The 2nd Elementary Education International Conference

Transcription

1 The 2nd Elementary Education International Conference Theme: Bridges Developing a Global Educational Community Guoli Liang I. Introduction Since the phenomenal success of the First Elementary Education International Conference in 2013, it is with great anticipation that I announce the commencement of the Second Elementary Education International Conference beginning in This conference aims to promote further communication and mutual appreciation among schools around the world as well as in the wider community. This international conference aims to establish a wider professional platform for global education communication. This conference will provide opportunities for mutual communication and growth among school principals, educators, researchers and training institutions of elementary schools, but can also promote deeper understanding and a broader exchange among students, parents, educators, and other related educational stakeholders around the world by building a Global Educational Community. Through this forum, schools, the key body of global education can play a vital role in studying the theme Bridges. Outstanding schools in cities, countryside, and ethnic regions, who are interested in cooperating with this project, will develop study units to learn about accessible bridges. This will help us understand today s global wide primary school educational practices. This knowledge will be shared and bridges will be built between people globally. Common goals will be created on a globally connected landscape together alongside excellent schools from educationally developed cities, counties, as well as under developed regions in the world. The Project Based Learning model will still be used for this Second EEIC conference on the Theme : Bridges Developing a Global Educational Community. Specific details are as follows: 1. This collaborative learning experience allows students to explore bridges through a variety of means. Composed of students, educators, parents, school authorities, education experts and other related bodies, a unit will be developed 1

2 in which students act as bridges. 2. While the idea of Bridges arose as the basis for this project based learning, its origin derives from within our interconnectedness as people. From our own example, we feel it s essential to collaborate as an educational collective to do studies about bridges and thus promote mutual understanding and communication between and among people (such as family members, educators and students, neighbors, and other education stakeholders). In this way we can provide improvement of educational polices, strategies, and practices. The bridge consists of two metaphors: a medium between unconnected objects, people or knowledge and a road to a future destination. 3. Timeline for the Conference: January, to July, 2014 II. Purpose The idea of the Global Educational Community arose initially on the basis of our mission, goals and philosophy. 1. Mission Peace, Collaboration, Exploration, Growth, Development 2. Goals a) It is imperative for a global educational community to encourage collaboration, working together for all the children s learning and growth on this earth. This kind of a community can help our students to become global citizens who are welcomed, competent, and accountable anywhere in the world. b) We devote ourselves not only to providing educators in China (mainland, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan) with excellent and valuable opportunities for international learning and a forum for professional communication, but also to create professional opportunities for educators from around the world to grow and develop together. c) This global education platform/network can also serve educators worldwide, seeking a professional platform/network for global educational training, learning, and development opportunities. 2

3 b) Our Philosophy a) If a war is the last and worst solution for conflict, education is the initial and best remedy for peaceful collaboration. b) Neighbors Kids: Children in the different parts of the world should be seen as the neighbor s kids with adults acting as good neighbors. They are the future of the today s world. c) There can be a common/general educational body of pedagogical knowledge developed by global educational community working together. Education is far more than the single duty of educators and students. Education shall not be seen as solely from educators to students, none from older to younger generations. Members of the educational community, including children, can be producers, discoverers, massagers, or receiver of knowledge, intelligence, competence, and dispositions. Learning is not a passive process. Teaching/learning/education occurs any time at any place where the learners footprints can be, not confined to classroom or school. Every member of an educational community is important developing respect, support, assistance, and cooperation through working together. The significance and function of a global educational collaborative community lies in establishing a valuable platform for such process. Educators have a key role in this community by providing pedagogical knowledge, such as design scaffoldings for this community and collaborating with other parties of the global educational community for reflection, assessment, and improvements.. III. Two Supportive Platforms We will build two platforms for the global education community to support the project-based learning project called Bridges : Platform One, will be provided in both Chinese and English languages for to the students, families, educators, schools, and other related professional groups such as the academy of geological exploration, bridge design institute, bridge construction companies and other related organizations. Every joint member will have an opportunity to collaborate with students in their suitable ways to find and visit a bridge and become acquainted with it, 3

4 define it, and reflect upon it. Various Knowledge, and facts and reflections of the bridges are encouraged. The unit of work can take various forms such as literary, mathematical, scientific, artistic, photographic, video, filmic, handmade, audio, oral, broadcast, musical, dance, physical activities, etc. Bridges also get built by people working together. The Bridge project then may accomplish two important ideas: knowledge and relationships Platform Two: During the project, educators all over the world will offer guidance and leadership to their educational community, especially students and their family members working on the same project. This provides some unique and important opportunities for outstanding educators, schools, and scholars worldwide to communicate, exchange, and discuss ideas. This will create channels for engaged educators and schools to have an outstanding program and opportunity for professional development. The academic quality will be achieved by inviting prestigious scholars worldwide to offer professional insights and supports to the communication and discussion among educators worldwide. The Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity (SCALE) will provide professional supports for the performance-based assessment of educators and students of this Bridges project. To insure global communication and collaboration across different languages and cultures, there will be multi-language faculty members supporting a translation team. IV. Time Phases There are four stages to carry out activities and practice: 1. Preparatory Stage Before Dec. 15th, 2013: There will be activities designing, confirming the participant schools and contributors, designing platforms, project-based pilot courses and practices, etc. 2. Preparation Period Dec15, 2013-Jan17, 2014: There will be preparations for activities in winter vacation and courses for next semester, as well as preparatory works of other related departments to build the two platforms. 3. Stage for Practice Jan. 18,2014-June, 2014: winter break begins in China about Jan. 18 th, 2014, so does project based learning activities of the Bridges project.in other countries (such as the U.S.), project based learning activities begin in the spring 4

5 semester. 4. Stage for Outcome Shows and Exhibitions Around July 10, 2014: there will be shows or exhibitions displaying the achievements about Bridges across the world. Examples will include a wide variety of ways to express the Bridge project. There will also be professional seminars on education and pedagogy. Attention: two key points along this project based learning: 1. Official launch on Jan 9 th, 2014 A Press Conference where three items are scheduled to be announced: a) Introduction and declaration of the Bridges project; b) Hearing the World Day; c) worldwide solicitation for three songs about the Bridges project. 2. Activities of the Hearing the World Day: First Sunday of June, V. Guiding Principles 1. We Encourage: a) Collaboration between peers, disciplines, grades, schools, ethnicities, and countries, including the collaboration of schools in urban and rural areas b) Collaboration across family generations (such as parents and children, grand parents and children, etc.), emphasizing family values, through respecting the old and cherishing and encouraging the young. 2. The use of cross disciplinary knowledge, skills and creativity about bridges. 3. Green Commuting, including such things as maintaining the cleanliness of the bridge as part of the learning. Also important is that the bridges are safe and open to public. We will cooperate with domestic and international charities to provide tool bags for those in needs to carry out this project. VI.Sponsors and Participants: National Elementary School Curriculum Reform Alliance School District of Janesville in Wisconsin Over twenty schools form different minority regions The People s Daily Net Beijing Tsinghua Urban Planning and Design Institute, Dept. of Architecture Acoustic & 5

6 Interior Design China Academy of Transportation Science Beijing Institute of Geological & Prospecting Engineering (BIGPE) Excellent Elementary Schools from America, Finland, Singapore, Hong Kong and other countries Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University Kappa Delta Pi, International Honor Society in Education Primary School Headmaster Training Center of the Ministry of Education Beijing Normal University,Center of Assessment and Improvement for Basic Educational Quality in China Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning and Equity Shang Ba Culture Group / Shang Ba Culture Park in Beijing (More to be added) 6