Editorial | International Teaching Magazine

December 2021

Recruiting trends, specialised sports academies, post-colonial outreach in Ghana, low-cost live streaming from classrooms in Dhaka and assisting mass vaccinations in KL.

Recruitment trends

A new report shows shifts in international school teacher recruitment and CPD. Anne Keeling has more.

Sports Academies

Nick Mooney looks at the benefits that Specialised Sports Academies are bringing to international schools.

EduSpots!

A network of community projects in Ghana meets both global and local learning needs as Cat Davison reports.

Classroom broadcast

How low cost live streaming from the classroom helped students still at home at one school in Dhaka.

The myth of falling

Does failure really toughen you up? Not without a process of healing, argues social psychologist Dr. Helen Street.

JOBLINK

ITM's convenient JOBLINK page of leading international school associations and agencies advertising the latest positions.

Rapid response

Chika Kumashiro-Wilms tells how a simple question led to the mass-vaccination of refugees in Malaysia at ISKL.

Internet of things

What is the 'Internet of Things' and how can it be used in schools? Uma Shankar Singh looks at some of the issues.

Changing the world

If you want to find out how to change the world for the better, Margaret Rooke suggests listening to young people.

The cookie jar

Huma Shah wonders if we are doing enough to protect online privacy, despite recent strides in safeguarding.

Circle and chairs

Early Years creativity has been central to a project recognised at a major Milan design event, as Holly Warren reports.

Social Gaps

Simon Dunford looks at the gaps in social learning that need to be closed on the return to on-campus learning.

in editorial 0 comments

October 2021

Wildly wise, video and assessment, drama and blended learning, learn to love gaming and the OECD’s new survey of Social and Emotional skills.

Wildly wise

Charlotte Bouchier has news of a WWF-linked competition for students exploring key issues in the lead up to COP26.

Beyond the academic

Andreas Schleicher looks at the outcomes of the OECD 2018-20 global Survey of Social and Emotional Skills.

Community success

Educational interventions gaining the confidence of indigenous communities do work, as Susan Bennett reports.

5 sticky changes

Asked to research what would be the 'sticky' changes in education after Covid, Anna Harrison found 5 big answers.

Dramatic response

Holly Sullivan on how drama teachers in Asia found ways to collaborate online, setting up links that will now endure.

A defence of poetry

Allowing a post-Covid poetry opt-out from GCSE is wrong, according to Jill Pritchard who laments the move.

7 from Sevenoaks

7 articles from Innovate, the journal of the Sevenoaks School Institute of Teaching & Learning published by ITM in 2021.

All ways coaching

Nicholas McKie fuses three pedagogical styles with three ways of coaching to form 'a coaching way of teaching'.

All a game?

Bryan Gibson on evidence that gaming and Game-Based Learning will play an important role in education.

School to home

It was not an easy choice for Dallin Bywater to be a Stay at Home Parent, but it led to a broader perspective on life.

Write for ITM!

Most of our articles are written by global educators - why not join them? We are always interested in new ideas.

in editorial 0 comments

September 2021

The changing face of professional development, research-based ideas for setting up your classroom, the rise and rise of blended learning and the impact of your leadership style on learning.

Call for nominations!

Nominations for the International School Awards 2022, hosted by ISC Research are open until 30th September.

Classrooms by design

According to Kate McCallam, it’s worth considering the research about classroom design before setting up for the year.

Making it stick

Finding ways to measure the long-term impact of online professional development. Dr. Helen Bilton reports.

Inclusive inspiration

Do ‘inclusive’ leadership styles in teachers motivate students? Research by Paul Parham and Gloria Moss suggests they do.

Creative connections

A daily walk sparks off all sorts of connections for Andrew Tidswell about the link between curiosity and creativity.

Change the narrative

Take back control! Despairing talk of ‘catching-up’ after Covid is self-defeating, argues Al Kingsley.

On the blend

Anne Keeling on the latest report from ISC Research looking at emerging practice in international teaching.

Right for you?

Dr. Natasha Ridge looks at 5 questions you should ask about yourself and the school that offers you an interview.

No turning back

Renee Rehfeldt thinks that Covid has made PD fairer and more accessible in international schools, despite a sense of loss.

in editorial 0 comments

ITM’s best of 2020 – 21

This has been the most difficult of years for educators, but new ideas have never been far from the surface since the pandemic began.

Here’s our pick of this year’s ITM articles from 2020 – 21.

New revolutionary?

Is Christopher Pommerening the new leader of the Learning Revolution? In December we looked at his ideas.

High-impact feedback

In March, Elen Harris looked at giving high-impact feedback to students, while saving teachers time. Total win-win.

Globally competent

At the COBIS conference in May, Andreas Schleicher of the OECD looked at the vital new skill of 'global competence'.

