December 2011

December 2011
From Your Executive Director
AASSA‘s 50th year—almost half over--is shaping up to be a very productive and positive one!
We‘ve launched a new website and conference registration software; held our Business Managers‘
and Board Governance Conferences; launched GIN of the Americas with a wonderful student
conference in Lima; inaugurated new services and benefits such as offering online courses through
Knowledge Delivery Services, providing NAIS membership to Full Member schools; and initiated
our first regional award for students (AASSA Global Citizen Award) in conjunction with TieCare
International. As I write, we are heading into the annual administrators‘ conference and the
AASSA Recruiting Fair.
Our shared success is due to everyone‘s involvement! The AASSA Board members give willingly
of their time and expertise; their consistent governance is the foundation of our organization‘s
renewal and progress. The five-member AASSA staff is a small but committed group who last year
worked on purchasing, payroll, four conferences and the recruiting fair, and accounting for the
$17.5 million of funds that passed through AASSA! Finally, there is you: our schools. Without
the support of your membership, your participation in events and taking advantage of the services
we offer, we could not continue to grow and develop.
So, as we head into the holiday season, gratitude and appreciation are the prevailing sentiments. As
Voltaire wrote, ―Appreciation is an excellent thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to
us, as well.‖ Happy holidays and all the best for 2012!
Welcome to our Newest Members
AASSA‘s membership is currently at 65 schools, an all-time high, and we have 41 Associate
Members, also an all-time high.
Schools
Anzoategui International School, Venezuela (Full Member)
Colegio Americano de Torreon, Mexico (Invitational Member)
Country Day School, Costa Rica (Invitational Member)
Associate Members
Global Tax Service
Perkins Eastman
Virco Inc.
AASSA Conferences
2012 AASSA Educators’ Conference Quito
The AASSA Educators’ Conference hosted by Academia Cotopaxi in Quito from March 1417, 2012 is open for registration!
We have a wonderful four-day program with well-respected consultants as well as teacher and
exhibitor workshops and anticipate upwards of 900 participants at our annual conference. Since all
of the details of the conference and information about Quito are posted on the AASSA website, I
am going to refer you there.
For an overview of the conference, go to: http://www.aassa.com/page.cfm?p=428 and work your
way through the many conference-related webpages from there.
Tentative schedules are posted at: http://www.aassa.com/page.cfm?p=430
There is an online registration form (http://www.aassa.com/page.cfm?p=432) for the PreConference and Main Conference.
This conference will feature a pre-conference College Counselors‘ Institute by CIS. See
http://www.aassa.com/page.cfm?p=629
The College Board will also offer two two-day institutes (Physics and Statistics). Register
online at www.collegeboard.org/international. Go to the Event List on the right…
Please register once your plans are set because the new conference registration system does not
easily allow for changes.
You will need to make your own hotel reservations at the Swissotel Quito as instructed on our
website: http://www.aassa.com/page.cfm?p=433. Please note the deadline for hotel reservations
is February 20th, 2012. After this date, there is no guarantee of a hotel reservation, so book early.
SUNY at Buffalo will again be offering graduate credit.
http://www.aassa.com/page.cfm?p=442
Read all about it at:
GIN Conference 2011
The first AASSA GIN Conference of the Americas was held in October at Colegio Franklin D.
Roosevelt in Lima, Peru. 208 advisors and students participated from 25 Latin American Schools
and 5 schools from the US. There were about 80 students from our host school FDR directly
involved in and working the GIN conference.
Students were exposed to top people in fields related to GIN‘s global issues, among them:
Jean Franciois Rischard, the author of High Noon: Twenty Global Problems, Twenty Years
to Solve Them was with us virtually to start and close the conference
Scott Muller, Director of the Clinton Climate Initiative
Manuel Maqueda, Co-founder of the Plastic Pollution Coalition
John Liu, Director of the Environmental Education Media Project
Joel Simonetti, the co-founder of Fintegrity—an organization dedicated to teaching children
to care about the sea—and his wife Lisa Cook
Joaquin Leguia, a native of Peru and the founder of the Association for Children and their
Environment
Bill Powers, an author and senior fellow at the World Policy Institute
Cathryn Berger Kaye, a consultant and author on environmental issues
Lisa Ragsdale, the Peace Dragon Project
Paloma Sarria, Project Manager of myclimate
Rob Burroughs, a student at Mount Allison University in Canada and a speaker for the
Clinton Global Initiative University Conference
As I told the students at the closing of the conference, organizing and running this conference was
an honor…and it is the only conference I have ever attended that changed my life! I think this
sentiment was shared by everyone who attended and I have the feeling we not only set the
foundation for the future of GIN conferences in our region but also heightened the awareness of
global and environmental issues in all 300 of us who were present.
Thank you to Russ Jones, our host Director, for offering to host the conference; Kim Jones for her
endless and unpaid involvement; Linda Sills, our tireless GIN coordinator who went way beyond
the call of duty in making AASSA‘s GIN program a reality; the wonderful staff and students of
FDR; and, lastly, to all of the participants for stepping up to the proverbial plate!
Building New Futures by Breaking Old Habits – The Global Issues Network
(GIN) Experience at Colegio Franklin D. Roosevelt
-by Allana Rumble
Three hundred student leaders,
twenty-nine different schools
from a dozen different
countries , nine Paso horses, a
troop of scissor dancers,
twenty global issues, a
multitude of solutions, and one
new tradition for a continent.
From Friday, October 21st to Sunday, October 23rd the first ever Global Issues Network conference
in South America was held at the Franklin D. Roosevelt school in Lima, Peru.
The mission of each GIN conference held annually around the world is, ―To help students realize
they can make a difference by empowering them to work internationally with their peers to develop
solutions for global issues.” On hand to foster feelings of empowerment in the student leaders in
attendance were ten incredible keynote speakers from around the world including; Jean Francois
Rischard - the author of ―High Noon‖ the book that
inspired the GIN movement and former World
GIN logo designed by FDR Student, Samantha
Bank Investment Director, Joaquin Leguia - an
Ho and FDR Director of Communications,
Mary Nakada
Ashoka Fellow and Founder of the Association for
children and their environment (ANIA), Manuel
Maqueda - co-founder of the Plastic Pollution coalition and Trash Island and participant in the
Midway Journey, Scott Muller - Director of the Clinton Climate Initiative for Peru, John Lui – CBS
News bureau, and Jane Goodall National Geographic documentarian, Joel Simonetti-co-founder of
Fintegrity an organization that promotes education about and protection of the biodiversity of the
world‘s oceans, Cathryn Berger Kaye co-author with Phillipe Cousteau and content provider to
WaterPlanetChallenge.org, Linda Ragsdale – Founder of the Peace Dragon Project which teaches
students about peace through creativity and expression, Rob Burroughs – International Regional
Coordinator for Inspi(RED) Soccer, and Bill Powers – internationally acclaimed author of three
books and writer for the NY Times and Washington Post.
Even amongst the impressively dynamic list above the most
inspirational participants in the conference were the students in
attendance. To participate in a GIN conference a student must
select an issue from the twenty global issues identified in High
Noon http://www.global-issues-network.org/ , form a team of 2 to
6 students, develop a solution to their identified issue and then
create an interactive and impactful forty-five minute long
presentation that they will deliver to their peers to network their
solutions. At this year‘s conference student teams presented
solutions on topics as diverse as terrorism, education for all, the
fight against poverty, fisheries depletion, and plastic pollution reduction. Colegio
GIN conference participants in a meeting of
the minds during a Global Village session.
Photo by Allana Rumble
Roosevelt‘s student-led technology team captured these presentations both through live streaming
and video and they are available for perusal via the http://aassagin.ning.com website created for this
event. It is amazing to see students from Peru, Columbia, Argentina, Ecuador, Brazil, Bolivia,
Chile, Venezuela, United States and Canada collaborating on such important ideas.
With this conference presentation format students gain
the experience of leadership and the recognition that
their skills can be used for powerful, positive change.
They are also provided with opportunities to engage
with other students, learn from different perspectives
and develop solution networks that allow them to
return home with new directions to further problem
solving based on what they have learned and the
connections they have formed.
These connections were developed through the
formation of more intimate Global Village groups of
8-10 students from different schools who are partnered
with GIN ambassadors/Global Village leaders from
FDR who received leadership training in the months
leading up to the conference. In these smaller sessions
students get to know each other, have conversations,
and engage in the conference experience at a more
personal level. They also had a lot of fun.
GIN students with Global Village Leaders (purple
shirts) forming a network of student innovators of
change. Photo by Allana Rumble
This element of fun was maintained throughout the
conference by an outstanding collection of arts and entertainment activities that featured the talent
of Colegio Roosevelt students and local performers.
Peruvian culture was featured through traditional
scissor dancers cascading through the air in
unbelievable twists of athletic abandon, Paso horses
and their artful dancing in the sunshine with riders in
costumes that speak to a different age, and the much
appreciated by all, delicious assortment of Peruvian
food enjoyed when new friends and colleagues dined al
fresco on campus. Visitors even had the opportunity to
have their photo taken in front of ―Machu Picchu‖ a
hand painted background to create Peru‘s most well
known landmark. Student performances included
Peru, known for its rich culture and hospitality, offered
conference participants the opportunity to learn more
about local heritage such as the intricate dance of Paso
horses. Photo by Allana Rumble
drama shorts to highlight various global issues and an
all out musical crescendo with an FDR homegrown
student rock band finishing off a fabulous Saturday
night entertainment set with the crowd on their feet in
applause.
