teachers' conference 2012

Biography: Michael Lambert Coupled with a heart for the Greater China community, Michael currently teaches middle school in Shanghai, and previously taught at Hong Kong International School. Michael has written several articles related to visual literacy. Along with his passion for teaching, he brings a background in cognitive science and project-based learning. Even after 25 years of teaching in Asia, Michael still maintains a childlike wonder and curiosity.

Michael Boll is an Apple Distinguished Educator and works as a technology coach and middle school instructor at Concordia International School in Shanghai, China. His web presence can be found at http://www.mrboll.com and http://www.autismpodcast.org As a Technology Coach, Michael is an enthusiastic designer and presenter of professional development workshops. However, Michael understands that some of the best coaching is done in a one-to-one situation. As a middle school educator, Michael enjoys working with distracted students and offering them, and their parents, systems and strategies to help them function more effectively in a busy school environment.

Topic: 1:1 Laptop Program
Title: Laptops in the classroom: the good, the bad and the awesome
Description: Students have the computers/technology and there is an increasing number of learners using their own iPads, smart phones, FlipCams, a variety of netbooks, etc. It's a BYOT (Bring Your Own Technology) classroom. With numerous websites, applications, and various media tools, the classroom and the curriculum are in a 'disruptive' environment. With new possibilities come new challenges. But these new problems have to be viewed and addressed in new ways. In this workshop we will look at the following focus questions: 1. What types of projects are successful because of a 1:1 program?
2. How does the facilitator harness the power of a laptop program to effectively increase student learning?
3. How can the BYOT program change instruction in such a way students use their time wisely and not become distracted?
4. What are effective classroom management strategies in the 1:1 environment?
5. In what ways can the laptops affect how one can assess achievement?
In this session the co-presenters will discuss and debate the crucial issues involved in creating a 1:1 program and fostering its growth. The co-presenters have been starting and managing 1:1 programs for more than 10 years and have run into a lot of pitfalls in their time.

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Biography: Jill Bromenschenkel is an advocate for all students' access to literacy and content, especially through systemic & collaborative 21st Century practices. She has teaching, administrative and instructional coaching experience in the US and International schools in Asia. Jill began her educational career as a classroom teacher and has also served as an ELL teacher, K12 ELL Coordinator, District Literacy & Integration Coordinator, Education Specialist, and Middle School Principal. As an independent consultant, she works closely with schools to develop systems for student immersion, academic access, technology connections, and collaborative professional learning. Jill is currently pursuing her doctorial degree in Learning Technologies with Pepperdine University and is looking forward to more of the 'tomorrow' our students are living in today! Connect with Jill on Twitter: @JillBromen and the Connectivity Learning facebook page: http://tiny.cc/FBConnect

Topic: ESL, ELL
Title: Engage Me! Academic Language Interaction for ELLs
Description: How are we meeting the challenge to engage ELLs (and all students) in authentic academic language interaction, especially in content area settings? And, how are we tapping into today's technology and digital tools to foster academic communication and collaboration opportunities, with ESL students in mind? Participants will gain take-away tools and resources that result in deepened student engagement and language and content achievement, including: 21st century approaches to collaboration and co teaching, planning and communication, effective interactive classroom structures, and digital tools to empower ELLs.

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Biography: Ben Cornelius is currently a professor of mathematics at Oregon Institute of Technology. He received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. He taught high school mathematics at Pan American Christian Academy in Sao Paulo, Brazil and in San Diego, California before joining OIT in 1980. In 1991-1992 he spent a sabbatical year teaching mathematics at Ngee Ann Polytechnic in Singapore, and spent the 2009 spring semester at Olivet Nazarene University in Illinois. Ben has been an AP Reader and Table Leader for several years and has presented numerous weekend AP Calculus workshops and week-long AP Summer Institutes. Recently he presented workshops in Dakar, Senegal for math teachers at international schools in West Africa and in Buenos Aires for AP Calculus teachers in South America.

