The Conference in
2006 will be in Copenhagen from January 26th to January 29th. Please check back here for the
latest Program information. Click here for a
daily timetable.
Jack C. Berckemeyer
-
Pre-conference
The Reality of Middle Level Education
This day long pre-conference will explore several components of middle
level education. Topics such as teaming, adolescent development, and
student-led conferences will be shared. Practical advice and materials
will be provided. This session will be the one stop location for great
information and resources for any middle level educator.
Dr. William Purkey
-
Pre-conference An Invitational Approach to Challenging Situations
Drs. William Purkey and John Novak will present a fresh and innovative way
to resolve conflicts and difficult situations in the shortest amount of
time using the least amount of energy. The pre-conference session will be
built around the "Rule of the Six C's." This pre-conference will teach
participants how to successfully apply Invitational Theory to challenging
events, large and small, personal and professional. A special feature of
this pre-conference will be a hands-on demonstration of short-term
Invitational Counseling. At the conclusion of the pre-conference
participants will be able to describe and demonstrate their new skills
Dr. John M. Novak
-
Pre-conference An Invitational Approach to Challenging Situations
Drs. William Purkey and John Novak will present a fresh and innovative way
to resolve conflicts and difficult situations in the shortest amount of
time using the least amount of energy. The pre-conference session will be
built around the "Rule of the Six C's." This pre-conference will teach
participants how to successfully apply Invitational Theory to challenging
events, large and small, personal and professional. A special feature of
this pre-conference will be a hands-on demonstration of short-term
Invitational Counseling. At the conclusion of the pre-conference
participants will be able to describe and demonstrate their new skills
The Viking Ship
Museum Roskilde
-
Pre-conference There will be hands on workshops designed for teachers, for
example making a cap out of fur, producing dyes from charcoal and ochre
and making a robe out of bast. During the activities the instructors will
explain the background of the activities and the educational reflections
in the development of the workshops. There will also be a guided tour of
the museum in English.
http://www.vikingeskibsmuseet.dk/
Hamlet’s Castle -
Pre-conference Shakespeare saw in his immediate surroundings a vast richness of settings and worlds, to which audiences still delight in being transported today, over 400 years later. Certainly Shakespeare never visited Kronborg Castle, in which he set one of his best-known tragedies, Hamlet. The willows on the banks of the river Avon in Stratford may well have stood in for the plains around Elsinore in his imagination. There are many ways that places work on the imagination: we establish strong personal connections with the places we visit, either because of what has transpired there, or because what we imagine has taken or will take place. Within minutes of arriving at this dramatic and austere setting, participants will begin forging mysterious and complicated connections with their own past and relationship to dramatic (even spectacular) spaces. How does the play take place? How do we, indeed, “take place”? This workshop will examine how one can use site- and space-specific ideas to enrich and enliven dramatic or historic texts and indeed how text can inform our understanding of and the relevance of place, a crucial asset for international teachers with greater opportunities to take their texts and textbooks outside the classroom. With our sights on Hamlet at Elsinore, this ensemble-based workshop will explore ways in which Shakespeare’s works, as just one example, can be seen, set, sensed and understood in the present, and in relation to the past, both his and ours. Relevant for Theatre, English, Literature, History and Social Studies teachers.
http://www.ses.dk/kronborg
Cheryl Watkins - Pre-conference
International Student Assistance Program Group Facilitator Training
Student Assistance Program is a successful world wide program dealing with
the prevention and early intervention of all high risk behaviors
interfering with a student’s education and life development. For the past
24 years director, Cheryl Watkins has provided SAP training to school
personnel in all 50 United States and 30 foreign countries.
Purpose of the Workshop:
• To empower teachers, counselors, administrators and other concerned
staff to help young people affected by: Academic stress, loss,
alcohol/drug use, family addiction, depression & suicide. These
intervention skills are valuable in helping your students; one-on-one, in
the classroom and group settings.
• Provide educators an overview of the basic components of a successful
Student Assistance Program.
• Provide skills to facilitate a student support group.