It is no wonder then that the momentum has already begun to build for the next GIN conference in
South America to be held October 12-14th in Sao Paulo, Brazil at GRADED School. The time spent
in planning, preparing and participating for this conference has personally, been the most rewarding
of my career. The Global Issues Network conference embodies the philosophy that education can
and does make a difference. The now annual GIN conference seems to be the phrase on everyone‘s
lips and it appears that a new future has been formed indeed.
THOUGH THE EYES OF THE COLUMBUS SCHOOL,
THE AASSA GIN CONFERENCE OF THE AMERICAS IN LIMA, PERU
On October 19 to the 24, 2011, six students from The Columbus School in Medellin, Colombia,
Camila Vasquez, Luciana Moreno, Mariana Echeveri, Juanita Pastrana, Saiben Yibirin, and Tomas
Arango together with two supervising teachers, Lucia Escobar and Sebastian Navarro, attended the
AASSA GIN Conference of the Americas in Lima, Peru.
For each one of us it was an incredible experience; our learning process was unforgettable. We had
the opportunity to meet different people from other countries, as well as other very important
people that thought us lessons that we will carry with us through life. We also had the opportunity
to see projects prepared, carried through in their home schools, and presented at the Conference by
other students. Out of this we got lots of ideas to develop at our school. We came back really
motivated and with lots of enthusiasm to develop different projects. This conference brought
consciousness about global problems we are being faced with today.
In Peru, we experienced getting to know different people and cultures from all around America.
These people taught us about the problems the world is facing and how they are contributing to
stop, prevent, and solve them. Furthermore, they taught us about their cultures and who they are, by
letting us know them, by spending time together and socializing during the Conference. These
people changed our lives by showing us that together, if we are willing, we can be a part of making
this a better world for all. GIN was an incredible experience to make contacts from all around
America and to learn from their cultures and projects.
It was wonderful to have the chance to go to Peru. This opportunity allowed us to see in depth how
South America is. Moreover, this experience was more enjoyable because people from the host
School, Franklin Delano Roosevelt School in Lima, Peru, welcomed us with a lot of respect,
attention and warmth. GIN was well planned and it was a meaningful experience which taught us
about different cultures and places.
The AASAA GIN conference was not only a learning experience, but also about obtaining
leadership skills that are necessary in order to be motivated to change the world. During the week
we spent in Peru, the Keynote Speakers also motivated us to start new projects and gave us ideas,
not only for our school, but also for our community and our country, Colombia. Our main purpose
is to create consciousness about the dangers of global warming, preventing the excess use of plastic,
and put into effect at our school, some of the schools‘ projects that were presented at the
Conference.
To conclude we want to say again that this experience was unforgettable and we are very thankful
to have been able to participate. What we learned was very important because now we are more
opened minded and we have a better understanding and knowledge of the world‘s issues and the
danger the world is facing today. This experience was great, we had the opportunity to show how
violence is hurt our country, but more importantly how we can find solutions to not only this
problem, but to many others. From this opportunity, we feel that we have become better citizens
and thus be able to make this a better world for all.
GIN Conference 2012
The 2012 AASSA GIN of the Americas Conference will be hosted by Graded School in Sao Paulo,
Brazil, and will take place from October 12-14, 2012. Information on the conference program will
be forthcoming and registration will open on Earth Day, April 22nd.
Business Managers 2012
The Business Managers Institute will be held in Miami from July 15-18, 2012. Our main presenters
will be Marc Levinson and Sarah Diagnault. The program will be announced in January and the
conference registration will open in February.
Governance 2012
The Governance Conference will take place in Miami from September 13-15, 2012. Our main
presenter will be Bambi Betts. The program will be announced in March and registration will open
in April.
Thanks to Our Highest Level Sponsors
We would like to thank our greatest contributors for having already attained the following levels of
sponsorship for the year to date:
PLATINUM LEVEL
SUNY Buffalo
TieCare International
GOLD LEVEL
Lehigh University
SILVER LEVEL
Endicott College
George Mason University
International Schools Services
K12
The College Board
Purchasing Service Update
The annual purchasing season begins in earnest in January for most schools (although purchasing
and shipping are now a year-round event at AASSA!). If your school would like to investigate our
service,
please
visit
our
website
and
contact
us
with
any
questions:
http://www.aassa.com/page.cfm?p=374
If you are already using AASSA‘s purchasing service, be aware we have added some useful tools
on our website and also expanded our discounts with vendors.
We now have over 40 companies that are offering discounts for orders placed through AASSA…a
number that is growing because of ongoing negotiations with our vendors and the fact that we are
purchasing approximately $3 million worth of goods annually. The discount list is posted at:
http://www.aassa.com/page.cfm?p=374
We have created an online list of our 700 current vendors which is posted at:
http://www.aassa.com/page.cfm?p=611 You are able to search for vendors who sell a particular
type of merchandise as you would on any spreadsheet.
Finally, we have online instructions on how to use our online system, how to create an Amazon
Wish List, and how to create a Follett Titlewave page at: http://www.aassa.com/page.cfm?p=376
We hope you will investigate using our service. Just contact us for any information you need.
Awards and Scholarships
A New Student Award:
AASSA Global Citizen Award (TIECARE International)
The AASSA Global Citizen Award sponsored by TieCare International recognizes a student or
group of students selected from AASSA Member Schools in good standing that has made
exemplary contributions through a school and/or community-based service program which has led
either to: greater international understanding, positive local or global change, addressing a global
challenge, or changed lives—thereby setting an example for us all.
The award may be up $1,000 with funds going directly to the school for delivery to the project or
charity in the name of the student(s) involved with TieCare International‘s sponsorship. The
recipients of the award will receive a certificate from AASSA recognizing their achievement.
Eligibility:
There may be only one submission per AASSA member school each year.
The project must be the work of the student(s).
Student applicants may be in any grade and must be able to clearly demonstrate the following
award criteria:
Commitment to at least one program or undertaking which demonstrates exceptional
involvement as a global citizen
Involvement in meeting a legitimate need
Actions that have led to greater international understanding, local or global change,
addressed a global challenge, or changed the lives of people in a lasting and meaningful way
*Note: This award is not meant as recognition of academic achievement nor will students be
considered based upon the sheer number of activities in which they are involved. It is, rather, a
recognition of an outstanding contribution to an organization, project or charity as described above..
Application Process:
Please visit the AASSA website for details of the process: http://www.aassa.com/page.cfm?p=618
The deadline for submission of all items is March 1st. Any applications that are incomplete on or
after this date will not be considered.
Margaret Sanders Foundation Scholarship
Four scholarships ranging from $3,000-5,000 are awarded each spring to graduating seniors at
international schools who demonstrate persistence, motivation, resourcefulness, and acceptance of
other cultures and points of view. Attendance at a 501C university (mandatory), academics,
educational and vocational aspirations, financial need and involvement in journalism are also
considered in the selection process.
Instructions and the application form are posted in the News section on the AASSA Home Page:
www.aassa.com.
A New AASSA Service
KDS & JkGlobal Online Professional Development Courses
AASSA‘s new partnership with Knowledge Delivery Systems and Jk Global provides two useful
services for our membership. Individual teachers may take online courses which are organized so
that they meet the specific ongoing certification requirements of each State. This service should
help solve the question we often get from our region‘s expatriate teachers: How do I keep up with
the renewal or ongoing requirements of certification when I am working overseas? Teachers may
also take courses for university credit, allowing them to work toward graduate degrees.
This service is also designed to assist schools by providing individual or bulk online courses for
staff development and you will find top names listed among the course presenters. As you will see
on our website, AASSA members that purchase 20+ courses will receive a 5% discount.
Please check out this newest of services at: http://www.aassa.com/page.cfm?p=489
AASSAnet (World Virtual School)
AASSAnet was launched last academic year by four AASSA schools…and we‘re hoping that
number will double this year and continue to do so into the future. AASSAnet is our region‘s
Moodle-based site on the World Virtual School network of international schools sponsored by the
U.S. Department of State. We offer consortium pricing ($1,750 per year) which should be a costsaver for most schools.
The reasons to be involved in AASSAnet are many, among them:
1. Emergency Readiness: As we have seen in our region in the past year alone, emergencies
strike without warning. We have suffered two devastating earthquakes, volcanoes have erupted
close to capital cities, H1N1 closed or delayed many schools last year, and hurricanes are an
ongoing threat for a number of our Caribbean members. In other parts of the world, SARS and
Avian Flu have wreaked havoc as well. An emergency system such as WVS provide for an offsite
learning management system and a community web portal to sustain a sense of school community
by providing a place to be kept informed about the school in a time of crisis. Such a web presence
also allows a school to prepare and train for an emergency situation.
If a school participates in this project, it is expected the school would have an emergency plan in
place within 3 years.
2. No Closure Policy: Most of our schools have ―no closure‖ policies which require that school
will continue in some form even in the face of an emergency situation. That requires an offsite
learning management system such as WVS.
3. Collaborative Professional Development: A worldwide site allows for professional
collaboration among faculty members and online professional development.
4. Collaborative Student Projects: The site provides the possibility of collaborative student
projects among schools, within a region, or even worldwide. The NESA Virtual Science Fair is a
prime example of such a successful collaborative project.
AASSAnet Testimonials from our Schools
A Testimonial from the Albert Einstein School in Quito, Ecuador
Hugo Muñoz
Math and Technology Teacher
Nowadays, virtual learning environments are becoming widely used tools in the field of education.
They operate with software that makes it possible to create and manage educational platforms and
offer virtual teaching spaces in which an educational center, institution or company can administer
resources provided by teachers. Students can then access these resources though two-way
synchronous and asynchronous communication.
At the Albert Einstein School in Quito, Ecuador, we have begun the process of implementing
virtual classrooms as part of AASSA‘s World Virtual School (http://aulavirtual.einstein.k12.ec).