Topic: AP Calculus (AB & BC combined)
Title: Teaching University-Level Calculus in Secondary School
Description: This workshop is geared toward teachers who are relatively new to teaching university-level courses, such as Advanced Placement Calculus (or interested in teaching it in the future). There will also be information that will likely be of interest to experienced advanced Calculus teachers. We will look briefly at the major topics that are common to Calculus AB and BC, focusing on teaching strategies and common student mistakes. Some of the topics will be examined through simple representative problems and others will be illustrated using past exam questions, both multiple choice and free response, allowing participants to gain insight into the AP course, how the exam is graded, and what students need to do in order to succeed on the exam and in university-level mathematics courses.

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Biography: Formerly a classroom teacher and teacher educator in her native Kentucky and currently a teacher educator at Brigham Young University, Dr. Monroe has devoted her career to education at virtually all levels. Active with professional development for teachers in many locations, her passion for mathematics teaching and learning is also a driving force in her mathematics education courses at BYU. An author, speaker, and consultant, she is especially interested in the intimate link between language and mathematics and enjoys helping teachers and their students understand and use the language of mathematics. She believes that "math is all about relationships" - it is no coincidence that she sees the wonder and interconnectedness of nature through the eyes and mind of a mathematician during her travels. Yet she is always eager to return home to the people and values that anchor her life - her family, her friends and colleagues, and her church. Her hobbies include writing poetry on occasion, listening to county music, reading, and, yes, traveling.

Topic: Elementary Math
Title: Helping Learners Develop Mathematical Practices That Yield
Description: The major goal of mathematics instruction - mathematical understanding- seems elusive for many learners, and knowing how to help them accomplish that goal may seem elusive to their teachers as well. Yet there are ways students can learn to think about and do mathematics, called mathematical practices (included in the common core and other standards), that yield "uncommon" understandings. Session participants will engage in tasks that illuminate these mathematical practices and learn strategies to teach them to their students.

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Biography: Marilyn George has been the associate executive director of the Accrediting Commission for Schools, the Western Association for Schools and Colleges (WASC), since 1987. In addition to her knowledge of international accreditation and ongoing school improvement her areas of expertise are school curriculum/ instruction/ assessment and professional development. As the associate executive director, her responsibilities for the entire WASC region include: working with international, national and state governments, WASC partner associations, school districts and individual schools in developing and refinement of overall policies, understandings, and detailed procedures; creating/ refining accreditation criteria, materials and processes; developing/ conducting/ facilitating training for all visiting committees/ school leaders; training of trainers; supervising and organizing visiting committees and improving related office operations; advising and working with educators and professional associations; and assisting the executive director with numerous tasks/ issues. Prior to joining WASC, she has taught at the K-12 and college levels and has been a professional development specialist, a trainer, a consultant, and a high school district administrator of professional development and state/ federal programs. She has given presentations and written articles and other publications in the areas of staff development, mentoring, and accreditation. Her degrees are from Westminster College (B.S.), University of Wisconsin, Madison (M.S.), and University of California Los Angeles, UCLA, (Ed.D).

Topic: Serving as a Visiting Committee Member and Conducting a Self-Study
Title: Serving as a Visiting Committee Member and Conducting a Self-Study
Description: This session will (1) prepare educators to serve on WASC visiting committees, emphasizing the role and responsibilities of a WASC visiting committee member, and (2) examine the essentials of the Focus on Learning process and its adaptability from a self-study perspective.

Who should attend?
- Representatives from schools conducting future Focus on Learning self-studies.
- All interested teachers and other educators who have never served on an accreditation team or have served previously but are eager to learn more about serving on a Focus on Learning team.
- All teachers and other educators who are serving on Focus on Learning teams, if they have not participated in a recent training.

Why attend?
- The session will provide an opportunity for educators…
- To strengthen their understanding of Focus on Learning process from a school self-study and visiting committee perspective.
- To understand how Focus on Learning can be integrated with other school initiatives such as strategic planning
- To examine strategies inherent in Focus on Learning that support the school’s assessment of student learning in relation to schoolwide learning results and curricular objectives/standards.
- To become eligible to serve on visiting committees.

