Applied History and sustainability
Roman Krznaric takes a new look at what it means to learn from the past and why this has become even more essential for all our futures.
Roman Krznaric takes a new look at what it means to learn from the past and why this has become even more essential for all our futures.
Karyn Knox, Chief Development and Partnerships Officer at Educated Choices Program looks at free resources now available to schools around the world.
Since 2016 climate educator Peter Milne has organised over 40 two-day climate conferences or symposiums for schools around the world under the banner of ‘Beyond COP21’.
Dr. Stephen Scoffham and Steve Rawlinson consider ways of teaching climate change which go beyond the science and enhance consistent understanding.
Sustainability is one of four strands being presented at the 2024 COBIS conference in London this May. Colin Bell introduces the four speakers who are urging us to take sustainable action.
Jody Ellenby asks what an effective sustainability curriculum looks like when implemented in a primary or elementary classroom.
Conversations about education these days are dominated by the need for change. In many ways this is absolutely right – everything moves on. Emerging technologies can shoulder some of the load for teachers – fantastic. The environment in which children are growing up is being transformed and we need to respond to changing needs. Quite right.
However, are all the ideas that have been around for some time necessarily outdated and irrelevant as we move into the second quarter of the 21st Century? I don’t think so.
In this April’s edition of ITM Richard Human looks back to 1996 and a school expedition to climb Mt. Kenya. The trip was transformative for all participants as they got to know each other outside of the classroom and did something difficult together. I strongly suspect that 2024 expeditions will all have a similar effect.
Old ideas justified by new research are also interesting. As Smita Bannerjee argues, making handwritten notes with pen and paper is just as good for you today as it has ever been, and now there is the research to demonstrate a positive cognitive effect.
Which brings me to Michael Ter-Berg. It has long been good practice to rule out simple explanations for any possible cognitive difficulties. Always, always, always get hearing and vision checked first if something seems wrong. If possible, screen children regularly so that kids with emerging hearing or vision issues can be referred for a full diagnosis conducted by a specialist quickly. But regular screening is easier said than done, especially, perhaps, in international schools. You know the problems.
Which is why Michael Ter-Berg’s article is my favourite example of a ‘good idea revisited’ for a long time. It has always been a ‘good idea’ to screen for sight and vision if you could. But it has never been easy. What I love about the approach first developed by the researchers at City, University of London, is that it connects an old idea about screening with a new approach made possible by innovative R & D. In this case old and new thinking are combined to make larger scale screening for sight and vision issues possible without schools bringing in very busy clinical specialists. As a result most schools can now screen for vision and hearing difficulties for themselves.
Now – that’s the kind of good idea revisited (and improved!) that I really like and I have no doubt that there are lots of other, older, good ideas out there just waiting to go further with a little bit of help from new technology.
Editor, International Teacher Magazine
Gavin Judd describes how a school community in Mexico City designed its new campus to be actively used as the students’ ‘third teacher’.
Jenny Mollon, Director of Education at KidzInk and her colleague, architect Neha Anna Sibu, discuss how fostering open dialogue leads to successful school design.
Architect Ian Bogle always has an ear open for any conversation about learning: listening with understanding to a client can then set a new design apart.
Paul Thompson, Head of Geography at Sevenoaks School asks what it would take to put environmental sustainability at the heart of all education.
Heather Rhodes, founding Principal of Highgrove Online School looks at the increasingly persuasive case for a fully online education.
Was 2023 the year everything changed because of AI? Perhaps some of our old priorities just became more essential.
Richard Human reflects on the rewards and challenges of moving out of the classroom to become a full-time online teacher, trainer and coach.
Charlotte Bouchier has news of this year’s WWF competition that enables students to explore the wonderful world of birds this October.
A revolution in school publications is under way according to Andy Homden: going fully digital is essential to stay ahead of the competition.
Schools need to view data management and protection as key tasks according to Al Kingsley, Group CEO of NetSupport and Chair of Hampton Academies Trust.
Tiago Mateus returns to a question at the heart of all educational debate: why do we teach? His answers are student rather than subject-centred.
Paul Cabrelli and Andy Homden look at what UK schools must consider when including India as part of their strategy for establishing a branded international school.