Even though there is still much to be done, during our interaction and experience with this tool thus
far we have been able to identify and differentiate among the various resources available in the
platform and the wide variety of classroom activities that can be designed using them. We have also
carried out several projects that have led to better organization in certain areas, some of which we
would like to share below:
Creation of virtual classrooms by the different subject areas.
Formation of teacher-student groups by subject. The school‘s Technology Department
assigns each member of the educational community a username and password, thanks to
which they can access a number of technological services. Using this resource, students can
also be registered in specific work groups to facilitate teacher-student communication by
subject.
Design of diagnostic tests. This space makes it possible to design tests, questionnaires and
surveys that can be quickly answered online. These yield immediate results with the
respective feedback, thus making a significant, time-saving contribution to formative
assessment and improved performance.
Labeling of units in the International Baccalaureate‘s Middle Years Program (MYP)
planners. One key aspect has always been the possibility of sharing the most important
planner topics with students, and this is achieved by using the label resource available in the
virtual environment.
Creation of forums. This experience has been especially meaningful since it has been
possible to obtain the opinions of all of the students involved, which is difficult to do in
other situations.
Creation of work assignments. Through labels or text documents, we have provided wellorganized instructions and class assignments and have attained better work dynamics,
especially in the technology classes, which is the area that most often uses the computer
labs.
Creation of links to websites and videos. It will always be important to use this resource
either as a prompt to orient students in a process of inquiry or to guide research on given
topics in smaller classes.
Creation of a virtual classroom for digital literacy instruction, for use by students involved
in the Creativity, Action and Service (CAS) activities of the International Baccalaureate‘s
Diploma Program. Students can access this resource from any place offering Internet access
in order to introduce or review class topics. Furthermore, this resource allows them to write
their required reflections during each class, thus saving time and optimizing resources.
Based on our experience, we can affirm that virtual classrooms definitely provide a very useful tool
in applying our pedagogical model. They not only facilitate the development of learning autonomy
but also foster collaborative learning and allow students to receive feedback from their classmates
and teacher. Moreover, they are an important support for course organization and substantially
reduce the time needed to organize activities. Finally, they allow for flexibility so that activities can
be planned with synchronous and asynchronous components.
We have also been able to share our experiences and our technical and pedagogical tools with other
members of this network, which has been very helpful in implementing the project at our school.
In the future we also plan to share MYP assessment criteria using this vehicle, which will make
educational assessments even more transparent. For the time being, we will continue to work with
each of the currently existing tools and to identify and address other new challenges.
American School of Asuncion
Timothy Teasdale
Methods of instruction are continually changing with the rapid advancements of technology
and the way in which we are interacting. We currently have twelve teachers at the American School
of Asuncion using the Moodle platform in their classes; this represents almost twenty percent of our
teachers.
The classes on Moodle are very interactive using videos, pictures and online activities and quizzes.
We are revolutionizing the way in which we give instruction and homework. Not only that but we
have also been using our Moodle platform for teacher professional development and allowing new
incoming teachers to get an orientation even before they come to Paraguay.
The Moodle platform provided for us by the World Virtual School project is very user friendly and
will ensure that we are on course to providing a top notch education using the latest technology.
World Virtual School at The Pan American School of Porto Alegre, Brasil
Jeffrey Michael Jurkovac, Director
Rafael Nogueira, IT Coordinator
Tiago Severo, Middle School High School Science Teacher
Last April, twenty Pan American School of Porto Alegre (PAS) staff and administrators had the
privilege of attending the Association of American Schools in South America (AASSA)
international conference held at our sister school Escola Americana de Campinas. The title of the
conference was ―The 21st Century Learner: Connecting Kids with the Future‖.
PAS has been striving to provide a 21st century model to better engage our students and
community. In order to do this, we must ask some questions such as ―What is 21st century
education? What does it look like? How does it differ from how we were all educated‖? We must
begin to prepare our students to solve real world problems, learn to work in teams, and utilize the
technologies that are part of their daily routines.
In order to accomplish a 21st century teaching and learning model, PAS has been investing heavily
in the area of instructional technologies and has begun to utilize a wide variety of electronic
resources to better engage our students. One of these resources is the AASSAnet World Virtual
School (WVS) project sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. This project aims to help schools
with emergency readiness which allows them to remain ―open‖ in the advent of any crisis as well as
improve collaboration with staff and students. In the short time that we have been involved with
this project, our students and staff have expressed an appreciation for this platform noting that it
increases their ability to revisit important concepts, and improve their learning and collaboration.
The WVS project uses Moodle as a platform for distance learning. Moodle is a Learning
Management System (LMS) that provides a facility for teachers to deliver lessons online. Using
Moodle, teachers can upload worksheets, presentations and videos, and have their students submit
assignments electronically. It is also possible for the classroom teacher to host forums with their
students which allows instruction to take place outside of school hours. All resources are stored
electronically and can be accessed by students and teachers 24/7.
During the first semester of the 2011-2012 school year, our IT department together with the high
school science teacher worked to implement the MOODLE platform in our school. After a few
initial meetings, it was decided to pilot this platform as a learning strategy with our middle school
students. Grade eight was chosen due to their maturity, their ability to work independently and their
high interest in technology.
Our first goal was to introduce them to the platform, its properties and functions thereby
empowering them to navigate in the MOODLE environment with ease. After a week working with
this platform and reinforcing it during each science class, they were adequately prepared to make
use of the system. Some activities were introduced such as debate forums and worksheets which
allow for greater student engagement.
At the end of the semester, the students reported that they were very satisfied with this new learning
tool due to their increased ability to organize the class materials as well as their ability to easily
access all lectures and related course information. One important aspect to mention is the fact that
when our students had to travel to a sporting tournament in a different city, those students who were
absent were effortlessly able to keep their studies up to date and all resources being used in class
were down loadable and placed in our virtual classroom.
After receiving a favorable response from our eighth grade students, the next step was to introduce
this platform to our middle and high school teachers in order to provide them with the necessary
professional development to begin exploring this new learning medium. After an initial training
workshop, several PAS staff members have begun to utilize this learning tool to enrich their
classrooms. At the moment, we are offering the opportunity for teachers to partake in continued
professional development learning from more experienced teachers to enrich their knowledge. This
collaboration has allowed this project to gain momentum and it is our plan to have Moodle being
used throughout both middle and high school by next school year.
After this successful beginning, we have found that more and more teachers have begun to post
their courses in the MOODLE platform and have reported that their students are able to reach their
goals as a result of this technology. Besides that, it is important to highlight that the PAS initiative
is not only a tool that benefits the students. It has also greatly increased teacher organization and
collaborative planning. The middle and high school coordinator has been offering ongoing
professional development for her staff thereby supporting their growth in the use of this technology.
For all of these reasons, we believe MOODLE and the World Virtual School project will continue
to grow as a useful resource which will greatly assist our students, staff and the entire PAS
community as a whole.
The AASSA International Education Leadership Award
The AASSA Board of Trustees is pleased to award, its highest honor, The International Education
Leadership Award, to Mr. Paul Poore, a long term and well respected international educator and our
current AASSA Executive Director.
This award was established six years ago to be awarded to an individual who has demonstrated
effective leadership in learning by successfully meeting the needs of students in international
schools; who has clearly demonstrated strong personal and organizational communication skills;
who reflects professionalism through constant improvement of his own knowledge and skills while
providing professional development opportunities and motivation to others in the field of
international education; and, lastly—and importantly— who enhances AASSA through significant
contributions to our organization.
Paul was the spontaneous and unanimously acclaimed first choice for this award when we met in
our Board meeting last August. We were just finishing a discussion reviewing the annual survey
results for the various areas in which AASSA provides a service for its members , and as the topic
of this year‘s Education leadership award came up for discussion it seemed instantly clear to our
Board members that Paul would be a perfect choice to receive the award. When we reflected on the
forward looking, enlightened leadership that has sparked a renaissance of AASSA during the five
years he has been our executive director, we felt clearly that the new AASSA supported programs
like the Global Initiative Network program held at Roosevelt earlier this year, the new distance
learning platform established to meet the added curricular demands at our schools, and the Spanish
language based standardized testing program organized in conjunction with Pearson, are all
examples that speak to his effective leadership in learning that successfully meets the needs of
students in international schools. Paul‘s strong personal and organizational communication skills
are regularly and clearly on display at every AASSA meeting he attends. His professionalism
through constant improvement of his own knowledge and skills is readily seen in his willingness to
research and develop the many new AASSA initiatives he has instituted during his tenure with us.
And as for the last and most important element for this award, I do not think there could be anyone
who does more to enhance AASSA through significant contributions to our organization.
We, the AASSA Board, hope and fully expect that you will all agree that our Executive Director
Mr. Paul Poore is very clearly a perfect choice for this year‘s AASSA International Education
Leadership Award.
On the Horizon
by Elizabeth Haddon
American International School of Zagreb
The other day I was listening to Bob Dylan sing, ―Beyond the horizon‖ and realized the changes we
need to make as educators are not so obscure or ―beyond‖ as we might think they are. Instead, they
are ―on the horizon‖. Of course, depending on which horizon we are looking at, those changes may
seem well beyond our reach, completely out of our sphere of influence.
But are they? For our purposes, let‘s get out the old zoom lens and take a closer look.
What are you hoping to see when you look out at the distance? I see engaged students learning
skills and content they can relate to. I see engaged teachers mingling with those students, insisting
on learning being a kind of ―hard play‖ as Marc Prensky calls it. I hear students talking among
themselves, questioning, designing, imagining, problem-solving, laughing, and groaning. And I
hear their teachers doing the same.