Allan Heath - Pre-Conference An Artist's Day Out at the Louisiana Museum
Join fellow art enthusiasts for a train journey to the magnificent Louisiana Museum about thirty minutes' away from central Copenhagen in seaside Humblebaek. Enjoy strolls through the sculpture garden, coffee and lunch in the Museum cafe, and quality time with the work of Picasso, Matisse, Moore, Giacometti, Calder, Warhol and others, many of whom are not widely known outside Denmark. As with Tate Modern in London and the Guggenheim in Bilbao, participants may begin to wonder which is more exciting, the building and its environment or the art pieces themselves.
While we will travel to the Museum together, participants need not feel herded as they explore the collection. Alan Heath, middle school visual arts teacher from the American School in London with a special interest in the history of art as it relates to the cultures which created it, has devised several suggested routes or themes which teachers might follow while they are in the museum, along with ideas for using the art on display here as inspirations for work back in the classroom or art studio. The Museum shop will provide ample rewards for those looking for books, artifacts, posters, CDs and arty paraphernalia for use back at school.
Who should register for this preconference workshop? Social studies teachers can be inspired by the post World War II art within the context of a Europe coming to terms with the defeat of Nazism and the advent of the Cold War. English teachers may find that a picture is indeed worth a thousand words when they use digital photos from the museum to inspire creativity in their classrooms. The great thing about a world class art gallery is that it has something for everyone, not just 'art lovers', and participants in this pre-conference workshop will be challenged to come up with ideas based on the museum's setting, its architecture, and its art for stimulating learning in an academic setting. Before returning to Copenhagen in the afternoon, we will rendezvous for a discussion of what we have seen and to share visions of what we might do back in our schools based on the day's activities.
Interested teachers should visit the museum at www.louisiana.dk prior to registration. There are other Websites about the museum, of course, but this one seems the most direct for an introductory insight. Participants should bring a sketchbook or notebook, pencils, and a digital camera.
Dr. JoAnn Deak- Pre-conference Current Brain Research and How it Informs Teaching and/or Parenting The last five years has provided an onslaught of knowledge about the functioning of the human brain, This work has confirmed some long standing theories
and totally disproved others. Because of the significant steps in scanning techniques that can image a brain while it is working, more than ever before,
we can make more informed and accurate recommendations for anyone involved in working with the owners of the human brain. This workshop will provide a
comprehensive understanding of how to understand the functioning of the approximately 100 billion neurons that form an individual’s brain.
In addition, the brain research will then be translated into pedagogic techniques in the classroom that will fit most learners, using the IPO model. The
IPO model looks at input, processing and output differences in students with teaching strategies in mind.
Jack C. Berckemeyer Conference Sessions
Keynote- Middle Level
Education- Living it, Loving it, and Laughing about it.
Middle Level Education, Living it, Loving it, and Laughing about it, is
based on the foundations of National Middle School Association’s This We
Believe. Being able to connect with young adolescents is critical to the
success of any educator or administrator. During the keynote presentation
topics such as being committed to this age group, the importance of being an
adult advocate and new methods of classroom management will be discussed.
Real stories will be shared along with practical advice for teachers and
administrators. Humorous experiences, classroom examples, and the importance
of teaching young adolescents are the focus of this inspirational keynote
that make everyone realize how important being in a middle school can be for
teachers, principals, and students.
90 minute session
Language Arts Strategies that Meet the Needs of Young Adolescents
Strategies on how to involve and motivate adolescents in the areas of
spelling, reading, writing, listening and speaking will be shared. Great
classroom activities that are simple to do will be demonstrated. If you are
looking for some new language arts teaching techniques, then this
presentation is for you! No philosophy, just laughter and great handouts
will be shared.
50 minute session Teaming and the Middle Level Teacher
Are you looking for ways to enhance your teaming situation? Are you
struggling with consensus, conflict, and team use of time? Do you need some
practical teaming ideas that you can implement with your team? If you
answered yes to any of these questions then this informational session is
for you!
50 minute session Classroom Management Strategies That Work
Are you looking for ideas to help deal with classroom disruptions? Are you
tired of constantly being interrupted? This session will provide some
practical ideas that you can use to help with classroom behavioral issues.
Find out how your room structure can make a difference. Discover other
methods to getting a class to simmer down.
Your Benefits- Your Association- A Guide
to the member benefits of ELMLE and NMSA
Ever wonder what benefits you receive from being a member of ELMLE and
NMSA? This session will provide you with a complete list of benefits and
materials that will help you in your everyday life of being a middle level
educator. This session will also allow you to provide some feedback on
future materials and benefits you might need as a middle level advocate.
