2016 ET Journal Winter Issue

The EARCOS Triannual JOURNAL A Link to Educational Excellence in East Asia

Featured in this Issue Professional Development - Admission Workshop

Curriculum Initiative - Sketchnoting for Understanding - Genius Hour Powered by STEAM New Membership Service - EARCOS Leadership Mentorship

WINTER 2016

The EARCOS JOURNAL The ET Journal is a triannual publication of the East Asia Regional Council of Schools(EARCOS), a nonprofit 501(C)3, incorporated in the state of Delaware, USA, with a regional office in Manila, Philippines. Membership in EARCOS is open to elementary and secondary schools in East Asia which offer an educational program using English as the primary language of instruction, and to other organizations, institutions, and individuals.

Objectives and Purposes * To promote intercultural understanding and international friendship through the activities of member schools. * To broaden the dimensions of education of all schools involved. in the Council in the interest of a total program of education. * To advance the professional growth and welfare of individuals belonging to the educational staff of member schools. * To facilitate communication and cooperative action between and among all associated schools. * To cooperate with other organizations and individuals pursuing the same objectives as the Council.

EARCOS BOARD OF TRUSTEES Margaret Alvarez, President (ISS International School) Stephen Cathers, Vice President (Korea International School) Diane Lewthwaite, Secretary (Fukuoka International School) Tarek Razik, Treasurer (The International School of Beijing) Stephen Dare (Hong Kong Academy) Andrew Davies (International School Bangkok) Norma Hudson (International School of Kuala Lumpur) Anna Marsden (International School Suva) David Toze, Past President (International School Manila) Barry Sutherland (International School of Phnom Penh) Office of Overseas Schools REO:

Larry Hobdell (ex officio)

EARCOS STAFF Executive Director: Richard Krajczar Assistant Director: Joe Petrone Consultant: Bill Oldread Vitz Baltero Ver Castro Robert Sonny Viray

Elaine Repatacodo Edzel Drilo Rod Catubig Jr.

Editor: Joe Petrone Associate Editor: Edzel Drilo

Letter from the Executive Director Dear Colleagues: As many of you know, we co-hosted the 2nd Annual Institute on Higher Education Admissions and Guidance in Bangkok, Thailand with our colleagues at the Council of International School. The Institute convened at the end of September and the EARCOS Leadership Conference quickly followed it at the end of October.

The Institute connected schools and higher education communities and provided a forum for students and parents to explore programs of over 150 universities from around the world. Those participating commented on the purposeful dialogue and networking opportunities, which were made available through attendance at the conference and most plan to attend again next year. The complete explanation of the conference is included in an article found in this issue of ET. The 2016 EARCOS Leadership Conference (ELC) had 1200 delegates! Our return to the Shangri La, Kuala Lumpur provided an excellent venue for the 48th EARCOS Leadership Conference. Keynoters Sir John Jones was outstanding as was Ruby Payne.

Sir John set the stage for an upbeat conference full of excellent presenters. The breakout and preconference sessions were well attended and practical. Our Survey Monkey had solid and helpful comments for our future planning. Please see our conference write-up in this issue of ET. Welcome to the newly elected EARCOS board member Barry Sutherland. Margaret Alvarez of International School Singapore and Diane Lewthwaite were re elected for a second term. Thanks go to our EARCOS school heads who attended the AGM on October 28, 2016.

The EARCOS Teachers’ Conference is scheduled for March 29 to April 1, 2017. Sutera Harbour Resport in Sabah, Malaysia is the beautiful venue for the conference, which has a huge slate of great presenters in the special strands schedule. Keynoters are Kim Phuc, Christophe Galfard, and Aaron Tait. We appreciate the hard work of the ETC teacher representatives who help coordinate registration and on-site logistics. We need the support of you and your teachers!

I look forward to seeing many of you in the next few months while visiting schools and attending various conferences and recruiting fairs. Please check www.earcos.org and Dr K on the road. I have visited 22 schools so far this year. That section of our homepage provides a good collection of photos from our colleagues around East Asia.

We are here to serve you! Have a great holiday break.

Dick Krajczar Executive Director Check out our updated website at www.earcos.org and read our E-Connect blog at earcos-connect.tumblr.com

East Asia Regional Council of Schools Brentville Subdivision, Barangay Mamplasan Biñan, Laguna, 4024, Philippines PHONE: 63-02-697-9170 FAX: 63-49-511-4694 WEBSITE: www.earcos.org

(L-R front) April Asiño, Vitz Baltero, and Elaine Repatacodo (L-R back) Ver Castro, Rod Catubig, Joe Petrone, Dick Krajczar, Sonny Robert Viray, and Edzel Drilo

In this Issue

contents

2

EARCOS Leadership Conference 2016 “Create, Connect, Commit”

6

2nd Institute on Higher Education Admission & Guidance

9

EARCOS Advisory Committee Meeting

10

Faces of EARCOS

11

Professional Development - Admissions Workshop

12

School Security Conference - Singapore American School Hosts First Regional School Security Conference

14

Curriculum Initiatives - Sketchnoting for Understanding - Genius Hour Powered by STEAM - Social Emotional Learning and Mindfulness in Schools (page 34)

18

Student Published Article - Big Problems, Complex Solutions

19

Service Learning - New ‘Goals’ For UNIS Hanoi’s Service Learning Scheme

20

Campus Development - Expand Your School, Expand Your Mind: GIFS’ New Library and Work Studio - KAS State-of-the-Art Campus (page 30)

22

Cultural Awareness - An International School with a Balinese Spirit

24

Readers Corner - Shelly Luke Wille, books that play an important role in her professional growth and development.

- Books All Educators Should Read

26

Professional Learning Initiative SPELTAC: A New Professional Learning Landscape for International Schools

28

New Membership Service EARCOS Leadership Mentorship: A status report for members

31

Press Release Alice Smith School Celebrates 70 Great Years in Malaysia.

32

Action Research An Exploration of the Effects of Asynchronous Pacing on Literacy

35

Student Writing - Alicia Ash

36

Middle School Art Gallery

45

On the Road with Dr. K

Back cover: EARCOS Weekend Workshops SY 2016-2017

Front cover photo by Martin Mountain Loi Krathong is a festival celebrated annually throughout southwestern

Tai cultures. The name could be translated as “to float a basket”, and comes from the tradition of making krathong or buoyant, decorated baskets, which are then floated on a river.

The EARCOS Action Research Grant

In an ongoing effort to implement the EARCOS Strategic Plan, specifically Strategy E, to conduct, communicate, and archive relevant data and research to identify and enhance exceptional educational practices, grants will be made available to encourage our teachers, administrators, and professional staff to conduct action research to improve educational practices for the purpose of enhancing student learning. Action research is a reflective process, conducted in the school setting, to solve a real problem, or to improve and enhance the instructional process.This research may be undertaken by an individual, or by several people collaboratively.

It is our belief that the results of such research will impact not only the researchers’ practices but also those of others with whom they share their findings.To that end, grantees will be expected to publish their findings, which will be made available to all EARCOS members on the website.

Some researchers may elect to present their work at a subsequent ETC, ELC, or publish it in the EARCOS Journal. Please visit the EARCOS website for more information. www.earcos.org .

Contribute to the ET Journal

If you have something going on at your school in any of the following categories that you would like to see highlighted in the Spring issue please send it along to us: Faces of EARCOS - Promotions, retirements, honors, etc.

Service Learning Campus Development - New building plans, under construction, just

completed projects.

Curriculum - New and exciting curriculum adoptions.

Green and Sustainable - Related to campus development or to

curriculum efforts.

Community Service Student Art - We showcase outstanding student art in each edition.

(E.S. Fall Issue, M.S. Winter Issue, and H.S. Spring Issue) Student Writing Press Releases Readers Corner Thank you for your help in allowing us to highlight the great things that are going on in EARCOS schools.

Winter 2016

Winter 2016 Issue 1

EARCOS Leadership Conference 2016 “Create, Connect, Commit”

The 2016 EARCOS Leadership Conference was hosted at the Shangri-La in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a splendid venue for the gathering of learning leaders from our region and beyond. EARCOS hosted nearly 1200 delegates and conducted more than 20 daylong and multi day pre-conferences, which saw enrollment of over 450 participants. Colleagues and special presenters conducted more than 140 workshops on topics catering to the wide range of EARCOS members’ interests.

The regularly scheduled three-day conference began on Thursday morning with an inspiring and highly practical keynote address by Sir John Jones. Sir John’s passion and knowledge brilliantly showed through his straight-talk and stories, which moved the audience to each end of the emotional continuum. Sir John weaved a magical tapestry of creativity, commitment, and compassion, which he skillfully details in his bestselling book, The Magic Weaving Business. Sir John Jones’ message was celebrated throughout the conference and served as an enthusiastic beginning to the 48th EARCOS Leadership Conference.

On Friday delegates had the good fortune of hearing from an engaging speaker, Dr. Ruby Payne, an expert on the mindsets of economic class. Dr. Payne carefully and vividly led delegates across defined socioeconomic boundaries of school and work. She shared the unembellished actuality of poverty and cleverly explained the adorned truth of wealth. Ruby discussed the rules and resources of poverty and wealth.

She explained how these rules and resources could stabilize or destabilize a person’s life. Dr. Ruby Payne instilled with EARCOS delegates a thirst for more learning in this important topic.

EARCOS Leadership Stories has become a central feature of the conference and this year’s storytellers masterfully delivered clear reminders of the enormous responsibilities undertaken by those choosing to be learning leaders in an international school. Shelly Luke Wille shared the power of books and the impact they have on her work as leader and development as a person. Steve Cathers took us on an impressive journey of self-discovery and through many experiences and adventures, which led him to develop as a leader. Finally, Tim Carr and Elsa Donahue provided vibrant and endearing explanations of the indispensible ingredients for ideal team players and shared personal discoveries they cultivated along an extraordinary path to a sturdy, enduring leadership team.

Preceding and following each of these stirring “starters” was the delivery of a myriad of workshops and daylong seminars, which took place over an entire week of professional development opportunities. The versatility and talents of the EARCOS practitioners and special presenters were particularly notable and led to a broadening of the learning horizons of our members. We hope the “die was caste” for deliberate follow-up and systemic organizational and personal learning to take place.

There are too many contributors who work tirelessly to make such a conference possible and impossible to name them all, individually.

However, we do have heaps of heartfelt well wishes for the talented students who joined us each day to “kick start” our engines and remind us of the reasons we have dedicated our professional lives in such a noble pursuit. The student musicians from International School Kuala Lumpur, Mont‘Kiara International School and Garden International School and their directors are to be commended and applauded for their contributions to the success of our conference.

We hope you have reserved 26 – 28 October 2017 on your calendar, which are the dates for next year’s conference. Thanks to all of you for making the conference a resounding success.

Dr. Joe Petrone EARCOS Assistant Director

2 EARCOS Triannual Journal

Shelly Luke Willie, Head of School at Chadwick International School on Leadership Stories.

Keynote speaker Sir John Jones Keynote speaker Dr. Ruby Payne Keynote title: Creative Leadership or Preparing Keynote title: A Framework for Understanding Steve Cathers, Director at Korea Our Students for a World that Doesn’t Exist Social Economic Classes and Thinking International School on Leadership Stories.

Welcoming over 1,000 delegates to the 48th EARCOS Leadership Conference by none other than the energetic Dr. K, EARCOS Executive Director.

