January 2017 Newsletter

http://scottattebery.com/discipleship/teach-to-learn/

The Triannual Newsletter of The Association of American Schools in South America

January 2017 Edition Table of Contents Upcoming Events in the AASSA Region 3 From Your Executive Director 4 Our Next Major Event AASSA Educators’ Conference in Rio de Janeiro 5 Congratulations to the Newly-Elected AASSA Board Members 9 A Tribute to Dr. William Scotti 10 International Educational Leadership Award 11 Student Scholarships and Awards 12 AASSA Global Citizen Award (Sponsored by TIECARE ) 13 AASSA Newest Members 14 School-Based Institutes 14 Consultant Search Service 15 Child Protection Team Training 16 Join AASSA’s Blog! 16 Tech Unconference #QuitoLearns 16 A Glimpse Ahead to Next School Year’s Conferences 17 Practical Strategies for Making Math Truly Work for All Students Institute 22 What’s Next for Your Top Performing School? 23 Using Student’s Home Language as a Resource to Learn a New One 27 VocabularySpellingCity Hosts Webinar with Literacy Expert Tim Rasinski, Ph.D. 30 Kindness Week at Lincoln International School 32 EVAC 2016: Inquiry, Constructing and Connecting Knowledge 38 Personnel Medical Needs and General Liability Top Losses for International Schools 44 Making Global Connections 50 Colegio Atid: Recognized by Apple 54 Unlearning for Deeper Learning 58 Tech Tools for Education: What to look for in 2017 63 Fiestas Decembrinas: Hacia la Promoción del Multiculturalismo 71 Collaboration/Differentiation/Co-Teaching The Journey 76 Teaching the Literacy Process in Preschool: My Impressions 84

January 2017 Edition

Upcoming Events in the AASSA Region

AASSA Calendar of Upcoming Events 2016-2017 (as of 1/2/2017)

Event Venue Dates Deadline

WIDA International Academy Carol Morgan School, DR February 16-19

The Columbus School, Session I: Feb. 17- Cognitive Coaching Institute (Session I) Medellin 20 Project Based Learning Transforms the Academia Cotopaxi, Quito February 18 Classroom Deeper Learning in Our Project-Based Cayman International School February 27-28 World AASSA Global Citizen Award Deadline: March 3

Next Frontier Institute Graded School, Sao Paulo March 5-7, 2017

Social Emotional Learning Institute Graded School, Sao Paulo March 9-11 International School of GIN Conference March 9-11 Panama Meeting Today’s PreK-12 Technology Colegio ATID, Mexico City April 3 & 4 Challenges

WIDA International Symposium Graded School, Sao Paulo March 25 & 26

Hotel Reservations: Pre-Conference: Guaranteed if by American School of Rio de March 29 January 25 AASSA Educators’ Conference Janeiro Main Conference: March 30-April 1, Registration: March 8 AASSA Newsletter Articles Due May 8 2017-2018 Events

Hotel Deadline: AASSA Business Managers’ Institute Aventura, FL July 17-19 June 16

AASSA Governance Conference Kendall, Miami September 14-16

WIDA Annual Conference Tampa, Florida October 16-19

Graded School, Sao Innovate Conference October 18-21 Paulo Grand Hyatt AASSA Recruiting Fair November 30 - Dec 3 Buckhead, Atlanta American School of AASSA Educators’ Conference March 21-24, 2018 Quito, Ecuador

January 2017 Edition Page 3 Back to TOC FromFrom Your Your ExecutiveExecutive Director Director

Welcome to 2017 and the hope that springs eternal with each New Year! As one looks at the world situation, it is clear that education and internationalism--the cornerstones of our schools-- are more essential than ever in the face of a seeming rejection of globalization, “the other,” and even facts themselves. For an optimistic view of the successes of the past year, visit Future Crunch’s article 99 Reasons 2016 Was a Good Year at: https://medium.com/future-crunch/99-reasons-why-2016-has-been-a- great-year-for-humanity-8420debc2823#.yw7sdu989. I think you will quickly conclude that these successes all depended upon education and the advancements that education fosters. On another note, I would like to inform you that the 2017-2018 academic year will be my final year as AASSA’s Executive Director. Miriam and I have decided to transition to some semblance of retirement, having reached ages that we cannot really fathom! The AASSA Board will announce the specifics of the application process for a new Executive Director in the coming months. Because of the complexity of AASSA’s operations, I will stay on an additional year in a support role to my successor. While it is very hard to believe that I am at the point in my life to even convey this news, I am entering my own transition knowing that I am one of the most fortunate people on the planet to have spent the past decade working with and for committed AASSA Board members to support the schools in our region filled with wonderful and dedicated professionals. I look forward to relishing the next 18 months and all that this time will bring.

January 2017 Edition Page 4 Back to TOC Our Next Major Event AASSA Educators’Our Next Conference Major Event in Rio de Janeiro AASSA Educators’ Conference in Rio de Janeiro

Hosted by the American School of Rio Pre-Conference: March 29 Main Conference: March 30-April 1

Based on the theme of (Re), the conference design is centered around a collaborative think-tank whose aim is to (re)think and (re)invent international education. The conference will feature 3 keynoters (Craig Johnston, Michael Ehrhardt and Myron Dueck) who will challenge, respectively, the current system of international education.

We will have a wide variety of sessions (see schedules below), most of which will be collaborative by design: Teacher Workshops, Ted Talk workshops, cohorts each day of the conference, reverse mentoring sessions led by EARJ students, two Edcamp sessions, and a Learning Fair Gallery. In addition, we are planning an all-day institute each day for up to 100 conference participants to work with our three presenters to drill deeper into the reinvention.

RESERVE HOTEL ROOMS THROUGH THE AASSA WEBSITE ONLY IDEALLY BEFORE JANUARY 25th to guarantee reservations: http://www.aassa.com/page.cfm?p=790

We have great group rates at a Marriott complex (Residence Inn and Courtyard) about 20 minutes from Barra di Tijuca campus, the site of the conference.

January 2017 Edition Page 5 Back to TOC Back to TOC

Please also register for the conference as soon as possible since registrations will be capped at 700 participants! The ultimate registration deadline is March 8th.

Overview of Pre-Conference Sessions: March 29th

1. Leadership in Focus: Barry Dequanne

This workshop is designed for both experienced and aspiring leaders and will focus on strategies related to developing a range of leadership skills, transitioning into different leadership roles related to situation and position, and considering the elements of successful educational leadership. The key focus areas will include creating a positive and productive organizational culture, developing mutually beneficial relationships, promoting clear and transparent communication, thinking and planning strategically, and assuming a healthy and proactive life balance.

2. Instructional Coaches Retreat: Matt Hajdun

Are you currently an instructional coach in the AASSA region? Are you interested in becoming an instructional coach in the future? Are you a Curriculum Coordinator or Director of Teaching and Learning that works directly with teachers or instructional coaches? Does your work include observing teachers and students with the goal of enhancing professional practice and student learning? Do you support teachers in instructional planning? If you answered yes to any of these questions, this AASSA Instructional Coaching Retreat may be right for you!

Retreat Goals:  enhance the international professional community of coaches through networking and sharing of models/resources  enrich our collective professional practices through short presentations  explore research around best practices for instructional coaching  engage in professional dialogue about our coaching by sharing videos of our own coaching conversations with coachees  and other goals defined by participants/interest

The focus of the retreat is built around building the network of coaches in Latin American and to share resources relating to instructional coaching (feedback tools, protocols, observation templates, etc). The goal is NOT to build a coach's capacity in content areas (ie- Writer's Workshop). If you have any questions or comments, please contact Matt Hajdun, [email protected] or Skype: matt.hajdun

January 2017 Edition Page 6 Back to TOC Overview of Main Conference, March 30 – April 1 Below are overview schedules for each day. As you will note, there will be a 100-person Institute each day, which participants will register for in the conference app. Ideally, we will have up to 100 different people each day take part in these Institutes, which will be highly interactive and aimed at redesigning international education.

For detailed information and to register, visit the AASSA website: http://www.aassa.com/page.cfm?p=788

January 2017 Edition Page 7 Back to TOC Back to TOC

January 2017 Edition Page 8 Back to TOC Congratulations to the Newly-Elected AASSA Board Congratulations to the Newly-ElectedMembers AASSA Board Members Board elections were held at December’s annual Business Meeting of the Association in Atlanta. Catarina Song Chen was reelected for a three-year term, and Richard Boerner was newly elected to the Board. Officers were then elected, resulting in the following structure through December 2017: Madeleine Heide, President (2014-2017) Academia Cotopaxi, Quito, Ecuador

Catarina Song Chen, Vice-President (2013-2019) American School of Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Michael Martell, Secretary (2014-2017) Lincoln School, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Eric Habegger, Treasurer (2015-2018) Colegio Nueva Granada, Bogota, Colombia

Kelly Kramer (2015-2018) Colegio Internacional de Caracas, Venezuela

Richard Boerner (2016-2019) Graded School, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Richard Boerner, Paul Poore, Catarina Song Chen, William Scotti, Madeleine Heide, Kelly Kramer, Eric Habegger, Michael Martell I would like to also recognize Barry Dequanne who left the Board in December after two years serving as President. Barry will be moving to Zug, Switzerland next school year and will be sorely missed by the Board, yours truly, and the entire AASSA region after serving for 21 years in our region at Lincoln School in Buenos Aires, Graded School in Sao Paulo, and the past seven years as Director of the American School of Brasilia. As Board President, Barry has been instrumental in ensuring our organization’s well-being and we thank him for his outstanding service to AASSA. Finally, I would like to also publicly thank the entire Board for their leadership, support, and the essential role they continue to play in the continued growth and development of AASSA.

January 2017 Edition Page 9 Back to TOC Back to TOC A Tribute to Dr. William Scotti A Tribute to Dr. William Scotti AASSA honored Dr. Scotti at the Annual Business Meeting in Atlanta for his December retirement as a Regional Education Officer for the U.S. State Department’s Office of Overseas Schools. Bill has been an educator for 45 years, having worked in Massachusetts, Maryland, Germany, Japan, Venezuela and El Salvador. He served for the past 20 years with the Office of Overseas Schools and has been a much-appreciated of proponent AASSA, of our region’s schools, and the students they serve. Bill and his wife Linda will retire to Boston and we wish them all the best.

Paul Poore, William Scotti, Madeleine Heide

January 2017 Edition Page 10 Back to TOC International Educational Leadership Award International Educational Leadership Award AASSA bestows an annual award on the individual who, in the opinion of the Board, best represents the following qualities and endeavors:  Leadership for learning--creativity in successfully meeting the needs of students in international schools  Communication--strength in both personal and organizational communication  Professionalism--constant improvement of administrative knowledge and skills, while providing professional development opportunities and motivation to others in the field of international education  Enhancing AASSA--significant contributions to AASSA as an international organization

This year’s recipient is Barry Dequanne

Congratulations, Barry!