Dr. William Purkey Conference
Sessions 90 minute session We Are Not in Kansas Anymore: From Theory to Practice With Invitational
Education
In his closing remarks, Dr. Purkey will review "Invitational Education" and seek to tie together the content of the various sessions presented
during the conference. He will maintain that there are no emotional,
psychological, intellectual, or physical barriers that we cannot transcend
provided we are surrounded by people who believe certain things about
ourselves and who invite us to share in these beliefs. True leadership is
the ability to invite others to become what they are capable of becoming.
Dr. Purkey will base his comments on his 2005 book, Becoming an
Invitational Leader, co-authored by Betty Siegel.
Two 50 minute sessions Inviting Safe and Successful School For
Everyone
Dr. William Purkey will introduce "Invitational Education," which offers
afresh and innovative approach to making schools a more welcoming, caring,
and successful place for everyone who enters the buildings. This includes
students, parents, educators, support personnel, and guests. Participants
will learn how to evaluate themselves and their schools by using the "Blue
& Orange Metaphor." Dr. Purkey will explain that human potential, though
not always apparent, is always there, waiting to be discovered and invited
forth. His talk will reflect the content of his book Inviting School
Success, co-authored by John Novak, now in its third edition.
Dr. John M. Novak Conference
Sessions 90 minute session What Me Lead? An Inviting Perspective for Educational Living Dr. John Novak will address the questions of what makes educational
leadership special and how everyone in the school is involved in the
process of constructing and celebrating the making of educational lives.
Based on the idea that education is fundamentally an imaginative act of
hope, this session will explore how this hope is called forth, sustained,
and extended. Using ideas from his book, Inviting Educational Leadership,
Dr. Novak will show how a personal and professional understanding of the
democratic ethos, the perceptual tradition, and self-concept theory will
enable educators to savour, understand, and improve their individual and
shared experiences.
Two 50 minute sessions
How to be Inviting and Live to Tell About It Educators around the world are told to do more, with less, at faster
and faster rates. On top of this, they are told to do all of this in
inviting ways. In this session, Dr. John Novak will show how to go from
Ha!H! to Aha! in creating classroom and schools where all are involved and
want to be. Using ideas from his new book, Creating Inviting Schools, Dr.
Novak will look at the skills, craft, and art of inviting for the long
run. Ideas from educators around the world will be presented to show what
is involved in getting ready, doing-with, and following through with the
inviting process.
Dr. JoAnn Deak
Conference Sessions 90 minute session Self Esteem is Green
More than intelligence, social class or what school was attended, a
person’s self esteem it the best predictor of achievement and happiness in
life. The problem is that this human characteristic, while widely written
about, is very difficult to change when it is a problem for someone. This
workshop gets right to the source: what are the ingredients that lead to
self esteem and what can be done to increase these ingredients in children
throughout life. Dr. Deak utilizes her famous ‘green stories’ to
illustrate what self esteem is and what can be done to improve it in the
lives of females and males.
50 minute session Friends and Foes: Wonders and Woes
Most girls and boys don’t want to be mean, they just want to be
meaningful. In that process of finding your niche in the social world,
bullying and pain can be part of the process, as well as joy and
meaningful relationships. This workshop explores how schools and parents
can help to minimize the former and enhance the probability of the latter.
Isn’t that what we want for all of our children? A special version of the
workshop focusing on relational aggression is also available for girls’
and boys’ schools.
50 minute session The Wonders and Woes of Stress
Stress can be positively motivating and is a normal response to challenge
and conflict in a person’s life. This side of stress is often overlooked
and we’ll spend time talking about how it can lead to a productive and
motivated student. On the other hand, the negative site of stress is seen
all too clearly at home and at school. When it reaches a certain level
and/or becomes a pervasive state, it not only degrades physiological
health, it actually interferes with higher levels of thinking. It becomes
important for a parent or teacher to be able to read signs of stress,
develop techniques and strategies for lowering stress and for helping
children deal with stresses in the classroom.