Tim Carr, head of school at Jakarta Intercultural School with Elsa Donohue on Leadership Stories.

Winter 2016 Issue 3

Dr. Larry Hobdell, Regional Officer, Office of Overseas Schools, U.S. Dept. of State welcoming the delegates.

Dr. Margaret Alvarez, EARCOS President, Head of School at ISS International School.

48th EARCOS Leadership Conference 2016

Marc Frankel workshop on Letting Data Drive Your Strategy.

Kim Cofino workshop on Cultivating Community: Helping Parents Understand the Power of Technology for Learning.

Mary Ann Haley-Speca workshop on Analyzing Teaching and Communicating with Substance About What We See.

James Dalziel workshop on School Leadership: Ten Lessons from Outdoor Education.

4 EARCOS Triannual Journal

Mina Merkel workshop on Strategic Planning: Key Stakeholders collaboration in Board Strategic Planning Process

Dr.Walt Gmelch on International School Leadership Program.

“Create, Connect, Commit“

Deidre Fischer workshop with Dr. Margaret Alvarez on Inclusive Practices for Diversity in School Leadership/ Administration.

Matt Harris workshop on Embedding Digital Citizenship Schoolwide Including Integration Across All Subjects and Grade Levels.

Judith Curtis workshop on Knowing yourself as a leaderAbility and Agility.

EARCOS Team at the Closing Reception.

Winter 2016 Issue 5

L-R Willemijn Nieuwenhuys, CIS Director of Higher Education and Dick Krajczar, EARCOS Executive Director

2 Institute on Higher Educati nd

Second Annual Institute on International Admission and Guidance: A Successful Gathering to Guide Our Students and Learn from Each Other In her opening remarks, Ms. Willemijn Nieuwenhuys, CIS Director of Higher Education, noted that the Institute was a great collaboration between CIS and EARCOS and promises to again create, sustain, and strengthen deliberate and meaningful connections among the region’s schools and higher education communities. It was obvious that the atmosphere was charged with excitement. The delegates displayed an eager commitment to engage in purposeful dialogue.

And, throughout the conference proceedings networking aimed at enhancement of the participants’ knowledge of leading practices was evident. An essential outcome of this professional gathering was guidance and support for international students as they explore higher education pathways.

It was gratifying to witness a second year of enthusiasm and energy among all delegates, students and their families. This event united more than 145 university guidance counselors from 120 schools in the region, and 165 admissions representatives from 150 universities around the world. Comments from participants encouraged organizers to preserve the “just right” size of the conference, which did expand a bit from the previous year and has the potential to grow larger in its third year, which is being planned for 22-23 September 2017. (These are earlier dates, so plan early, if you are attending next year.)

6 EARCOS Triannual Journal

Over the course of the two days, professionals from around the world engaged in workshops and cultivated collaborative relationships. In conjunction with the institute, EARCOS and CIS hosted a university fair for students, which attracted over 600 students, plus many parents from 20 schools across Bangkok and beyond. For a second year, the EARCOS-CIS Institute provided an excellent venue for conversations about international higher education mobility.

Participants in the institute had the opportunity to choose from 43 professional development workshops. Workshop topics varied from “The Good, the Bad, and the Jetlag: The Challenges of International Recruitment” to “the Hitchhiker’s Guide to Korean Culture, Universities, and Ethics: Fitting Square Pegs into Round Holes”. The initial findings from the international launch of the SAT were presented.

Also, the changing patterns in international student choices created substantive discussions. Overall, the workshops spurred conversations and rich dialogues, which enhanced university-advising toolkits.

And, of course, the organic opportunities for networking that the EARCOS-CIS institute offered attendees should not be understated.

Whether it was a discussion during a workshop or a side-conversation during one of the breaks, there were many chances for individuals to network. Deliberate provisions were made for networking as the university fair for counselors allowed school counselors to walk around and talk to universities; and, the school fair for universities, where university representatives were able to walk around and talk to school counselors. Through these instances, the institute created an environment for new connections to be made and old relationships to be strengthened.

School and University Fair

Workshop Session

ion Admission & Guidance As Dr. Richard Krajczar, Executive Director of EARCOS, remarked: “None of this could be possible without the contributions of our presenters in schools across East Asia and universities through out the world.” Dr. K went on to remind the assemblage that the quality and variety of this year’s presentations would hopefully inspire interest among the delegation to submit session proposals for the 2017 Institute.

The Institute on International Admission and Guidance was another resounding success. Its aims were realized, as it provided a forum to share knowledge and leading practices. The Institute created relationships intended to inspire the next generation of global citizens, as they navigate through their choices for higher education. We hope the participants left the conference emboldened, and rejuvenated to continue in the essential work of university counseling.

The capstone of the conference was certainly the university fair for students. It was a fitting culminating event to an overall wonderful experience. The fair drew students from across East Asia to interact directly with the university admissions representatives. This was a great reminder of the purpose of the institute. All the workshops and networking opportunities are ultimately designed to create strong links that will improve access for students to universities all over the world.

EARCOS and CIS have already set dates for next year’s conference, as noted above; and, we look forward to seeing you then!

Willemijn Nieuwenhuys CIS Director of Higher Education Services Dr. Joe Petrone EARCOS Assistant Director

Welcoming the delegates at the Shangri-La Grand Ballroom.

Winter 2016 Issue 7

2nd Institute on Higher Education Admission & Guidance

Willemijn Nieuwenhuys (CIS) assisting at the registration. EARCOS and CIS staff.

Over 400 delegates attended the first day of conference.

Workshop on Tips & Tricks for School Visits in Asia.

Workshop on The Challenges of International Recruitment

Trevor Sturgeon and Lisa Ball workshop.

Workshop session.

Shaun McElroy workshop on To Split Or Not To Split.

Workshop on Guide to Korean Culture, University, and Ethics.

Workshop on Effective Recommendation.

Nil Sundin workshop on Migration of East Asian Student Shaun McElroy workshop on Defining Best Fit. to U.S. Universities.

Workshop session.

Students/Parents speak with university admission officers at the EARCOS-CIS University Fair.

Back Row: Skylie Beaver, Hong Kong International School; Alicia Lewis, Shanghai American School; Colin Aitken, International School Manila; Paul Swanson, UNIS-Hanoi; Noel Madrid Vasquez, The International School Yangon; Peter Kimball, Taipei American School; Dr. Joseph Petrone, EARCOS; Keith Allerton, Jakarta Intercultural School

EARCOS Advisory Committee Meeting The East Asia Regional Council of School’s Advisory Committee meeting took place September 3-4, 2016 at The Sutera Harbour Resort in Kota Kinabalu, Saba, Malaysia. Teacher representatives from multiple EARCOS countries such as Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Myanmar, Malaysia, China, and Korea met with EARCOS Executive Director Dick Krajczar, Assistant Director Joe Petrone and Teacher’s Conference Coordinator Elaine Repatacodo. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the following year’s ETC as well as the current year’s conference.

The 15th annual EARCOS Teacher’s conference will take place March 30 – April 29, 2017. “Connecting Global Minds” is the theme of this year’s conference. The strands covered will be Science, Math, Social Studies/Humanities, Global Issues/ Global Citizenship, S.T.E.M., Technology, Counseling and multiple general education topics. Keynote speakers from several strand topics will share their experiences. These include renowned author Christophe Galfard, UNESCO Goodwill ambassador Kim Phuc Phan Thi and Co-founders of Education Change Makers Aaron Tait and David Faulkner. In addition to the keynote speakers, the conference offers a wide range of special presenters. Paul Andersen, Waka Takahansi Brown, Kenny Peavy and Tina Quick to name a few.

ETC-2017 will take place in Kota Kinabalu, Saba, Malaysia at The Sutera Harbour Resort, which features The Pacific Sutera and Magellan Hotels. These luxurious Five-star hotels will be the perfect venue for this remarkable professional development opportunity. This resort offers extraordinary facilities and astonishing views of the South China Sea set against the backdrop of the islands of Tuku Abdul Rahman Marine Park.

Connecting Global Minds.

Front Row: Kathleen Nickle, American School in Japan; Elaine Repatacodo, EARCOS; Dr. Richard Krajczar, EARCOS; Jemma Hooykaas, Singapore American School; Eileen Rueth, The International School of Beijing; Christine Elizabeth Baker, International School of Kuala Lumpur

For more information on this, or any of the multiple development opportunities provided by EARCOS please visit the website www.earcos.org.

By Noel Madrid Vasquez, Kindergarten Teacher The International School Yangon Yangon, Myanmar

Winter 2016 Issue 9

Faces of EARCOS

Welcome New EARCOS Board >> New School Members >> BARRY SUTHERLAND Barry Sutherland has served as the Director of International School of Phnom Penh since 2009. Prior to that he was the Director of International School Moshi in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Before East Africa, Barry was Headmaster of American Pacific International School in Chiangmai, Thailand, has also held administrative posts in Singapore, but started his teaching career in Canada.

New Heads >> Simon Dennis, Principal British School Jakarta

Gregg Garman, Director/Headmaster International Christian School - Pyongtaek Victor Giam, Head of School Singapore International School of Bangkok Mateo Gaetano, Head of School Surabaya Intercultural School Vanita Uppal OBE, Director The British School, New Delhi Dr. Michael Wylie, Head of School UIS, Guangzhou Shirley Mead, Superintendent Yew Chung International School of Shanghai

The British School, New Delhi Head of School: Vanita Uppal OBE

Yew Chung International School of Shanghai Head of School: Shirley Mead Singapore International School of Bangkok Head of School: Victor Giam British School Jakarta Head of School: Simon Dennis

New Associate Members >> Apex International Academy Service Offered: Education Consultation www.originsedu.cn

ExpaTeach Service Offered: School Staffing Services www.ExpaTeach.com YourTutor Service Offered: Personal expert study help, online www.yourtutor.edu.au

New Individual Members >> Bradley Ashley Paul Bawden Ian Clayton Cynthia Hardjakusumah Angela Henderson John Milliss Toby Newton Stephen Palmer Brian Platts Sr. Dedicacion Rosario Shad Stevens

This year’s Middle School Global Issues Network Conference will be focussed around taking action and inspiring middle school students from across the EARCOS region to Get INvolved!

4th and 5th March 2017 Hong Kong Academy Visit http://gin.hkacademy.edu.hk

10 EARCOS Triannual Journal

Students will engage in principled action during the conference and also be inspired to continue it in their own communities. The conference will center around issues of both social and environmental sustainability, and encourage students to become more globally conscious. During the two days, students will participate in a variety of hands-on experiences and form lasting connections with like-minded students.

Professional Development >>

Admissions Workshop

To warm up for the EARCOS Leadership, a group of Admissions, Marketing and Communications personnel from International Schools in the EARCOS region got together for a workshop hosted

by International School Kuala Lumpur. The aim to was learn more about how we can work together to promote school growth and advancement. International schools are relying upon income from tuition more and more and it is vital that we understand who our mission aligned families are, where to find them, how to appeal, what we need to show them to get them to fall in love with the school and why they should choose our school above all others.

By Angela Reilly, Hong Kong Academy

of families seeking schools can inform our growth and development.

We also took a step back from our own immediate environments to learn more about the changes within the region and how corporations and businesses are viewing mobility. We explored the challenges that these changes are bringing to our own schools - managing demographics, competition from boarding schools, few expats with children and reductions to financial packages.