January 2017 Edition Page 11 Back to TOC Back to TOC The AASSA Educators’ Conference 2017 Student Scholarships and Awards Student Scholarships and Awards

AASSA’s 2016 Margaret Sanders Foundation Scholarship Nominee This year’s Margaret Sander’s Scholarship Award nominee from the AASSA region for her dedication to and embodiment of service to her school and community is Karina Lang from the Lincoln School in Costa Rica. Karina embodies the award MargaretHosted Sanders by envisioned when she created her scholarship foundation: she is academicallyEscola Americana successful, do service-minded, Rio de Janeiro and highly involved in all aspects of student life. Karina is memberRio ofde National Janeiro, Honor Brazil Society and is involved in a wide variety of service activities from serving on the MUN steering committee and co-head for two years; she is a memberWe areof Mu now Alpha accepting Theta, a math Proposals honor society due which October held a f17irst-ever for: Central American Math League competition; she is a member of the school’s student magazine and is a member of the cross-country varsity team;Teacher in her Workshops spare time she volunteer s at a nursing home and a dog shelter, tutors both math and science students, and is involved with Spirituality for Kids.

We look forward to the finalTed selection Talk Workshops of recipients in February and hope that Karina is a recipient of one of the scholarships. Learning Fair Gallery Display

& Exhibitors' Workshops from Associate Members

Pre-Conference Institutes: Wednesday, March 29 Main Conference: March 30 – April 1

Based around the theme of (Re), the conference design is centered around a collaborative think-tank whose aim is to (re)think and (re)invent international education. The conference will feature 3 keynoters (Craig Johnston, Michael Ehrhardt and Myron Dueck) who will challenge, respectively, the current system of international education, the teachers, and the students.

The Pre-Conference on March 29th will be limited to two sessions: Leadership in Focus: Barry Dequanne Instructional Coaches Retreat

The main conference will feature a wide variety of sessions, most of which will be collaborative by design: Teacher Workshops, Ted Talk workshops, cohorts each day of the conference, reverse mentoring sessions led by EARJ students, Edcamp, and a Learning Fair Gallery. In addition, an all- day institute will be held each day for up to 100 conference participants (a different group each day) to work with our three presenters to drill deeper into the reinvention of international education.

Please take a look at the video - (Re) 2017 Conference Teaser for further information on the theme and we hope to see you in Rio! January 2017 Edition Page 8 12 Back to TOC AASSAAASSA Global Global Citizen Citizen Award Award (Sponsored by TIECARE International) (Sponsored by TIECARE ) Deadline: Friday, March 3rd The AASSA Global Citizen Award sponsored by TieCare International recognizes a student or group of students selected from AASSA Member Schools in good standing that has made exemplary contributions through a school and/or community-based service program which has led either to: greater international understanding, positive local or global change, addressing a global challenge, or changed lives—thereby setting an example for us all. Each award may be up $1,000 with funds going directly to the school for delivery to the project or charity in the name of the student(s) involved with TieCare International’s sponsorship. The recipients of the award will receive a certificate from AASSA recognizing their achievement. Eligibility: There may be only one submission per AASSA member school each year. The project must be the work of the student(s). Student applicants may be in any grade and must be able to clearly demonstrate the following award criteria:  Commitment to at least one program or undertaking which demonstrates exceptional involvement as a global citizen  Involvement in meeting a legitimate need  Actions that have led to greater international understanding, local or global change, addressed a global challenge, or changed the lives of people in a lasting and meaningful way *Note: This award is not meant as recognition of academic achievement nor will students be considered based upon the sheer number of activities in which they are involved. It is, rather, recognition of an outstanding contribution to an organization, project or charity as described above. Application Process: Please visit the AASSA website for details of the process: http://www.aassa.com/page.cfm?p=806 The deadline for submission of all items is March 3rd. Any applications that are incomplete or not submitted on this date will not be considered.

January 2017 Edition Page 13 Back to TOC Back to TOC AASSA Newest Members

Welcome to Our Newest Member Schools WelcomeAssociação to Our Escola New doest Futuro, Member Brazil Schools(FM) Kabe International Academy, Costa Rica (IM) Associação Escola do Futuro, Brazil (FM) International School of Havana (IM) Kabe International Academy, Costa Rica (IM) The Metropolitan School of Panama (IM) International School of Havana (IM) Westhill Institute, Mexico City (IM) The Metropolitan School of Panama (IM) Westhill Institute, Mexico City (IM) Welcome to our Newest Associate Member Welcome to our NewestSyna 360 Associate Member

Syna 360 An updated list of Associate Members appears on the AASSA website An(http://www.aassa.com/page.cfm?p=466 updated list of Associate ). Members Please support appears our region’s on the Associate AASSA Members website by (availinghttp://www.aassa.com/page.cfm?p=466 yourself of their services and products.). Please support our region’s Associate Members by availing yourself of their services and products. Initiatives School-BasedSchool-BasedInitiatives Institutes Institutes During the first semester, AASSASchool-Based supported 11 Institutes school-based institutes and conferences that Duringinvolved the 856 first participants. semester, AASSA Two additional supported institutes 11 school-based were unfo rtunately institutes cancelled and conferences because thatof a involvedlack of enrollment. 856 participants. Two additional institutes were unfortunately cancelled because of a lackThere of enrollment. are an additional 8 institutes scheduled for the second semester which appear in the ThereCalendar are of an Events additional above. 8 instit Weutes hope scheduled our schools for the will second take semester advantage which of these appear low-cost, in the Calendarfinancially-sponsored of Events above. events conveniently We hope our based schools in our willregion’s take schools. advant age of these low-cost, financially-sponsoredSchool heads will be events able toconveniently apply to host based institutes in our region’s during thschools.e 2017-2018 academic year in SchoolMarch. heads Stay tuned. will be able to apply to host institutes during the 2017-2018 academic year in March. Stay tuned.

January 2017 Edition Page 14 Back to TOC ConsultantConsultant Search Search Service Service The goal of the AASSA Consultant Search Service is to assist member schools with professional development needs for faculty and/or staff at a reasonable price and provided by practitioners from other schools in the region.

 No fees will be charged or paid for the consultancy, and the consultant will be given release time from their home school.

 The sponsoring school will provide airfare, ground transportation, room, board, and a local artisan gift of appreciation to the consultant

Process

1) Member schools looking for a consultant fill out an online Consultant Request form (see link below) and submit it to AASSA at least 90 days prior to the planned PD

2) Request is reviewed and approved or declined

3) If the request is approved, AASSA emails all Heads of School and Curriculum Coordinators in the region requesting names and contact information of qualified faculty and/or staff member to fulfill the consultant role. *Permission from the HOS is required for the consultant’s release time

4) Potential consultant contact information from member schools will be forwarded to the requesting (host) school so they may communicate directly with potential consultants and the HOS. Communication should occur to assess the qualifications and “fit” of the consultant to fulfill the schools’ need and to arrange and agree on dates, details, etc. for Professional Development to occur

It is the requesting schools responsibility to fully assess and determine the potential consultant’s skills and qualifications to provide meaningful Professional Development. Follow-up regarding the consultancy with AASSA is also required so please see the full description of the program on our website.

For further information and/or to submit a request please go to the Consultant Search Service page of the AASSA Website

Best Practice Documents If administrators at AASSA schools would like to source best-practice documents used by other schools, we recommend either posting your request to your AASSA Google Group or sending the request to either [email protected] or [email protected]. Submissions will then be sent directly to the requestor.

January 2017 Edition

Page 15 Back to TOC Back to TOC Child Protection Team Training Child Protection Team Training AAIE has agreed to offer Child a 3-day Protection pre-conference Team prior Training to the 2018 AASSA Educators’ Conference in Quito (March 19-21, 2018) for school teams to be trained in child protection. FurtherAAIE information has agreed will to offerbe announc a 3-dayed at pre-conference the start of the next prior school to the year. 2018 AASSA Educators’ Conference in Quito (March 19-21, 2018) for school teams to be trained in child protection. Further information will be announced at the start of the next school year.

Join AASSA ’s Blog! Join AASSA ’s Blog! Please subscribe to the AASSA BlogJoin by going AASSA to http://www.aassa.net/blog’s Blog! , enter your email in the right sidebar and then verify your email address. It’s that simple! Please subscribe to the AASSA Blog by going to http://www.aassa.net/blog, enter your email in Please also visit and participate in our other social media platforms: the right sidebar and then verify your email address. It’s that simple! http://www.twitter.com/AASSA_SA Please also visit and participate in our other social media platforms: https://www.facebook.com/AssociationAmericanSchoolsSouthAmerica http://www.twitter.com/AASSA_SA

https://www.facebook.com/AssociationAmericanSchoolsSouthAmerica Tech Unconference #QuitoLearns Tech UnconferencePaul Poore#QuitoLearns AASSA

The Learning2 Conference which was scheduled to be held in October at Colegio Menor in Quito was, unfortunately, cancelled by the Learning2 organization because we did not reach our registration target and would not, therefore, have been able to meet budget. This was a partnership resulting in a conference that was a number of years in the making, and everyone involved was disappointed: Colegio Menor, Learning2, AASSA, and registered participants.

Two amazing members of the AASSA region stepped forward to salvage what could be for those who had registered and the result was the Tech Unconference #QuitoLearns: Cárolin Escobar from Colegio Menor and Monique Flickinger from the Metropolitan School of Panama. They were also kindly assisted by Learning2 organizers.

The following site captures the unconference: https://storify.com/cescobar/learning2-became-the- tech-unconference-quitolearns

Again, thanks to Learning2 for all the planning that went into what would have been a great conference, to Colegio Menor for their year of work as a host school, and to those of you in the region who registered to participate in what was meant to be a “first” for the AASSA region. Sadly, it will also be a “last” for years to come…

January 2017 Edition Page 16 Back to TOC A AGlimpse Glimpse Ahead Aheadto Next Sch toool Next Year’s SchoolConferences Year’s Conferences 2017 AASSA Business Managers’ Institute July 17-19, 2017 Marriott Residence Inn, Aventura, FL

The 2017 conference will be facilitated by Dr. William Johnston and focus on sustainable business planning using a structure that combines strategic planning, marketing and multi-year budgeting into a single structure to guide school development for the sustainability of school excellence. The conference is designed for Business Managers, Heads of School, Development Officers, school administrators and all staff involved in improving their school’s planning process or who simply want to learn a sustainable planning model. Detailed information will be forthcoming and registration will open in early February.

January 2017 Edition Page 17 Back to TOC Back to TOC 2017 AASSA Governance Conference for Board Members and School Heads September 14-16, 2017 Marriott Dadeland Hotel, Miami

The Transformative Board Our 2017 conference will be a culminating second phase of the unique and different learning event which was launched at last year’s conference. The facilitators will again be Teresa Aprin, Kevin Bartlett, and David Willows.

Pre-Conference: September 14, 2017 Board Basics: Tarpits and Toolkits

Schools are among the most complex of human organizations, so governing them can be a complicated business. This pre-conference will cut through that complexity to bring systems thinking to our approach to governance. We’ll begin by scoping out what the work of the Board is, and is not, using some key principles and organizers. We’ll then take a look into some common ‘tarpits’, the lurking pitfalls that can bog us down and hold us back, and we’ll offer practical toolkits to support the fundamental work of good governance. The approach will be engaging and interactive, with plenty of opportunities to meet and learn from other board members and school leaders.