David Lightbody "To Thine own Self be True” – Personal Shakespeare
William Shakespeare is among the most widely known and broadly interpreted writers in the world. We study his plays, act out his lines, and try to sort what he was really trying to say. One thing we don’t always manage to take into account, is the relevance of the texts to ourselves. What is at stake when we read or perform Shakespeare? Like our favorite contemporary song, can Shakespeare speak to us, or for us? In this
workshop, we will re-examine the potential for personal investment in the study of Shakespeare, indeed, in our ability to play Shakespeare. By fusing Shakespeare’s words to the individual, to our bodies and personalities, this unique and dramatic approach will allow us to rethink the way we teach Shakespeare, and by proxy, many other texts, to students
Dr. Gail Lockart, Professor Eastern Illinois University
Double Session Literature and Literacy: Enhancing Content Knowledge Through Literature and Literacy Strategies
During this session, teachers will be introduced to some of the most current literature for middle school students. Graphic organizers, literature circles, and other helpful strategies will be profiled plus a list of new adolescent literature will be given. Practical information--hand out given.
Middle School Crisis: Backward or Forward? Where Are We Going?
Single Session
Are middle schools returning to the K-8 classroom configuration? Why would be go back to the "old" way? Other trends in middle level education will be discussed and time will be given for audience participation and questions.
Serge Ward, Mathematics teacher
Lui Acone, Mathematics and Science teacher, Marymount International School of Paris
Single Session
Robotics isn't just for geeks anymore...
Robots are no longer reserved for science fiction. Whereas once only 'geeks' dreamed of such futuristic inventions; today they have become a reality, almost common place. In fifty minutes hear an introduction to and overview of our experience using Robolab, Lego's Mindstorms for schools. This toy, uh...I mean tool, is a remarkable vehicle for the exploration, engagement, and emphasis of the arts and sciences. It makes for an interesting and fun cross curriculum subject, or team teaching program. Did I mention that kids love robots?
Maureen McNicholl, English Teacher,
The American School of Madrid
Single Session Making the Case for Writer's Workshop in the International Middle School Classroom
Want to get your students excited about writing? Writer's Workshop, developed at Columbia University Teacher's College as a method that encourages students to become engaged and reflect on writing strategies, successfully turns writing inside out by allowing students to take the lead in their choice of subject while you guide the genre. An introduction to a typical Unit Cycle of Writer's Workshop with practical applications to adapt to your classroom.
Michelle Fox,7th Grade Team Leader, 7th Grade Humanities, Anglo-American School of Moscow Anglo-American School of Moscow
Single Session FUNctional Middle School Writing: Creative Strategies for Accomplishing Multiple Goals Learn to make classroom management easier while improving student attitudes about writing through dialogue journals.
Inspire creativity and artistic skill while perfecting paragraph mechanics through a series of creative writing prompts. In this workshop you will be exposed to a series of simple, classroom tested writing techniques that will inspire your students and make your life easier. After all, writing should FUNctional!
Christopher Goff, American School in London
Single Session
Calibrated Peer Review: Grade Less, Learn More! Calibrated Peer Review is a free web-based peer
assessment tool that enables students to improve their writing across
subject areas. Learn how it works, and how it can be applied in your
classroom.
Christopher Goff, American School in London
Double Session
Inspiration, not fundamentals! The recent focus on standards-based teaching risks
creating a generation of students who know a lot about STEM subjects, but
who don't want to do it. How can we inspire the next generation of
scientists, engineers, and mathematicians? This session will begin with a
focusing presentation and discussion of how best to inspire our students,
while meeting the requirements of the standards. The second half of the
session will be a hands-on demonstration of an Engineering Design Challenge
from NASA that you will find challenging and exciting.
Romeo Bryant, International School of Duesseldorf
Double Session Drama Activities for the Non-Drama Teacher
This workshop is a hands-on session whereby I will present a variety of exercises and activities which I use in my MYP core drama classes. These "theater
games" can be easily adapted to other subject areas. Some of the activities do not involve a great deal of language knowledge. Others, can teach language through the development of new, activity- related vocabulary. Some are great for building ?msemble"within the classroom; getting the students to work together as a team. Others are just fun and can help fill those empty 5 minutes in your class. Be prepared to be an active participant. Handouts will be available with information about theory and background information.
Glen Johnson, Copenhagen International School School
Single Session Origami: Geometry revamped Want to liven up your geometry classroom?