This session was followed by Jenny Chiang who facilitated a panel discussion (Tina Herman - International School Beijing, Katie RigneyZimmerman - Saigon South International School, Nicholas Kent - Jakarta Intercultural School and Valerie Koo - School Choice International). The panel dissected what we mean by ‘School Advancement’ and shared stories and experiences of how we can promote collaboration in school to achieve our goal of school growth.

The benefits of having time to sit together to discuss the similarities and differences in our schools, in our challenges and in our successes cannot be overstated. We could listen to each other and learn from each other. Most importantly, we developed relationships, made new connections and built our community. Huge thanks to all involved, to ISKL for providing a wonderful venue and especially to EARCOS for supporting our workshop.

Norma Hudson, ISKL Head of School and Julia Love, Admission Director at ISKL Valerie Koo from School Choice International presented us with ‘21st Century Expat Families’ and helped us to understand and explore the changing face of the modern expat (and their expat packages). This knowledge can help us to shape and develop our messaging to prospective parents. Understanding the needs of families Valerie Koo

Winter 2016 Issue 11

School Security Conference >>

Singapore American School Hosts First Regional School Security Conference

By William Scarborough, SAS Chief Financial Officer

Earthquakes, terrorists, cyber crime, civil unrest, viruses, bullying, typhoons, riots: the list of threats facing international schools seems endless and alarming. But as with most potential problems, being prepared, learning from experts, and sharing knowledge can go a long way toward managing both the risks themselves and the fears they provoke. For two days in September, participants in the inaugural conference of the Asian Schools Institute for Safety and Security (ASISS) did just that as they discussed how best to respond to threats that could affect international school students, staff, and communities.

Organized by facilities staff at Singapore American School (SAS), the ASISS conference allowed eighty participants from schools in Singapore, Asia, and the Middle East to share best practices so that future challenges may be faced with confidence. ASISS was launched last year when SAS proposed a regional safety and security institute to encourage more routine and effective collaboration on these issues.

Held on the SAS campus and at a downtown hotel, the conference brought together security directors, facilities managers, and administrators from forty-five schools and fifteen countries.

The symposium featured presentations on a range of threats and threat mitigation approaches. U.S. embassy personnel spoke about armed intruder response plans and managing the Zika virus, while Singaporean experts addressed online terrorism and the rise of violent extremism. A speaker from Interpol discussed cyber threats, and private-sector specialists spoke about securing travel programs and collecting intelligence to prevent attacks. An SAS parent who works in this field addressed parent expectations for school security measures, and another spoke about integrating risk management and emergency planning. Small-group topics included a campus security tour, planning effective tabletop exercises, fire risk assessment techniques, and school transportation security measures.

12 EARCOS Triannual Journal

The SAS facilities team organized the conference.

During question and answer sessions, presenters clarified points and participants shared relevant experiences. Tea and lunch breaks, as well as a dinner at SAS, encouraged networking among attendees.

Participants shared resources, technical knowledge, and their own schools’ policies and procedures. A post-event survey showed that respondents felt the conference achieved its short-term goals of exploring regional security risks and examining developments in school safety planning. Survey respondents also felt positive about the longer-term ASISS goal of creating a forum for school security professionals to support each other going forward.

All participants in the ASISS conference have the same goal: keeping their schools safe and secure so that students may focus on learning.

The conference was a rare opportunity to learn from experts and from each other. Following its success, ASISS, with the help of strategic industry partners, plans to produce regular webinars and a white paper about school security. In our time and region, collaboration about these matters is a crucial step toward keeping schools safe, and we look forward to more such events in the future.

15th Annual EARCOS Teachers’ Conference 2017

Connecting Global Minds October 27-29,2016 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Strand

PRECONFERENCES (March 29)

AP Calculus AB and BC (combined) (March 28-29) AP Computer Science Principles (March 28-29) IB Category 3 Workshop - Service Learning (March 28-29) Kim Cofino - Student Learning Through Social Media Wendy Gorton - ETC Google Virtual Reality (VR) Academy Karim Medico Letwinsky - Creating and Inquiry Learning Environment in Math Class Kenny Peavy -Science Integration: Everyone Needs to Get Outside to Learn and Play Tina Quick - Coping With the Challenges of Leaving the ‘Third Culture’

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Christophe Galfard – The Universe In Your Hand - Physics For All Kim Phuc Phan Thi – A Vietnam Journey Aaron Tait / David Faulkner – Educators, Entrepreneurs and Service Learning Stewards

Science Math Social Studies/Humanities Global Issues/Global Citizenship Middle School Service Learning S.T.E.M (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Technology Counseling General Education Topics

SPECIAL PRESENTERS Paul Andersen Jessica Balli/ Patrick Callahan Waka Takahashi Brown Patrick Calahon Dan Chassagn Kim Cofino Lynn Coleman Henry Evans Kate Dore Christophe Galfard Tim Gerrish Julie Harris Stern Stefanie Lamb

Place: Sutera Harbour Resort, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia Preconference: March 29, 2017 Regular: March 30- April 1, 2017

EARCOS PRACTITIONER PRESENTERS

For more information If you have any questions, please contact the EARCOS office or email Elaine Repatacodo, ETC Coordinator at lrepatacodo@earcos.org Phone: +63 (02) 779-5147 | Fax: +63 (49) 511-4694 | Mobile: +63 928-5074876

Ron Lancaster Zander Lyvers Steve Money Kenny Peavy Kim Phuc Phan Thi Kirk Robbins Martin Robinson Logan Smalley LeAnn Stanhope James Tanton Jennifer TH Wathall

Mary Ellen Ryan Math Proficiencies Through Problem Solving; Differentiation in the Maths Classroom; and Math Games Jane Alteman Hands on Science Steve Sostak / Aaron Moniz Middle School Global Citizenship

POST CONFERENCE TRIP (April 2 - 4) Kenny Peavy - The Best of Borneo Wild Life

visit www.earcos.org/etc2017/

Curriculum Initiatives >>

Sketchnoting for Understanding How can students better visualize concepts that they read or hear?

My science teaching colleague and I used to run into a dilemma at the end of the year. The science notebooks we were using were a great idea, but the stuff inside was not very good. The kids were drawing their observations, but the notes did not have deep meaning. We went looking for strategies that would help students better frame their ideas. Mind maps weren’t cutting it and vocabulary lists were rigid and stale.

In August of 2015, a teacher led workshop introduced my colleague and me to the concept of sketchnotes. Learning how to incorporate drawing and visualizations into my students’ note-taking practice became my professional target for the year. We were onto something….

It is with this goal of learning and incorporating sketchnotes into my educational practice that I witnessed a deeper understanding of concepts emerge in my students over the course of the year.

What is sketchnoting?

Mike Rohde, in his book The Sketchnote Handbook, introduces the key elements of sketchnoting. These include: - a title in the form of a banner - connectors such as arrows - containers which include boxes - separators or dividers - hierarchy in the form of different font size or color - representational drawings called visual vocabulary These structures help students to curate ideas from information that they read in text, hear in lectures or watch on video clips, rather than jotting every word down onto the paper. Sketchnotes are more of a sieve than a trap. Through this filtering of ideas, meaning can be created and a foundation for cognitive structures can grow and develop. While traditional note taking stresses word capturing, the sketchnoting techniques emphasize synthesis of ideas.

(Figures 1, 2, 3)

Why?

First, sketchnotes are fun. Students enjoy drawing and doodling, which provides an outlet for their creativity. Secondly, students need a framework to help make sense of the information required for learning. In the book, Getting to “Got It!”, Betty Garner describes these mental configurations as cognitive structures. These foundations help students identify similarities and differences, represent information through symbols and use logical reasoning structures to generate new ideas. (Garner, B. 2007 pg. 2-3 ) Sketchnoting is one tool that students can use to visually represent their understanding.

One student commented on using sketchnotes: “Pictures...pictures, pictures, pictures because I like to draw pictures and when you draw pictures, you understand more of what the page is saying.”

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Practicing

How can I teach students to draw if I am not an artist? I believe that early in our lives, we all like to draw. Since sketchnoting is a technique like reading or writing, it can be taught and learned. In order to gain insight into what my students were going through while learning to sketchnote, I sketch-noted during faculty meetings and conferences to synthesize my ideas. I showed my students my notes, explained my challenges, developed possible solutions for future sketchnoting and we learned together.

By being vulnerable and sharing my sketchnotes, students could see my growth and progress. This helped challenge my students’ fixed mindset that people are born with the ability to draw and replaced it with a growth mindset. Seeing that they could process information through pictures and become better at sketchnoting over time helped rekindle a love of drawing that many of my students had lost.

Reflection

Practice and reflection are important steps towards mastering a new skill. About half way through the year I provided some prompts to help students reflect and create a mini-goal for a sketchnote element that they wanted to refine further before the end of the year.

A student stated: “I’ve noticed a lot of picture growth and I think that I improved with adding some of my own ideas and representations of things. Also, in the recent sketchnote, I noticed that I’ve been using words to explain a lot less, and started using (more) pictures, arrows, etc. to communicate.”

Keeping the fire alive

This year, I want my former students to be mentors to my current ones. During some of the 30-minute academic advisory periods in August and September, I will have last year’s students that really liked sketchnoting share their skills with my new students. This will help my new students hear first hand about how sketchnoting can be fun and exciting. On the flip side, I would like to see the older students transfer sketchnoting to other classes and have an opportunity to teach others. I look forward to seeing what happens!

For further insight into sketchnoting, some helpful websites include: Sketchnote Army: http://sketchnotearmy.com/ Verbal to Visual: http://www.verbaltovisual.com/ The Doodle Revolution: http://sunnibrown.com/doodlerevolution/

By Peter A. Dohrenwend The American School in Japan Middle School Science Teacher pdohrenwend@asij.ac.jp

Sketchnotes

Grade 7, Science Students The American School in Japan

Figure 1: This student sketchnote shows the banner, containers, and representational drawings or visual vocabulary.

Figure 2: This student sketchnote includes the banners and visual vocabulary. This sketchnote also includes a synthesis of ideas of the carbon cycle that is different from Figure 1.

Figure 3: The student read a section of text on symbiosis and this was their sketchnote. This is a good example of how vocabulary can be represented visually.

Winter 2016 Issue 15

Curriculum Initiatives >>

Genius Hour Powered by STEAM

“It’s inspiring to see the ideas students develop and how they materialize, but one of my favorite aspects (of Genius Hour) is their collaboration with the coaches.”

Exhibiting Ingenuity The theme for Genius Hour in semester one of 2016-17 was “learning from the past.” Projects included organic health juices created by a student who learned to use a carbonated water machine, fragrant soaps and bath bombs, a personal computer built using repurposed parts, and even a classical music symphony created using composition software.

Students also used skills and materials from other middle school enrichments to create their projects. One girl made her own line of essential oils using rosemary and jasmine grown in ISB’s greenhouse, while another used her sewing skills learned in an arts and crafts enrichment to make plush toys from upcycled materials.

Mrs. Lyndsey Cox and Jocelyn W. Collaboration and creativity are at the foundation of Genius Hour, a middle school enrichment at the International School of Beijing (ISB) that promotes cross-disciplinary personalized learning.

Currently in its fourth cycle at ISB, the 45-minute enrichment held three days per week allows students to pursue their passions under the guidance of faculty “coaches” who facilitate each step from planning to presentation.

Creation and Collaboration Inspired by the Latin word genius “to create,” Genius Hour is part of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Music), a curricular project supported by ISB’s Research and Development fund.