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Biography: Doug Johnson has been the Director of Media and Technology for the Mankato (MN) Public Schools since 1991 and has served as an adjunct faculty member of Minnesota State University since 1990. His teaching experience has included work in grades K-12 both here and in Saudi Arabia. He is the author of six books including Teaching Right from Wrong in the Digital Age; Machines are the Easy Part; People are the Hard Part; and The Classroom Teachers Survival Guide to Technology (forthcoming). His long-running column "Head for the Edge" appears in Library Media Connection. Doug's Blue Skunk Blog averages over 50,000 visits a month, and his articles have appeared in over forty books and periodicals. Doug has conducted workshops and given presentations for over 130 organizations throughout the United States and internationally and has held a variety of leadership positions in state and national organizations, including ISTE and AASL.

Topic: School Library Program Improvement
Title: Facing Our Challenges in Positive Ways
Description: Today's school libraries seem beset by challenges and the need for change. This workshop will help the participant develop and use effective change strategies that are practical, effective and that truly help increase budgets, improve working conditions, and make the library media program essential to student learning. The workshop will help the participant learn how proactive, collaborative planning and reporting efforts based on needs assessments can have a tremendous impact on the support given to media program by teachers, administrators and the community and how to devise a powerful communication strategy.

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Biography: Lori Langer de Ramirez began her career as a teacher of Spanish, French and ESL. She holds a Master's Degree in Applied Linguistics and a Doctorate in Curriculum and Teaching from Teachers College, Columbia University. She is currently Chair of the ESL and World Language Department for Herricks Public Schools in New York.
Lori is the author of books and articles on the topics of technology, diversity and language teaching. Her interactive website (www.miscositas.com) offers picturebooks, videos, thematic units and other curricular materials for teaching world languages.
Lori has presented workshops at conferences and in schools in the U.S. and internationally. She is the recipient of the Nelson Brooks Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Culture, several NEH grants, and a Fulbright. Her areas of research and curriculum development are multicultural education, interdisciplinary and content-based teaching, folktales and authentic materials, and Web 2.0 tools.

Topic: ESL and Foreign Languages
Title: Folktales, Fables and Stories for the Language Classroom
Description: Using folktales as the thematic center, teachers can incorporate language, content and culture into their lessons. Activities will be shared that involve students in using their language to make connections to other disciplines as they explore these culturally-rich stories. The presenter will: * provide a rationale for using folktales as a thematic center in curriculum planning * present sources and resources for stories * address ways to adapt stories to meet diverse proficiency levels * demonstrate pre-and post-reading/listening activities * work with small groups on the initial planning of a story-centered thematic unit for their own classroom.

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Biography: Danny Lawrence taught English for 30 years in North Carolina and AP English for 16 years at the Career Center. He taught three or four AP classes of about thirty students each and served as the department chair. During his career, he taught every grade level and English class from seventh grade to second year college English, and he still finds the AP curriculum the most challenging and rewarding. He has been an AP Reader, Table Leader, and an AP English consultant for many years. He is a National Board Certified Teacher in Adolescent/Young Adult English/Language Arts with both an undergraduate degree and a master's degree in English. He has conducted one-day AP English workshops for the Southern Regional Office of the College Board as well as a number of week long AP Summer Institutes. He has also presented at the Equity Colloquium and the AP Annual Conference.

Topic: AP English
Title: AP English
Description: This workshop is geared towards teacher who teach (or are interested in teaching) university-level English courses, such as AP English Language and Composition or AP English Literature and Composition. Participants will explore the AP English Language and Composition course in light of its focus on rhetorical analysis, argumentation, and various forms of the "literature of fact" including essays, speeches, letter, and memoir. In addition, participants will explore classroom strategies that invite students to closely read, analyze, and appreciate imaginative literature (fiction, poetry, and drama) as encountered in AP English Literature and Composition. Strategies for developing writing assignments and working with student writers will be discussed. Participants will experience key elements of both AP English Examinations including completion, scoring, and discussion of multiple choice as well as free response (essay) questions.