This hands-on workshop will teach
you how to use origami to teach fun educational lessons combining geometry, listening skills and problem solving.
Burke, Debra. ESL in the Mainstream Participant Manual. South Australia: DECS Publishing, 1999.
As international educators, we face added challenges when striving for
inclusively in our classrooms. Teachers from the International School of Amsterdam have benefited from following the EAL in the Mainstream course and wish to share the awareness they gained. This session will explore current theories in EAL education and provide resources and practical strategies for immediate implementation in schools. It is relevant for middle school educators across all disciplines.
Andrea Wagner, MS/HS Teacher German/Spanish, International School of Dusseldorf
Single Session Typically German - Typically Spanish: increasing cultural awareness when teaching foreign languages. Sometimes teachers find it difficult to teach ?Cultural Awareness? ? especially if they teach international groups. The teachers themselves might not be aware of cultural differences that some of the students are facing, because they do not know enough about the students` country of origin or their experiences within different cultural backgrounds.
This presentation will illustrate class activities and teaching strategies that help teachers and students gain more awareness towards different cultural backgrounds. The examples given will be from teaching German and Spanish as foreign languages but can be transferred to any other subject.
Athy Lionikis, Middle School Social Studies Teacher and
Lee Stevens,Middle School Creative Writing Teacher, Kaiserslautern Middle School, DoDEA
Double Session Twists and Turns to Creative Publishing
Creative Publishing can be and is a critical component of holding the interest of young writers.
The use of fantasy and made up characters, original art and the freedom of expression will round out the perfect combination of ingredients for the recipe of success. Creative Publishing locks the young author into the feeling of ownership and the pride of having completed a quality and attractive finished product. We would like to share with you some of our most successful approaches to Creative Publishing, and hope you can share some with us too! This is a "Hands On" presentation and participants will walk away with several samples and finished products of "Creative Publishing!"
James Burton, Grade 7 English Teacher, International School of Amsterdam
Single Session Integrating IT in the Writing Process
Publishing stories, creating poetry dvd?s (imovie) and comic books(comic life & Photoshop) in Writing Workshop are important learning products typical for seventh graders at ISA. IT integration (efficiently and effectively) served as an extra tool towards maximizing understanding.
See how writing and reading have been developed in my class, using the framework from Nancy Atwell's, In the Middle; Writing, Reading and Learning with Adolescents.? In addition how Harvard University's Visible Thinking Routines and principles helped shape these projects and enable the learner to show understanding.
Derek Harwell, Middle School Information Technology Instructor, International School of Amsterdam
Single Session Student Perspectives-Students, Cameras, and Imagination.
Students are natural storytellers with varied social interests. To channel these characteristics into short films, we begin an integration of the 8th grade the Drama and Information Technology classes to help students work through the important and relevant issues in their lives. This presentation will cover our experiment to inspire budding teenaged storytellers, actors, and filmmakers to hone their crafts and serve others by encouraging critical social discourse. To create a positive working environment, students work together in groups where each has both a group effort and a personal responsibility/role to insure the success of the film. This presentation will focus on our organization, ideas and lessons we've learned along the way - along with showing a number of student video-graphic presentations.
Larry Kuhns, Middle School Science, Mathematics and Health, American School of Warsaw
Double Session Integrating technology into your classroom Using SchoolKit's edClass
Are you working to integrate technology and improve student achievement at your school or district.
Would it help if you could provide your teachers with complete, standards-based integration activities that are ready for immediate classroom use. By combining the highest quality content with the simplest delivery technology available, edClass makes it possible for every teacher to engage students in effective and meaningful technology integration activities. In this session I will demonstrate sample lessons using edClass and Microsoft Office.
Heleen Tims, MYP associate regional manager, International Baccalaureate Organization International Baccalaureate Organization
Double Session Using the MYP areas of interaction to develop a curriculum grounded in real life.
A curriculum grounded in real-life situations can be a motivating force in student learning. Not only do real-life situations provide challenges that bring students to higher levels of achievement, they also stimulate independent learning and students' responsibility for their own learning. By seeing applications in real-life, students recognize the meaning and use of what they are learning.
