Taking the lead to change the way we teach
For Abigail Reed, a new report from UNESCO’s International Commission on the Futures of Education is a clarion call to action for international schools.
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Inclusion
SEND provision in an international context
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.
Using Moatboat for teaching EAL
Flora Floris and three of her students in the English Department at Petra Christian University describe the success they have had in using the AR platform Moatboat when teaching EAL.
The most important future skill
Two keynotes. Two stories. One message about the future, and it might not be what you were expecting. Reflections on the COBIS 2021 conference from Andy Homden.
Instrumental music teacher Julia Kiggell suggests that understanding connections between dyslexia and mastering a musical instrument can help transform a student’s learning.
Ensuring an inclusive culture in an international school.
Adam Boddison and Kamal Bodhanker look at how the UK’s National Association for Special Educational Needs (nasen) are now supporting international schools in partnership with COBIS.
The benefits of early intervention occupational therapy in school
Rachel Gillespie looks at how in-house occupational therapy is making a big difference to the lives of children and their teachers at a school in Singapore.
A disability unit in South Australia is striving towards ‘deep inclusion’
Clare Taylor loved teaching internationally, but having seen what can be done in South Australia, she suggests international schools could become more fully inclusive.
Inclusion in a remote setting
Janice Ireland and Marytina Osuchukwu describe how a school in the Niger Delta region has introduced a radical inclusion programme, with dramatic results.
‘It is what it is, and we are where we are’.
Imagining a ‘new normal’ is backward looking, argues Ger Graus. For Ger, it’s time to build on what we have learned in 2020, move on to create genuine opportunity for all children, globally.
Big questions
Robert Young looks at how the idea of the balanced curriculum is under further threat as a result of Covid-19.
. . . and why it matters
Kyra Kellawan and Andreu Gual i Falco ask schools to challenge attitudes that both undermine student aspiration and lead to an unbalanced workforce.
Supporting local staff in international schools
According to Henry Wong, helping local staff understand the micro-culture in which they work is as essential as orientating new international staff when they arrive.
Developing best practice for inclusion in international schools
Colin Bell and Kamal Bodhanker, explain how nasen and COBIS have joined forces to raise the profile of Additional Educational Needs (AEN) in international schools.
Supporting military children in school
As a result of frequent relocations and long periods of family separation, the children of military personnel need empathetic support in school, writes Louise Fetigan.
Becoming me
In the second of two articles Ger Graus argues passionately for changes to the curriculum which will excite the imagination and raise aspirations.
New reports highlight inclusion and edtech practice in international schools
At a time of such profound and rapid change, it is vital to keep up with emerging trends in order to plan effectively. Diane Glass of ISC Research looks at two important studies that are hot off the press.
Unconscious bias in international schools
In the light of questions being asked about racism in 2020, Gwen Byrom thinks we all need to take a hard look at the cultural climate in which international learning is taking place.
The loss of innocence
2020 has been a turbulent year (and it’s not just about the virus). Stephen M. Whitehead thinks it will force us to face some difficult truths.
“How important it is for us to recognise our heroes and she-roes!”
Ger Graus looks at the role models we all look up to and asks how Maya Angelou’s ‘heroes and she-roes’ affect the changing aspirations of young people.
Claiming a place in the ‘new normal’
Whatever else changes in education after the lockdown, according to Ger Graus, Global Director of Education for KidZania, widening horizons and raising aspirations must become an integral part of the ‘new normal’. Social mobility should at the heart of all we do.
Future imaginative
Teacher, writer and social activist, Ger Graus is also a successful businessman and Global Director of Education for KidZania. He thinks that young people can imagine their future with confidence – if they know how. ITM’s Andy Homden caught up with him recently on-line.
A bridge to employment for young people with learning disabilities
Although educational opportunities are opening up for more young people with learning disabilities, finding a way into full time employment still presents a challenge. A new bakery in the UK is showing how the bridge can be built. Jane Chong, the co-founder of Step and Stone reports.
Learning support and community based child care in rural Africa
Education in developing countries is often regarded as a privilege rather than a right, and children with support needs are all too often an excluded group. A number of national organisations in Malawi, working with a team from the University of Birmingham have found this need not be the case, as Dr. Anita Soni reports.
Breaking the cycle
Homelessness seems to becoming an increasing global problem and children are inevitably involved. Leah Davies looks at how, as a profession we might address the issue. One thing is for sure – it cannot be ignored.
The importance of home languages
Much has recently been written highlighting the importance of a child’s mother tongue (or “home language”). Susan Stewart, describes the advantages of putting home languages at the centre of a school’s curriculum.
The importance of mother tongue language in education
A consequence of the ever-increasing popularity of international schools is the growth in the number of children learning in a language other than their first. This can open opportunities for the individual but, as Carolyn Savage explains, continuing to develop the mother tongue is vital to enhance learning.
ITM talks to Dr. Ger Graus OBE, Director of Education at the London KidZania. His recent research has implications not only for schools in the UK, but also for international schools.