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Biography: Kenny Peavy currently teaches Grade 7 Life Science at the International School of Kuala Lumpur. He is co-author of As if the Earth Matters: Recommitting to Environmental Education with Thom Henley and has written and published numerous nature and education related articles. His passion is teaching students and teachers about Natural History and Ecology of the Southeast Asian Rainforests and has facilitated workshops for teachers in the field of environmental education for more than a decade. His hobbies are mountain biking, camping and leading a hiking club for his students in Malaysia. He is co-author of As if the Earth Matters: Recommitting to Environmental Education can be linked to this: http://asiftheearthmatters.wordpress.com/

Lynda Rolph is currently Head of Community at Traidhos Three Generation Community in Chiang Mai, Thailand. She has contributed to the development of an environmental education program based from a converted rice barge on the Chao Phraya River and at forest and marine sites throughout Thailand and facilitates adult workshops using AtKisson Compass of sustainability. Formerly a primary school teacher she is passionate about working with young people outside of the classroom and helping them to see their connection with the natural world. Her hobbies include camping, hiking and singing.

Topic: Environment Studies (2 Days)
Title: Environment Studies
Description: Learn local ecology and natural history as you float down the Chao Phraya River which flows through Bangkok, eventually making its way to the Gulf of Thailand. Participants will live aboard the Traidhos Three Generation Barge for 2 days and 2 nights as they take part in activities that will enhance their knowledge of local flora and fauna and compliment their classroom curriculum and lesson plans for all subject areas and all levels. They will also learn techniques for environmental education and education for sustainable development (ESD) while using the Atkisson Compass model for schools.
A visit to a local market, getting up close with Nature, team building, field research, learning games and reflection will be incorporated into daily activities and provide participants with a genuine experience of the riverine ecosystem and Thai culture.
Participants will receive further information (i.e. what to bring, daily itinerary etc.) once they have signed up.
Limited to 24 participants from any discipline or grade level.

>> Visit website As if the Earth Matters website

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Biography: Derek Selander is currently employed at the International School Manila, Philippines. He has been Elementary School Counselor for the past 9 year. Derek holds Master's degrees in Education and Special Education as well as in Guidance and Counseling. He has presented at professional conferences including European Council of International Schools on such topics as Parenting, School Climate, and Bullying Prevention.

Topic: Counseling
Title: Bridging the School-Parent Gap: Effective and transformative ways to engage parents in the educational process
Description: As education continues to evolve, so does the role of student service providers. While mainly providing direct services to students, one aspect of the role now includes indirect services such as collaborating with parents. Studies show that parental involvement in school is associated with both student academic and social success. Workshop participants will learn how to apply counseling and consulting skills to parents and parenting; leaving with a tool box of insights and activities for developing and nurturing effective school-parent relationships. This workshop will delve deeper into the topics and resources discussed in the Rethinking Parenting presentation scheduled during the main conference.

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Biography: Jeff Utecht is an international educator, educational technology consultant and author. He has worked internationally since 2002, in Saudi Arabia, China, and Thailand. Prior to that he worked in the United States. Currently Jeff is working as the High School Technology and Learning Coordinator for the International School Bangkok. Additionally, Jeff has consulted for Web 2.0 companies on educational issues. Jeff has been mentioned in several books on Web 2.0 and education and in his recent book, Reach, talks about using online communities and networks to create professional development opportunities for educators. Jeff regularly shares his thoughts on education and technology on his blog, thethinkingstick.com. To learn more about Jeff visit jeffutecht.com.

Kim Cofino is an enthusiastic and innovative educator, presenter, and consultant. She is currently the Technology and Learning Coach at Yokohama International School in Japan. Previously, Kim taught at ISB in Thailand; MKIS in KL, Malaysia; and MIS in Munich, Germany. An Apple Distinguished Educator, she focuses on helping core subject teachers authentically embed current and emerging technologies in the classroom to create a global and collaborative learning environment. Her inquiry-based, constructivist approach to teaching utilizes project-based learning experiences developed using the Understanding by Design process combined with the MYP Technology Design Cycle. To learn more about Kim, please visit: http://kimcofino.com

Topic: Technology
Title: COETAIL
Description: This pre-conference is course 5 of the Certificated of Educational Technology and Information Literacy cohort that started last year at ETC11. This is a closed pre-conference for only those involved in the year long program. If you would like information about the COETAIL program please visit: http://www.coetail.asia

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