The concept gained worldwide popularity in 2013 when it was revealed that Google used Genius Hour to allow developers to pursue “passion projects” that had the potential to advance the company. Now, Genius Hour is being embraced by schools to facilitate interest-driven learning.

Lyndsey Cox, coordinator of Genius Hour at ISB, describes it as “like Innovation Day, only spread out over a quarter.” Introduced in 2015, Innovation Day challenges middle school students to plan, create, and present original projects using a PBL framework – all in one day.

Genius Hour encapsulates the same spirit of creativity with greater flexibility in terms of time, space, and technology, said Ms. Cox. “Genius Hour is all about creation. It integrates authentic learning experiences with real-world disciplines,” said Ms. Cox, a science teacher.

16 EARCOS Triannual Journal

However, one of the highlights of Genius Hour for Ms. Cox was a pedal-powered hand dryer by a pair of sixth-graders that in fact turned out to be “too ambitious.” Although the project didn’t succeed, the boys learned a valuable lesson: not all innovations succeed the first time.

“On the exhibition day, they showed their prototypes and spoke about their setbacks. I heard a visitor ask the students if they would take Genius Hour again and they said, ‘Oh yeah, for sure!’ That was really reassuring for me because it showed they appreciated the process,” said Ms. Cox. Innovation Camp at NuVu Strategies for improving Genius Hour at ISB were developed over the summer during a professional development (PD) workshop attended by Ms. Cox and seven other ISB middle school teachers.

The Innovation Camp at NuVu, an education training institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts, provided ISB teachers with clear pathways for enhancing personalized learning.

“It was very different from other PD experiences, because it wasn’t strictly based on information dissemination. All of us teachers were thrust into it, doing the same types of projects students would normally do. For me, that was very powerful,” she said.

“I’m excited for this year because I’m incorporating some of the ideas I gained from the NuVu model into Genius Hour. We’ve also modified student-coach interaction to facilitate more authentic learning experiences.”

By Tom Fearon Communications Specialist at International School of Beijing

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Student Published Article >>

BIG PROBLEMS, COMPLEX SOLUTIONSCO BIG PROBLEMS, WHY ARE MIDDLE EASTERN POLITICS SO CONFUSING? WHAT GOES INTO SUCCESSFUL DIPLOMATIC NEGOTIATIONS? HOW CAN COUNTRIES WORK TOGETHER FOR THE GREATER GOOD? IN SUMMER PROGRAMS AROUND THE COUNTRY, STUDENTS EXPLORE SUCH COMPLEX ISSUES AND LEARN THAT EDUCATION IS THE FIRST STEP TOWARD FINDING SOLUTIONS.

by Allison O’Malley Graham While browsing through the CTY course catalog last year, I read about Politics in the Middle East at Princeton University.

Having taken Introduction to International Politics at CTY, I thought the Princeton course seemed like a good next step.

I also had a personal connection to the Middle East: As a child, I spent three years in Oman. Half a lifetime later, I was still confused about the politics of the region I still thought of as home.

On the first day of class, we were asked to name the countries in the Middle East. Initially, it was easy: Oman, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Iraq rolled off our tongues. We quickly learned, however, that defining the Middle East wasn’t that simple. The class broke out in disagreement over whether to include Pakistan, Libya, and Algeria. What is the Middle East?

Is it a geographic grouping, or do culture and religion define it too? What does the term “Middle East” even mean?

The class motto soon became “It’s complicated.” If a task as straightforward as defining the Middle East proved complicated, then understanding the region’s complex political issues was even more difficult. Every day we walked into class thinking we would somehow untangle it all, yet we walked out far more confused and frustrated than before. But our confusion and frustration were only signs of how much we were learning.

In the mornings, we learned the great narratives of the region: the origins of the Sunni-Shia divide; the histories of Iran, Iraq, and Algeria; and details of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Afternoons focused on specific issues such as gender and religion. As the course progressed, our focus narrowed: Instead of discussing the region as a whole, we studied specific topics such as the Algerian War of Independence.

For a final project, we each researched a topic related to Middle Eastern politics. I explored Armenian identity politics in Turkey. At the core of my research was the question of what being Armenian meant. Does religion or ethnicity dictate whether an individual is Armenian, or is it a mixture of the two? I was surprised by how connected identity was to the region’s politics as a whole.

This course broadened my understanding of the Middle East and taught me not to be daunted by the complexity of the issues it faces. It showed me that working to understand these issues and examining them from different perspectives can help us find solutions.

Allison O’Malley Graham is a high school senior at Jakarta Intercultural School in South Jakarta, Indonesia. Her interests include environmental protection, photography, reading, and running cross country. She also enjoys unicycling and juggling, although not at the same time.

First appeared in Imagine Magazine. Imagine, a resource for academically talented students worldwide, is published by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth (CTY).

10 imagine 18 EARCOS Triannual Journal

Sept/Oct 2016

ISTOCK.COM/BJÖRN KINDLER

POLITICS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Service Learning >>

New ‘Goals’ For UNIS Hanoi’s Service Learning Scheme assess the effectiveness of its programmes. He continued, “We make Service a core part of the Middle and High School experience. There isn’t an opt out. But it’s just not enough to have kids in clubs or groups, we want to make sure that the programmes they are involved in are making a difference in Vietnam and the right kind of difference. As a UN connected school, it was organic to link our service initiatives with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. They are an excellent set of targets to motivate the students with.”

At the beginning of the school year, students in grades six to 12 received a handbook detailing each service learning programme and the specific SDGs they relate to. For example, the Swim for Life programme links to SDG 3 Good Health and Well­being and SDG 4 Quality Education.

New for this year is the Cycle for Change programme which hopes to address SDG 3 Good Health and Well­being, SDG 4 Quality Education, SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities and SDG 13 Climate Action. And the Feminist Photography Foundation will seek to focus on SDG 1 No Poverty, SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities and SDG 5 Gender Equality.

With these strong links made at the very start, students and their teachers will be able to better gauge the true impact of their activities over the year. “We want students to question whether they actually reduced poverty, promoted quality education or gender equality, or good health and well­being ­ which are just some of the Goals for a number of the projects” said Mr Campbell. “What we are doing is setting ourselves up to a higher standard.”

UNIS Hanoi Student teaching swimming skills to a Swim for Life participant The United Nations International School Hanoi (UNIS Hanoi) is taking a new approach to measuring the effectiveness of its IB Service Learning programmes ­ by linking them with the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

For the first time, the School has connected each of its 39 service projects to the most relevant Sustainable Development Goals. The ‘ambitious’ method means that every project intends to make a real long­ lasting impact, while guided by specific Goals such as no poverty, gender equality, good health and well­being or quality education, to name but a few.

The SDG­linked service learning programmes is just one way the United Nations affiliated school in Hanoi is embedding UN principles and values into the curriculum. The Middle and High school units of inquiry have also been revamped to better reflect UN aspirations. The move comes as UN appointed Board Member, Ms Claire Montgomery called on all faculty to commit to sharing learning experiences that exemplify the work of the UN, in particular the drive towards achieving the SDGs by 2030. She said, “As our students progress through the school, the Sustainable Development Agenda can serve as a reminder of the highest ambitions of international cooperation. We look forward to a more peaceful, equitable and just world by 2030, and we hope our students feel equipped to contribute to this ambitious agenda.”

Established in 1988, UNIS Hanoi is one of only two United Nations (UN) schools in the world. The school, founded on UN ideals and principles offers the IB program to more than 1,000 students from over 60 different countries.

By Akofa Wallace Institutional Storyteller, UNIS Hanoi

The brainchild behind the initiative is UNIS Hanoi’s Middle and High School Service Learning Coordinator, Colin Campbell. He says he hopes the SDGs will become a ‘vocabulary’ for the School to use in order to

Winter 2016 Issue 19

Campus Development >>

Expand Your School, Expand Your Mind: GIFS’ New Library and Work Studio

By Claire Anderson

The Partnership for 21st Century Learners offers the following description of today’s students: “Twenty-first century learners are always on, always connected. They are comfortable multitasking. They are multimedia oriented. Their world is Web-based. They want instant gratification. They are impatient, creative, expressive and social.

They are risk-takers who thrive in less structured environments.”

At Gyeongnam International Foreign School (GIFS), while we know that all of the above is true, we also know that some things stay the same and some things change with each generation of learners and we have to adapt or run the risk of losing important ground in our goal of providing the best for our students. We didn’t want to lose what was working well but we wanted to create a new space that satisfied a broader vision. This summer, in order to address the needs of today’s learners, GIFS took on a project of building a new multimedia library, as well as a work studio and four new classrooms.

Information literacy, reading engagement, and technology integration are important cornerstones to the .com generation. 21st Century Learners need an environment where they can formulate ideas and process information in ways that speak to them. As our students change, the learning models are also changing, and GIFS believes that the school library, as the heart of the school, should take the lead in reflecting those changes.Teachers are also using library space differently than they did in the past: collaborative and project-based learning are popular, as well as peer-to-peer tutoring and one-onone learning. Libraries, and other school spaces, have moved away 20 EARCOS Triannual Journal

from being archives and lectures rooms, and have instead turned into learning commons. These are spaces that encourage participatory learning and allow for students to draw understanding from a variety of sources.

As enrollment has grown and the programs offered have evolved, GIFS found itself in need of more flexible and dynamic spaces for learning. The growth in the elementary school spurred the need for more elementary classrooms. In addition, the school’s original library and tech center, while charming in their own way, were looking their age and needed more interactive community spaces.

The Design Process In addition to serving the learning needs of students, GIFS also wanted to hear the voices of teachers, parents, and staff that would use the space in other ways. The process of coming to a design that was both functional and fashionable needed to be a team effort. As a school that deeply believes in community and family, input from all stakeholders was an important step in pulling together the initial ideas for the new spaces.

With these concerns in mind, an administrative and teaching team set about brainstorming ideas for renovation. Soliciting ideas from parents, students, and teachers, the team put together a list of “musthaves” and a list of “would-love-to-haves.” Some of the “must-haves”

included: natural light, flexible working spaces, a plethora of shelving, many electrical outlets, a designated elementary and secondary space, a conference space, and a teacher resource space. The school librarian, along with other teachers with library and tech expertise, added their two cents by directing the renovation team to consider function as well as form. With the help of a professional interior designer, plans were drawn up and construction took place during the summer of 2016.

In addition to the bright study spaces for students, the renovation included the addition of a conference room which can be used for staff meetings, professional development, PTO meetings, and student presentations. This new room can fit the entire GIFS staff for after school meetings, and has been upgraded with a podium, computer, and screen for any display. It also is a great place to get work done: natural light flows in the windows both from the outside and from the library, where teachers can watch their students hard at work.

The Tiger Library and Work Studio

Keeping in mind that 21st century learners are tech-savvy (or is it tech-dependent?), part of the design included a unique space called the Work Studio. This glass enclosed room, with built in shelving for student art, will be the future home to a piece of future specifically designed for collaborative learning and integrated tech. In the case of group projects in the secondary school, or small teams working on Student Council committees, this space will be an area where students can plug in their laptops, put their heads together, and pull up their work on the big screen.