We know that teachers are the most important people in the school. Without creative, observant,
involved, and knowledgeable teachers who take their job of connecting with students seriously,
education remains the one-size-fits-all struggle it has been for over 100 years. Until we turn the
zoom lens first on ourselves, we are doomed to wishful thinking, never really making the trek to be
able to use the resources that seem forever out of our grasp.
So, let‘s zoom in. Ask yourself why you became a teacher. Most of us will answer, ―Because we
want to make a difference in children‘s lives‖. Good answer, to be sure. But zoom a little further
and ask, Why and what kind of difference? Do we want to teach children to read or do we want
children to know that reading is a way they can change the world? Do we teach math because
everyone knows that math is important or are we convinced that without it, our students can‘t
design and produce the tools they will need to help their global community to survive? Is science
really about memorizing a gzillion facts or is it about discovery, research, and creating a framework
to build ideas that will improve everyone‘s life?
Do we teach history so that students learn how to resolve conflict, make decisions that inform
sweeping social changes, be able to analyze elements of an issue and know which ones have
priority? Do we really understand what cognitive and social skills are absolute in making
something as complex as a democracy function effectively?
Why do we teach? Where is the urgency and elegance in our teaching? Why do we insist that
students come to us, sit in front of us, listen to us (or not) when they have the internet at their
fingertips and can learn most of what we have to say in the comfort of their own homes or similar
environments?
There is only one reason to require students to come to our school building. And that reason is we
can do much, much more than give information, grade homework and tests, and fill out a report
card. We insist children come to us because we can teach them how to think.
And the only way we can help children learn how to think is by making learning the coolest thing
they will ever do in their lives. And the only way we can make learning the coolest thing in
everyone‘s life is by making it as exiting and relevant as life and death. Hard play.
Email your thoughts and comments on what all this means to you. We‘ll keep zooming in and
zooming out through each CEESA newsletter. Until then….teach as though your students‘ lives
depend on you. Because they do.
Escola Americana de Campinas Renovates a Traditional Convivial Area
Known for its green fields and country-like atmosphere, EAC has managed through the years to
grow and offer better facilities without interfering with the common outside areas. Last summer, as
part of the 2008-2017 Master Plan, the school renovated one of its most famous convivial areas –
the picnic tables and the barbecue facilities.
The old area, built in the early 70‘s, was replaced by a much more spacious and updated facility –
there are 10 new tables (seating 64 people) made of salvaged wood from previous EAC
constructions, and the barbecue area is completely equipped with gas barbecue oven, horizontal
cooler and serving spaces. The picnic tables are used for different purposes such as teaching space,
meeting point, conference room (!) and, of course, for lunch breaks.
The EAC community now has a much nicer area in which to continue appreciating the school‘s
green and peaceful environment.
Character Counts!
At Colegio Karl C. Parrish (KCP) in Barranquilla, Colombia the focus is on values-based
education. While Secondary School priorities put academics first, we make a concerted, schoolwide effort to tie everything we do inside and outside the classroom to the six CharacterCounts!
Pillars: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring and Citizenship. After all, we
are in the business of educating and helping to raise socially conscious and positive, responsible
citizens of an increasingly interconnected world culture.
In keeping with these values, we require our students to complete 80 hours of community service.
This requires them to volunteer their time, resources and efforts to the betterment of their school,
neighborhoods, city and country. In early November, Barranquilla‘s Universidad del Norte had the
rare opportunity to host an event that brought people from around the world to work together
around the theme of youth volunteer and community service opportunities. The International
Association for Volunteer Effort, in conjunction with Partners of the Americas, organized the
World Youth Summit 2011. The last summit was held ten years ago in Tokyo.
KCP was fortunate to be able to send two of its students, Sofia Ravachi and Valentina Trujillo, to
participate in this massive, three-day conference focused on creating and sustaining working
networks with a common goal of making the world a better place through grass roots volunteerism.
IAVE‘s website explains it best, that ―the World Youth Summit will promote youth volunteerism,
build capacity, and celebrate the accomplishments of youth globally.‖ We are proud of Sofia and
Valentina for participating in this memorable event and representing KCP. In fact, they reported
that they were among ―literally the youngest people‖ in attendance.
The theme of the conference was ―You make it happen!‖ and every session and presentation ended
with this chant, the hope being that – even if you can only make a difference in the life of one
person today – we can all make a difference in people‘s lives every day. One of its main goals was
to connect people with others from around the world to share experiences, ideas and success stories
about community service and volunteer efforts that have made a difference in various communities.
Each day participants were required to spend a break session or their lunch with someone from
another part of the world whom they had never met before, for this very purpose. Sofia reported
meeting people from Haiti and Panama, among other places.
Workshops and presentations focused on a wide variety of themes, for example: businesses whose
sole focus is generating, deploying and sustaining community service efforts and after-school
programs to foster students‘ pursuit of hobbies in an effort to keep them off the streets and out of
potentially drug- and alcohol-related trouble. One volunteer‘s story involved his humble and
impoverished beginnings and continued up to the present, where he finds himself gainfully
employed by one such business and making his way financially. Another‘s included being sent to
Africa by his employer to be part of a relief effort.
KCP would like to thank one of its alumni, Carmen Pena – who works in Washington, DC with
Partners – for bringing this opportunity to our attention, and we are happy that two of our students
were able to take part in such an important event with such a noble focus on local and global efforts
in volunteerism and community service.
TEACHER PAUL McCANN
WINNER OF 2011 YALE EDUCATOR AWARD
Carmen Sweeting, Ed.S., Superintendent
Colegio Internacional de Caracas, Venezuela
Paul McCann has just been recognized as recipient of the 2011 Yale Educator Award. Paul was
nominated by our recently graduated student and Yale freshman, Luis Fernando Schachner.
According to Yale University, this award ―recognizes educators from around the world who have
supported and inspired their students to achieve at high levels.‖
When asked about his reaction to the news, Paul responded that he was ―very gratified because the
person who nominated me is very intelligent and I value his judgment….[and] elated because it
feels like a vindication of the approach I take to the subject [literature].‖ As the award recognizes
individual ―educators for excellence,‖ we asked Paul what he considered to be the key success
factors, to which he replied: ―Knowledge of the literature as a subject of academic study, the ability
to communicate the subject to the students, rapport with my students . . . . I try to meet them at
their level of humanity.‖ Finally, when asked if he had any advice on how best to positively
influence and encourage students‘ disposition to ‗life-long learning,‘ Paul responded that ―To be a
good teacher, the teaching of the subject has to be your bliss. That bliss will communicate itself to
those students who are ready to receive it.‖
Paul has taught English at CIC for the past eight years. He was born and raised in Toronto, Canada,
and is a graduate (B.A.) of St. Michael‘s College (University of Toronto) in English Language and
Literature, of Queen‘s University (B Ed. Degree), Dalhousie University (Master‘s Degree in
Canadian Literature), and of further post-graduate (PhD. Level) study at Queen‘s University. Paul
taught for 26 years In Ontario, the last twelve of those at St. Michael‘s College School where he
served as English Department Head.
Please join the CIC Board of Directors, Administration, and Staff in congratulating Paul McCann
for this well-deserved recognition of his success in carrying out our mission of Educating for
Excellence.
International Model for School Counseling Programs
The wait is over. International School Counselors around the world now have a united focus and
direction in their professional. Over the past few years, counselors currently working at Asociacion
Escuelas Lincoln and The American School of Warsaw, Brooke Fezler and Cheryl Brown,
respectively, have lead the initiative to create an International Model for School Counseling
Programs. This project is the first of its kind. The aim of the International Model for School
Counseling Programs is to provide a framework for encouraging and promoting best practices
among international school counselors. By creating ―Unity from Diversity‖ for international school
counseling programs, the International Model will guide the formation, review, and improvement of
counseling programs at schools all over the world.
The goals of the International Model for School Counseling Programs are to:
 Consolidate best practices to develop a comprehensive and preventative International Model
for school counseling programs.
 Produce an effective model that is replicable across international schools--guiding
counselors in what to do.
 Provide a common language and vision for international school counselors to continue
conversations and professional learning among the diverse international school counselor
group.
 Clarify the role of the international school counselor so that all counselors have a focused
approach to their program, are supported by colleagues and administrators, and are guided
in what a counseling program should look like.
 Facilitate authentic collaboration within and among international schools. When all
counselors at various divisions, and in various cities around the world, are using the same
counseling model and working towards the same goals, counselors can share resources
about how each school is reaching their targets.
 Develop unity from diversity. International school counselors have a diverse range of
training and specializations, cultural backgrounds, languages, belief systems, professional
strengths, and life experiences. This diversity has the potential to cause confusion and
conflict among professionals with different interests, perceptions, and abilities. However,
when all counselors at a school use the International Model, the best of what each individual
has to offer is contributed to a unified vision, a single direction.
How to use the International Model
The International Model is not prescriptive, reactive, or a one-size fits all framework. Rather, its
purpose is to help guide counselors to build programs that are best for their school population. It
tells school counselors what a good school counseling program should do. It does not tell
counselors how to get there. How counselors and schools deliver the model is left to the discretion
of the professionals within each school. Just as there are many routes a traveler can take to a
destination, there are many ways for counselors to arrive at the same goal: to develop a
comprehensive and preventative counseling program. Of course, the route chosen depends upon
current location, mode of transportation, and resources at the traveler‘s disposal. The same is true
of each school‘s implementation of this model.
