August 2016 Newsletter
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August 2016 Newsletter http://hugsandbugsclub.com/ http://www.seterra.net/ https://lakeridgepta.org The Triannual Newsletter of The Association of American Schools in South America August 2016 Edition Table of Contents Upcoming Events in the AASSA Region � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 3 From Your Executive Director � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 5 Expanded AASSA Offerings for the Year Ahead � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 6 AASSA Learning2 Conference � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 7 AASSA 2016 Governance Conference � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 9 AASSA 2017 Educators’ Conference � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 11 Rio Educators’ Conference Workshop Proposal � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 12 AASSA’s Main Services � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 13 Get Involved with AASSA Virtually � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 14 Welcome to Our Newest Members � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 14 Welcome to Our New Heads of School � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 15 ASCD Online Courses� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 15 Child Protection � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 15 Margaret Sanders Foundation Scholarship � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 16 AASSA Newsletter Articles Welcomed� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 17 Colegio Menor to Pilot the College Board’s AP with WE Service Program � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 20 Aprendizaje Colaborativo: Una Experiencia de Grupo � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 22 Happiness and Learning through Cups of Coffee � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 27 Are Two Heads Really Better than One? � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 34 Middle Humans of EARJ � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 40 Purposeful Reflection � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 44 Self-Evaluation By Young Learners: This Is Possible and Real � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 51 August 2016 Edition Table of Contents Upcoming Events in the AASSA Region AASSA Calendar of Events 2016-2017 Event Venue Dates Deadline Pan American School of How to Use MAP Results to Differentiate August 26 & 27 and Improve Student Learning Institute Porto Alegre, Brazil Lincoln School, Buenos September 14-16 Restitution 1 Institute Aires Colegio Nueva Granada, September 15 & 16 CNG Learning Center Symposium Bogota Lincoln School, Buenos September 16 & 17 Lincoln Educators’ Conference Aires Marriott Dadeland September 21 AASSA Board Meeting Hotel, Miami Pre-Conference: Marriott Dadeland September 22 September 6 AASSA Governance Conference for Hotel, Miami Main Conference: Heads and Board Members September 23 & 24 Practical Strategies for Making Math Truly Escuela Campo September 23 & 24 Work for All Students Alegre, Caracas International School of September 29 & 30 EVAC Educators’ Conference Monagas, Venezuela Escola Americana do Rio September 30–October 1 International Deeper Learning Institute de Janeiro Principles for Academic Success in Academia Cotopaxi, English: Understanding Language October 8, 2016 Quito Acquisition and Valuing Bilingualism Mathematics Education Conference: Engagement and Globalization of Math Alliance Academy, Quito October 10 Education Learning 2.016 Conference Colegio Menor, Quito October 13-15 October 1 Academia Cotopaxi, October 20-22 GIN Conference Quito VANAS Teachers’ Convention 2016: Colegio Int’l de Caracas November 18 Making Connections American School of November 18-20 AASSA Instructional Coaching Retreat Brasilia August 2016 Edition Page 3 Back to TOC AASSA Calendar of Events 2016-2017 Event Venue Dates Deadline AASSA Business Meeting Grand Hyatt, Atlanta December 1 AASSA Recruiting Fair Grand Hyatt, Atlanta December 1-4 Margaret Sanders Foundation Scholarship Deadline December 5 Latin American Administrators’ Grand Hyatt, Atlanta December 5-8 Conference (AdvancEd) AASSA Newsletter Articles due January 13 Carol Morgan School, February 16-19 WIDA International Academy Santo Domingo The Columbus School, Session I: Feb.17-20 Cognitive Coaching Institute Medellin AASSA Global Citizen Award Deadline March 3 Project Based Learning Transforms the Academia Cotopaxi March 3 & 4, 2017 Classroom Graded School, March 5-7, 2017 Next Frontier Institute Sao Paulo, Brazil Graded School, Sao March 9-11, 2017 Social Emotional Learning Institute Paulo Graded School, Sao March 25 & 26 WIDA Symposium Paulo Workshop Proposals Due: October 17 Pre-Conference: March 29 American School of AASSA Educators’ Conference Heads’ Rankings Rio de Janeiro Main Conference: March Due: October 25 30-April 1, 2017 Hotel Deadline: Feb 22 AASSA Newsletter Articles Due May 8 Marriott Residence Inn, Hotel Deadline: July 17-19 AASSA Business Managers’ Institute Aventura, FL June 16 August 2016 Edition Page 4 Back to TOC From YourTeaching Executive Teachers Director Teaching Teachers As a new academic year sprouts from the relative relaxation of the long break between years, it’s worth taking stock of where we are as a profession so that we can go forward not blinded by our own enthusiasm—or worse—inertia. We have learned a lot over the past decade about how ineffective many of our long-standing practices and goals in educating 5-16 year olds have been as analyzed by the Education Endowment Foundation1, for example: having students repeat a year, block scheduling, school uniforms, the perceived importance of a school’s physical environment, performance pay, encouraging children’s different learning styles, and streaming students by ability. Our schools virtually all aim to reduce class size to less than 20, to staff classes with teaching assistants, and to hire teachers with graduate degrees, yet these are expensive approaches that are only marginally impactful. We have also managed to downplay or not implement a number of practices in spite of researched evidence that they very positively impact a child’s learning, such as: providing immediate and detailed feedback about one’s learning, metacognition (learning to learn approaches and strategies), early years’ interventions, collaborative group learning, one-on-one learning, oral language interventions, peer tutoring, incorporating digital technology, and mastery learning. The common trait of all of these approaches is that ALL require what John Hattie of the University of Melborne calls “teacher expertise.” Quotesgram.com As Thomas Kane of Harvard University noted, “Surgeons start on cadavers, not on live patients.” Yet in education we have tended to train our teachers through “abtruse theory” rather than “intense, guided practice grounded in subject-matter knowledge and pedagogical methods.” 2 An article in the June 11, 2016 edition of The Economist contends that “Great teaching has long been seen as an innate skill. But reformers are showing that the best teachers are made, not born.” 3 Ours is “an incredibly intricate, complex and beautiful craft” that requires practice, coaching and relentless assessment “like that of a top-flight athlete.” 4 The article purports that the myth of the natural-born teacher coupled with insufficient classroom practice in college prior to teaching--compounded by a lack of accountability on the job--has resulted in our profession’s being less effective than we could otherwise be. 3 August 2016 Edition Page 5 Back to TOC Back to TOC Teachers tend to become better at their craft in their first few years on the job, but then improvements tend to fade because “schools neglect their most important pupils: teachers themselves. Across the OECD club of mostly rich countries, two-fifths of teachers say they have never had a chance to learn by sitting in on another teacher’s lessons; nor have they been asked to give feedback on their peers.” 5 Our approach to professional development has to be one of working to improve teachers and teaching through exposure to new ideas followed up by ongoing coaching, feedback and clear expectations— all of which must be professionally embedded. 1 Education Endowment Foundation. <https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/ evidence/teaching-learning-toolkit> 2 “How to make a good teacher.” The Economist 11-17 June 2016: 13. 3 “Teaching the teachers.” The Economist 11-17 June 2016. 24. 4 “Teaching the teachers.” The Economist 11-17 June 2016. 24. 5 “How to make a good teacher.” The Economist 11-17