Main Conference: September 15 & 16, 2017 The Transformational Board: Optimizing our Impact

Great schools have a transformational impact on the lives of their students. Great Boards and leaders have a transformational impact on their schools. Throughout this two-day learning conversation we will explore what it means to move from basic transactional work to transformative work. Together we’ll define ‘transformationals’. Then we’ll take deep dives into key principles and practices that take our work to a higher level. These will include the opportunity to transform our approaches to advancement, to explore our willingness to abandon ineffective practices that are holding us back, and to take the journey from mission to measurement, taking a hard look at the evidence that we, our leaders and our schools are having the impacts we really want. As always, the working style will be interactive and engaging, as we learn from experience and each other.

The conference will be open to Board Members, Heads of School and any staff members involved in governance. Detailed information will be forthcoming and registration will open in early April.

January 2017 Edition Page 18 Back to TOC January 2017 Edition Page 19 Back to TOC Back to TOC

WIDA at the University of Wisconsin has provided leadership for educators of English language learners for more than a decade. 39 US states belong to the WIDA Consortium and over two million students take WIDA assessments worldwide. WIDA’s International programs provide research-based standards, professional learning, and assessments for 230 schools as part of the WIDA International School Consortium. The WIDA Annual Conference provides opportunities to grow professionally, learn new teaching strategies and build collaborative relationships with educators from around the world. The 5th WIDA Annual Conference is scheduled for October 16-19, 2017 in Tampa, FL. This annual event has emerged as the premier event for PK-12 teachers of ELLs. One participant shared: The most worthwhile conference in this field that I've ever attended. Variety, professionalism, insight and practicality. Outstanding keynotes and invigorating workshops in a variety of formats. Anyone who cares about the education of ELLs should attend. International educators are encouraged to submit proposals and should plan now to attend the conference as it is expected to fill up. WIDA is now seeking proposals for an international track to focus on implementation of the WIDA K-12 English language development standards and assessment system in international schools. Session proposals might address the following topics:  How do international schools use an asset-based approach to teaching and assessing language development among language learners?  What systems have international schools

January 2017 Edition Page 20 Back to TOC developed to support admissions and placement, grading processes, or community and family engagement?  How is data used in international schools to inform decisions, programming, and goal setting for language learners?  How have international schools prepared teachers to work with and implement the WIDA ELD Standards and Assessment System?

Share your voice today! Join WIDA and thousands of educators worldwide to discover what your learners can do. Details on proposal requirements and other information for presenters is available at www.wida.us/conference. The current deadline for proposal submissions is January 20, 2017.

Individualized Online Instruction with Proven Results

Take the tour to learn more! i-Ready.com/Tour

i-Ready_Ad_Lynn_International.indd 1 1/14/16 11:48 AM

January 2017 Edition Page 21 Back to TOC Back to TOC Practical Strategies for Making Math Truly Work Practical Strategiesfor for Making All Students Math Truly Work Institute for All Student s Institute Escuela Campo Alegre

By: Krisen Feren Director of Curriculum and Professional Learning

On September 22-23, math consultant Steve Leinwand facilitated an engaging, fast paced workshop at Escuela Campo Alegre (ECA) in Caracas, Venezuela entitled, Practical Strategies for Making Math Truly Work for All Students. This workshop gave teachers practical strategies for translating the vision of the Common Core into classroom instruction. Catering to the needs of teachers in grades K-10, Steve encouraged participants to look at how our tasks, our questions and the discourse we encourage in our classrooms create the engagement that leads to a depth of conceptual learning. He modeled the high leverage instructional practices of on-going cumulative review, higher order questioning, embedding mathematics in context, alternative approaches, and the constant use of representations to ensure access to mathematics for all students. A special thanks to AASSA for sponsoring this weekend workshop. Fifty educators from ECA and around Venezuela participated and we are sure that this workshop will positively impact mathematical learning for countless students.

Exclusive Materials To Meet All Your Classroom Needs!

In stock & ready to ship direct from Lakeshore Easy international delivery with no hassles, no delays Exclusive materials designed by education professionals Free resources at LakeshoreLearning.com lesson plans, printables, crafts & more!

To learn more, contact Jarrett Klein Vice President, International Division 00 1 310 537 8600, ext. 2008 [email protected]

LakeshoreLearning.com

January 2017 Edition Page 22 Back to TOC What’s Next for Your Top Performing School? What’s Next for Your Top Performing School? By Henry Cram, Ed.D. Middle States Association

Your school has earned accreditation. Your students consistently perform at the highest levels, and you have an excellent understanding as to how to continue achieving those high results.

So, what’s next?

It can be tempting to sit back and simply rest on your laurels.

But the hallmark of the best schools around the world is that no matter how well they may be doing, their goal is to outperform their previous best.

At the Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools, we offer our highest performing member schools a different path to accreditation or reaccreditation through our Sustaining Excellence protocol.

Developing, Implementing, Sharing Action Research

Under the Sustaining Excellence protocol, in lieu of a traditional self-study for reaccreditation, schools have the option to focus their time, energy and resources on:

 Identifying an aspect of the school’s education program, services and/or learning environment the school and its stakeholders desire to grow and/or improve in order to produce even higher levels of student performance or creative ways to measure that student performance;

 Discovering how current research informs efforts to grow and improve the aspect of the school’s education program, services, and/or learning environment on which the school wishes to focus;

 Developing a proposal for an action research initiative to demonstrate application of that research in the living laboratory of the school;

 Implementing the research initiative and documenting the results of implementation; and,

 Sharing what was learned from the implementation with the broader education community in the form of a colloquium.

At Middle States, we believe that action research not only helps individual schools continuously grow and improve, but that sharing that research will have a broader effect on improving education for everyone.

January 2017 Edition Page 23 Back to TOC Back to TOC Models for Academic Programs Around the Globe

Middle States also offers our member schools an opportunity to take accreditation to the next level through our Programs of Distinction.

The Middle States Programs of Distinction initiative recognizes high-achieving schools for their ongoing accomplishments in specific areas and serves as an external validation that the program is world class.

The Programs of Distinction process helps accredited schools identify strengths and areas for growth in particular program areas and provides inspiration and guidance for attaining a high quality program. The process involves a rigorous self-study, followed by an on- site visit by one or more educators who specialize in the specific program area.

Middle States accredited schools are eligible to apply for Program of Distinction recognition for outstanding programs in one or more of the following:

 STEM: Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics  Early Childhood Education  Global Literacies  Music  School Counseling  Service Learning  Visual Arts  World Languages.

In 2016, we awarded three Programs of Distinction, including Saint John’s School in Puerto Rico for its early childhood program.

We also recognized the Carol Morgan School in the Dominican Republic in 2015 for its music program.

January 2017 Edition Page 24 Back to TOC For programs that may still need to grow and improve, the process is an excellent tool for self-assessment and external evaluation, and an effective guide toward attaining Program of Distinction recognition in the future.

A 125-Year Legacy

The Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS) is a worldwide leader in accreditation and school improvement and the only accrediting agency offering these two opportunities to its member schools. For over 125 years, Middle States has been helping school leaders establish and reach their goals, develop strategic plans, promote staff development and advance student achievement. With more than 2,700 accredited schools and school systems in 34 states and nearly 100 countries, MSA-CESS is proud of its continuing legacy and its ongoing innovations to meet the challenges of improving education in the 21st century.

For information on the Middle States Association’s accreditation and program options, quality assurance and value, visit www.MSA-CESS.org

January 2017 Edition Page 25 Back to TOC Back to TOC NEW ENGLAND ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES Commission on International Education Supporting transformative approaches to teaching and learning worldwide

LEARNING “...education is not about teaching or knowledge transmission. Rather it is about supporting learning. ACE provides an excellent framework and process that can help schools start the shift.”

Yong Zhao, Ph.D., author of World Class Learners: Educating Creative and Entrepreneurial Students

Visit our website to learn about ACE, our groundbreaking new accreditation framework. cie.neasc.org/ace

January 2017 Edition Page 26 Back to TOC UsingUSING Student’s STUDENT’S HOMEHome LANGUAGE Language AS A RESOURCE as a Resource TO to LEARN A NEW ONE Learn a New One By Leticia Daza, SLL MS Teacher Asociación Escuelas Lincoln - Buenos Aires Argentina [email protected] @DazaLeticia

This past October, I had the opportunity to attend an excellent workshop at the Academia Cotopaxi in Quito. The workshop was “Academic Success in English: Understanding Language Acquisition and Valuing Bilingualism” by David & Yvonne Freeman & Ann Ebe. They talked about several topics including ways to support students’ first languages, even when we don’t speak those languages, to help them learn a new one.

In my particular case in my classroom, I constantly work with students for whom Spanish is a second or additional language; some of them don’t even have English as a mother tongue. Thus, I was questioning myself constantly about how I could make use of my students’ linguistic assets when I myself am unaware of their home language and how to make teaching Spanish a positive experience? Finally, I found the answer to this question and it is “translanguaging.”

According to Garcia and Wei (2014), “ Translanguaging differs from the notion of code- switching in that it refers not simply to a shift or a shuttle between two languages, but to the speakers’ construction and use of original and complex interrelated discursive practices that cannot be easily assigned to one or another traditional definition of language, but that make up the speakers’ complete language repertoire.”

Therefore, I decided to explore translanguaging strategies with my students. The following is my experience.

With my 7th Grade SLL class, we started a lesson about Culture Diversity, and decided to do a research project about their own countries. They would share their different cultures with the class by talking about important facts, traditions and cultures. We first started with some important data to be covered, such as: Flag, Capital, President, etc. I modeled a presentation and told them to start their research in their home language by giving them the outlines, which were in English, Japanese, Hebrew, and Dutch. Then I showed them some sentence starters in Spanish to cover that information and to support the transfer between languages. We also created a Multilingual Word Wall Bank to define the meaning of some words. I noticed that by using their first language they were able to connect rapidly with the research project in a very powerful manner, and they were very motivated and engaged. Likewise, they were grouped based on their first language (when possible) and levels of Spanish proficiency. It was amazing how they started seeking answers through one another, and how they helped each other. Also, it built stronger self-confidence with the new language acquisition, and they felt empowered and valued.

January 2017 Edition Page 27 Back to TOC Back to TOC Finally, I asked my students about how they felt doing this research project, and they all said that it was very important for them to use their first language as a mechanism to learn Spanish. I can say that translanguaging was a meaningful experience for all of us, where my students developed understanding and knowledge in two or more languages, independence and specially collaboration.

The pictures below were taken during the research project.

References García, O., & Wei, L. (2014). Translanguaging: Language, bilingualism and education. New York: Palgrave MacMillan.

January 2017 Edition Page 28 Back to TOC January 2017 Edition Page 29 Back to TOC Back to TOC VocabularySpellingCity Hosts Webinar with LiteracyVocabularySpellingCity Expert Tim Hosts Rasinski,Webinar Ph.D. with Literacy Expert Tim Rasinski, Ph.D.

VocabularySpellingCity, a game-based online learning program, is proud to have recently become an Associate Member of AASSA, partnering in its goal of improving the quality of teaching and learning worldwide.

In December, VocabularySpellingCity hosted a webinar with literacy expert and Kent State University Professor Tim Rasinski, Ph.D. In the webinar, “Automaticity in Word Learning Improves Comprehension,” Dr. Rasinski clarified some misconceptions about fluency, reconfirmed some of our ideas, and offered a practical instructional sequence to more than 1,600 educators who registered. A few highlights:

● Fluency is not about reading fast, but the ability to recognize a word’s meaning. ● Patterns in words build word recognition. ● Fluency lesson plans include deep, repeated readings and vocabulary.