Viral maths

Professor Marcus Du Sautoy explained the mathematics behind the spreading of a virus in our October edition.

Leading in a whirlwind

Looking back over an incredible year, Phil Mathe spoke from the heart about Covid and the lives of middle leaders.

Teacher shortage?

By January 2021 Diane Jacoutot, was predicting a teacher shortage in 2021 – 22 and with very good reason.

Fair balance

Are international schools culturally biased? Gwen Byrom thought we should ask ourselves some hard questions.

What to learn

Kevin Bartlett showed in November that some of the old questions about education are still some of the most radical.

Data first

The message from Ashley Kirk and Doris Suchet in June was when planning strategically, don't guess - follow the data.

Outside in

School design is more important than ever. In June, Ian Bogle looked at connections between spaces, inside and out.

White water ride

For Richard Gaskell the year had been a white-water ride - but ways are emerging to help schools steer their way through.

Inclusive careers

Kyra Kellawan and Andreu Gual i Falco asked schools to challenge attitudes that undermine student aspiration.

Unfair and unreliable

The year has seen chaos in the world of formal assessment. Time for change wrote Ian Grove-Stephenson in April.

OT and learning

The time is right for new ideas. In May, Rachel Gillespie argued Occupational Therapy should be mainstream in schools.

Teaching sustainability

According to Kirsty Knowles writing in June, teaching sustainability should be centre stage. Who would argue?

in editorial 0 comments

July and August 2021

Setting up ‘hublings’, service learning, libraries v fake news, innovative EAL, pre-clinical mental health interventions, tech threats and ‘slow looking’.

Hublings

Ulrike Suwwan suggests including ‘Hublings’ - flexible spaces for self-directed learning – in the design of any school.

Slow looking

Head of Art, Charley Openshaw thinks careful observation and drawing are great techniques to help wider learning.

Future service

After a difficult year, Megan Flottorp and Cathryn Berger-Kaye explore how schools can build programmes in ‘21-‘22.

Tech threats

Glaucia Rosas and James Wilkinson see a ‘perfect storm’ for educational technology in schools. Here they explain why.

Happy medium

According to Sam Fraser, there is significant growth in the enrolment of medium-cost international schools.

Personalising ESOL

Lewis Tatt questions whether textbooks are sufficient in themselves for the personalised 21st century ESOL classroom.

AR for EAL

Flora Floris and three of her students describe their success when using the AR platform Moatboat to teach EAL.

School first

Claire Sewell looks at courses which will help schools become more self-reliant in making a range of positive interventions.

Magic of leadership

For Ciaran MacMahon, the magic of leadership is 'being present' for others and bringing out their leadership stories.

Brilliance imperative

In order to create brilliance in your organisation, focus on what's going well and the rest follows, writes Simon Dunford.

Critically literate

Julian McDougall places school libraries and effective media literacy in the front line to counter ‘fake news’.

Edruptors

ISC Research Conference for the latest trends in international school education. July 8th, 2021: register here.

Feature image: by Tri Le from Pixabay

in editorial 0 comments

June 2021

Floella Benjamin and Andreas Schleicher at the COBIS conference, Sir Anthony Seldon on looking after yourself, using global data in strategic planning, music and dyslexia, teaching sustainability and outside-in school design.

Opening minds

Two keynotes. Two stories. One message from Floella Benjamin and Andreas Schleicher at COBIS21.

Outside in

Architect Ian Bogle argues that a school’s interior must connect with its external environment for great learning to take place.

Music and dyslexia

For Julia Kiggell understanding links between dyslexia and mastering a musical instrument can transform learning.

Taking care

Sir Anthony Seldon reflects on five restorative practices with an impact both on ourselves and on those around us.

Data first

For Ashley Kirk and Doris Suchet the use of data must be embedded in the strategic planning cycle for real impact.

New perspective

Tom Richmond introduces EDSK, a UK think tank which aims to influence policy by the analysis of educational issues.

Eating for teaching

Dietitian Breanna Baildon knows how busy teachers are - but that's why what we eat has to change.

RSE support

Rachel Coathup on two new video releases for teaching Relationships and Sex Ed, free to both schools and parents.

Dynamic review

How do you review a popular international curriculum like the IPC? Gregory Biggs of Fieldwork Education reports.

Theory into practice

Adam Seymour explores the impact of Barak Rosenshine's ‘10 Principles’ in real classrooms with his team at La Côte IS.

Teaching sustainability

For Kirsty Knowles, bringing sustainability to the core of the curriculum just cannot be delayed.