The new remodeled library was the biggest change for the 20162017 school year. Utilizing a space once used as the school’s multipurpose room, the new library is composed of both elementary and secondary areas, a teacher resource center, a conference room, and a technology lab. The new library space can accommodate students during study hall, small group work, and students are especially excited to sit in the built-in study carrels. These carrels were added with the IB curriculum in mind, as juniors and seniors at GIFS need time to sit alone and do their own independent study. Even so, elementary students like them too! The librarian’s desk was designed with both elementary and secondary students in mind, and has a low counter and a high counter. It also has a built in book drop! Even small things can make a big difference in how well the space works!

With the newly enlarged space, we were able to dedicate an area solely for teacher resources and textbooks, which also prompted us to purge stacks of books at least a decade old. Teachers found some treasures during their search and were able to clearly see what we have on hand and holes we need to fill.

The previous library space has been replaced by a new “Elementary Alley,” a set of four elementary classrooms with up-to-date technology and dedicated storage space.

GIFS will continue to grow and change with our student population.

As an IB World school, the school staff and administration believe in embodying the IB Learner Profiles in their decisions. This remodel reflects many of these profiles, including Inquiry, Knowledge, RiskTaking, and Open-Mindedness. The belief is that through thoughtfully designed learning spaces, these traits can be modeled and passed down to our students, and out to the world.

Winter 2016 Issue 21

Cultural Awareness >>

An International School with a Balinese Spirit Every year, for 24 hours, the airport on the busy tourist island of Bali is closed.This is the day that the Balinese people celebrate their New Year, known as Nyepi. This is the day of silence. No traffic, no music, no TV, no lights‌.no school! Even the mosques respect this day and their minarets are silent. The day before Nyepi is another matter: it is a day of noise, parades, music and monsters. Huge statues called Ogoh Ogoh are paraded through every village, accompanied by hundreds of people and loud music. The Ogoh ogoh monsters symbolize the evil spirits surrounding us and they are paraded around and ultimately set on fire to rid these evil spirits from our lives.

The most recent ceremony on the campus was the cleansing ceremony, Melaspas which must happen for each and every new building on the campus.The new secondary staff room has recently been completed, and before it could officially be used, this cleansing and purification ceremony had to take place. .As Director of the school it was important that I attended. One of the rituals I had to perform was to sit on a coconut three times. I am still unclear as to the symbolic meaning of this very difficult maneuver, but suffice to say it was of importance at the time and so I tried my very best. The building is now cleansed of any bad spirits and is in use.

At Canggu Community School (CCS), every class in the Primary School collaborates with the school gardeners to make a class Ogoh Ogoh for our very own monster parade. This is one of the annual traditions of the school. Parents, students and staff gather in the Primary playground to watch the Ogoh Ogoh parade on the day before Nyepi.The huge statues are carried by the students themselves, dressed in traditional Balinese clothing. The gamelan orchestra accompanies the parade. Each year musicians from the local community come to work with the Year 5 classes to learn the traditional accompanying music.

These unique Balinese religious practices do not just happen on special occasions.There are offerings made to the spirits daily. Decorative baskets with food, flowers and even sometimes a cigarette are placed in strategic positions around the school. Yes, CCS is a nonsmoking campus, apart from our ancestral visitors!

This annual school event is one example of the value the school places on the host country, its traditions, rich culture and talented people. When you walk into CCS you know you are in Indonesia.

The school buildings include traditional Indonesian architecture and there are four Balinese temples on the campus. These temples are used for various ceremonies throughout the year, most notably for the celebration of Saraswati, the Goddess of books and learning. All staff, regardless of religion, are invited to the ceremonies.

22 EARCOS Triannual Journal

Students at CCS come from over thirty different nations, and they are fortunate to live and go to school on this wonderful island and be immersed in its magical culture. These unique ceremonies and daily rituals contribute the student’s education and enrich the lives of the whole CCS community.

By Beccy Fox, Director, Canggu Community School

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Readers Corner >>

EARCOS welcomes book reviews from its members and on many occasions in the past has published such member analyses. We will continue to reserve space in EARCOS Triannual Journal for these reviews. However, we are adding a feature that will simply publish titles of books recently read by EARCOS members with a brief recommendation of its usefulness to our collective work as learning leaders.

Those members who attended the Leadership Story Keynotes at ELC 2016 in Kuala Lumpur learned from Shelly Luke Wille, Head of School from Chadwick International School Songdo, that books play an important role in her professional growth and development. Shelly shared inspiring anecdotes related to books that meaningfully advance her work, as a learning leader.

EARCOS members are encouraged to share book titles and authors for this new feature for upcoming ET publications. You are simply asked to provide one or two sentences as comments regarding its usefulness to our collective work, as learning leaders. Send titles, authors and recommendations to Edzel Drilo at edrilo@earcos.org and Joe Petrone at jpetrone@earcos.org.

Book Title: “The Spider King’s Daughter” Author: Chibundu Onuzo EARCOS Learning Leader: Shelly Luke Wille

Below are some of those book titles and authors Shelly shared with us. You will also find a brief recommendation excerpted from Leadership Story of the book’s usefulness to our collective work, as learning leaders. Enjoy.

Recommendation: The book illuminates that “the importance of including contemporary literature from multiple perspectives is one way to prepare our students for their globalized future”.

Book Title: Cultivating Curiosity Author: Wendy Ostroff EARCOS Learning Leader: Shelly Luke Wille Recommendation: This book “inspired me to prioritize curiosity in my hiring decisions to ensure that our community continues to wonder and inspire curiosity in our students”.

24 EARCOS Triannual Journal

Book Title: “A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to

Spark Breakthrough Ideas” Author: Warren Berger EARCOS Learning Leader: Shelly Luke Wille Recommendation: This book has been “inspiring me for well over a year as I work to add more inquiry to my own practice and reflection.The rationale and framework for using inquiry has inspired our community to ponder our own more beautiful questions”.

Books All Educators Should Read >>

By Joseph Barder IT Director - Nanjing International School During our recent Book Week at Nanjing International School we shared some great books about technology, education and learning. In this day and age, it behooves us to take a few minutes each day to unplug, sit back and read a good book, giving our brains a chance to get back to thinking deeply.

As Nicholas Carr puts it: “In the quiet spaces opened up by the prolonged, undistracted reading of a book, people made their own associations, drew their own inferences and analogies, fostered their own ideas. They thought deeply as they read deeply.” Whether you have a negative or positive affinity for digital technology, these books encompass all of the possibilities – good and bad – that exist in our digital age. Happy reading and discussions!

Non-Fiction Disconnected:Youth, New Media, and the Ethics Gap – A book from author/researcher Carrie James, part of Harvard’s Project Zero and The Good Play Project, in which she examines the different ways that youth (ages 10-25) approach online activities. From the foreword: “James finds, among other things, that youth are often blind to moral or ethical concerns about privacy; that attitudes toward property range from ‘what’s theirs is theirs’ to ‘free for all’; that hostile speech can be met with a belief that online content is ‘just a joke’; and that adults who are consulted about such dilemmas often emphasize personal safety issues over online ethics and citizenship.” Whether you are a teacher, parent, student, or a bit of each, this book offers some great insights into the sorts of discussions we should be having to bridge the “Ethics Gap.” The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to our Brains – By journalist Nicholas Carr, he examines a question once posed in an Atlantic Monthly cover story: “Is Google making us stupid?” He provides a compelling argument about how the internet has led to a breadth of knowledge at the expense of deeper understanding. At times critical of the advances of the modern era and digital technology, he does a great job of provoking technophiles to think about their activities and relationship with the internet, while providing poignant vignettes of the development of technology throughout the ages. NB: Take it all with a grain of salt!

The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution – A book by Walter Isaacson (who brought us the acclaimed Steve Jobs biography) that explores the stories of the people that brought us the modern day computer and the internet. A fantastic history that calls to the fore the incredible genius and courage of the women and men that brought us computers in our pocket and allow us to communicate instantaneously across the world with the push of a button.

Fiction The Circle – An eerily prescient novel by Dave Eggers revolving around a young woman who has just been hired by a Google-type organization that is pushing for “one online identity and a new age of civility and transparency.” This book will have you wondering about the future of “open” technology and in deep discussion about the limits on history, privacy, democracy and more.

Winter 2016 Issue 25

Professional Learning Initiative >>

SPELTAC: A New Professional Learning Landscape for International Schools

By Marcelle Houterman IB PYP EAL, International School of Phnom Penh students in international schools are learning on a bilingual continuum. She felt that what was needed was a long-term shift in thinking about how language should be integrated and valued in international education, how it is central to learning and international mindedness. Marcelle wanted to design a model of professional development that would be an ongoing part of educators’ learning, which could constantly be explored, revisited and strengthened.

Working with bilingual learners needs ongoing professional learning.

At the International School of Phnom Penh (ISPP), professional development (PD) is regarded as something more than a workshop or a conference. Those who engage in dayto-day professional dialogues are constantly learning and upskilling themselves. ISPP’s school priority for the 2015-2017 school years with regard to professional growth and learning is focused on supporting English language learners (all language learners) across the school. During this school year (2016-2017), all faculty will engage with SPELTAC, Social Platform for English Language Teaching Across the Curriculum, which was developed by Marcelle Houterman, primary EAL teacher at ISPP. A long-term shift in thinking needs ongoing PD With almost twenty years of experience as EAL coordinator and teacher across all school divisions in different international school settings, Marcelle wanted to design a differentiated, self-directed programme that would sustain good teaching practice for English language learners. Enthused by the possibilities of technology and connected learning after taking part in COETAIL (Certificate Of Educational Technology and Information Literacy), and inspired by the work of Sylvia Rosenthal Tolisano, Eithne Gallagher, Pauline Gibbons and many others, she designed a learning management system for English language teaching with a focus on international mindedness, based on the premise that most 26 EARCOS Triannual Journal

QUOTE “Learning is defined by our times (Siemens, 2004). But learning will always be accelerated by feedback, connectivity and reflection. In international English-medium schools, professional learning about teaching bilingual learners through an internationally minded approach will remain constants.The dialogue about how to support the linguistic needs of students who are learning in a language other than their mother tongue must be continued. These are the principles upon which SPELTAC is based.”

Marcelle Houterman, Founder and developer of Social Platform for English Language Teaching Across the Curriculum (SPELTAC) The power of blogging and social media At the time of writing this article, faculty at ISPP have nearly completed the SPELTAC orientation course, introducing them to connected learning and blogging. The range of teacher blog posts is diverse. Teachers have started blogging about the importance of inviting home languages into the classroom, reflected on the value of connected learning, international mindedness, the importance of inquiry learning for language acquisition, creating a larger section in the library for home languages, questioning how we are addressing the ‘now’ literacies in the school, where coding comes into being literate, and much more. Practices have been shared on Twitter and teachers have used each other’s ideas.

World-wide, teachers report that online networking, social media and blogging, have created an unprecedented growth in their

learning. This was the idea behind SPELTAC. Learning through blogging provides teachers with a forum to try out strategies, to improve them, but international educators also bring a wealth of knowledge and skills in the area of supporting bilingual learners that can be shared locally and globally. It will be exciting to see what new understandings, insights and initiatives will emerge about international school students, bilingualism and English language learning. While much has been written about supporting English language learners, the linguistic needs of international school students are unique and there is much learning to be done.

SPELTAC has the potential to facilitate collaborative learning, model and enthuse teachers to implement 21st century literacy practices, make visible what is needed in a school, celebrate growth and achievement and create institutional memory. So far, many teachers are enthused and SPELTAC has proven to be a catalyst for making connections offline too. The virtual learning environment mimics the inquiry classroom, it brings to the surface what colleagues are thinking and learning about, and it is a place where teachers can inspire each other and build on each other’s understanding. As a result, conversations are ignited in the corridor.