When an international school counselor moves from one school to the next, from Singapore to
Nairobi, from Buenos Aires to Bangkok, they have to restart their work. In fall 2008, 47% of
counselors surveyed (278 total respondents) stated that when they arrived at the international
schools at which they worked, they had to create a counseling program from scratch. If counselors
across the world are working towards implementing the components of the International Model,
transitions would be easier not only for international school counselors, but also for students and
their families: the language we use is familiar, the end goal is the same, services are aligned to best
practices, and ultimately, counseling services are better.
The International Model for School Counseling Programs aims at directing counselors away from
inconsistent program implementation and towards a focused and proactive program.
What’s different about it?
Since 2008, over 300 international school counselors, organizations and interested parties have
participated in the development of the International Model. Based on extensive research, surveys,
and input from counselors, the International Model applies best counseling practices from around
the world to the international school context.
What is unique about the International Model?
1. Language used in the Model reflects the international context in which overseas
counselors work.
2. The Model includes information about the elements of a counseling program that
accurately represents the environment and factors of school counseling in a foreign
country. Often, these responsibilities exceed the expectations placed upon counselors
who work in public and state schools in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand,
the United States, and Western Europe.
3. The new fourth domain --Global Perspective—offers content standards that focus on
encouraging mindful cross-cultural interaction and intercultural communication for
school counselors and students.
4. Academic, Career, Personal/Social and Global Perspective content standards reflect the
needs of third culture kids (and host country nationals) in international schools.
What student population do international schools serve?
Nearly 200 schools are currently supported by the United States Office of Overseas Schools at the
U.S. State Department. These various schools serve over thirty-thousand expatriate American
students as well as over eighty-eight thousand students of other nationalities. Additionally, other
national governments have established and continue to support schools overseas for its national
citizens as well as others who choose to enroll in these national institutions. For example, there are
approximately 100 British schools supported by the British government through the Council of
British Overseas schools. Moreover, the governments of France, Korea, New Zealand, Australia,
just to name a few, also operate international schools in various countries; and there many more
independent international schools operated by churches, organizations, and for-profit institutions.
As the borders of business continue to expand, the number of these international schools and the
enrollment of K-12 students increase. These schools are staffed by experienced school counselors
from all over the world, and counselors need a framework by which to operate their school
counseling programs to ensure student success.
Isn’t there something out there already?
While working at the Jakarta International School in Indonesia, the developers of this International
Model, Brooke Fezler and Cheryl Brown, were part of a team looking at the role of the counselor in
their school‘s K-12 counseling program in preparation of the upcoming accreditation visit. At the
end of this study, Fezler and Brown formulated questions that were not addressed by the
accreditation standards or other organizations. Their research continued and it yielded three
important questions: ―What is the role of an international school counselor and best practice for the
profession?‖, ‖What is the recommended student: counselor ratio for international schools?‖, and
―What are the guidelines for international school counseling programs and guidance curriculum?‖
However, these questions remained unanswered by accreditation organizations and various national
standards for the counseling profession. Therefore, Fezler and Brown set off on a mission to define
best practice for their own school--research that had implications for all international school
counselors.
One part of the research focused on counseling organizations worldwide. There are over twentyfive (25) national and international counseling organizations dedicated to promoting the quality of
the counseling profession and upholding the ethical integrity of its practitioners. However, of those
twenty-five counseling organizations, international and national, only three (3) are relevant to
school counselors, and only one (1) provides clear program guidance and systemic organization to
school counselors: the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), an organization
supported by the U.S. Department of Education and The Education Trust. In 2003, ASCA
developed a Framework for School Counseling Programs: the ASCA National Model. This model
provides guidance for school counselors in the United States, and has influenced school counselors
worldwide.
In 2008, Fezler and Brown conducted an independent survey which was sent to international school
counselors; the survey revealed that 113 international school counselors (56% of the counselors
who responded) reported they use the ASCA National Model as a framework for developing their
school counseling programs. A similar survey in 2010 yielded the response that 58.4% of
international school counselors use the ASCA National Model. In April 2009, Jakarta International
School held a conference featuring Dr. Judy Bowers, co-author of the ASCA National Model. She
led a two-day workshop on the implementation of the ASCA National Model for 78 counselors
from 32 international schools and 23 countries. School counselors walked away from the
conference with information to help them begin organizing a school counseling program for
international schools. Conference participants unanimously declared the need for an International
School Counseling Model.
The second part of the Jakarta International School study focused on policy and regulating
agencies: there are several policymaking and regulatory agencies that guide schools in offering
quality educational programs to students. For example, accreditation agencies, which offer a
voluntary measure of quality, help guide schools through evaluation, verification, and
improvement. Currently, there are six (6) U.S. regional accreditation organizations that offer
accreditation services to international schools and one internationally established accreditation
agency that administers and collaborates (with regional accreditors) on joint accreditation services
to many international schools. However, the accreditation standards, aimed at classroom-based
educational programs, do not adequately address the needs of school counseling programs. These
standards only provide a loose framework for the counseling department.
The final stage of the research included an analysis of the regional education associations. There are
eight (8) regional education associations, which were established by the U.S. Office of Overseas
Schools to provide technical assistance and professional development for the schools under its
charter. These regional educational associations are AASSA, AISA, CEESA, EARCOS, ECIS,
MAIS, NESA, Tri-Associates, and the overarching association, AAIE. These associations provide
American-sponsored overseas schools with a variety of educational services such as: in-service
training for administrators and teachers, materials development, purchasing, and recruitment of
teachers and administrators. Occasionally, at regional teacher conferences, sponsored by the above
educational associations, workshops are offered with a focus on school counseling. However, these
conferences do not always have in-depth sessions for counselors or provide professional
development on improving a comprehensive K-12 counseling program.
With all these organizations and resources available to international schools and counselors, it may
come as a surprise that the only body that systematically supports the school counseling profession
is the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). It was from this foundation in research that
Fezler and Brown began the work of creating an International Model.
ASCA‘s National Model serves the needs of students in U.S. schools, but does not take into account
the unique needs of international school students, with their frequent transitions and distinctive
challenges with identity formation. The program in a school that is in the best position to support all
students in their academic, career, personal/social development, and global perspective, is the
counseling program.
While the ASCA National Model is in prime position to be the framework utilized by international
counselors, it has two fundamental flaws that make its implementation difficult: first, it is
―American,‖ and second, it doesn‘t fully account for the international context in which international
school counselor‘s work.
In October 2009, Fezler and Brown received a grant funded by the U. S. State Department Office of
Overseas Schools and administered by the Association of American Schools in South America
(AASSA), to work on the development of the International Model. The awarding of this grant
verified the need for such a model to exist. The development of this Model was a collaborative
effort with international school counselors across the world; Dr. Judy Bowers, the co-author of the
ASCA National Model; ASCA Executive Director Dr. Kwok-Sze Richard Wong; the Office of
Overseas Schools and AASSA. Also, we would also like to thank and acknowledge the
collaborative research of Dr. Barbara Schaetti, Jeff Steuernagel, Adam Goad on their contributions
to the Global Perspective Domain.
In July 2011, the first edition of the International Model for School Counseling Programs was
released.
The First Edition of the International Model for School Counseling Programs is being offered to
interested parties for no fee at the following website:
http://www.aassa.com/uploaded/Educational_Research/US_Department_of_State/Counseling_Stan
dards/International_Counseling_Model_Handbook.pdf .
For more information about the Model and upcoming international conferences please visit
http://iscainfo.org .
Brooke Fezler is currently a Middle School Counselor at Asocion Escuelas Lincoln in Buenos
Aires, Argentina . Cheryl Brown is currently a High School Counselor at the American School of
Warsaw. Please send comments or questions to them at [email protected].
AASSA Math League
The AASSA Math League is being coordinated by Ian Galbraith at The International School Nido
de Aguilas and we are inviting AASSA schools to participate. So far this year, we have doubled the
number of schools involved over last year, so Ian calculates that in 6 years of exponential growth
we will have 500 schools involved!
The Math League consists of a total of 6 contests each lasting 30 minutes and consisting of 6
diverse questions that are accessible to all students who have completed an advanced algebra
course.
Click on the following link for an example of the question:
http://www.themathleague.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=97&Itemid=79
They are a fun challenge for our students, are very easy to administer and score, and the results are
quickly posted online to compare your top kids against other schools‘ aces. If you‘re interested in
joining other AASSA schools, as well as big name schools around the world, please continue
reading!
Hard copies of all contests are mailed from Math League Press in Tenafly, NJ, USA to your school
and are to be administered on pre-determined dates throughout the school year. We administer ours
during lunch each time and it works out fine. The questions are marked simply right or wrong
(easy scoring!) with a max score of 6. From there you post your top 5 scores to the league website
and you can compare your top kids to other schools‘ top kids throughout the school year.
Registration is easy and inexpensive, but needs to be completed by the end of September to get in
on all 6 contests coming up this year.
Click below to register your school:
http://www.themathleague.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=106&Itemid=80
The Math League is a great way to promote mathematics, to challenge your kids in a fun setting,
and to see how you compare to other comparable schools. We hope to see your school name on the
Math League Press website this year as well!
Ian can be contacted at [email protected]
Maquipucuna Eco-Reserve: More than a Giant Sleepover
By Tim Long
Lower School Principal
Colegio Menor San Francisco de Quito
Quito, Ecuador
For eight consecutive years, each new group of Colegio
Menor fifth graders looks forward to their annual trip to
the cloud forest reserve of Maquipucuna (encompassing
over 15,000 acres of land). On this overnight adventure, in
addition to having fun splashing in the river, sitting under a
cascading waterfall, taking night walks, and telling scary
stories in the lodge, the students learn firsthand about the
incredible biodiversity of this area and of the conservation
efforts of the Maquipucuna Foundation.