Dr. Rasinski’s message reflected VocabularySpellingCity’s focus on vocabulary-building through multiple word exposures, necessary for comprehension and fluency.

Read more, and watch the complete webinar. Learn more about VocabularySpellingCity in this minute-long video.

January 2017 Edition Page 30 Back to TOC WITH

Experience the TieCare Dierence! Specialized in the unique insurance needs of international educators for more than 35 years. Health, life, disability and travel insurance solutions for any school, any country, any nationality. Premiums based on an international pool approach, allowing for predictable budgeting. Direct-bill medical networks in the U.S. and around the world, avoiding the need to “pay and claim” in most cases. Ability to customize coverage to meet any budget or benefit requirements. Knowledgeable service representatives and independent brokers who make visits to your school. 24/7 multi-language customer service and emergency evacuation through GBG Assist. File and track your claims on our member-friendly website (www.gbg.com).

Let’s talk. Visit TieCare.com to learn more, or contact us at [email protected].

January 2017 Edition Page 31 Back to TOC Back to TOC Kindness Week at Lincoln International School

Lincoln School, Buenos Aires, Argentina The Wellness Team [email protected] @healtheduteen

“Who knew being kind was so difficult”

During a week of Kindness some of our High School students took a step back from their regular interactions with their peers to look at how kind they were being. “Isn’t sarcasm, poking, wit and or a joke kind?” “it makes me people laugh?” “they are also laughing” were a few questions and comments that made each class rethink their interactions and their definitions of kindness.

On a walk to school during Kindness week, I discussed how the week was going with a colleague and friend. We discussed that kindness was an emotion or an act that we didn’t fully comprehend. That when asked to be purposefully kind, it evoked an emotional response that some of us were not ready for.

So, if you or your school is preparing for the Kindness Challenge, remember, it is just that, a challenge. It might be one of the most powerful challenges you could ask of your community. It also could prove to be a difficult challenge for many.

The Great Kindness Challenge (GKC) is a bullying prevention campaign. Click here to find out how you can involve your community. There is an official week however, with busy schedules and the flexibility of the concept, implement this within your community at anytime. The program is free and the website has downloadable resources to help you. As Lincoln is an international community, the Wellness Team adapted the checklist to suit our community.

Lincoln International School Wellness Team teamed up with the financial support of PAL (Parents at Lincoln) to bring the GKC to their community. The concept was to bring the whole school together and embrace kindness. The week comprised of many initiatives to ensure all community members could participate in the challenge.

The week kicked into full swing with a whole school kindness video, shown in every class on Monday at 8am. The video was put together by our social media coordinator Vileta Bullrich, she recorded community members expressing their ideas of what kindness was.

January 2017 Edition Page 32 Back to TOC To ensure we were continually reminded of the GKC all community members received green wristbands that read - Kindness Matters. In the weeks following many community members can still be seen sporting these bands.

Staff, teachers and parents all received GKC checklists that provided a variety of tasks that they could do to show kindness throughout the week. The tasks are supplied by GKC and can be adapted to your culture or language. This initiative had all members of our community snapping themselves in acts of kindness and bringing the community closer. The Lincoln Wellness Team created checklists for kids, staff and parents.

With the influence of technology and students love of gaming. The Wellness Team sort the service of Yau-Jau Ku, one of the school's learning coach. In conjunction with Wild Goose he created an online scavenger hunt that elementary classes could work together to complete and Middle and High School students could independently work on during the week. The app included taking pictures of you leaving kind notes, including people at lunch, reading to younger students and had the option to demonstrate your own individual kind act.

Additionally, each school (elementary, middle and high) had creativity stations in their common areas. These allowed students and staff to create kind notes, posters, drawings and over the course of the week created. The creative stations ensured students were engaged with kindness during their breaks.

January 2017 Edition Page 33 Back to TOC Back to TOC Each morning a video, quote or idea was read to each advisory and elementary class. Teachers and students engaged in conversations about Kindness. To ensure that students were seeing initiatives by other students their age, the Wellness Team showcased apps, quotes and promotional material created by youth.

The final initiative implemented by the Wellness Team and the piece that was the most visible was the Kindness Mural. The mural hung towards the front of the school and involved all members of the community tying ribbons with kind messages in a color coordinated fashion. This resulted in a rainbow effect and by the end of the week tied the Lincoln Community together in Kindness.

The week was jam packed with Kind initiatives implemented by teachers, students The Wellness Team and all members of the community. The Great Kindness Challenge is not solely student focused. It ensures all types of bullying is positively impacted by Kindness.

January 2017 Edition Page 34 Back to TOC When it comes to learning... one size doesn’t fit all

Already mastered ﬁ fth-grade science curriculum Reads high-school- Needs extra time to level books ﬁ nish assessments Needs visual Ready to learn sixth- accommodations grade math skills for computer tests Needs extra help with reading comprehension

These kids are all starting ﬁ fth grade... but that’s where their similarities end. Growth for every student means personalizing teaching—and that means personalizing assessment, too. You can’t do that with a “one size ﬁ ts all” solution. Educators who use award-winning MAP® assessments get accurate data showing them exactly what each K–12 student is ready to learn—and MAP connects to multiple curriculum sources to help tailor instruction to every student’s individual needs. Learn more about how MAP can help you guide every student’s unique growth at NWEA.org, or see our ebook on measuring growth at NWEA.us/Not-1-Size.

©Northwest Evaluation Association 2017

January 2017 Edition Page 35 Back to TOC Back to TOC The Best Websites for the Best Schools in the World.

INCREASE ENROLLMENT. COMMUNICATE BETTER. “We love Composer, SAVE TIME. Finalsite’s CMS. It No matter your size or budget, Finalsite has solutions is easy to use and to meet the website needs of international schools allows us to create around the world. And with team members to service new pages and even you from Berlin to Taipei, we can help you reach your whole sections of goals in any time zone. our site.” A lot has changed at Finalsite in the past year–learn NEDA BUNCIC about our intuitive Content Management System, FUNDRAISING AND ADMISSIONS COORDINATOR, Composer, our revamped eNotify email module, and AMERICAN SCHOOL OF MILAN more at www.finalsite.com/international Look for us at the 2017 AASSA Educator’s Conference in Rio de Janiero March 30 - April 1!

www.finalsite.com 1.860.289.3507

January 2017 Edition Page 36 Back to TOC BY THE TIME YOU FINISH READING THIS, YOU’LL BE THAT MUCH CLOSER TO RETIREMENT.

As a rule of thumb, we’re the type believed there’s no such thing as to stress the importance of a slow planning too early. Thanks to the and steady approach. However, in rigorously disciplined, thoughtful this case, the ability to process we’ve employed speed-read may prove from day one, Raymond modestly beneficial to James advisors have you. Because the sooner helped countless clients you finish, the sooner reach the finish line you’ll be reminded of with the necessary the significant value While we find the strutting resources to accomplish gratuitous, the rooster’s in starting to plan for commitment to starting early all the next things they retirement early. You is strategically sound. wanted to do. It’s time see, with each tick of the second to find out what a Raymond hand, your retirement edges James financial advisor can do closer. Which is why we’ve always for you. LIFE WELL PLANNED.

Ernesto Guerrero Financial Advisor

1939 Roland Clarke Pl. Ste 400 // Reston, VA, 20191 T 703-406-8440// T 800-356-5585 // F 703-406-8441 [email protected]

January 2017 Edition Page 37 Back to TOC Back to TOC EVAC 2016: Inquiry, Constructing and Connecting Knowledge EVAC 2016: Inquiry, Constructing and Connecting Knowledge Mrs. Ana Cristina Lopez & Dr. Paula Gordon EVAC Committee Co-Chairs Escuela Las Morochas, Venezuela

The Eastern Venezuela Activities Conference (EVAC), a regional educators’ conference was hosted this year by The International School of Monagas (ISM). The theme was “Inquiry, Constructing and Connecting Knowledge.” The two-day conference took place on September 30 and October 1, and it consisted of two days of workshops and breakout sessions related to a varied spectrum of themes associated with student-centered approach of education. These topics were all connected to the most recent and successful innovations in education.

Thanks to a generous grant by AASSA, it was possible to have an excellent keynote speaker: Dr. Michael Noble, who teaches at the University of Utah, and also works at Allen’s Chief Learning Officer since 2005. The conference hosted around 100 educators from all around the region who not only participated, but contributed to create an enthusiastic and enriching climate where all participants had the opportunity to immerse themselves in this important professional development opportunity. The conference was aimed to answer these essential questions: What is inquiry? How do we incorporate and apply these concepts to our classes?

January 2017 Edition Page 38 Back to TOC

During the second day, EVAC16 revolved around an EdCamp or “unconference” format that allowed teachers to summarize, synthesize, apply, and create understanding, as well as to share in a less formal way their questions, doubts, and any relevant information they had after the previous day’s session. With twenty EdCamp presentations taking place, it provided an awesome forum for teachers to share and explore their thoughts, understandings and ideas. Also, during the weekend, #EVAC16 twittered and many valuable insights were shared on social media.

January 2017 Edition Page 39 Back to TOC Back to TOC Our HS students volunteered during the conference, welcoming delegates and guiding them around our campus. During breaks our HS band performed and delegates had the opportunity to support our local artisans at our artisan fair, a shopping experience enjoyed by all! EVAC16 was a successful Professional Development opportunity for the region. Teachers from different international and local

schools in this region had the chance to share ideas, pedagogical practices, research based best practices, projects, and teaching experiences with their colleagues.

The organizing committee was proud of their efforts in hosting a successful conference. We look forward to EVAC17.

January 2017 Edition Page 40 Back to TOC America’s Leading Dictionary Publisher

For more than 150 years, Merriam-Webster has been recognized everywhere as America’s leading and most-trusted provider of language information. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate® Dictionary is an American publishing institution, and our websites offer guidance to millions of visitors each month.

Our student dictionaries are written to reflect the abilities and understanding of specific age groups and reading levels and are designed to help students and educators meet educational standards.

All Merriam-Webster products and services are backed by the largest team of professional dictionary editors and writers in America, and one of the largest in the world.

Merriam-Webster has a strong and lively presence online and on social media. We bring language to life in a fun, engaging way by sharing facts and observations on language, lookup trends, videos, and other wordplay, all from the editors of Merriam-Webster’s dictionaries.

Join us today.