In the Middle Years Programme (MYP) the areas of interaction are used as tools to create learning based on real-life situations. After a short introduction explaining the areas of interaction, participants will practice using them. By the end of the session, participants will have developed an area of interaction focus for a unit of work in their subject, ensuring the unit is grounded in a real-life situation.
Note: This session will not introduce all dimensions of MYP and is not meant to enable new schools to implement the MYP.
Trudi van der Tak
and Richard Harrold,
Middle School Social Studies
Teachers, American School of The Hague
Single Session The Naked Curriculum: The Bare Essentials on the Way to Writing a Standards-Based Curriculum
Have your or your school been mandated to write a standards-based curriculum? Are you still bogged down with defining standards, benchmarks, essential learnings, backwards design? Well, we were, too! We'll share our positive experience with the State Department sponsored AERO (American Education Reaches Out) and a variety of aspects that we consider essential to the process of writing a K-12 curriculum. We will also touch upon implementing the web-based tool Atlas Rubicon. Although we were involved in writing the social studies curriculum, this session is for anyone interested or involved in the curriculum writing process.
Helen Lucas
and
Darby Rosengren,
Middle School English
Teachers,
United Nations International School
Single Session
Poetry Performance: "Rime of the Ancient Mariner"
For two years, we have presented Samuel Taylor Coleridge's classic as a poetic performance, with a cast of 120 students! Crazy?! Come hear about our collaboration in class and on stage. You may be able to take away ideas suitable for your own classroom/school.
Mary Hoffman, Middle
School Science Teacher, International School of Aberdeen
Single Session
Science Symposiums This session will present a 'real life' assessment tool for all topics in
Science. In this assessment, students are scientists in research teams.
Students investigate one aspect of a problem and present their findings to
other teams researching the same "real- world" problem at a symposium.
Students are encouraged to ask questions and debate with the other
research teams at the symposium. Problems can range from life in outer
space to global warming. Students use their scientific knowledge of a
topic, research skills, and their scientific investigation skills to
complete this assessment. Collaborative and communication skills are also
assessed in this tool.
Jags
Myanger, Head of Design Technology and
Elena Salassa, Community Service
coordinator, Inter-Community School Zurich
Double Session
Inter-Disciplinary unit using Information Technology
The aim of this presentation is to share ideas with teachers on HOW
Information Technology can be integrated into their subjects, projects,
field trip or other activities in order to motivate students as well as
enabling teachers to be able to cater for the E.A.L students.I will be
focusing on various software packages such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint,
Publisher and PaintShopPro. We will use this session to look at the
possibilities of integrating various subject-areas into a Field Trip,
followed by examples of how we involved Maths, Science, Languages, I.T.
and Humanities into a 7th Grade Field Trip to Florence.
We will give insights into the preparation of the trip, the trip itself,
and consider the importance of the students being able to celebrate their
achievements and experiences during the week.
Finally, using the city of Copenhagen, we will involve participants in
practical exercises aimed at applying our recommendations. The workshop
will be concluded with a general discussion and questions/answer session.
David Bakis,
Primary and Middle School Counselor, Copenhagen International School Double Session
The Truth About Self-Esteem and Unconditional Teaching David Bakis facilitates an article review of two Alfie Kohn articles, "The
Truth About Self-Esteem" and "Unconditional Teaching." An investigation will
be led into the validity of school-based self-esteem programs and how
unconditional teaching might provide the solution. In the end, participants
exit posed with a challenge: How plausible is unconditional teaching in my
classroom?
Mary Kelly,
Middle School Science & Social Studies and Susie
Falk, Middle School Science & High School Chemistry,
International School Amsterdam
Double Session
Making sense of recent trends in the teaching, learning and understanding
of science; strategies that work for us in the development of a more
constructivist curriculum. The workshop provides a snapshot of our experiences including a brief
introduction to recent pedagogical trends, samples of classroom experiences,
assessment rubrics that reflect the fusion of IBMYP criteria with thinking
skills and routines, and ideas on how to set up tasks so that they isolate
and confront students' misconceptions. You will also get to try out a fun
activity which aims to emphasize the importance of providing students with
the opportunity to think through science.
Dick Baltussen, Math/Computer teacher
and Jennifer Klem, English and
Humanities teacher, International School of Geneva
Single Session
Connecting Students and Teachers for Success The goal of the program is to encourage students to be life-long learners by
helping them be successful. This presentation is about an
inter-communication program that connects all teachers with their students
to help students reach their fullest potential academically and personally.