During day and night walks, and an investigation of
aquatic life in the river, students get to view many dynamic
species represented in the reserve and their role in the
ecosystem. Of special interest, we learn about how the
Spectacled Bear, our school mascot, makes Maquipucuna
its home. Just in plant life alone, Maquipucuna has some
1,900 varieties represented in its confines and also has an
orchid research area dedicated to the protection of these
species from poachers. The lush green and diversity is
breathtaking, and the learning opportunities never cease. Later, while sitting in the lodge having a
chocolate covered banana, the students witness a constant stream of humming birds visiting both
flowers and feeders. In addition to multiple varieties of humming birds, the reserve boasts a total of
about ¼ of all the bird species in Ecuador (over 350). In an afternoon activity, local artisans
instruct the students in making their own tagua nut necklaces, one of many local handicrafts made
using natural products. Before dinner, students visit some of the small organic farms and see many
of the ingredients they will eat that night while learning about the carefully planned rotation of land
use which helps avoid the need of chemical fertilizers. In the morning, their breakfast is a bounty
of locally produced items: freshly picked papaya, sugar-syrup for their pancakes (and exquisite
shade grown coffee for the teachers).
While this yearly trip is indeed the first big sleepover that our students have at Colegio Menor, it
certainly goes well beyond this by offering them an invaluable and unforgettable lesson in
protecting the immense biodiversity in Ecuador and the very real feasibility of such sustainable
conservation efforts.
American School of Tegucigalpa promotes “Teaching with Technology” Contest
Anahí V. Paredes, Curriculum Director
Many changes are taking place in schools around the world to meet the growing demand for
technology integration. One of the most challenging is changing the way teachers deliver their
lessons. In order to promote the use and love of technology, the American School of Tegucigalpa in
Honduras, promoted a ―Teaching with Technology‖ contest for all the teaching staff. It was the
first time our school promoted a contest of this nature and it immediately created excitement and
enthusiasm among teachers.
Applicants were required to submit a statement of their philosophy of teaching which addressed the
following question: What role do you believe technology plays in making a positive difference in
teaching and learning? In addition, applicants submitted a sample lesson plan demonstrating the use
of technology and a sample student project that demonstrated how technology was used to support
instruction.
Applications were reviewed and judged by the school‘s Technology Committee following a set of
evaluative criteria. Teachers were given two months to submit their applications online. The
winners were announced towards the end of the school year in May 2011. The prizes were
sponsored by a local technology business, Jetstereo, with whom the school has established a
partnership.
The prizes were the following:
1st place - attendance to JOSTI summer conference in Washington D.C. with all expenses
paid.
2nd place - Apple iPad
3rd place - Apple iPod touch
Our first place winner was an Elementary teacher who used technology to teach the concept of
surface area and volume in her fifth grade class. Overall, the contest generated enthusiasm for
integrating technology in the delivery of instruction and promoted student collaboration as students
worked on different and exciting projects. I would definitely encourage other schools to design a
contest of this nature to promote technology integration in the classroom. As said by one of our
staff members ―This contest motivated me to take what I was already doing in the classroom one
step further. I am really grateful to the school for acknowledging teachers‘ efforts.‖
The Music Program at Colegio Menor San Francisco de Quito
Beauty, Goodness and Truth are the principles that inspired the foundation of Colegio Menor San
Francisco de Quito (CMSFQ) in 1995. From the moment of its inception, CMSFQ placed music at
the forefront of its academic program, and considers music instruction no less important than any
other field of study. At CMSFQ, music is understood to be a core subject, and the philosophy of
the music department holds that music is an integral part of the fabric of all cultures, and
consequently merits a key place within any quality academic program of study. The belief is also
that the study of music is not exclusive, but rather inclusive, and the best way to learn about music
is through performance.
All students at CMSFQ choose an instrument at the beginning of 4th grade and play that instrument
through 8th grade. Our younger students have the opportunity to participate in Band (wind
instruments and percussion), strings, piano, vocal, and guitar ensembles. Students may continue
their music instruction as an elective in grades 9-12, participating in more advanced ensembles, AP
Music Theory, Music Appreciation, and Sound Engineering.
The essential skills expected of our younger students aligns with the standards set by the National
Association for Music Education (USA), and includes oral and written recognition of all basic
musical figures and notational patterns, including level appropriate literature in a variety of musical
styles and genres. High emphasis is also placed on individual and ensemble performance.
Emphasis is also placed on the development of the quality and effectiveness of their personal level
of performance, and the quality of the performance of their ensemble peers.
Older students in the advanced ensembles, Music Appreciation, Sound Engineering, and AP Music
Theory courses are expected to achieve the highest pre college standards while reading, writing,
creating, and performing.
Our music department holds that Character Counts is inseparable from study and performance of
music. In their words, ―The Six Pillars of Character Counts live within music education. Without
the values of trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship, the ensembles
cannot perform effectively, and its beautiful music cannot be heard.‖
Celebrating the Freedom to Read
by Meryl Zeidenberg - Graded Lower School Librarian
More than 200 years ago, the Founding Fathers of the United States created the First Amendment to
the newly developed Constitution of the fledgling democracy. That amendment
has long served the country well by guaranteeing the right to freedom of religion,
freedom of speech and freedom of the press. It does not offer the right to any
individual or interest group to curtail others‘ access to opinions, ideas, or
information.
In schools, everybody has an opinion about what reading materials should be
made available to children. Some feel that certain subjects and points of view are
inappropriate, especially for young children, no matter how sensitively or
discreetly the subject matter may be treated. Around the country and around the
world books are often challenged because an individual or group is offended, or
feels threatened, by its content.
From September 24 to October 1, 2011 libraries, bookstores, author associations and publishers
sponsored events relative to the freedom to read. This celebration is an annual event always
scheduled for the last week of September. At Graded, the Lower School librarians expected to
engage in lively discussions during the week regarding challenged and banned books. And we did.
A starting point for these discussions was a cage, filled with books wrapped in black and yellow
caution tape, sitting outside the library door. For that week only, students were not allowed access
to those titles, gathered from our shelves, which remained in the enclosure.
As we brought attention to popular titles that have been challenged and/or banned in some schools
or districts, students expressed both curiosity and indignation over the reasons that may cause
someone to try to remove these texts from their libraries or communities. The larger issues of
diverse political, family, religious values came into play in our discussions here. The list of
challenged or banned books we used was derived, primarily, from information provided by the
American Library Association (ALA).
At Graded, we employ a careful, selection policy guided by professional reviews to help ensure that
we include high quality diversity in our collections of print and electronic resources. Although we
recognize that challenges of reading material are usually grounded in the good intentions of
protecting children, such challenges are not justified under the Bill of Rights. While parents have
every right to restrict the reading materials of their own children, they may not extend that control
to others. In the end, it is of utmost importance that we educate our children to read critically and
deeply so that they can think intelligently about the situations they may find themselves in when
immersed in a story.
For more information about challenged and banned books, please see the ALA site.
Busy Bees and Bee-Bost at Colegio Menor
Complete silence and a look
of intense curiosity can be
seen on each and every one of
their little faces as these five
year old children watch their
teacher quietly demonstrate
how to program a Bee-Bot.
Not many things can capture a child‘s attention to
this degree and their excitement soon overcomes
them as the Bee-Bot starts to churn and blink on
its merry way to complete the sequence of
commands input by the teacher. Soon the class is
abuzz with children‘s laughter and conversation
as they begin programming the Bee-Bots
themselves. In teams, they discuss how many
steps the small floor robot should take to reach its
destination and then take turns inputting the
commands for the robot‘s path on a vinyl mat
depicting a neighborhood street. The children
soon realize that some sequences are successful
and others are not. After any failed attempt, they
enthusiastically engage in conversation once
more, identify the problem and predict another
solution before going on to test the Bee-Bots‘ new
path on the mat.
Without even realizing it, these small
children are learning and practicing not only how
to program a robot, but also critical thinking
skills, problem-solving skills, sequencing,
measurement, counting, directions, map skills,
vocabulary, and team work. During a follow-up
meeting, the teacher cheerfully reports that these
amazing little robots have much more potential
than she ever thought possible. So how do these
floor robots work and why are they so successful
at increasing learning?
Bee-Bots, so named because of their bright yellow
shell and black stripes, were designed not only to
teach and reinforce
concepts, but also
to help children
master the basics
of Logo, one of the
oldest, if not most
successful,
programming
languages. The language as used by Bee-Bots
follows a simple straightforward style appropriate
for small children and based on a set of seven
directional commands. Students are able to
program up to 40 directional commands using
four orange arrows representing forward, back,
left or right. Once children have programmed the
Bee-Bot, pressing the GO button sets the
sequence they have planned into motion. During
programming and running, the Bee-Bot blinks and
beeps to help children keep track of the steps
input or taken on the mat.
But the real success of these robots is the
way in which children learn both the
programming process and the embedded content
by engaging in meaningful and interesting
challenges.
The
sheer
variety
of
tasks
that
children and
teachers can
design using
the Bee-Bots
also
capitalizes on the interactive nature of this tool to
provide children with opportunities to learn
concepts and skills, which could be dry and
boring in many other contexts, by doing them
hands-on.
Just looking into the three, four and five
year
old
classrooms, it‘s
easy to see that
Bee-Bots have
motivated both
teachers
and
students to look
for ever more
challenging and interesting hands-on ways to
learn. Finally, at Colegio Menor, ―digital natives‖
are being allowed to learn and explore the
possibilities that will shape their technology
influenced future.
The Early Childhood Center and Elementary School at the
International School Nido de Aguilas is recognized by Positive
Discipline Creator, Dr. Jane Nelsen
“I'm so impressed with what you are doing in Chile and just love that you have chosen to be part of the Positive
Discipline Family.”
