. The Morelli family has been making ice cream for five generations, introduced to the UK from the back of a bicycle in 1907.

The first brick-and-mortar Morelli’s parlour was opened on the seafront in Broadstairs in 1932, and the store’s vibe hasn’t changed much over the years. Walking into Morelli’s feels like stepping into a time capsule, complete with a soda fountain, juke box, formica tops, and pink leatherette booths. The nostalgia is incredible, and the ice cream? Life-changing.

Written by Keith Lambert, Education World Associate Contributing Editor

Lambert is an English / Language Arts teacher in Connecticut.