We will share a software program created at the International School of
Geneva that tracks student progress on a regular basis. This program allows
teachers to be aware of their students? personal, academic, emotional and
behavioral concerns that may affect a pupil's progress. This software is a
user friendly, time saving all-in-one communication program. We will present
the software and ways we have successfully used it at our school.
Dawn Walters, Math Teacher, American
School of Warsaw Warming up to Math Single Session
Do you ever struggle to start off your class on the right note? Are you
looking for fun and different ways to start your lesson? Come get some
ideas about warm up activities for a middle school math classroom that get
students working and enjoying themselves. I will share some that I use and
give you some copies to take back to your school to try. Please feel free to
bring your own ideas to share with the group.
Andrew Peter Kay, MYP Visual Arts
Teacher, Copenhagen International School
Single Session Visual Arts: Low & High Technologies
This session will focus on the role of technology in the Visual Arts at
Copenhagen International School. A wide variety of projects and students?
artwork will be presented in a variety of diverse media, of both low and
high technologies. Examples of Integrated Units and Inter-Disciplinary work
will also be illustrated. The role of technology in Visual Arts will be a
topic for open discussion. Please see the Middle School section in the
Copenhagen International School "Online Gallery" for an introduction to the
Program:
http://www.cis-edu.dk/vaWeb/index.htm
Michele Velthuizen, Middle School
Librarian, American School of The Hague
Single Session If our students aren't reading for pleasure shouldn't we be worried?
Help your students become avid, lifelong readers through a simple,
fun-filled reading incentive program that works! Students who read for
pleasure tend to do well academically. Why? Find out about the correlation
between reading for pleasure and reading for information comprehension. No
matter what subject you teach, you can provide your students with an
opportunity to become avid readers through a simple, but fun-filled reading
incentive program. Once they acquire good reading skills, students will
improve academically. As the saying goes: "Readers are leaders." Let's turn
our students into the widely-read and broadminded leaders of the future by
getting them excited about books now, in the Middle School.
David Criden,
ESL Co-ordinator, Hayley Larsen, Head of
Languages, Justin Rasmussen, Science
Teacher, Copenhagen International School
Single Session The Challenge of Creating School Wide Language Policies
This session
will look at how Copenhagen International School has responded to the
publication of the IBO Middle Year Programme Second-language Acquisition and
Mother-tongue Development guide and recent research in the field of
bi-lingual education. It will focus on the on-going experience of developing
a school wide language policy and the particular concerns of implementing
such a policy in our international school environment. This workshop will
concentrate in particular on the task of involving parents, teachers and
students in this process.
Janet S. Burreson,
Partner, Rubicon International
Single Session Folklore, Myths and Exploration: Curriculum Mapping Sagas from the
Vikings
Much like the seafaring Danes who set sail to establish new homelands,
schools world-wide are embarking on electronic curriculum expeditions of
their own and discovering new worlds of curriculum enhancement. While the
Vikings equipped themselves with sturdy longships displaying dragon heads
and shields, schools world-wide are using new electronic tools to support
their curriculum journeys, to carry their academic work to new places, build
stronger teaching and learning communities and hopefully leave a legacy for
those to come. This workshop will provide participants the opportunity to
explore the myths and facts of successfully navigating the fjords of
curriculum mapping.
Katherine Krom, Humanities teacher and
Bert Jensen, European Environmental
Agency, Copenhagen International School
Single Session Everyday Environmental Education Everyday Environmental Education In this hands on session participants will engage with inquiry based
activities for students that examine aspects of environmental
sustainability. The focus will be on ICT, interactive class simulations and
units of work designed for a deeper awareness of environmental issues. In
conjunction with a representative from the European Environmental Agency,
discussion will focus on what teachers feel they need to be able to
incorporate this into their classroom, and sharing of practical ways to
create change in everyday living. Bring your ideas, suggestions and
innovative lessons! Materials provided are suitable for 5-10 classrooms.
