2015 Professional Learning Institutes

Transcription

1 ISB is now pleased to announce our 2015 Professional Learning Institutes DATES: Institutes - August TIME: LUNCH: Lunch and morning coffee will be provided CHILDCARE: Children (aged 3+) of participants may attend summer school free of charge. DEADLINE FOR SIGN-UP: Friday May 29, 2015 COST (for non-isb teachers): 400 euros (including lunch) for 3-day institutes ( 300 euros for 2-day institutes) FIRST AID: On Thursday August 20 we will offer a one-day training in Red Cross First Aid and CPR. This training will be available to all faculty and staff and we encourage as many people as possible to become certified in First Aid.

2 INSTITUTE ONE: Learning in Outdoor Environments (for Pre-K to Grade 6) 2 days - Tuesday / Wednesday Much research in the last ten years has identified a connection between learning in outdoor environments and children s improved test scores, motor skills, physical fitness, confidence, selfesteem, social competence, environmental awareness, self-esteem, and leadership skills. Developing learning engagements within existing modules not only touches upon several of the eight human commonalities within the CGC framework but also supports the development of many of the character standards we are working to develop within the ECC and ES. In the institute on Learning in Outdoor Environments you will: Gain an understanding of how learning in outdoor environments can become part of your existing curriculum. Develop an understanding of the importance of learning in outdoor environments. Experience first-hand how a change in the learning environment can impact on a student s ability to internalize learning experiences. Participate in a variety of hands-on experiences in the outdoor environment making use of the ISB Competency Cycle. Design and develop a six-week plan for incorporating outdoor learning opportunities within an existing learning module. Identify the risk benefits of learning in outdoor environments and participate in writing a detailed risk assessment to prepare for your six-week plan. Through hands-on, engaging and meaningful work in a variety of curriculum areas in the outdoor environment participants will: experience the value of incorporating outdoor learning engagements into their existing modules, add a variety of possible learning engagements to their teaching toolkit and see how working collaboratively in the outdoor environment not only enhances learning but also builds character. Developing a six-week plan and writing a risk assessment will equip each participant with the confidence, knowledge and understanding to start the new year with new and exciting ways to engage their students in learning in outdoor environments. Leader: Michele Baker and Pam Tunney Michele Baker earned her bachelor s degree from Northeastern University, Boston Massachusetts and a Teaching Certificate from University of Reading, United Kingdom. She received her Master s in Early Childhood Education (specializing in kindergarten children s perception of risk in an outdoor learning program) from Sheffield University, United Kingdom. She taught Kindergarten for 5 years in a Rudolph Steiner School and Foundation Stage for 3 years in a British State School. During the last 8 years Michele has been an early childhood teacher at three international schools in England, Switzerland and now Brussels helping each of these schools to further develop their use of outdoor environments to enhance children s learning within their existing curriculum. She holds a Forest School Leader s qualification from Bridgewater College, United Kingdom. She has been a presenter at both the CEESA and the IB conference on The Value of Outdoor Education. At ISB, Michele is a Pre-K teacher and she has been part of a group providing teacher capacity building opportunities for educators in rural Tanzania. She also runs monthly professional development sessions for staff who want to develop their skills in using the outdoor environment to enhance a variety of curriculum areas.

3 Institute Two: Leadership for Learning 2 days: Monday Tuesday This Institute provides insights into the theory and practice of leadership in a learning-focused school. We ll apply the ideas of thoughtful, accessible thinkers such as Michael Fullan, David Perkins and Jim Collins to the daily challenges of using our time and energy to actually improve learning. Together we will explore the key questions of leadership: Why lead? What are the key competencies of effective leaders? How do we apply these to the challenge of making learning happen? How do we balance pressures and manage constraints so that we can focus on what really counts? There will be a particular focus on ISB s own vision for learning as expressed through our curriculum. Institute Overview: Day 1: Me and Leadership: Building a Conceptual Framework. We will explore our own purpose for choosing to lead, the theory of school leadership and synthesize experience and research to form our own framework for leadership for learning Day 2: Me and my Team(s): Understanding my Colleagues, Playing to our Strengths. We ll come to understand how to support our colleagues, use the strengths of the team and sustain ourselves through the challenging business of leading. NB: This workshop is now a required element in the development of all Heads of Department and Grade Level Team Leaders. However, it will be of interest to anyone aspiring to leadership positions, and so is open to everyone. Leader: Pam Harper Pam Harper is the Principal Consultant of Fieldwork Education. She is an experienced teacher and trainer having previously held a senior position in a UK local authority and has written several books and articles focusing on practical aspects of curriculum development and leadership and management. She is the Quality Assurance director for the International Leadership and Management Program (ILMP) for both senior and middle leaders. Pam provides consultancy for a range of international schools and is currently working with a range of schools in implementing the Looking for Learning Toolkit which she co-wrote.