As well as asking where new markets for international schools are likely to emerge in the next ten years, Paul Cabrelli and Andy Homden think we should be considering what kind of schools are going to be built.
Andy Homden and Michael Roulston look at how UK schools can demonstrate their value to an international partner in a way that sets them apart from the competition.
Jenny Mollon looks at the rise of E-Sports and how exciting new spaces might be designed to accommodate these increasingly popular activities in schools.
Finding spaces for small group and individual learning at a reasonable cost is a pressing issue for schools. Andy Homden and Philip Gardner think that strategic planning and good design provide the way forward.
It’s plausible, simple and possibly seminal but is it education? Head of Alleyn’s School, Jane Lunnon considers how ChatGPT is forcing us to think about learning.
Where are we with EdTech? Forging ahead? On pause? Or even moving backwards? Al Kingsley and Matt Harris EdD share contrasting views with Andy Homden in this edition of the ITM Podcast.
David Woodgate has a clear message for all fee-paying schools in the post-pandemic era: plan strategically, follow best practice rigorously and be prepared to make the difficult decisions.
Clare Ives makes a persuasive case for using the concept of equity to lay the foundations of a school’s culture and to guide a range of school interventions.
Kevin Bartlett has a straightforward proposition. Drop teacher evaluation systems. Introduce professional learning systems. Student learning improves.
For Çelebi KALKAN a well-planned STEM programme is essential for meeting UNESCO and UN sustainability targets.
Ger Graus is worried about technology – equality of access, the purposes to which it is put and how to live with it, not for it. Somehow, he’s still excited!
Veritas International Training Center want to advance an agenda for teaching sustainable living in schools, inviting educators to a new conference in Lisbon in November 2022.
You’d have thought governments would be rushing to get the issue of sustainability into the mainstream curriculum. Apparently not. Stephen Scoffham and Steve Rawlinson are looking to fill the gap.
Despite the uncertainty of 2020 – 22, the demand for international education is still growing and more schools have been opening, as Sam Fraser reports.
Al Kingsley examines the increasing digital pressures that affect student attention spans suggesting ways to adapt our pedagogy accordingly.
Former international school student Angela McCarthy tells the story of the $200,000 Earth Prize for schools and how your school can get involved in the 2023 edition.
For Uma Shankar Singh what developers of new metaverse platforms need more than anything right now is critical feedback from educators, not unthinking adoption.
Long-term thinking will become increasingly important when procuring educational equipment if schools are to meet carbon targets, argues Frank Campbell.
School groups have been a feature of international education for some time. Now they are growing in size and in number. Ashley Kirk of ISC Research looks at the phenomenon.
Kit Connell looks at how schools are coming to understand their carbon footprint and how they can reduce it in a revolutionary, but realistic move to ‘net-zero.’
The annual COBIS conference took place in London as a hybrid event in May. At a time of such change, it was important to get people together again, as Andy Homden reports.
Pete Milne is a man on a mission – to help young people understand the climate crisis and show schools how they can take action quickly and effectively.
Approaches to live online teaching are becoming more sophisticated and ambitious. In September 2022 live broadcasts commence from a school in London to partner schools in Europe and East Asia. David Boddy reports.
The announcement of a prestigious UK award to Bangkok-based vocational centre, Steps, prompts Andy Homden to reflect on changes in international SEND provision over the last 40 years.
A new report highlights key shifts in international school teacher recruitment and professional development. Anne Keeling has more.
As full lockdown came to an end in Bangladesh, some families still preferred to keep their children at home. One school wanted to make sure that no students were going to miss out, as the Principal, Dr. Shivandanda CS reports.
How can Internet of Things (IoT) be used in schools? Uma Shankar Singh looks at the substantial benefits and some of the issues that must be thought through.
How is education changing in 2021 – 22? Sally Alexander looks at seven trends that are already emerging and will have an impact in the coming few years.
Serdar Ferit and Harriet Marshall look at the power of digital storytelling to build empathy and widen student horizons.
Charlotte Bouchier has news of a new competition for schools enabling students to explore key environmental issues in the lead up to COP26.
Using student-created video projects to assess learning is going mainstream, according to Eddie Bradley. Time to hop on board.