Merriam-Webster.com @MerriamWebster

Please contact your Merriam-Webster representative, Cynthia Zimpfer: [email protected] +1-862-250-0159

January 2017 Edition Page 41 Back to TOC Back to TOC JOIN THOUSANDS OF TEACHERS AND STUDENTS WORLDWIDE WHO ARE REAPING THE BENEFITS OF THE AWARD-WINNING SERIES FOR BEGINNING READERS – I CAN READ! BY HARPERCOLLINS TEACHING RESOURCES: FOR ORDERS AND MORE INFORMATION, • Teacher’s guides available for select titles PLEASE CONTACT YOUR I CAN READ! • Audio CD’s available for select titles REPRESENTATIVE: • Downloadable activities available on CYNTHIA ZIMPFER www.icanread.com EMAIL: [email protected] • Event Kits available with materials for TEL: +1 862-250-0159 hosting story time activities 9780062266897 $12.99 9780062266897 ISBN 9780064442121 $3.99 9780064442121 9780064440028 9780064440028 $3.99 ISBN 9780064440028 ISBN ISBN 9780064441551 9780064441551 $399 9780064441445 $3.99 9780064442244 9780064442244 $3.99 ISBN ISBN ISBN www.icanread.com

January 2017 Edition Page 42 Back to TOC January 2017 Edition Page 43 Back to TOC Back to TOC PersonnelPersonnel Medical Medical Needs Needs and General and Liability General Top Losses Liability Top Lossesfor for International International Schools Schools By Scott Jacobs, Special Risks Manager, Clements Worldwide

The Clements Worldwide Risk Index Summer/ Fall 2016 edition (the third edition of the survey) was recently released with new sections focused on results for key industry segments. For the international school segment there were some predictable responses, but also some surprises.

Personnel Medical Needs

The top loss cited by international schools was personnel medical needs, which contrasted with overall respondents who cited the top loss as business interruption. With schools’ focus on recruiting and retaining quality teachers, having a top-notch medical plan is critical and this comes with costs. Given that schools may be located in developing markets, access to quality healthcare even for routine injuries may be challenging.

A client of Clements Worldwide was evacuated from an international school in the Middle East for a broken leg. Because of the remote region where the school was located, this was considered life threatening and required evacuation. This may be why one third of international schools have stated that medical evacuation is their primary medical concern vs one fourth of overall respondents. Additionally 11% of schools responded that they had to medically evacuate an employee in the past 6 months. Since the cost of a medical evacuation could be more than $100,000, it is critical to ensure that your school’s insurance policy does not have limits on medical evacuation of $25,000 or $50,000 because that may not be sufficient to cover the full costs of an event.

January 2017 Edition Page 44 Back to TOC WHICH HEALTH RELATED CONCERN DO YOU BELIEVE YOU NEED TO BE MORE TOTAL PREPARED FOR IN 2017? RESPONDENTS SCHOOLS Access to better facilities 114 28% 25% Access to electronic medical records 31 8% 6% Evacuation services abroad 94 23% 33% Spread of viral diseases 170 42% 36%

Spread of viral diseases is also a top concern for international schools. The increasing number and spread of infectious diseases is staggering. “We are standing on the brink of a global crisis in infectious diseases,” said Dr. Hiroshi Nakajim, former Director-General of WHO, in the most recent World Health report. “No country is safe from them. No country can any longer afford to ignore their threat.”

From Zika to Typhoid, teachers need to be prepared for outbreaks in the geographic area where they are working and get the appropriate vaccines. Some health plans will have dedicated medical resources to provide diagnostic services for tropical diseases.

A final consideration as it comes to medical expenses is student medical costs that are deemed the result of school activities. Increasingly school trips, including sports tournaments, are occurring in the country and across borders. A Clements client had taken students to another country for a sports tournament where a student had a severe knee injury that required emergency surgery. The bills for the surgery were over $8,000 and not covered by the student’s/ parents’ medical plan. These costs were instead covered by a Travel Accident Insurance policy secured by the school.

General Liability

While personnel medical needs was not a surprise as the top loss for international schools, General Liability as the 2nd greatest loss was. This category does also include Professional Liability and Directors and Officers Liability, which combined point to a number of emerging areas of risks, which indicate why this was also the top concern for international schools.

A primary concern of every school is employee abuse of students, particularly sexual abuse. Schools try to put safeguards and plans in place to protect students from predatory acts, but Clements has seen situations where even the most prepared school has a devastating incident. Therefore, it is critical that international schools ensure that their general liability policy does not have any exclusions for sexual molestation. Additionally, ensuring that your school has security plans in place to protect students is critical and will make a difference in any judgements during a lawsuit as the school can prove it did take this threat seriously and took precautions against such an event.

January 2017 Edition Page 45 Back to TOC Back to TOC Another area of coverage that requires critical consideration is Directors & Officers coverage. Many board members do not realize that they are personally responsible for lawsuits as a result of decisions they made on the board and can still be sued after their tenure on the board is complete.

But the most common type of liability claim will just be a lapse in judgement or accident. A client of Clements recently had an incident where a student was in a school play with a prop gun used in one scene. The gun went off too close to one student’s head, who subsequently lost his hearing. The parents filed a lawsuit. The school, advised by their insurance company, tried to settle out of court but the parents refused. Ultimately the parents were awarded $75,000 in damages, but more costly were the legal fees of over $500,000. Their general liability policy covered all these costs.

Terrorism & Political Violence

International schools cited terrorism as the risk they felt least prepared for and political and labor unrest as their third greatest source of loss. This can include anything from strikes, riots, civil unrest, as well as actually attacks. In the current geo-political environment there is no country immune from these challenges. Like every other type of enterprise, international schools need to ensure they have well-documented plans for how to react should any of these risks occur and train all employees on these procedures. Having political violence insurance may also make sense depending on your location. Taking the time to research the risks in your area including monitoring elections and other potential sources of disruption needs to be a priority to protect staff and students.

If you want more details from Clements Worldwide regarding the Clements Worldwide Risk Index, you can listen to a webinar targeted at international schools or read the full Risk Index report.

The Clements Worldwide Risk Index

We would love to have your participation in the next Clements Worldwide Risk Index to be released in early 2017. We are currently collecting results and you can fill out the survey here. The goal of the survey is to provide organizations like you with the information you need to better protect your staff and assets from international risks.

January 2017 Edition Page 46 Back to TOC Are you a teacher or administrator looking for a job in Latin America or the Caribbean?

The AASSA Recruiting Service The AASSA Recruiting Service is specific to Latin American and Caribbean International Schools.

• Typically, there are over 350 positions available annually • Our schools vary in mission and size and offer a range of curriculum including “American international,” Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, as well as country-specific programs. • Contracts may include housing, medical benefits, shipping allowance, transportation, home leave and competitive salaries. • Annual recruiting fair in Atlanta, Georgia (First week of December) TO REGISTER AS A CANDIDATE AND FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE Please contact us if you have any questions: Esther Nicolau, Paul Sicard or Paul Poore Phone: 954-436-4034 Email: [email protected]

January 2017 Edition Page 47 Back to TOC Back to TOC WIDA: Discover What Your Learners Can Do

“Several members of our staff have joined WIDA training this past year. Their participation has helped us to better understand the WIDA assessment and the various components to better align both our overall instruction and student intervention services. Your leadership with this work has been invaluable and is having a positive impact on teachers and students around the world...thank you!” – Principal

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING WIDA Academy Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic February 16-19, 2017 - Carol Morgan School Provides an introduction to the WIDA English Language Development standardsframework and assessments. This WIDA Academy will help schools build capacity for a systemic approach to serving English language learners using the WIDA resources.

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL CONSORTIUM WIDA Symposium Join our network of international São Paulo, Brazil schools that use WIDA’s research- March 25-26, 2017 - Graded American School based standards and assessments! This two-day reciprocal professional learning event is intended for experienced WIDA educators as a forum Learn more at for discussing innovation, implementation and systems wisc.wceps.org to support English language learners. [email protected] | 1-877-272-5593

January 2017 Edition Page 48 Back to TOC GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP is the center of everything we do at CIS to support our members.

Professional Development & Learning Career & Recruitment Counseling Child Protection Student Recruitment Research Symposia

Sharing our KnowledgeBase Community Survey for Accredited Schools Membership Data, Trends & Reports

Globally-Recognized Accreditation

Connecting Students with Accredited Universities around the World

cois.org

Shaping the future of international education

January 2017 Edition Page 49 Back to TOC Back to TOC MakingMaking Global Global Connections Connections Carrie Ward Colegio Internacional Puerto La Cruz Venezuela [email protected] Twitter: @Carrieoverseas

Twitter can be very overwhelming, yet it is a great tool to help you connect to different people all around the world! These connections can help improve your teaching in many ways. This is my story of how Twitter helped turn writing into a real world experience for my students. At the beginning of this year I was invited to participate in a global book exchange project by Heather Simpson, a 2nd grade teacher in Canada. Each class involved will end up writing a total of 5 books and sending them to Heather, who then emails them out to everyone involved. The other countries in this project are Canada, USA, Cambodia, India, Russia, China, Switzerland and South Africa; Luxembourg recently joined in as well for the third book.

The first book we wrote was an introduction to our country, Venezuela. We wrote all about the landforms in Venezuela, the language spoken here, Venezuelan money and even told some facts about our school. We spent a week researching, looking for pictures and writing the book together as a class. We chose to use the app Book Creator for iPad to write the books. It is an easy app for the children to learn to use and allows us to collaborate, insert pictures/videos and even record ourselves reading the book afterwards.

The second book was all about holidays and other celebrations. The students had a bit more input into this book with final editing done as a whole class. Jezabel, my assistant took the lead on this one and worked with the students one-on-one to add what they knew about the different celebrations.

Recreation was the topic for the third book. Our students got together in small groups to write what they do for games, toys, sports, hobbies, and the arts. As the year progresses and the students are becoming more familiar with the book creator app, they are doing even more of the writing independently. They also get to choose things like font, background and text color and what layout to do for each page. All of these are great skills for the students to experience.

January 2017 Edition Page 50 Back to TOC

The students have started learning about the other countries through reading each book. It has been a wonderful way to get the students involved in improving writing and reading skills, while also learning about geography. When I first told them about some of the other books, their first question was, “Where is Cambodia?” When the first books were sent, we broke out a map and looked up where all of the other countries participating are located. So now they know! They also know that the other students are reading their books, so they strive to do their best work in this real world application to learning.

For me personally, it has been a fun experience. I’ve been able to connect with these teachers around the world. We have all started following each other on Twitter and have interacted beyond the book project. When it first snowed in Canada, Heather posted pictures of her students’ reactions. One of the other teachers responded by turning the post into a math problem about how much snow there was for the kids to solve, which was then turned into yet another problem. There are two more books to write about this year-buildings and animals. We are already looking forward to writing and reading the next one!

January 2017 Edition Page 51 Back to TOC Back to TOC 00431-002-International-Conference-Ad-COBIS.indd 1 3/24/16 11:51 AM January 2017 Edition Page 52 Back to TOC Let’s Build a Strong Foundation Together

For nearly 30 years, Teaching Strategies has been supporting the critical work of early childhood educators like you. We offer award-winning, research-based, and effective solutions, from curriculum and assessment to professional development and family connection resources for programs serving children from birth through kindergarten.

TeachingStrategies.com | @TeachStrategies

Contact: Taylor Jenkins | [email protected] | +1.301.634.0818 x1816

January 2017 Edition Page 53 Back to TOC Back to TOC Colegio Atid: Recognized by Apple Alejandro Zavala Atid Press & Publications Colegio Atid: Recognized by Apple

Atid School had a year filled with success in regards to joint projects with Apple. The latest one was the implementation of Swift Playgrounds, a new virtual application to teach young children the basic concepts of programming.