Expected to be completed in May 2017, the real success of SPELTAC will become clear when baseline data has been collected to be able to benchmark growth, which will be done through growth continua and surveys.

Results will be published on the website.

Is everyone on board? Blogging is not everyone’s comfort zone, but as a colleague put it in one of those conversations sparked by a blog post or a Tweet in the corridor: “There is a lot for everybody to take in....but with that comes a dialogue not so much about why we can’t but why we should.”

For more information please explore www. speltac.org or follow #speltac on Twitter.

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New Membership Service >>

EARCOS Leadership Mentorship: A status report for members Introduction

The recent EARCOS Leadership Conference (ELC) provided an opportunity for EARCOS to convene learning leaders from the region to participate in a pre-conference workshop on mentorship essentials. Also, it was a convenient occasion to share early design features of a new membership service – EARCOS Leadership Mentoring (ELM).Twenty-eight leaders attended the pre-conference and shared their insights, and suggestions for this new service.

the development of the overall ELM program, which will include online exercises, intended to ensure that interested mentors and mentees “speak” the same language.

(Those members reading this article in our online environment will have received the needs assessment. Members reading the printed version of this article should contact jpetrone@earcos.org for a copy of the survey, please.)

Needs Assessment

Common Language Modules

In order to learn more, EARCOS members will have an opportunity to complete a brief survey intended to identify “gaps” between current mentoring/coaching provisions and actual needs of EARCOS members. The results of this survey will be used to further inform

Apart from the necessity of a quality and functional online environment, the importance of a common grounding for mentor and mentee in essential elements of mentorships became evident. And, the ELC pre-conference content will be used to begin the assembly of “common language” modules. Key ingredients for these common

There was certain agreement that a mentorship option for the region’s newly appointed administrators and others moving to different roles, or facing new challenges would be a welcomed membership service. However, it became obvious near the beginning of the group’s work together that a clearer understanding of the region’s needs in the areas of mentoring and coaching were not precisely defined.

28 EARCOS Triannual Journal

Learning matter experts and instructional designers are being sorted to develop a series of eight (8) online asynchronous “common language” modules. However, during the preconference, it was made apparent that members were keenly interested in making available virtual (synchronous), role-play components and personal face-toface opportunities.

language modules are: • Leadership Standards – Heads of School and Principals • Styles: Mentoring People with Different Orientations • Adult Learning Theory • Models of Mentoring

between individual mentors and mentees. Also, the option would be made available to mentors and mentees to access a shared-issue network.This complimentary social media channel could extend the collaborative community beyond the individual (mentor-mentee) relationship to a more inclusive involvement across the EARCOS region.

Diversity Perspective

Our aims in the coming months – December – February 2017 – are to liaise with the pre-conference facilitators and others who have expressed interest in serving on the implementation task force to: 1. review the results of the needs assessment; 2. consider the initial module development proposals; 3. confirm application process and pairing survey and 4. invite interested mentors and mentees to join the first cohort and to enroll in the common language modules.

One of the topics of the pre-conference was the importance of possessing a diversity perspective. The understanding gained through cross-cultural exchanges, thinking and actions is a necessity for international learning leaders. Such a pluralistic view predicts that mentors and mentees have the requisite sensitivities to fully engage in a multi-cultural, and otherwise diverse environment. Modules will include the integration of diversity perspectives and interpretations.

Other content will be identified from the results of the needs assessment survey. This content will be integrated into the modules, as indicated following the analysis of the needs assessment results.

Blended Model – Coach and Mentor

The ELC pre-conference facilitators and participants embraced a blended model – coaching and mentoring – for the final development of ELM. It was evident that the EARCOS model should carefully balance mentoring aspects, such as, teaching, supporting and guiding with coaching aspects that lead to the self-discovery of solutions for challenges that international learning leaders face daily.

Deliberate Pairing

One of the most important steps leading to a quality mentoring relationship is properly pairing the mentor and mentee. This step in the ELM initiative will require an application process designed to produce a valued partnership. Therefore, it is expected that both mentors and mentees derive maximum benefits from the relationship. The application process, including a brief questionnaire is being designed to help determine the type of mentoring relationship that is desired. It will likely include a request for demographics and contact details from the interested mentee and mentor. Also, it is anticipated that this activity will require a short self-assessment to determine: • achievable objectives; • highest priority criteria (3 or 4); • ideal profiles for mentor and mentee.

The participants, during the ELC pre-conference thought some sort of commercially available type or style delineators should be required. The information derived from such an instrument would help mentor and mentee discover their own personal tendencies, traits as a team member, communication style, emotional acumen, decision-making tendencies, energy abilities and more.

Social Media Tools

The ELC pre-conference participants felt that clearly defined mentorship social media channels would be useful tools for expanding networks and strengthening mentor-mentee relationships.

Next Steps

Conclusion

Thanks to Margaret Alvarez, Liz Duffy, Anna Marsden for facilitating the ELC pre-conference workshop. Subsequently, we have heard from others expressing interest in serving as a mentor, mentee or member or as a member of the implementation task force. Also, thanks go to Brady Cline, High School Learning Innovation Coach at ASIJ for suggesting and taking on the development of a needs assessment survey. His analysis of the result will greatly assist the finishing stage of common language modules. Finally, we wish to extend our appreciation to all volunteers wishing to see a collaboratively designed, customized and quality EARCOS Leadership Mentoring program reach fruition.

By Joe Petrone, EARCOS Assistant Director

Join us on Google+ Search: EARCOS Community Share great things going on in EARCOS schools.

The EARCOS community consists of 149 international schools and over 10,000 educators in the East Asia region.

This community is a place to share ideas and events taking place in EARCOS schools.

A good case was made and agreement reached that a shared-issue media tool could strengthen and supplement the overall relationship Winter 2016 Issue 29

Campus Development >>

Kaohsiung American School: State-of-the-Art Campus

Kaohsiung American School (KAS) recently completed an impressive building project that resulted in a state-of-the-art campus. Tom Farrell, Superintendent of KAS and Yu-lin Chen, renowned architect, joined together with the KAS school community to create spaces that, in the words of the architect, “strive(s) to nurture its students to become world citizens through a community of teachers and classmates of various nationalities as well as diverse educational methods”.

“The sequential spatial flow” reflects a curriculum-based, LEED approved, transparent, and technology advanced school that is truly built for creativity and a liberal arts education. In addition to meeting the needs of KAS, this extraordinary learning environment has also been recognized as the cover story for Taiwan Architect Magazine of April 2016.The spatial quality includes building circulation that is both flexible and highly navigable and meets KAS’ high educational standards. This quality enables the school occupants to access all available resources with ease. Furthermore, the space encourages cross-pollination of various learning disciplines through integration and visual collaboration.

Electronic controlled blue curtain to split the gym. Bleachers seat 400. NBA cushioned Chairs. Gym cushioned with rubber pad under Maple hardwood floors.

KAS is an example of the importance of thorough planning, education of the school community through out the planning and building process, and the essentiality of a positive, trusting relationship among school officials, the architect and builders. The entire school community is now celebrating a dream come true.

Swimming pool with adjustable platform.

The flotation bottom goes from 0-2 meters in 8 minutes.

By Tom Farrell, Superintendent of KAS

Media center for discussions, creativity, and social media projects.

30 EARCOS Triannual Journal

Theater that seats about 400, under chair ac, built for acoustics with 14 curtains in walls.

High Commissioners and Ambassadors from Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and United Kingdom.

Press Release >>

Alice Smith School Celebrates 70 Great Years In Malaysia! by the Marketing and Communications Department

As the oldest international school in Malaysia,The Alice Smith School is proud to celebrate 70 years of providing a rich British educational heritage in Malaysia.

Over 700 guests comprising parents, staff, business partners and alumni hailing from all corners of the globe attended the school’s grand 70th Anniversary Platinum Gala Ball. Founder, Alice FairfieldSmith’s grandson, Cameron and great granddaughter, Rosie were also at the event.

Subtle touches were seen throughout the evening with wonderful musical performances by students, staff and alumni. Sixth Form student, Sami Azam-Ali, gave a moving account of his educational experience at school and Caroline Russell, CEO of BOH Plantations, shared her journey from alumnus to current parent.

A silent auction of art and photography created by the incredibly talented secondary students raised money to support the charitable work of the school.

where it is today. The school has grown tremendously, with great facilities now providing an excellent education to almost 1,600 students on two fantastic campuses. There will be many more stories as the future unfolds for our school.”

Prior to the glitzy and glittering Platinum Gala Ball grand finale, the school also hosted a series of events including the grand anniversary day celebration, Alumni get-together and Nostalgic Walk and a Cocktail Reception and Appreciation Evening for business partner and parents, hosted at the British High Commissioner’s Residence.

The 70th anniversary celebrations have reflected on past accomplishments and successes and the legacies left by previous and current generations. As the Alice Smith School looks to the future, it continues to enhance the exceptional learning environment provided for every child, manifested in the caring, positive and dynamic ethos and culture of the school.

Head of School, Roger Schultz reflected on the unique history of the school in his speech: “Alice Smith reaches out and touches lives in a unique way that creates a strong bond of attachment and invokes everlasting memories. It engenders a sense of belonging. The Alice Smith School story is a wonderful story about people coming together and working together because we believe we are part of something that is quite special.

Our rich heritage is filled with people, achievements, events and happenings that have shaped the school, from its humble beginnings with one class in Mrs Alice Fairfield-Smith’s house 70 years ago to

Traditional Guzheng performance by Sammy, Year 12.

Winter 2016 Issue 31

Action Research >>

An Exploration of the Effects of Asynchronous Pacing on Literacy

By Zander Lyvers, Grade 7 Humanities American International School of Hong Kong Introduction Asynchronous learning is an approach where students move through assignments at their own pace with the help of both online platforms and personalized coaching. While asynchronous courses are typically used as a means for university teachers and students to communicate outside of the classroom, the same tools of distance learning can be valuable within the brick and mortar middle school. There is ample evidence to suggest that self-paced courses more effectively emphasize students’ literacy skills than traditional teacher-centered pacing. Using literacy skills as the metric, it was decided to focus on argumentative writing techniques, as well as the organizational and grammatical challenges unique to each student. The goal of this action research was to gauge the effects of asynchronous pacing on literacy within a humanities unit.

Method In order to complete the research, the curriculum was structured in a way that allowed comparisons of student writing in both synchronous and asynchronous pacings. The research was conducted in a unit that juxtaposed the economic, political and religious aspects of the “Crusades and the War on Terror”. During the first month of the unit, students analysed primary sources from the medieval period and then contrasted them with Ridley Scott’s 2005 film, Kingdom of Heaven.

Students were given 30 minutes each day to write their comparative analysis in a Google Doc. Students were provided feedback, as time allowed, by inserting comments into their respective Google Docs. At the end of the month, students were given a grade reflecting all of these short writing assessments.

In the second month of the unit, the lessons were restructured to accommodate students working at their own pace. Students completed tasks that blended primary sources, secondary sources, documentary film clips and narrative film clips. After the student completed a task, they were given informal feedback in their Google Doc. When the next task was ready for grading, a conference was conducted during which they were required to demonstrate use of feedback from the first task to guide them in their approach to the second task. Each student was graded on how he or she improved in the specific targeted skills.