On the scale

Jess Gosling shows how student wellbeing and involvement in the Early Years an be monitored using the Leuven Scales.

in editorial 0 comments

May 2021

Andreas Schleicher on PISA 2018 and measuring ‘Global Competence’, Phil Mathe looks at the Servant Leader, Kurt Hahn, and how occupational therapy is making an impact on learning in Singapore as Rachel Gillespie reports.

Globally competent

Andreas Schleicher looks at PISA 2018 and the importance of measuring 'Global Competence' as a core skill.

Servant leader

For Phil Mathe, he was one of the 20th Century’s greatest educational thinkers. Thoughts about Kurt Hahn.

OT and learning

Rachel Gillespie looks at how in-house occupational therapy is making a big difference to a school in Singapore.

MAP work

If objective testing data are to be useful, students have to understand their significance as Kawai Liu & Sharon Ma report.

Knowledge or skills?

Chris Taylor wonders if the skills/knowledge divide is really so deep and, if not, what are the implications for curriculum?

Print out

Uma Shankar Singh looks at the huge potential for using a 3-D printer to stimulate interdisciplinary project work.

Train first

Fionna Heiton describes how an innovative training initiative is having a big impact on learning in rural Nepal.

The right mix

When four complementary pedagogies come together, Early Years learning takes off, suggests Matthew Silvester.

Future continuous

Alex Mirza has no doubt that digital assessment aligned to formative principles is set to change global education.

Equitable education

Find out how the National Association for Special Educational Needs is now supporting schools overseas.

Confident start

Stephen Walshe explains how P4C builds confidence and leads to early cognitive development.

COBIS Conference 2021

This year's conference, also open to non-members, looks at 'Leading in a climate of change.' Book your place here.

Feature image by Tri Le from Pixabay

in editorial 0 comments

April 2021

The IPC at 20, working in a for-profit school, encouraging student questions inc class and the unreliability of written exams.

Encouraging questions

Hélène Bonsall looks at the value of student questions, and examines why they are not asked more frequently in class.

Data share

Sam Fraser, leader of the ISC Research field team on how the pandemic is changing international education.

Unfair and unreliable

Ian Grove-Stephensen makes a strong case for abandoning paper-based summative assessments now!

The best for all

Clare Taylor loved working internationally, but suggests that international schools could learn to be more inclusive.

Is this for me?

Would teaching at a ‘for profit’ international school be for you? Sadie Hollins has some pointers.

COBIS invitation

Colin Bell, CEO of COBIS extends an open invitation to members and non-members to attend this year’s Conference.

Wellington EdFest '21

A drop of paint

Holly Warren reflects on the nature of imagination and its connection with reality as a drop of paint falls from a brush.

IPC re-imagined

Gregory Biggs describes how this popular curriculum is being re-imagined in the light of more recent research.

Winning the wait

College counsellor Paul Yap looks at how G12 students can ‘win the wait’ as they plan during lockdown.

Self-directed

Using the principles of High Performance Learning, Neil Thomas enables students to be self-directed.

COBIS Conference 2021

This year's conference, also open to non-members, looks at 'Leading in a climate of change.' Book your place here.

Feature image by tao cui from Pixabay

in editorial 0 comments

March 2021

Unheroic leadership, what parents want, the Sevenoaks approach to feedback and, one year on, how are we doing on the white-water ride of Covid-19?

What parents want

Anne Keeling on the new ISC Research White Paper analysing what parents are looking for in an international school.

Unheroic leadership

Ciaran McMahon suggests that leaders who ask good questions rather than provide all the answers add real value.

High-impact feedback

Elen Harris looks at how Sevenoaks School has developed a model for giving high-impact feedback.

No barrier

Janice Ireland and Marytina Osuchukwu describe how a school in the Niger Delta region has introduced inclusion.

How are we doing?

A survey for the 2021 COBIS Bursars and HR Staff Conference shows how schools are dealing with the pandemic.

White water ride

Richard Gaskell invites us to pause and listen as we prepare to take on the next section of the Covid white-water ride.

Curiosity is key

Brendan Law identifies four elements for any modern curriculum, but everything must unleash a child's curiosity.

ESG for schools?

Lisa Walsh thinks that schools should follow the green example of many businesses by adopting an ESG code.

Beyond bilingual

By embracing the complexity of language provision, the International School of Paris aims to ‘go beyond bilingual’.

See and understand

Alex Cull looks at developing children’s conceptual understanding of mathematics before, during and after Covid.

An international life

Gail Schoppert reflects on a lifetime in international schools and the many changes he has seen since the late 1970s.

Pandemic legacy

Rob Stokoe on self-aware leadership and the emerging pandemic legacy of resilient, positive headship.

Feature image by dariasophia from Pixabay

in editorial 0 comments

February 2021

What we can learn from the Danish experience in 2020, setting high standards for SEN learning and the crucial role of middle leadership during the Covid crisis.