In September Apple broadcasted a live keynote back to present flagship products such as the iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 2. During the presentation, Tim Cook, Apple´s CEO, recognized just over 100 institutions around the world that are implementing Swift Playgrounds. Atid’s name was proudly displayed in that list. “We cannot wait to see what these children will do throughout the school year.” – Tim Cook

It is noteworthy to mention that a lot of the institutions in this exclusive list were world-renowned universities. Their common denominator is a technologically enhanced learning environment, which promotes coding abilities and, more importantly, students’ creativity. At Atid K to12 principals, Math teachers and EdTech coaches are using Apple for its Education iTunes University materials to collaborate, design and develop a school-wide plan to teach programming. Our goal is to give children the opportunity to think creatively, be critical about their findings, work collaboratively, design systematic reasoning, find efficient processes, and make their thinking visible by creating solution-based apps.

The school is no stranger to Apple’s coding tools. Swift is the default tool used to teach the development of apps. In fact, students as young as 14 years old, are already developing different apps, which are not only functional but are aimed to help their community. An example is DAM, an app created by Marcos Abadi from 8th grade, which enables a blood donor community. By introducing Swift Playgrounds to the younger classes, the school is making sure that every student grows with programming knowledge, which is becoming essential for today’s digital world.

By working through programming lessons at different grade levels, children in early grades are developing logical thinking and problem-solving skills through block-based coding and simple sequential algorithms. In higher elementary grades, students are being introduced to structures and concepts such as conditions, cycles, events and functions. They are using all of these concepts on their interdisciplinary projects. Students will be able to use what they learn in science and math and apply their algorithm-building skills to represent abstract concepts in a visual form.

“Being part of the Apple Distinguished Program, we have the responsibility to push our students towards developing their full potential to become the best they can be.” – Martha Sánchez, IT Director

Being recognized during a high profile, international, live broadcast reflects Atid’s ambitious educational aims. Our institution is proud to get worldwide recognition of its efforts and will continue to work towards a better future with global opportunities for its students.

More information and photos in our website https://www.atid.edu.mx/edtech/programmingproject

January 2017 Edition Page 54 Back to TOC Bullying isn’t new.

But science can make it a thing of the past. Second Step lessons provide a modern solution to a timeless problem. Research shows we can prevent bullying by teaching kids social-emotional skills and training adults to recognize and respond to bullying. Together, the evidence-based Second Step program and its Bullying Prevention Unit give school staff, parents, and students the tools to improve school climate and make bullying history.

AASSA MEMBERS GET 10% OFF! New webinar for you! Second Step In a Rush?: A Quick Overview for International Schools: http://www.cfchildren.org/second-step/on-demand-webinars

Find out how: cfchildren.org/bullying-prevention

January 2017 Edition Page 55 Back to TOC Back to TOC Student Management Solutions for International Schools Manage student and staff data, streamline administrative tasks and maximize school-to-home communication

Administrator’s Plus SIS Cloud-based Student Management System for International Schools

Web Gradebook Web Portals A Responsive HTML5 Secure Online Access for Gradebook for Teachers Parents and Students

Reliably Serving Schools for More Than 35 Years Admissions Mobile Apps With Easy Online Forms and Apps for Parents, Students, Applications for Enrollment Teachers and Administrators

School Websites Responsive School Websites That Look Great on Any Device

Free demos at www.rediker.com “ AdminPlus saves us a lot of time and really meets all our school’s needs!” Rediker Software, Inc. Hampden, MA, USA 413-566-3463 | [email protected] Leandro Segura, Lincoln American International School, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Let’s meet in person! See us at the AASSA Educators’ Conference in Rio this spring.

January 2017 Edition Page 56 Back to TOC January 2017 Edition Page 57 Back to TOC Back to TOC UnlearningUnlearning for for Deeper Deeper Learning Learning By Syna Morgan Syna360 LLC [email protected]

“I have not failed 700 times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that those 700 ways will not work.” Attributed to Thomas Edison, this quote illustrates his understanding of the essential interdependence of learning and unlearning to accomplish deeper learning. In classrooms that prioritize 21st Century teaching and learning, innovative strategies for deep learning have elevated in importance. And yet, unlearning still seems left to chance.

When planning for deeper learning experiences, it would be unimaginable to leave out such critical components as clearly articulated student competencies, active engagement in real world settings or real-time actionable feedback. And yet, despite the interdependence of learning and unlearning, we often leave this critical component of deeper learning to chance. Unlearning as defined – intentional effort to undo the effect of a false or outdated knowledge or practice – becomes crucial to our pedagogy for deeper learning. We cannot imagine leaving it to chance.

Fortunately, we already have several strategies and practices in our classroom routines that, with an adjustment or two, can be useful for student “unlearning.”

Strategy #1: Quick Think, Quick Write

Designed originally as a strategy for literacy development, Quick Write has become an optimal tool in active engagement experiences. As a tool for identifying that which may need to be unlearned, this adaptation is useful as part of the introduction to a new concept/topic.

ADAPTED PROCESS: 1. Students prepare by having a pencil/pen and paper at the ready. 2. Give short explanation of new concept/topic. Explain that they will be doing a quick think and write about what they know of the concept/topic. 3. Quick Think a. Have students think (pencils/pens down) about what they know of the concept/topic. b. After 15-30 seconds (gauge by students’ fidgetiness), softly say “you may begin writing.” 4. Quick Write a. Have students write (no talking or sharing) about what they know of the concept/topic. b. After 30-45 seconds (depending on “think” time), softly say “30 seconds left to finish your thought.” c. At the end of 90 seconds (combined time), have students put their pencils/pens down. 5. Share Out: Each student shares to whole class without elaboration and without interruption from classmates.

BENEFITS: This process enables students to access their most immediate knowledge and beliefs about the concept/topic by systematizing a reflection process. The teacher, as well as the students themselves, are able to reference existing background knowledge to determine what false or outdated knowledge needs to be unlearned in order to enhance deeper learning.

January 2017 Edition Page 58 Back to TOC An added value – the low-stakes nature of the strategy provides students with the opportunity to experience a positive stress (being quick) without the distress of having to know the right answer in a timed setting.

Strategy #2: One More Thing

Adapted from the common formative assessment technique, Exit Tickets, this strategy provides students with the opportunity to share just as they are leaving the classroom or learning experience. As a tool for identifying that which may need to be unlearned, this adaptation is useful in the midst of learning the new concept/topic.

ADAPTED PROCESS: 1. As students are packing up to leave, stop them by saying “one more thing.” 2. Quickly hand out note cards, while explaining to students that you would like them to jot down one thing about the new learning that they disagree with or are unsure about. 3. Ask them not to put their names on the note cards. 4. Have them put the note cards in a box or basket as they leave. 5. Keep the momentum of students’ exiting to discourage students from overanalyzing their responses.

BENEFITS: This process enables students to voice a disagreement or confusion in a brief discrete manner as they leave, allowing for dissenting views or complete confusion to be shared with anonymity. This technique can prompt students to express the specific false or outdated knowledge or practices that they have. For the teacher, the information on the note cards can reveal patterns of disagreement and potential misconceptions that will need to be addressed in order for deeper learning to occur.

Just the Beginning

The two strategies shared above focus on the identification aspect of unlearning … ways to bring forward potential false or outdated knowledge/skills that students may have. The next step is to engage students in the actual unlearning of the knowledge and skills that are barriers to deeper learning. In advocating for the interdependence of learning and unlearning as essential for deep learning, I have partnered with educators and leaders in designing a set of protocols that engage students in intentional efforts to undo the effects of false or outdated knowledge/skills, as is crucial to transformative practice.

Syna Morgan, Ph.D. Location: Montevideo, Uruguay Email: [email protected] Website: syna360llc.com

January 2017 Edition Page 59 Back to TOC Back to TOC Bozarth, J. (2012). Nuts & Bolts: Unlearning. Learning Solutions Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/1000/nuts-and-bolts-unlearning

Danxi, S. (2017). Quick Write. Harvard Graduate School of Education. Retrieved from http://ablconnect.harvard.edu/quick-write

Davidson, C. (2012). Now You See It: How Technology and Brain Science Will Transform Schools and Business for the 21st Century. Penguin Books

Deeper Learning. (2016). Hewlett Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.hewlett.org/strategy/deeper- learning/

Jain, R. (2015). Can Stress Help Students? Edutopia. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/can- stress-help-students-renee-jain

[Photograph of Thomas electric lamp]. (2016). Home Design Ideas. Retrieved from http://npacemo.com/edison‐lamp.html#

Randall, A., Romero, A. & Schell, A. (2017). Exit Tickets. The Teacher Toolkit. Retrieved from http://www.theteachertoolkit.com/index.php/tool/exit-ticket

[syna360llc logo]. (2016). syna360llc. Retrieved from http://www.syna360llc.com/

January 2017 Edition Page 60 Back to TOC Accredited. College-Prep. Online.

Rigorous, online college-prep curriculum to help meet your students’ academic goals.

highschool.nebraska.edu

January 2017 Edition Page 61 Back to TOC Back to TOC

The University of Nebraska is an equal opportunity educator and employer. Google Apps for Education G A F E ImpactLab presented by edtechteam PERU BRAZIL CHILE BOLIVIA 1 YEAR PD PROGRAM FOR EDUCATORS

48 Hours of Professional Development 2-Day face to face Google Apps for EDU Event Google Educator Level 1 & 2 Certi ed 12 Online Google Apps Courses Collaborative Projects that impact your community Receive Ongoing PD/Project Support

Impact Labs are presented by EdTechTeam, a Google for Education Partner January 2017 Edition Page 62 Back to TOC Learn More & Register at www.edtechteam.com/impactlabs Tech Tools for Education: What to look for in 2017 Tech Tools for Education: What to look for in 2017 By Monica Isabel Martinez, EdTechTeam Twitter: @mimg

What’s next in edtech? What older tools have you overlooked that are worth a second look? The verdict is in. From VR devices to programming, and from creation apps to creativity tools, expect to see an evolution of the tools you already love and new technologies that will surely engage your students in this compilation of resources.

CES2017 The best of show from the CES2017 Conference, the largest global gathering technology trade show, has been curated by tech publications like Wired, Engadget, and PC. We purged through the winners and compiled a list of educational tools and gadgets for you to look for in 2017.

1. LEGO Boost Kit Take your LEGO® play to the next level with the LEGO BOOST Creative Toolbox. At about half the price of Mindstorms Kits, you can build and code interactive, motorized robots, models and creations with distance, color and tilt sensor technologies with this new kit. Even better, you can program it with your mobile devices.

Learn more > www.lego.com/en-us/boost Photo Source

2. DataTraveler Ultimate GT At less than three inches long, the world's biggest thumb drive is coming to your pockets soon. This tiny drive can pack in two terabytes of data.

Learn more > goo.gl/hneIsI Photo Source

3. Samsung Chromebook Plus This Chrome OS device is perhaps the coolest laptop- tablet crossover. Thin and lightweight, built in pen, millions of apps on the Google Play Store, 360 degree rotating screen, this 2.38 lbs. device is fit to be a productivity and creativity laptop.

Rollout starts soon with most resellers allowing you to reserve one before it hits the shelves. Retail price $449.

Learn more > goo.gl/Utbuim Photo Source January 2017 Edition Page 63 Back to TOC Back to TOC

4. ZenFone AR The world’s first smartphone with Tango and Daydream by Google, ZenFone AR by Asus is built for the augmented reality (AR) ultimate experience. With software like Tango, a new AR technology that changes the way you interact with the world via its ability to understand space and motion like humans do, you can expect your experience to feel futuristic.