Results and Reflection At the beginnning of the asynchronous lessons many students were focused. However, a typically bustling classroom had become much too quiet. Initial intentions were to introduce techniques from distance learning to maintain focus on skills without compromising class discussion. The worry that class would become too personalised and self-absorbed seemed to be realized. And, fears that the environement was no longer conducive to collaboration were reinforced. It was also evident that while most students were engaged and moving along their individual trajectories, a few students plateaued. After having individual discussions with them, it was realised that some felt overwhelmed by the tasks, despite having been differentiated by lexile level.

32 EARCOS Triannual Journal

The worry that struggling students might not complete the project in time, keeping them from fully answering the driving question of the unit was a real question.

Due to the flexible nature of the asynchronous classroom, the worries and concerns could be quickly addressed. Since the “War on Terror” is a complex and evolving topic, mini-debates were introduced at the beginning of class to help students clarify key players, events and themes to avoid confusion and misconceptions. These activities helped to reinforce expectations that students should be able to engage in Socratic questioning and collaboration, while navigating an asynchronous unit.

Further adaptations were implemented and differentiated tasks were integrated for struggling students, so they would not fall behind. Together, a collaborative solution was sorted and other necessary tweaks were prepared. These adjustments to tasks were based on student’s An#Exploration#of#the#Effects#of#Asynchronous#Pacing#on#Literacy# respective zone of proximal development. This redesigning of certain By#Zander#Lyvers,#Grade#7#Humanities,#American#International#School#of#Hong#Kong# aspects of the curriculum necessitated realignment of activities to enstudents#clarify#key#players,#events#and#themes#to#avoid#confusion#and# sure the right balance of content, comprehension, and student reflecAn#Exploration#of#the#Effects#of#Asynchronous#Pacing#on#Literacy# misconceptions.##These#activities#helped#to#reinforce#my#expectation#that#students# tion on literacy skills.

By#Zander#Lyvers,#Grade#7#Humanities,#American#International#School#of#Hong#Kong#

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Conversely, 76% of students stated multiple level,#the#flexibility#of#an#asynchronous#schedule#allows#the#teacher#to#improvise,# # modify#and#reGteach#concepts#to#ensure#that#students#improve#their#literacy.##In#a# Conclusion# skills improved over the course of the asynchronous tasks. (See Figure Despite#the#initial#challenge#of#accommodating#each#student’s#specific#skill# 7.class#survey#comparing#the#two#methods#practiced#in#this#unit,#39.6%#of#students# included herein.) By disrupting the rigid schedules of synchronous answered#that#multiple#skills#were#strengthened#during#the#synchronous#dayGtoGday# level,#the#flexibility#of#an#asynchronous#schedule#allows#the#teacher#to#improvise,# curriculum maps, teachers can better adapt to more personalized lessons.##Conversely,#76%#of#students#stated#multiple#skills#improved#over#the#course# modify#and#reGteach#concepts#to#ensure#that#students#improve#their#literacy.##In#a# learning through frequent check-ins, and students in turn have the time of#the#asynchronous#tasks.#By#disrupting#the#rigid#schedules#of#synchronous# class#survey#comparing#the#two#methods#practiced#in#this#unit,#39.6%#of#students# to process and implement feedback. curriculum#maps,#teachers#can#better#adapt#to#more#personalized#learning#through# answered#that#multiple#skills#were#strengthened#during#the#synchronous#dayGtoGday# frequent#check#ins,#and#students#in#turn#have#the#time#to#process#and#implement# lessons.##Conversely,#76%#of#students#stated#multiple#skills#improved#over#the#course# feedback.# of#the#asynchronous#tasks.#By#disrupting#the#rigid#schedules#of#synchronous# curriculum#maps,#teachers#can#better#adapt#to#more#personalized#learning#through# frequent#check#ins,#and#students#in#turn#have#the#time#to#process#and#implement# feedback.#

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www.ExpaTeach.com American International School Staffing Solutions

Skype: ExpaTeach ◊ Phone: +1 (832) 224-5535 ◊ Email: ExpaTeach@ExpaTeach.com

Curriculum Initiatives >>

Social Emotional Learning and Mindfulness in Schools

by Amy McConnell Franklin, Director of Social Emotional Learning and Mindfulness

UWC-Thailand has deep roots in social and emotional learning (SEL) and the practice of mindfulness. Founded in 2009 as Phuket International Academy, (PIA) the school community officially joined the United World College Movement in August 2016, becoming the 16th campus worldwide. The mission of the UWC Movement is to “Make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future”. Building on PIA’s unique commitment to SEL and Mindfulness, the Educational Philosophy of UWC Thailand is “to realize our highest human potential, cultivate genuine happiness and take mindful and compassionate action.” Learning the skills of ‘peacetime’ and developing the capacity to create peace in our own hearts and minds and build mutual respect and trust within our own immediate communities is foundational to the realization of both the educational philosophy of UWC Thailand and the mission statement of UWC Movement.

Community wellbeing is dependent on the ability to be mindful and apply social and emotional skills to build mutual trust and respect for self and others. Recognizing that how we treat one another is as important as how well we read or understand mathematics, and acknowledging that we can’t teach what we don’t know, all teachers, administrators and many parents are trained and mentored in social and emotional concepts and skill building, as well as in mindfulness practices in order to ‘be mindful, teach mindfully and then teach mindfulness’. Deliberately and skillfully cultivating skills in self and social awareness, clarity of intention, alignment of actions with principled intentions, and a strong sense of agency and responsibility allows us to consciously co-create a culture of mutually respectful relationships and to teach and practice the skills that lead to optimal decision making on behalf of self and the greater good. It is our belief that most meaningful, sustainable learning takes place in the context of healthy relationships.

While the responsibility to teach social and emotion-related skills is often relegated to pastoral care personnel, at UWC Thailand the development of these skills is entrusted to homeroom teachers at both the primary and secondary levels. From grade six up, in pods of three people, all secondary staff members are assigned to a homeroom. Three hours and 20 minutes per week are dedicated to wellbeing and timetabled into the homeroom schedule. Twenty minutes at the start of each day is for ‘Time In’, - an opportunity to 34 EARCOS Triannual Journal

check in with self and others through a structured practice including mindful meditation, reflection and sharing- and two 50 minute class periods per week are designated, one for Council (see councilinschools.org) and one for the direct instruction of developmentally appropriate components of personal and social wellbeing from an array of topics including academic honesty, sex education, personal and cultural identity, responsible engagement with social media, cultural competency, and emotional and social intelligence skills. The decision to allocate the teaching of these complex, critical skills to homeroom teachers highlights the need for frequent and consistent faculty development through training and mentoring. (see UWCT. org Wellbeing) The intention of this educational approach is to nurture more self and socially aware citizens who have a well-developed sense of selfefficacy and are able to more often choose to align their actions with a conscious and compassionate intention for the greater good.

Cultivating intrinsic motivation, empathy and a sense of interconnection and interdependence with others and the natural world, supports the educational goals of UWC Thailand and moves us closer to realizing the harvest of the UWC Mission. Joalis Maria Polanco Pena, G11 NC student from the Dominican Republic asks “ How can we create peace in the world without first learning to create peace within our own hearts, minds and communities?” Sowing these seeds and bringing in the harvest is a collective responsibility.

UWC Thailand is located in Phuket Thailand. A pre-K through grade 12 school, the school is comprised of 370 students and 60 staff members and represents 59 different nationalities. Each year group includes a cohort of Grade 11 National Committee students selected by UWC National Committees in over 150 countries.

Student Writing >>

Alicia Ash

Dad held my hand and he took me into a dark cave. Yikes, I thought.

This is scary. I gripped my dad’s hand tighter. Suddenly, the woods wasn’t the woods and the cave wasn’t a cave anymore. I lost hold on my dad’s hand. I called out but only silence returned. I was all alone and so very scared.

What was this? It was a large dome with trees, and REAL GRASS? I observed the ground curiously, as if I was in a whole new world.

I kneeled down and slowly touched the grass and the dirt. This reminded me of Rapunzel getting out of her tower for the first time in the movie Tangled, which I had watched with my mom and dad several times growing up.

A large, buff man was ordering about 20 people of different ages to work. He approached me. I cowered in fear. Usually my dad protected me from these types of people but now he was nowhere in sight.

Brinnng! Brinnng! The alarm clock’s annoying tune always wakes me up for some reason. Well, I guess that is the reason we have alarm clocks. I was dreaming of a zombie apocalypse when suddenly, instead of the zombies moaning, they were screaming Brinnng!

Brinnng! I just KNEW it was my alarm and that there was no use fighting the urge for sleep. I lay in bed, pretending to be asleep when my mother sang, “Wake up, Alicia!” in a sing-song voice. She came into my room and sat down, impatiently waiting for me to wake up.

My room was unique, compared to most people. It had a ceiling that looked like the sky above it, except that it didn’t rain. My floor was carpeted with fake green grass, imitating what used to be real. We all knew what grass was but hadn’t seen it anywhere in a very long time. Even my grandmother has only faint memories of trees, before the big money makers started to cut them down. Some of the only memories she has was when she used to play in the shade of trees when she was little. Sometimes she just stares out the window and tells me stories of what the world used to look like and the amazing wonders she could do, which we now can not. There are only enough trees for us to be able to breathe, because now, technology has taken over. If you want a tree… well… the odds of you getting a tree during your lifetime is really unlikely. If you work your whole life and so does your child, only your grandchild would get a tree. That’s how expensive they are. Grandma and Mom have been working their whole lives. I should be getting a tree for my birthday, but I feel bad that I had made them work so much. I hope I can make it up to them. But for now, I need to get to school.

School was like every other day. Some boring, some exciting, some embarrassing moments. When it was the end of the day, I was waiting at the main entrance for my dad when he suddenly appeared.

“Come on. Let’s go home,” my dad said.

We were driving along, when we suddenly stopped at a wood. This was one of the areas where they still kept trees for us to be able to breathe. It would be one of my favorite places to be, only if coming here wasn’t punishable by death. The government is afraid that we would take a few seeds and plant them in our neighborhoods. They said that if we plant trees, it just means we are going back in time, instead of moving forward with the technology we have. I wondered, “What are we doing here? We could be shot if someone finds us!” but, I didn’t voice it.

“Robert’s the name. Welcome to GreenLeaf, an organization dedicated to helping Earth become green again. Once we have enough members, we plan on starting a huge protest against the idea of fake nature.”

“Really? That sounds amazing!”

“I know it is. So… are you going to join, or what?”

I took about a minute or so to have a quick debate in my head.

“What are the terms of joining?”

“You must solemnly swear to protect nature, to come here daily, and-” “I could die any day?” I exclaimed.

“Those are the terms. Some people don’t really join the organization. They just stay here ‘cause they are too scared to take risks.”

“What happened to my dad?”

“The woods and the cave can be quite disorienting. Many get lost or worse. I am sure he is fine.”

I heard him say I think quietly under his breath, but I ignored that. My dad had to be okay, alive and healthy. My friend, my hero, my comedian, my one and only father, could not have died with such indignity.

This can’t happen to me!

I’m too young to go through sudden loss!

“Okay…”

“SO?” Robert boomed, louder. “Are you joining or what?”

I was going to think a bit more about it, but my mouth acted faster than my brain.

“Yes.” “Okay then!”