-Dr. Jane Nelsen
ECC & ES Principal Michael Allen, ES Councilor
Carey Harris and ECC Specialist and Assistant Principal
Cheryl Gibson Smith attended The National Association
for the Education of Young Children Annual Conference
with 18,000 fellow educators from 42 countries.
One of the highlights of the conference was the time
they spent with Dr. Jane Nelsen sharing with her the
wide range of Positive Discipline initiatives taking place
at Nido de Aguilas and seeking her guidance for future
projects.
Carey, Jane, Cheryl & Michael join forces at the NAEYC
Conference November 4, 2011 in Orlando, Florida
The work of Jane Nelsen impacts parents, teachers and children throughout the Early Childhood
Center and Elementary School…
PARENTS
Over 500 parents have learned to apply the principles of Positive Discipline through:
Positive Discipline Parenting Courses
Parent Coffee Talks
Parenting Workshops
TEACHERS
All 100 ECC & Elementary teachers have strengthened classroom practice by attending training on
Positive Discipline principles during:
Teachers Helping Teachers Committee
7 Principles for Powerful Connections Course
In-Service Trainings
Faculty Meetings and Workshops
STUDENTS
Every day, all 900 children in ECC and ES are impacted by teachers, parents and leaders who
understand the principles of Positive Discipline as demonstrated by:
Improved teacher-student interactions
Student-centered classroom meetings
Environments that invite belonging, empowerment and autonomy
What is Positive Discipline?
Many people believe they have only two choices when working with children – they can choose to
be PERMISSIVE (overly kind) or they can choose to be AUTHORITARIAN (overly firm).
Research clearly shows that both these choices are equally ineffective in helping children reach
their full potential. POSITIVE DISCIPLINE (kind and firm) is the most effective way to work with
children because it creates a highly effective middle ground between permissiveness and
authoritarianism that respects the child, the adult and the situation. Through mutual respect children
feel a sense of connection as they develop the life skills of respect, cooperation, concern for others
and self-discipline. The effects are long-term as children discover their own capability and
significance in an atmosphere of acceptance and encouragement.
What Nido Parents and Teachers are saying about Positive Discipline…
―Positive Discipline has taught me how be both firm and kind
with my students. Positive Discipline really works! Children
are shown respect and dignity as unique individuals. My
children are empowered in seeking solutions to resolve their
problems. Everyone wins. I can't say enough good things
about Positive Discipline.‖ - Dani Montero, 1st Gr.
Homeroom Teacher
1F Classroom Meeting with Miss Dani
―I believe that children, like all people, must feel a strong
sense of belonging in order to learn and be a contributing
member of the community. We must embrace methods that
build deep relationships in order to foster a community of
student leaders who feel significant, capable, and influential
over their own lives. Positive discipline strategies and
methodologies, allow us to do this.‖ – Michael Allen,
Elementary Principal
2 A Students with Miss Anita
―Kids are worth it!!! I believe children deserve to be treated the way you would like to be treated.
Positive discipline is a perfect fit with my beliefs. It is all about respect and helping children
develop tools to make the right choices.‖
– Anita Artiagoitia, 2nd Gr. Homeroom Teacher
―Positive Discipline Classroom meetings have made my
classroom a more empathetic community in which
students have become better listeners, independent
problem solvers, and kinder to each other.‖
– Laura Gallindo, 4th Gr. Homeroom Teacher
“Taking the PD Course was a great experience to me
because it helped me see the " bigger picture". Small
things can make a huge difference when you read the
situation from the right perspective. It's been fun. Thank
you.” – Flor Garcia, Nido Mother of 4 Children
Flor Garcia‟s Children
―A great course; it reminded me constantly of the wonder of our children, it helped me to see much
more from a child's perspective and provided some great tools for keeping me and my children calm
amidst the storms of childhood and growing up.‖ – Claire Mason, Nido Mother of 2 Children
―The positive parenting course was a great experience, not only did I come away feeling
empowered as a parent but I also got to meet and share with new friends along the way"- Annette
Webb, Nido Mother of 3 Children
Character Education: The Key to Developing the Whole Child
By: Priscila Torres
American School of Brasilia
MS Principal
The Middle School Team from the American School of Brasilia has truly embraced the importance
and value of the development of the whole child through character education. To ensure the
school‘s mission and vision both keep their pulse, the Middle School contributes to the philosophy
of a full educational approach by including an Advisory Program and character education program
as a part of the core schedule of classes. Student With Advisory Teacher, or SWAT, is a class
where students learn about habits, healthy decision making processes, and teamwork skills. Sean
Covey‘s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens and The 6 Most Important Decisions You‟ll Ever
Make, as well as, John Maxwell‘s The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork support the study of
these areas. Each grade level, from sixth to eighth, focuses on one of the texts and the curriculum is
built around developing healthy pre-teenagers and teenagers who are informed of how their choices
and decisions will impact their future and the path they choose to follow.
This year the school has been able to allocate one teacher to teach the subject to all grade levels.
This model allows for continuity from one grade to the next and facilitates the teaching process,
which allows for the integration of the major topics through all grade levels.
One of the major highlights of the Program during the 2011/12 school year has been the
development of a three-year Odyssey Project allowing students the opportunity to formally explore
their talents, gifts, passions, and interests by digitally documenting their progress in the areas of
Creativity, Service, and Action throughout their Middle School years. This project gives students
the initial insight into high school career explorations and the International Baccalaureate
philosophy of CAS (Creativity, Action, and Service). Due to the transient nature of international
schools, the project is documented on a Google site, to allow for students to take the project with
them and share it with other schools when the time comes to move or join a different community.
The initiative allows the schools to learn the student and to understand who they are as individuals
before being exposed to who they are as an academic performer inside the classroom. One of the
goals of the project is to be able to share the information students collect and document with their
current and future teachers as they transition from one grade level to the next. The other goal is for
students to learn more about themselves and explore several options for career development at a
young age so that when they are ready to begin the college application process, they feel better
prepared.
As the project develops and the data collection begins, the Advisory teacher starts surveying each
student and prepares a separate file to contain specific information about each learner in each grade
level. This document is prepared as a profile document, which provides the teacher with accessible
information regarding the student‘s talents, passions, interests, and Love Languages (quiz taken
from Gary Chapman‘s, The Five Love Languages of Teenagers). The information collected
becomes very useful as the teacher can then share it with other colleagues on the team for more
effective communication to happen inside the classroom environment. The effective communication
will contribute to the school climate as students feel like teachers know and value who they are,
which in return lead to a safe and orderly environment, which Robert J. Marzano has identified as
one of the indicators of school-level factors that contribute to increased student achievement.
It is still early to share the actual impact the project has had in our community, but when asked
about the initiative parents, who gave input through the Parent Teacher Student Organization
(PTSO) were quick to respond, ―This project will definitely help my child channel his energy and
passions into something that is tangible and can later be accessed to help apply for universities.‖
Students were equally enthusiastic as one representative from the Students‘ Council stated, ―This
project is cool because it will help us understand how to find things we are passionate about,
connect them to service projects that we like and then helping us so we can start seeing if the areas
that we think we are interested in today are really something we want to continue to explore in the
future.‖
The initiative has its focus on student learning and character development. As schools try to
develop the whole child, while maintaining focus on character, healthy habits, decision-making, and
team building skills, students will develop the skills essential in building the 21st century learner we
consistently talk about.
If you would like an outline of the project or more information on the initiative please do not
hesitate to contact Priscila Torres at [email protected].
Emotion, Choice and Reading
Colegio Nueva Granada
I‘m a big Beatles fan. I love to read their lyrics and sing along in my head. What do you like to
read? Books? Recipes? Magazines? Newspapers? As an adult, I enjoy a range of varied reading
materials.
Children are the same! ―The human brain likes interesting activities, relevant knowledge, and
choices. Consequently, students do benefit from having meaningful choices in their learning and
school environment because when people are allowed to make choices, interest, motivation, and
effort are all increased while stress is decreased.‖ 1
I like choice because we can learn more words. And we learn fun in the book box. -Wanoto
I like having a choice because I learn more to read. It‟s fun to read. -Giulia
I like having a choice because if we only have one thing we get bored and it‟s fun to have a choice
because we don‟t get bored and it‟s fun to read different things. -Laura S.
What does choice look like in first grade? In addition to a wide variety of books, students have
many options in their personal book boxes:
Baby Einstein animal cards with full color photographs and several animal facts.
o I like the animal cards because I will know better about real animals that exist. And
I can see where they live and what they eat and their skin. -Valentina
Real Ebooks – realewriter.com – small format books with photos of my students. The
children love to read books (that I make) in which they are protagonists. It is personal and
exciting to read books with photos of yourself and your classmates.
o Jamie, Antonia, everybody of the class – it‟s fun to see them doing work. –Felipe
Math word problem books – using the students´ names, again they are the principal
characters of this math-reading integrated option. Example: Lucas has five apples. Martin
gives him three more apples. How many apples does he have in all?
Morning Message – This is a daily, student-led shared reading activity. We compile three or
four of these daily messages into small packets that the children can choose for their
individual book boxes.
o I like reading the Morning Message because it‟s fun because it‟s so long. -Robledo
Recipes that we have used in cooking projects – the individual steps are provided separately
on word strips (up to 12 per recipe) to be sequenced by the reader.
o I like recipes because it helps me cook many things. -Lucas
Song books which contain a dozen or more songs that we have learned- some with rebusstyle icons.
o I like to read songbooks because we can sing the songs that we want and the songs
that we learn like „All Together Now‟. -Tintin
Jaime with an ebook
Antonia With her Songbook
Maria with Animal cards
Choice connects directly to students‘ emotions as positive emotional input. ―Emotions originate in
the brain, specifically in the limbic system. Emotion serves as the ―On-off switch to learning.‖
When the switch is off, the system is dormant and only the POTENTIAL for learning is available.