In addition to Tango, with Daydream, you can experience high-quality, immersive virtual reality (VR) on this device as well. Can we expect the best of both worlds in this one device? This has yet to be seen, but the potential sounds way cool.

Learn more > goo.gl/mUer38 Photo Source

5. Neonode AirBar Tap, pinch, swipe, and zoom, all the features we love about touch devices now for MACs?

Get touch screen capabilities on your MacBook Air 13 inch with this plug-and-touch device for a fraction of the price of a new device. Touch using any object including your finger, or with gloves, paint brush, stylus, and even with a banana (according to the reviews).

As a designer using Adobe products, this device leaves me wanting one for for my MacBook Air 11 inch. No mention of this being available for other devices yet, but here’s to hoping.

Learn more > www.air.bar/mac Photo Source

January 2017 Edition Page 64 Back to TOC

6. Ozobot Evo Meet Evo: the golfball-sized bot that moves around the floor or table, responding to commands programmed using OzoBlockly. While Ozobot is not new to the “easy programmable robot” scene, this little guy brings new features we hadn’t seen in the Ozobot family.

Look out for LED lights, new sounds and movements, and new technology (Infrared Proximity Sensing) to avoid obstacles. Stay connected with the world via the Evo app OzoChat (worldwide messaging, Ozojis and other emotions that Evo acts out).

Learn more > goo.gl/n9Zwwb Photo Source

7. MultiSync Travel Keyboard The Mini Multi-Sync Bluetooth Keyboard can be paired with any Bluetooth 3.0 enabled device. It is wireless so you can use it with your Mac or PC. The size makes it desireable as it easily fits in a backpack, purse or travel bag.

Learn More > www.kanex.com/ces2017 Photo Source

8. Fisher-Price Smart Cycle The stationary bike's combination of activity tracking and STEM-based edutainment (via apps on a mobile device) means that kids can exercise their bodies and their brains. This pedal-to-play bike is compatible with Android, iOS and Amazon Fire devices.

Sorry fellow colleagues, this one’s for kids ages 3 to 6.

Learn more > goo.gl/gH6Mp0 Photo Source

January 2017 Edition Page 65 Back to TOC Back to TOC

9. Polaroid Pop Instant Digital Camera Portable, tiny and fun makes this printer mention worthy. Shoot, edit, and print full color photos in the iconic 3x4” format with the Polaroid Classic Border Logo. Features include: 3.97-inch touchscreen LCD, 20-megapixel CMOS sensor and dual LED flash, image stabilization, and 1080p full HD video recording capability. All content is stored on a micro SD card (up to 128 GB). Want to print photos from your phone? This device turns into a printer for your mobile phone via the mobile app.

Learn more > goo.gl/S98rfF Photo source

10. Tenka Labs’ Circuit Cubes These little cubes with built-in circuits pack in a nice punch for educators targeting STEM and 21st century skills. Users will be able to build multifunctional structures in three dimensions while learning the basics of designing electronics. These tiny cubes come with magnets, batteries, sensors and other components. They also connect to LEGO bricks, so your designs can become more complex and fun.

Learn more > goo.gl/zHQSf3 Photo Source

January 2017 Edition Page 66 Back to TOC A simple Google search for CES2017 will result in more technologies that made the list, but hopefully this compilation is a good starting point for the best of what to expect in 2017.

Oldies but Goodies: Google Mobile Apps When curating this list of tools for 2017, it was hard to leave out some of the older favorites. So here’s a listing of Google apps for iOS and Android you’ll want to explore.

1. YouTube Capture for iOS Movies on the go! Start recording in a snap, then edit and share videos of any length right from your phone. The app comes with creative commons licensed music you can use to enhance your videos. To share: upload your videos to YouTube.

> iTunes: goo.gl/5WqJwz

2. Google Photos Automatically organized and searchable, you can find photos fast and bring them to life. It’s the photo gallery that thinks like you do.

> iTunes: goo.gl/dJhNt7 > Google Play: goo.gl/szHMnb

3. Art & Culture Explore over 1000 museums, exhibits, world wonders and more from your mobile device. Jump into the museum with StreetView capabilities and Cardboard. Current events and special events added periodically from partner content providers.

> iTunes: goo.gl/Fg68lT > Google Play: goo.gl/HXEDgA

4. YT Kids (YouTube Kids) This YouTube app allows kids to discover videos, channels and playlists they love. Parental controls include a timer to limit the amount of time a child can use the app, what they can search and what videos appear within the app.

> iOS: goo.gl/MZVbhe > Google Play: goo.gl/3SyZXU

5. StreetView Use the Google Street View Camera to create your own 360 degree photos. Upload to the web for sharing with your class or the world. Cardboard option (within the app) allows you to experience your photos in 360.

> iOS: goo.gl/v0QL0t > Google Play: goo.gl/qk2FgR

January 2017 Edition Page 67 Back to TOC Back to TOC 6. Snapseed Turn your pictures into photographs. This photo app allows you to retouch, adjust perspective, re-edit, or crop your photos.

> iTunes: goo.gl/avQzME > Google Play: goo.gl/XdMjBZ

For more Google Mobile apps, check out these Google Apps Posters by EdTechTeam: GAFE Apps, Google Apps 2, Google Apps 3, and Google Apps.

About Monica Isabel Martinez Monica Isabel Martinez is the Regional Director in Latin America (Central and South America) and Southern US for EdTechTeam. In this position, Monica develops and facilitates professional development on the most current technology trends for the purpose of improving teaching and learning through innovative processes. She has developed many technology programs some of which have been adopted by districts, universities, and others that have been rolled out country- wide. Monica has experience teaching students and professionals at all levels including elementary, secondary, and higher education while working in the US, Canada, Mexico, Central America, South America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Monica has a master’s degree in Educational Technology and is also a Google Certified Innovator, Google Education Trainer, and a global Coach for the Google Innovator Academy program.

About EdTechTeam EdTechTeam, a California Benefit Corporation, is a global network of educational technologists dedicated to inspiring and empowering other educators. With 34 employees and over 250 contractors around the globe (most current or former educators), EdTechTeam has subsidiaries in Canada, Australia, Mexico, and the UK. The team operates in 48 US states, 9 Canadian provinces (and territories), 8 Australian states (and territories), 28 other countries, and on all 7 continents. EdTechTeam produced professional development experiences in 10 languages for over 88,000 educators in 2016.

January 2017 Edition Page 68 Back to TOC LakeshoreLearning.com

January 2017 Edition Page 69 Back to TOC Back to TOC January 2017 Edition Page 70 Back to TOC Fiestas Decembrinas: Hacia la Promoción del Fiestas Decembrinas:Multiculturalismo Hacia la Promoción del Multiculturalismo Por David Morán, Keyla Urbina y Luisa Vincenti Colegio Internacional Puerto la Cruz - Venezuela

Cuando hablamos de un entorno multicultural, nos referimos a un espacio donde confluyen diversas culturas. Esta es una característica propia de colegios internacionales, en donde es común ver estudiantes, padres y profesores, provenientes de cualquier lugar del mundo. Lo que pudo considerarse en otros tiempos como un problema, como una gran dificultad para comunicarse, en la actualidad se interpreta como una gran oportunidad de aprendizaje.

Así como los tiempos cambian, con ellos van cambiando también los conceptos. Por ejemplo, la palabra cultura en el siglo XIX se usó específicamente para referirse a las bellas artes, pero en la actualidad, su significado ha variado. Para Linton (1940), “la cultura es la suma de conocimientos y modelos de comportamiento que tienen en común y que transmiten los miembros de una sociedad particular”. El término Cultura proviene del latín cultus, y según la Real Academia Española es el “Conjunto de modos de vida y costumbres, conocimientos y grado de desarrollo artístico, científico, industrial, en una época, grupo social”. Entonces cada país, ciudad, región, e incluso grupo familiar, tiene su propia identidad cultural, constituida por sus tradiciones, valores, creencias, símbolos y comportamientos como grupo social.

En todo el mundo, las fechas decembrinas tienen un significado especial dependiendo de su cultura (adquirida por nacimiento o por asimilación), pues es una época de unión familiar, de

January 2017 Edition Page 71 Back to TOC Back to TOC reencuentros y de recuerdos felices. Diciembre es, independientemente de las creencias religiosas o del país de origen, un momento para compartir con nuestros seres queridos, donde se privilegia el amor con el que nos conectamos los unos con los otros. También es un período donde afloran nuestras tradiciones y creencias, por lo que nos llenamos de sensibilidad para mostrar lo mejor de nosotros mismos.

Como expresión de esa cultura mixta que tenemos en el ambiente internacional, producto de la fusión de un sinfín de costumbres propias y ajenas que hacen de nuestro país un hermoso lugar para vivir, el Departamento de Español del Colegio Internacional de Puerto la Cruz, quiso honrar todas esas tradiciones que van marcando las última temporada del año y a la vez celebrar con nuestros estudiantes la habitual “Parranda Navideña”. Ésta nació hace un tiempo como una actividad orientada a promover la venezolanidad, sinónimo de nuestra alegría, música y ese espíritu entusiasta que tanto nos caracteriza. En Venezuela, se conocía a los parranderos, como un grupo de personas que iban cantando de puerta en puerta, repartiendo diversión y gozo a quienes les abrían las puertas de sus casas. Géneros musicales como los villancicos, los aguinaldos y más recientemente, la gaita, formaban parte del “espíritu parrandero” musical que caracterizaba a este grupo de personas.

Aunque la “Parranda Navideña” del nuestro colegio estuvo durante muchos años enmarcada en mostrar lo venezolano, la edición reciente fue pensada como una inmejorable oportunidad de resaltar la diversidad cultural de nuestro entorno escolar. Se incluyeron todas las nacionalidades de nuestros estudiantes representando las tradiciones más resaltantes de cada región.

La experiencia de enriquecer y mostrar la diversidad cultural en nuestra comunidad es muy significativa para el aprendizaje integral de nuestros estudiantes, porque así conocen, comprenden y valoran las diversas culturas distintas a las suyas. Es por ello que este año honramos las tradiciones de Navidad y Año Nuevo de diferentes países, tales como Argentina, Austria, Canadá, Colombia, Estados Unidos, Italia, Líbano, México, Portugal, Rusia y Venezuela.

David Morán - @davidmoranu Keyla Urbina - @mskeylau Luisa Vincenti - @ms_vincenti

January 2017 Edition Page 72 Back to TOC Come to the HMH workshop at the 2017 Annual Educator’s Conference in Rio de Janeiro: Re-Imagining English in Brazilian Public Schools: An Audacious Experiment hmhco.com/international

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil Colombia Ecuador Peru Paraguay, Suriname, Felipe Vilar Gloria Bohórquez Julie Pisano Axel Montero Uruguay, Venezuela [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Delia Ochoa +55.11.99476.0133 +320.492.9859 +593.99.783.5029 +51.95.161.3840 [email protected] +407.462.8013

January 2017 Edition Page 73 Back to TOC Back to TOC OFFERS ALL AASSA MEMBERS 30% DISCOUNT off the black price in our 2017 catalog & website FREE FREIGHT to any South Florida freight forwarder!