Katherine Farnsworth,
5th grade LA teacher, Michele Velthuizen,
Middle School Librarian, and April Marvin,
IT teacher, American School of The Hague
Single Session Book Covers: a dynamic way to present student independent reading,
integrating research and IT skills
How do you get students excited about reading independently? How do you make
them proud of their work? Here's a great alternative to the traditional book
report. Our collaborative team of three has designed a three-week unit
integrating language arts, research and IT skills. Students create original
book covers that demonstrate a good understanding of the writing/research
process, the content of the novel, as well as layout and graphic design.
Ben Ward
and Alison Black-Storm, Copenhagen
International School
Single Session Team Peru This session outlines a current, exciting project "Team Peru" that
involves collaboration of teachers, students and parents. The project
highlights links to the curriculum and out of classroom experiences as well
as addressing key concepts related to fundraising, charities and
sustainability. Team Peru aims to bring the students learning alive with a
16day trip to Peru in April 2005. The students will gain a real
understanding of how the money that they have raised will be spent as well
as work with the children, and make humanities videos to be shown to their
peers. This session provides ideas on how you can implement such a project
in your school.
Camille Price,
Grade-Level Coordinator, Library Assistant and Health Teacher, International
School of Amsterdam
Single Session "You can't fool us!": How teaching media literacy can promote positive
body image and prevent eating disorders.
Research indicates that teaching the signs and symptoms of eating disorders
can do more harm than good. This presentation provides alternative
strategies for effective student workshops and recommends a whole-school
approach to the promotion of positive body image. This session is relevant
for all educators with an interest in student welfare.
Paul Griffiths
and Camille Price, Language Arts and
Grade Level Coordinators, The International School of Amsterdam
Single Session Supporting EAL Learners in the Mainstream Classroom
"If learners from non-English speaking backgrounds are to experience
equal educational opportunities, they need support in their language and
literacy development and an environment which is conducive to their
learning."
Burke, Debra. ESL in the Mainstream Participant Manual. South Australia:
DECS Publishing, 1999.
As international educators, we face added challenges when striving for
inclusivity in our classrooms. Teachers from the International School of
Amsterdam have benefited from following the EAL in the Mainstream course and
wish to share the awareness they gained. This session will explore current
theories in EAL education and provide resources and practical strategies for
immediate implementation in schools. It is relevant for middle school
educators across all disciplines.
Karen
Dunmire, Middle School Principal, American School of Warsaw
Single Session Building Our Middle Schools: Where Are We Going and How Will We Know When
We Are There?
Develop a rubric of your middle school to guide development to the next
step. What is in place, what should be in place, and how do you move
forward?
David Lightbody Leadership and “Follower-ship” in the international classroom
Two highly important concepts in international education will be explored
practically through an original implementation of ensemble technique in the
classroom. Following the example of theatre and theatre education,
ensemble-building as a tool for creating enhanced learning environments, and
as a model for structuring the curriculum has become increasingly popular.
What is often misunderstood, however, is the difficult and crucial dynamic
of a successful, highly-performing ensemble. It seems ideally egalitarian to
imagine a cooperative classroom or team environment in which everyone
participates equally and evenly at all times. And yet, this would be deadly
to watch on stage, and is a poor model for a healthy working ensemble in the
classroom. In fact, the most important skill in ensemble work is knowing how
to assume leadership, when it is needed, and just as quickly reveret to
following. A well-built ensemble is comprised of many leaders and followers
at once, and has acquired a finely-honed sense of where that balance lies,
how it shifts and corrects itself, and how, ultimately, it is resolved. Our
goal is to help students to understand the dynamics of these vital life
skills in the safe and supportive environment that exists within the working
classroom ensemble, and to feel especially safe experimenting with both
leadership and “followership” as co-existing responsibilities in the
ensemble technique. Activities explored will be applicable to all ages and
subjects. This workshop is suitable for all teachers.
Bill
Britt, Teacher at the American School of the Hague and
Bret Anderson, Teacher at the American
International School of Budapest Science Geeks Show and Tell
What do chewing gum, alka-seltzer and Bacardi marinated brine shrimp have to
do with 8th graders and designing experiments? Stop by the Science Geeks
session and find out. Pocket protectors not necessary. All science teachers
invited to bring your favorite lesson plan, resource, or activity. Live
demonstrations with audience participation welcome. Bring handouts to share.
It is best if you can bring your own materials but you can E-mail Bret at
anderson.b@nk.aisb.hu if you need
equipment.