When the switch is on, the pathway to learning is open. If the limbic system interprets (incoming
sensory) information as positive, it dispatches a message of purpose and excitement and directs our
behavior towards a goal. When this happens, we become motivated to act; thinking and learning are
enhanced. When the interpretation is negative, the switch is turned off and thinking and learning are
stifled. A lack of motivation prevents new learning; it ―turns off‖ the switch.‖ 2
I like the songbooks because we sing and dance and play and I become a better reader. I love to
sing and dance and play. – Sarah
I like doing the Morning Message because it‟s fun and you can learn to be proactive. -Gabriela
By giving students choice and offering reading options that turn on the switch in the limbic system,
we are intrinsically motivating the students to WANT to read. In this way, we enable them to
maximize their individual potential as both readers and learners.
Nations Festival
So many colors, so many cultures
What an awesome, moving Nations Festival 2011! Thousands of friends and family from over 35
nations, along with the art, culture and traditions of sixteen countries – all on display for the entire
school community to celebrate as students sent out a powerful, authentic message of unity in
diversity honoring countries and humankind the world over.
The diligent work, the research, the attention to detail and the care that went into each presentation
and every exhibition made this year‘s Nations‘ Festival memorable for all.The School community
took a journey through the beauty of world cultures, enjoying a diversity of cuisines and learning
about the customs of so many cultures. Students from every grade represented a country – sixteen
in all: Argentina, Brazil, Egypt, England, France, Germany, India, Jamaica, Japan, Madagascar,
Malaysia, Mexico, Norway, Portugal, Scotland and Thailand.
Our traditional parade of countries began the celebration and set the stage for the magnificent
voices of our elementary school choir. The traditional dances and rich, colorful costumes were
nothing less than spectacular. Students representing Brazil closed the first part of the celebration
with an upbeat song that set the climate for the remainder of the festivities. For the grand finale all
of the students were invited up on stage to dance. Simply beautiful!
For many, this year‘s Nations Festival was their first. Múcio and Valéria Porto, parents of eighth
grader, Victória, and fifth grader, Valentina, were amazed. This was the family‘s first year at
School of the Nations and their first time at the Festival. ―The presentations were fantastic – a
mixture of contemporary elements with the more traditional. We enjoyed it. Each group was a
surprise.‖
After the presentations, students opened their stands to the community. With Nations‘ passports in
hand, parents, family, friends and visitors traversed through the sixteen countries getting their
passports stamped along the way as they enjoyed the exhibitions and learned more from students
about each nation.
Maria Olívia Serejo, mother of seventh grader, Gabriel Serejo, has been participating in the Festival
for several years. ―Every year I notice more commitment on the part of the students and those who
attend. Every year the number of people grows. The festival gets better and better in all respects.‖
Students dedicated a lot of time, effort and preparation to the festival and all felt proud to be part of
the biggest event of the school year. Fifth grader, Henrique Domingues, represented England and
was mistaken several times for one of the Beatles. ―In our presentation, we wanted to show a little
bit of all the culture in England – important people in many different areas. I was John Lennon. We
learned a lot while we studied the country. Something interesting I learned was that England´s flag
is white. I used to think that the United Kingdom‘s flag was England‘s.‖
Many alumni were also present. Leilah Sahihi Pezeshk graduated from School of the Nations in
2002. ―I try to come every year. The Festival is always so beautiful; it engages the whole school. I
remember when I was a student preparing our presentations and projects. We really learned a lot
about the countries we studied, and we spent many days organizing everything – cutting, painting…
It was so cool!‖
Maria Beatriz Coelho from the class of 2009 also came. ―I‘m living in London now. I was in a
boarding school and now I‘m beginning my studies in International Relations at the London School
of Economics and Political Science. I am back to visit my family and decided while I was here to
come to the Nations Festival. I remember my Nations Festivals. I always enjoyed them so much.‖
Isabela Vieira, mother of sixth grader, Giovana Vieira, has been coming to the Nations Festival
since Giovana‘s first year at the school, way back when she was only two years old. ―Every year
that passes the festival gets more beautiful. This year it‘s gorgeous, marvelous. Our whole family is
here.‖
Congratulations to all for one of our greatest Nations Festivals ever! Great job!
Portuguese for Foreigners Field Trip
On September 21, the Intermediate and Advanced classes of Portuguese for Foreigners went on a
field trip to the Mercadão de Madureira, a very famous market area in the North Zone of Rio de
Janeiro.
Before the trip, the students saw a map of all the neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro and had a
discussion about the quality of life in the Zona Norte. Students got to know that people who live in
this area are called ―suburbanos‖ and that there is some prejudice against them, just as some Zona
Norte residents have against people from Zona Sul.
The focus of the trip was to show some features of Brazilian culture, such as traditional uses of
herbs, typical Brazilian celebrations, and Afro-Brazilian religions and rituals. Students had a
questionnaire requiring them to ask people who work in the Mercadão about such things as the
types of herbs used to attract money and love. They also learned about the São Cosme and São
Damião celebrations, a Brazilian version of Halloween without costumes, when children get sweets
on the streets. Students learned about Afro-Brazilian religions by visiting the ―lojas de macumba‖
and saw, for example, types of smoke that can be used at home to avoid envy and to attract money.
They also saw statues of the entities of this religion.
They had lunch in a restaurant in the Zona Norte and realized that in some areas there are many
more houses than buildings, unlike Zona Sul. The trip was an opportunity for students to gain a
deeper understanding of the city of Rio de Janeiro and its culture.
The Pan American School of Bahia Goes Plastic Cup Free
Written by: Elicia Blodgett and Ioana Rosu
The Pan American School of Bahia (PASB) participated in the first South America Global Issues
Network conference in Lima, Peru last month. PASB´s project addressed the issue of disposable
plastic cups on campus and the initiative to become a plastic cup free environment. Six students
from grades 9 and 10, supervised by Ioana Rosu and Elicia Blodgett, spent numerous hours
planning and actively promoting this project within the school community during the months of
August through October. It involved the education of the school community about the topic, the
action of removing plastic cups from the dispensers, the selling of re-usuable water bottles and
culminated with a tenfold decrease of plastic cup use on our campus from September to October
(plastic cups are still being provided to visitors and at school events).
Our team presented this project at the GIN Conference in five parts - four interactive stations and
one final presentation about the development of the project in the school. The four stations covered
four different issues related to plastic cup production and disposal: a) issues related to crude oil, the
raw material plastic is made from, b) issues related to the production of these cups and the social
and environmental impact, c) pollution related to the storage and transportation of these cups to
their final destination and finally d) the issue of environmental problems related to the disposal of
plastic cups and the health problems correlated to their use.
Both the plastic cup free initiative and the GIN conference itself, with international
environmentalist experts and over two-hundred student presenters from all over South America,
will have a lasting positive impact on PASB students and our community. The students were
extremely motivated to improve the environment in a way that showed immediate results in their
day to day lives for their surrounding community. Additionally, meeting students from across the
continent that are also taking action with practical solutions to address the global concern of how to
make our world a better place was an inspiring initiation into being future leaders here at the Pan
American School of Bahia and in the world at large.
Our students‘ video can be watched at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riYKQiYW1LM
PHYSICAL EDUCATION ASSESSMENT PRACTICES THAT WORK!
Daniel Bocanegra
PE Teacher and Gymnastics Coach
Colegio Nueva Granada
Bogotá – Colombia
According to the National Association for Sport & Physical Education (NASPE)‖ the goal of
physical education is to develop physically educated individuals who have the knowledge, skills
and confidence to enjoy a lifetime of healthful physical activity‖ (NASPE 2004). In order to
achieve this goal NASPE defines six standards, student expectations, and sample performance
outcomes.
Trying to base our curriculum design and instructional practices from the latest research, Colegio
Nueva Granada (Bogota, Colombia) has adopted the NASPE standards and documents as a guide
for its PE program and teaching practices. National assessments and rubrics to measure student
achievement for standards and benchmarks have been missing elements for physical education
programs in the past. However, just recently this gap has been closed by NASPE with the
publication of PE METRICS (NASPE 2010).
PE Metrics is the product of more than ten years of research; it provides valid and reliable
standards-based assessment to measure student achievement of NASPE national standards from
Kindergarten to 12th Grade. PE Metrics includes a book manual, DVD with test performance
guides, rubrics, and data analysis. Its task assessment is designed to provide evidence of student
learning through work performance by including rubrics that describe quality work performance
and collecting student data on each standard for reporting progress to parents, teachers and schools.
Through this wonderful tool we have a great chance to use assessment for helping our students to
become consciously aware of what they can do, what they know, and what they need to understand.
The learning environment which is created by PE Metrics helps teachers encourage children to use
the results for personal improvement and avoiding comparisons with others. Students now
comprehend the components, rationale, and criteria included in their grade.
CNG expects to use data on student achievement for evaluating program effectiveness on a regular
basis. We also want to base our curriculum and instruction decisions with meaningful data that
helps teachers become more effective and organized professionals as well as maximize
opportunities for all students to learn and become more physically active.
Finally, PE Metrics facilitates effective assessment and best teaching practices that can be fun and
motivating for students and teachers when used in a positive manner!
For more information about PE Metrics and NASPE documents and publications, you can contact
me at [email protected] or check the official web site www.naspeinfo.org
The End…
Thank you to all who contributed!