communICTy

‘Raise the bar, narrow the gap’. This buzz phrase during the 4th iNet International Conference in Beijing had particular resonance in the city preparing itself for the next Olympics. For me, the main focus of the conference was sharing new ways to help all our students achieve their personal best.

Wherever the speakers came from in the world, the message was the same. If we want our school to perform better the main priority is not concentrating on what we teach, but who we are teaching it to. James O’Neil, Principal of Carmel RC Technology College summed this up really well. He explained that analysing student data is often like seeing the terracotta army. It is only when you view each soldier individually that you realise that every one is unique. At his school they have a consistent tracking system to build up a more detailed picture of each student’s progress in every subject. Students also have focussed conversations with their learning mentor to make better sense of their data and set targets for future progress.

One of the most important Olympic ideals is the need for team work to succeed. The students of Greenford High School are a shining example of this. Like all schools they have a Senior Leadership Team, but they also have a Junior Leadership Team comprising of students. Each member of the SLT has a JLT buddy and they have a wide variety of responsibilities including observing lessons and interviewing job applicants. New initiatives such as moving to a three year KS4 are also discussed with the JLT. In this way the student population not only have a voice, but are able to have an impact on the the whole school community to work together as a team.

At the opening ceremony of the Olympic games the athletes will march in as separate nations, each with their own flag. The closing ceremony brings all the participants together to unite under one flag. The iNet Conference promoted a similar message. Schools should not innovate in isolation. They need to reach out and become global enterprises. If schools are to become a model of how the world should be, it is vital that enable teachers and students to share ideas with their peers in other countries. It was therefore very encouraging to see the enthusiasm of delegates to seize the potential of the internet and websites such as www.elanguages.org to bring this about.

The motto of the Beijing Olympics is ‘One World, One Dream’. The iNet conference showed how different education systems and individual schools can come together to improve learning for all. It is now up to the returning delegates to make the dream a reality.

My presentation at the conference:
iNet07 – A powerpoint presentation that I gave
iNet07_handout – A handout of quotes and website links to go with the presentation

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My Resources Update
[slideshare id=149923&doc=going-green-1193737361217716-3&w=425]
Going Green.ppt is a presentation I’ve made with some useful global statistics and ways for students to act for change. Good as an assembly and/or wall display.
My School Life is a set of lesson plans for students to make a presentation about their emotions in different school situations. It has a series of blog posts that students can contribute moderated comments to. So far children in the UK, USA, India and Serbia have taken part.

Oxfam Website Relaunched
The new Oxfam Education website is here! With a fresh new look and new search options, it’s now even easier to find what you need to take a global approach across the curriculum.
Oxfam Education offers a huge range of free teaching ideas, lesson plans and online resources, including all of your favourite Cool Planet resources – plus a funky new look for our children’s website. It’s the essential destination for Global Citizenship teaching!

School Partnership Toolkits
Oxfam’s Building Successful School Partnerships helps you build equal, effective partnerships that have real educational value.
New eTwinning Handbook a great way to learn how to get started in an eTwinning project and to find out about some of the top projects from the 2005-2006 school year.
Partners in Learning draws on the practise of schools around the world and Development Education Centres in the UK . With an emphasis on global citizenship, it answers the big questions and practical issues for any school considering or already involved in a sustainable learning partnership.

VSO Global Educators’ Register
VSO’s Global Educators Register has over 156 people trained to support teachers in embedding a global dimension in the curriculum. All Educators are VSO returned volunteers, have lived in a developing country for two years, received full training in Global Education activities, and have knowledge of a range of resources. This is a free resource, which can help a partnership develop or make the most of an existing one.

Teaching Resources
Save the Children’s Welcome to My World pack explores the lives of children from Peru, India, Ethiopia and Vietnam. Real life stories are told through four short films and are used as the basis for activities for Key Stage 2 geography and citizenship.

Events
04/12/07 -The East of England Development Education Network are holding a FREE one-day event in Cambridge for teachers, advisers, ITE tutors, NGO workers and all global educators. To get informed of and inspired by the global dimension work happening across the region and to get involved in the plans for the next five years! For more info email claire.bennett@harambeecentre.org.uk
12/11/07-British Council National Conference, Involvement for All will give you the opportunity to share best practice and investigate new ways to bring a global dimension to the classroom.

Global Dates
12/11/07 International Education Week
01/12/07 World Aids Day
27/01/08 World Holocaust Day
01/03/08 World Book Day
20/03/08 Earth Day
22/03/08 World Water Day