Everything for every classroom!

Art Supplies! Office Supplies! Manipulatives! English as a Second Language! Decoratives! Early Childhood! Special Needs! Visit www.ACEeducational.com for over 12,000 classroom products

January 2017 Edition Page 74 Back to TOC January 2017 Edition Page 75 Back to TOC Back to TOC Collaboration/Differentiation/Co-TeachingCollaboration/Differentiation/Co-Teaching The Journey The Journey Laurie Forrester Teacher Leader, Learning Support Asociación Escuelas Lincoln Buenos Aires, Argentina

As a Learning Support teacher, I am on a collaboration journey with my colleagues in general education. Like any journey, some facets are constant and familiar, and others present interesting twists and turns including a variety of partners. Recently, a colleague (partner on the journey)* and I attempted to answer some questions we had about our collaboration journey.

What is collaboration? Why did we embark on this journey in the first place? Why collaborate? What positive changes did we make on the way? Did these changes positively impact learning? What was constant about the journey?

What is collaboration? My partner and I found many definitions of collaboration from research on the subject, articles and presentations. To collaborate means to co-labor, or work together. Our colleague, Yau Jau Ku defines collaboration in a broad sense as “building toward a desired outcome through the interactions and input of multiple people”. Author Marilyn Friend, states that collaboration is “a style of direct interaction between at least two coequal parties voluntarily engaged in shared decision-making”. The common thread that we found in theses definitions was that collaboration is a process that involves interdependence and sharing of perspectives and goals.

Why collaborate? In order to answer this question, we looked to the school’s mission, vision and core values to see if collaboration fit into the big picture and would help us live up to these ideals. The Mission Statement at AEL includes focusing on “academic excellence and developing confident, ethical world citizens”. Check. One of the Teaching Principles of our school addresses this question more specifically, “Our teaching must be purposeful and supportive of collaboration and differentiation”. Check.

January 2017 Edition Page 76 1 Back to TOC My colleague and I believe that collaboration in our classroom can be described in the following way: It is a partnership/alliance where resources, teacher experience and expertise are not only shared, but empower learning. Meeting students’ academic and social needs in a differentiated setting is the driving force behind our collaboration. Observation, sharing of resources, evaluation, reflection and flexibility are key factors which benefit an entire class of individuals with varied talents, challenges and learning styles.

What positive changes did we make on the way? We started off as two teachers in a fifth grade math class. I (Learning Support teacher) was assigned to the class because of identified student needs: one student with academic goals in the area of math on the Individual Education Plan; a new student (English Language Learner, L1 Hebrew) with documented visual motor integration deficits. There were other ELL’s, newcomers and students with learning different learning strengths and challenges. It looked like this:

At the beginning of the school year, we typically had a math focus lesson followed by independent work time, which was spent in the following ways: Responding to individual needs ● One teacher/one student ● One teacher/small group of students Or ● One teacher/1-2 students ● One teacher/5-7 students ● 5-7 students working together collaboratively

January 2017 Edition Page 77 2 Back to TOC Back to TOC After a professional development opportunity focusing on differentiation with Carol Ann Tomlinson, my partner and I decided to make some changes. We began to look at all students in the community of learners as we planned the math class together. We continued classroom observations with the change of careful documentation. We were inspired to use and document formative assessments in the form of entrance and exit tickets.

We used this documentation when reflecting and co-planning differentiated activities. While planning, we used Tomlinson’s K-U-D model, looking at what students needed to know, understand and do. We used the Universal Design for Learning as well in order to assure that we were offering a variety of ways for students to access content, engage in the process and show knowledge. Previously, our meeting times were unscheduled and happened when we had an open time. With the changes in reflection and planning, we found that we needed to schedule weekly planning time. Grouping within this inclusive setting was dynamic. Assignment to groups was organized by teachers at times, and at other times by student choice. Student self- reflection took on an important role and helped in our co-planning.

3 January 2017 Edition Page 78 Back to TOC

Interestingly enough, we found that, depending on the lesson taught, we were using the co- teaching approaches set forth by Friend & Burswick (2009).

We found the approaches outlined by Honigsfeld and Dove (2010) to be valuable in our inclusive classroom. We used the following models:

January 2017 Edition Page 79 Back to TOC Back to TOC ● One lead teacher, one teacher “Teaching on Purpose” (short focused mini lessons to individual students, pairs, or small groups) ● One teaches, one assesses (This gave us observation data for our co-reflecting and co- planning) ● One teacher pre teaches, one teacher teaches alternative information (depends on readiness level to a topic) ● One teacher re teaches, one teacher teaches alternative information (depending on formative assessment data) ● Multiple Groups: Two teachers monitor and teach

My partner and I used the Multiple Group approach as our weekly “Choice Day” developed over the course of the year. Activities from different skill areas were grouped and presented. Students chose the set individually and formed groups accordingly. Teachers monitored and taught as needed. “Choice Day” evolved into “Choose Your Challenge Day” and included content areas other than math. One student, a loyal supporter of Choice Day, wrote a letter to the principal suggesting that it be implemented school-wide.

Did these changes positively impact learning? We monitored learning through formative and summative assessments by units and found that the majority of student were mastering objectives expected for all students. When they did not meet an objective, we’re taught the skill and monitored progress. We also had the MAP testing results given twice a year. In the area of mathematics, most students were falling into the High Achievement/High Growth quadrant comparing Fall to Spring results for the same group of students .

January 2017 Edition 5

Page 80 Back to TOC

What was constant about the journey? We kept this model of collaboration from a presentation by our colleague Barbara Noel, with students present in every step in the process, in mind throughout our journey:

The Journey Continues My colleague and I continue on our collaboration journey with new partners and new knowledge. Our new partners support the school’s mission and vision and are committed to inclusive, differentiated teaching. My previous partner has incorporated Choice Day to include all content areas and is co-teaching with the ELL specialist during the literacy block. I co-teach in the area of math with two different teachers and literacy with one teacher and interesting twists and turns have occurred. Documentation of formative and summative assessments and classroom observation continue. We both have scheduled time with partners to co-reflect and co-plan. In one class my new partner and I use stations to implement re teaching, skill practice and skill extension. In another class, we use two approaches from Honigsfeld and Dove in order to impact learning positively: One lead teacher and one teacher teaching “on purpose”; one teacher re teaches, one teacher teaches alternative information.

As we continue on our journey, the number of people travelling with us increases, making the trip rich, interesting and fun.

*My colleague: Gabriella Dobson, 5th grade teacher, Asociacion Escuelas Lincoln

Resources

Friend, M. (2008). Co-Teaching, A Simple Solution That Isn’t So Simple After All.

Honigsfeld, A. & Dove, M. (2010). Collaboration and Co-Teaching, Strategies for English Learners.

Murwaski, W. & Spencer, S. (2011). Collaborate, Communicate and Differentiate! How to Increase Student Learning in Today’s Diverse Schools.

National Center for Universal Design for Learning

Tomlinson, C. (2014). The Differentiated Classroom, Responding to the Needs of All Learners, 2nd Edition.

6 January 2017 Edition Page 81 Back to TOC Back to TOC ASSESS RECRUIT TRANSITION

A TECH AUDIT WITHOUT ACTION IS JUST a stack of PAPERS

It's easy to focus on the technology. We focus on the people. Go beyond the tech audit.

EDTECHRECRUITING.COM

January 2017 Edition Page 82 Back to TOC Your partner in K–12 online learning solutions Our online courses and learning solutions support teachers and administrators in doing what they do best, unlocking student potential and transforming schools.

Kyle Wheeler International Partnerships [email protected] edgenuity.com where learning clicks

January 2017 Edition Page 83 Back to TOC Back to TOC Teaching the Literacy Process in Preschool: Teaching theMy Literacy Impressions Process in Preschool: My Impressions AMERICAN SCHOOL OF RECIFE BY ALECSANDRA MACIEL [email protected] When I wrote my graduation thesis at College about phonetics, I had no idea about how useful it would be to me when I started to teach in an international school some years later. I simply chose to write something about Phonology because I had always been fascinated by it. But when I had the opportunity to teach in an international school I finally found out how useful all of it was to me. For those who don`t know it, the literacy process in my native language (Portuguese) is very different from how people become literate in English. In Portuguese, it is crucial that we know the letter name, however, in English we should know the letter sound so that we can link those sounds and start to read words. It is nothing but a phonetic procedure. As a passionate language teacher, I am delighted by how these processes occur. My first years teaching in an international school was at the Kindergarten level. In general, one of the biggest challenges I had to face was to make students understand that each letter has one sound and one name in English. By that time, I had Brazilians, Italians, Spanish and Turkish students in my group. According to my experience, in this grade level we normally work on the phonemes first and then we consolidate each of the sounds so that the pupils can keep them in their minds. Then we face another challenge that is the fact that some letters in English have more than one sound. Yes! Some letters have their short and long sounds depending on the words they form and that is why the letter A has its long sound in “bake” and it short sound in “apple” (not to mention the letters that follow it can change its sound once more as in “ball”!). Wow… so, is a 5-year-old child able to learn that? My answer is “yes”. The first piece of advice I normally give to parents that ask me how they can help their child learn is READ! Reading is a fundamental practice to any child, especially to the ones who have embarked on the literacy journey as it is the most effective way of building the “language” neural connections in their growing brains. Also, students in Kindergarten are introduced to high frequency words for the first time. These words (also known as sight words) are intended to be memorized. I know it may sound strange for those who were raised in Portuguese and Spanish, however it is an ordinary part of the literacy process in English. Students should be able to look at these words and remember how they sound. It is similar to the process of looking at a logo and remembering what brand it is.

January 2017 Edition Page 84 Back to TOC

Regarding my recent experience teaching a Pre-K group, I can say that in terms of time it is more flexible than Kindergarten. We normally have more time to work on each letter and develop more projects such as thematic days, songs, sensory activities, nursery rhymes, poems, etc. On the other hand, at the age of 4/5 children still need to develop their fine motor skills and develop an acceptable pencil grip, and quite often we need to start to working on them as soon as possible. Activities to help students develop these skills are introduced due to fine motor movements involving the coordination of small muscles in the hands and fingers. Strong fine motor skills are essential to complete tasks such as holding pencils to color and write and therefore it is important than we make use of materials in classes and enlist parent support at home. In Pre-K, letter names and sounds are both taught in class but my feeling is that most of the students need more time to consolidate them properly and that it will probably happen more in Kindergarten. I would say that by the time my students were in Kindergarten they seemed to be more mature and able to internalize the phonemes. Of course, we sometimes have some outstanding students who go beyond expectations but in general that is the scenario. Taking into consideration that most of the students in international schools are bilingual, I would go even further to say that the literacy process begins in Pre- K and continues throughout the elementary school years. Most of time I meet anxious parents that ask me when their child will be able to read and I have to calm them down and explain that the literacy process is not that simple. Becoming literate is not only about being able to blend the sounds, decode, and read, but most importantly it is about being able to understand, interpret, and think critically about what you read. Therefore, building a solid foundation in the first years of preschool will surely enable students to become a literate person in the future.

January 2017 Edition Page 85 Back to TOC Back to TOC THE END.

January 2017 Edition Page 86 Back to TOC