4 Institute Three: Now You re Talking! Teacher Storytelling in the Classroom 3 days Storytelling is a valuable tool for enhancing learning. It has proven benefits including enabling students to understand complex ideas, build self-esteem, understand their place in the world and develop empathy. Current studies indicate that oral story presentation has added value outcomes beyond what shared story book activity provides, and so plays a vital role in emergent literacy. It can be used to bring all aspects of the curriculum to life and to make teaching and learning more enjoyable. It also promotes a love of reading, enhances literacy and develops speaking and listening skills. This three-day course will focus on improving understanding of storytelling and its applications in educational contexts. Theories supporting these practices will be explored and there will be plenty of practical advice on how better to find, use and tell stories. We will help you build a portfolio of stories, curriculum ideas, and practices to use in your classroom or library. There will be a small amount of suggested pre-course preparation and post-course follow-up work, but the bulk of the activity will happen in the three days. Leaders: Donna Schatt --MLS, MA Donna Schatt is a librarian, storyteller and researcher. She was librarian for the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools for 23 years and for 17 of those she chaired its storytelling program. She recently completed an MA in Social Sciences at the University of Chicago. Her research interests are the long-term effects of oral story listening particularly on emergent literacy and executive functions. She is co-founder of a literacy and educational consulting company, Straw to Gold, based in Chicago. Patrick Ryan PhD, FEA Patrick Ryan is a storyteller, educator and writer. Currently Research Fellow at the George Ewart Evans Centre for Storytelling at University of South Wales, he has led several innovative storytelling projects. Before fulltime work as a storyteller, writer and researcher he taught elementary school in America and the UK, and has often presented workshops and lectures at ECIS and other international school conferences. Publications include articles on storytelling, literacy and cognitive development, and folklore and children s literature. He is author of the award winning anthology Shakespeare s Storybook.

5 Institute Four: Introduction to New Literacies and Computational Thinking 3 days The Web and its myriad forms of information and communication technologies (ICTs) increasingly provide new environments for reading, writing and communication. The skills, strategies and dispositions necessary to exploit the potential of this ongoing evolution are often called New Literacies. These include keyword selection and adaptation; locating and evaluating appropriate resources; synthesizing meaning across multiple resources; and, communicating understanding of the information encountered. At the same time, increasing global use and emphasis on computing requires new problem solving strategies across all disciplines, called computational thinking. Computational thinking requires students to be able to dissect problems, abstract higher-level rules, and use technology to develop solutions Additionally, CT also involves organizing and analyzing data; representing data in models and simulations; and, automating solutions. This three-day training will provide several activities to introduce New Literacies and Computational Thinking, and help you design developmentally appropriate classroom assignments that integrate both and increase your students abilities to demonstrate these increasingly critical forms of literacy and numeracy. Leaders: Mike DeSchryver Dr. Mike DeSchryver is an educational technology expert with 17 years experience helping teachers integrate emerging technologies in meaningful ways. As technology director at a K-12 private school in the United States (US), he worked one-on-one, in small groups, and with full faculty trainings for nearly ten years. As a doctoral student at Michigan State University (MSU), Mike taught US and overseas teachers, both online and face-to-face, in their award winning Master of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET) program. At present, he is an Assistant Professor of Educational Technology at Central Michigan University (CMU), teaching students from all over the world in their nationally ranked online MA in Educational Technology program. Mike also continues to teach in the MSU overseas program each summer, where a majority of his students are teachers from international K-12 schools. Mike s teaching and research focus is on New Literacies - the rapidly expanding skills and strategies needed to teach and learn successfully in a largely Web-mediated world. His work has garnered national support in the US from the Spencer Foundation/National Association of Education, and has earned him an early career research fellowship at CMU. Recent published work in Teachers College Record provides a foundational theory for teaching and research related to new literacy skills that support creative thinking, while recent work in the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy focuses on how educators may begin to integrate Web-mediated knowledge synthesis in their practice. Aman Yadav Dr. Aman Yadav is an Associate Professor in Educational Psychology and Educational Technology at Michigan State University. In addition to Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and Educational Technology, he holds bachelors and masters in Electrical Engineering. Aman s teaching and research focuses on problem-based learning, technology, cognition, and computational thinking. He is principal investigator on a National Science Foundation grant to provide professional development (PD) program, including continuous online support, to improve teachers' knowledge to teach computing concepts at the high school. His work has been published in a number of leading journals, including Journal of Research in Science Teaching, Journal of Engineering Education, and Communications of the ACM. Aman teaches courses on research methodology, learning theories, cognition, and computing technologies at the undergraduate and graduate level. He serves as an associate editor for The ACM Transactions on Computing Education, a journal that publishes research on computing education.

6 Institute Five: Demystifying and Developing Strategies for Students with Learning Differences in the Classroom - 3 days This institute will offer the latest understandings and best strategies for differentiating for two learning disabilities that we have in high incidence in our student population. It is designed for classroom teachers at all levels and will be the first in a series exploring learning disabilities in more depth. Participants will gain insight into: Dyslexia o Understanding the profile and how it is diagnosed o Best match strategies and practices for differentiating for students in the classroom setting ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) o Understanding the profile, how it is diagnosed, and treatment options o Understanding what is meant by Executive Functions o Managing behavior o How to best coach and teach students with these needs Leader: Kristen Pelletier ISB Head of Learning Support Prior to ISB, Kristen has taught students with a range of special educational needs including middle school resource room, behavior programs, and special education for students with intellectual disabilities in Maine in public school. At ISB she has taught Special Education at all developmental levels and has been leading the ISB learning support team school-wide since 2006 to develop a range of inclusive support services with a collaborative multidisciplinary team-based approach. She is a founding director of the Next Frontier: Inclusion collaborative launched in 2010, and teaches for the Teacher Training Center on learning support related topics.