Robert signaled to a young man, probably in his mid-20s to take me into a small room. When I entered, I was greeted with a large machine and a woman wearing a lab coat who looked like she was operating the machine. She called me over.

This is going to be harder than I thought. But I can’t give up. For nature.

For Dad. For Mom. For Earth! I made a solid choice that I’d rather make the change to the world than to waste time learning about the scar mankind has left on the face of the Earth.

By Syeda Saira Syed, Grade 6, Yangon International School Edited by Marcus Lee, Teacher: Sara Doerfler

Winter 2016 Issue 35

Middle School Art Gallery Concordia International School Hanoi dot com - All about me!

Henry Winterstein, Grade 6

Concordia International School Hanoi Optical Art You Jaheun, Victoria, Grade 8

Yangon International School Chinese Style Landscape, Ye Yint, Grade 7, Watercolor

Shekou International School Iris Lee, Grade 8, Mixed Media 36 EARCOS Triannual Journal

Shekou International School Jennifer Oh, Grade 8

Yangon International School Eye by Hnin, Khine aka Gwennette, Grade 6

International School Manila Phuong Bui, Grade 8 Coloured Pencil

International School Manila Eden McPherson, Grade 6 Acrylic paint

International School Suva Rhythmic Lines by Sara Du. Sara Du is one of our Year 8 Visual art students who has completed this image in ink. It is her Final piece for 2016 and she feels that it represents all that she’s done this year.

Nanjing International School Secrets of Toys Kimes and Robin, Grade 6

International School of Ulaanbaatar Collaborative Mural, Grade 8

International School of Ulaanbaatar Mask, Rani Singh, Grade 7

Nanjing International School Matisse Paper Cuts, Son and Yejin, Grade 8

St. Maur International School (left) Acrylic Painting, Cropped Animals, Â Kyungbok Lee, Grade 8 (right) Clay Slab Box, Bill Yamamura Grade 8

Winter 2016 Issue 37

Middle School Art Gallery Cebu International School (left) ‘Shattered Dreams’ Acrylic on glass and canvas Maria Elena Way I learned that in art, you can create anything that you are inspired of. You can use different sorts of materials and blend different colours together to create a nice gradient. (right) ‘Reaching’ Mixed Media Dominic Augustine Lim Art to me is a limitless canvas of the artist’s thoughts and emotions. This artwork describes how to strive for originality and being separate from others.

Taipei American School Circle Painting Workshop A collaborative work of mural art done by all of the workshop participants.

This is an example of the circle painting technique that Hiep Nguyen highlighted during the workshop. The painting itself is of a tiger, the TAS mascot.

The British School New Delhi Coaster design by Jasmine Finnila, Grade 8

United World College of South East Asia - Dover Ben Shin, Grade 7 38 EARCOS Triannual Journal

United World College of South East Asia - Dover Naia Dobrota, Grade 7

The British School New Delhi Group Learner Profile Project for the attribute “Communicator”, Grade 9

Korea International School (left) Siberian Husky White Charcoal Drawing Kirstie Sim, Grade 8 (right) Green Tea Cupcake Colored Pencil Drawing Min Kim, Grade 6

Osaka International School (left) Jiyun Kim, (right) Emma Waahlin, Grade 8 Celtic/Carolingian/Islamic characteristics Graphite pencil on paper

Brent International School Subic Bella Mackenzie Gr. 7 Little Magic watercolor pencil on paper

Brent International School Subic Patrick Lee The Waltz of The Colors watercolor pencil on paper

Canadian Academy Mixed-media self-portraits (left) Leon Ji Hong, (right) Zac Wallis

International School Suva Turtle Spirit Hefrani Barnes, Grade 7 Coloured pencil

Winter 2016 Issue 39

Me Inside Me Shia Kim, Middle School

The Light of the World Ji-Hoon Hong, Middle School

International Community School, Singapore The two sand-paintings were done as a part of a unit exploring Navajo, Tamil, and Tibetan sand-painting. Students examined the role of the artists, the purposes for the art, and the world-views expressed in these cultures - and then employed the ideas and techniques learned to narrate their own stories.

Bangkok Patana School (left) E Digital painting by Arin Smutharaks, Year 8 (above) Still Life using watercolour by Pawinee (Balloon) Ruamrak, Year 7

Mt. Zaagkam School Sphere (above) Aurelia deJong, Grade 8 (below) Miguel Crawford, Grade 8

Brent International School Manila (left) Silhouette painting, Dylan Valmores, Grade 8 (right) Cubism of Human Gestures , Julianna Brizuela, Grade 7

Osaka YMCA International School (left) House on the moon Ken Matsuda, Grade 8 Technique: collage, mixed media (right) Digital Sketches Hiro Ishimoto, Grade 8 Technique: generative drawing tool

Thai-Chinese International School (left) Avitra Trongtrairat (Bell) Light Effects on Shape Pencil, Grade 8. (right) Kassana Wongpensri(Stamp) Fish, Watercolor Grade 7

Stonehill International School Kaito Yagyu

Stonehill International School Tiriana Sequeira

Winter 2016 Issue 41

Concordian International School, Bangkok In the Garden’ Contour drawings from the school’s tropical Gardens using the ‘right brain method’ and elaborated into watercolour studies. (left) Pang, Grade 10 MYP ( Year 5) (above) Tara, Grade 10 MYP ( Year 5)

Dostyk American International School Perspective Laine Lohfink, Grade 6 Ink and colored pencils

Dostyk American International School Perspective The monkey by Grace Walker The parrot by Jake Edwards The elephant by Holly Dempster Oil Pastels, Grade 7

Shanghai American School Giraffe by Carmen

Shanghai American School Angel Zhang

American Pacific International School (left) “Patterens in the world” Xunxuan Zheng (Mellisa), Grade 7 Color pencil and markers (right) “Line and movement” Ching-Yuan Chang, Grade 9 Watercolor and pen

American School in Japan (left) Chloe Wu, Grade 8 (right) Ryuichi Niwa, Grade 6

The Alice Smith School (left) Passing Perceptions by Sharifah Sofia Mohamed Nizam Canvas (right) Pop Art Surrealism An Icon in Bloom by Lara Oke

Kaohsiung American School The Perspective City (left) Emily Wu, Grade 8 (bottom) Melody Fang, Grade 8

Winter 2016 Issue 43

Middle School Art Gallery

Saigon South International School Zen and Tone Eye Tania Wu, Grade 6

International School of the Sacred Heart (above) Diya, Grade 7, Chalk, Pastel (bottom) Middle School Pottery, Norin, Grade 5

44 EARCOS Triannual Journal

Saigon South International School Out of the Frame Anna Kim, Grade 7

Bandung Independent School Surrealism (above) Nafishah Hendra, Grade 8 (bottom) Satine Schenkels, Grade 8

On the Road with Dr. K...

New EARCOS Office The Philippine Episcopal Bishop, Dixie Taclobao (Left center) blesses the new EARCOS office located on the Campus of Brent International School Manila. We now have our own office and a 50 year lease!

Thanks to the EARCOS board and Dick Robbins of Brent Schools. Inc

International School Yangon visit with former ETC Advisory member Vasudha Hurkat (L) and one of DK’s former ACS Amman student who is now ISY Director of Admissions Nirmala Jayaran.

Dr. K with Yangon International School director Greg Von Spreecken and Elementary Principal Deanna Emond at YIS’s new early childhood campus.

Yew Chung International School Shanghai (New Member) YCIS Co-Principals Richard Swan and Isabel Xu. L-R, Dick Krajczar, Mary Scott (Head of Concordia International School Shanghai) Chip Barder (Head of UNIS Hanoi) Steve Winkleman (Head of Concordia International School Hanoi) Alan Runge (Head of Hong Kong International School) All attended the opening of CIS Hanoi.

Winter 2016 Issue 45

EARCOS Weekend Workshop SY 2016-2017 JANUARY Jan. 28-29, Ruamrudee International School Foundations in Math: Developing Mathematical Thinking and Conceptual Understanding in Grades Kg-5 Consultant: Sara Garrett Coordinator: Madeleine Bystrom, madeleineb@rism.ac.th Jan. 21-22, The International School Yangon Re-Envisioning World Languages for 21st Century Learners Consultant: Greg Duncan Coordinator: Laurie Ransom, Lransom@isyedu.org FEBRUARY Feb. 18-19, Intercultural School of Bogor Making Sense of Spelling: An Orthographic Journey Consultant: Lynette Anderson Coordinator: Michael Robertson, principal@isbogor.org Feb. 25-26, American International School of Guangzhou Engaging Adolescent Readers and Writers Consultant: Penny Kittle Coordinator: Jill Watson, jwatson@aisgz.org Feb. 25-26, Thai-Chinese International School Teaching the i-Student at International Schools: Intergrating Media and Technology into Chinese Classroom Consultant: Liang-Kuang Chen (Kevin) Coordinator: Yi-Ling Chu, yiling@tcis.ac.th Feb. 25-26, Bandung Independent School Supporting the Needs of English Language Learners Consultant: Kath Upshall Coordinator: Mary Collins, elementaryprincipal@bisedu.or.id MARCH Mar. 3-5, Singapore American School Middle School Leadership Conference 2017

Conferences

Mar. 2-5, Chadwick International Teacher Leadership in the 21st Century Consultant: Maxine Driscoll Coordinator: Marieke Van Lankvelt, mvanlankvelt@chadwickschool.org Mar. 4-5, Tokyo International School (Registration Full) Building Learning ‘Assets’ Through Inquiry Consultant: Kath Murdoch Coordinator: Stacey Isomura, sisomura@tokyois.com Mar. 11-12, Phuket International Academy School Differentiation and assessment strategies for ESOL learners within the classroom from K - 12 Consultant: Virginia Rojas Coordinator: Justine Olsen, justine.olsen@pia.ac.th Mar. 11-12, Jakarta Intercultural School Inquiry Mathematics: Research Based Strategies to Improve Student Learning Consultant: Mignon Weckert Coordinator: Rosie Upson, rupson@jisedu.or.id Mar. 18-19, The International School Yangon Effective Strategies for the Instructional Leader Consultant: Deron Marvin Coordinator: Laurie Ransom, Lransom@isyedu.org Mar. 25-26, Brent International School Manila Empowering Learners Through Assessment Consultant: Bambi Betts Coordinator: Rev. Charles Mock, jmock@brent.edu.ph APRIL Apr 8-9, Canadian Academy, Kobe, Japan Cultures of Thinking (Harvard Project Zero) Consultant: Ron Ritchart Coordinator: Stephen Taylo, staylor@canacad.ac.jp Apr. 21-22, Concordia International School Hanoi and UNIS EAL Students and Blended Learning Consultant: Virginia Rojas Coordinator: Sharon L. Voss and Susan Cieslak,

sharon.voss@concordiahanoi.org

2017 Conferences

2018 Conferences

EARCOS/CIS University Institute September 22-23 Shangri-La, Bangkok, Thailand

16th Teachers’ Conference 2018 March 29-31, 2018 Shangri-La, Bangkok, Thailand

Middle School GIN 2017 March 4-5 Hong Kong Academy for more information visit http://gin.hkacademy.edu.hk/

50th Leadership Conference 2018 October 24-28, 2018 Venue: TBA

15th Teachers’ Conference 2017 March 30 - April 1 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia 49th Leadership Conference 2017 Oct. 26-28 Shangri-La, Bangkok, Thailand

for more information about EARCOS future conferences visit www.earcos.org