CPD Update An introduction to North London Collegiate School, Jeju. pg. 2 Secondary English JAWS pg. 3 KS2 & KS3 Science JAWS pg. 4 Details on Teachers Conference. pg. 5 Early Years JAWS. pg. 6 An introduction to British Vietnamese International School. pg. 8 Learning Support Conference and JAWS pg. 9 Primary Mathematics JAWS. pg. 10 Behind the Scenes of Science Lessons Science Technician JAWS. p.11 An introduction to The British School, New Delhi. pg. 12
Issue 13 March 2015
CPD Status
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It is comforting to know that despite an increase in the number of JAWS being offered in 2014-15, the standards at each JAWS event has not dropped. After scouring through previous SurveyMonkey results, the evidence is clear - overall JAWS Satisfactory Level has increased. This is a testament to both workshop leaders and participants in a joint effort to share good practice and new ideas.! Professional development and networking opportunities are some of the main factors continuing to drive the success of the JAWS programme.!
A participant's review of the AFL JAWS. pg. 13 Secondary Science JAWS. pg. 14 A personal account of the NPQML course. pg. 16
JAWS Satisfactory Level 80% 60%
Primary PE JAWS. pg. 17 Vipula Sharma explores The Digital Classroom. pg. 18 Senior Mathematics JAWS. pg. 21
40% 20%
History JAWS. pg. 22 Information Literacy JAWS. pg. 23
0%
Gifted and Talented JAWS. p.24 Learning Support JAWS. p. 26 Departing words from the Chairman, Ciaran Harrington. p.27
CPD Update
Excellent 2013/14
Good
Average 2014/15
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An Introduction to New Member School North London Collegiate School Jeju, South Korea
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The school is located on the island of Jeju, which is a place of outstanding natural beauty. In the centre of the island stands Mt Halla, South Korea’s highest peak and the coastline is dotted with many stunning beaches. NLCS, Jeju was the first school to open as part of the Global Education City, which will eventually house a number of international schools and a University. !
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NLCS Jeju offers the IGCSE and IB and many of our students go on to Universities all around the world. The majority of which go onto UK and US Universities. The school opened in Sept 2011 with 450 students. We now have just over 800 students. Many of our students board, with about 75% of the senior school students living at the school. ! James Monaghan! Vice Principal – Teaching and Learning!
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It is with great pleasure that I introduce myself to the CPD FOBISIA community. As Vice Principal Teaching and Learning at North London Collegiate School, Jeju. I am very excited at the prospect of getting involved with the many events on offer throughout the year and also hope that we can offer some opportunities for staff to come and visit us here at NLCS Jeju.
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FOBISIA Secondary English JAWS Garden International School, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Garden International School from Kuala Lumpur would like to thank participants from the FOBISIA schools who travelled to join us for our English JAWS from 16th -17th January. It was a real pleasure to work with such a highly capable, motivated and enthusiastic group of forty other staff from across Asia - some of whom made the journey from as far away as Kathmandu, Manila and Beijing. !
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Across the conference we saw a range of first rate and insightful presentations that really highlighted the outstanding quality of educational opportunities being offered by Literature teachers in international schools in the region. We addressed a range of teaching and learning strategies covering some of the following areas: !
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• Empowering students through assessment for learning and improved marking strategies! • Leveraging technology to improve progression and attainment! • A structuralist approach to narrative sequencing! • Strategies for engaging students in literary analysis! • The challenge of functional skills provision! • Meta-cognition: Making thinking visible! • Questioning! • Authentic/Real world learning within and beyond the English classroom! • Key Stage 5 Literature and Flipped Learning! • Personalised learning and innovative English learning spaces! • Cross curricular links in English!
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Of particular note across the conference was a shared ethos that really did put the student experience at the centre of teaching and learning. For many of our visiting teachers and GIS staff alike, AFL has become about empowering students, technology has become about giving students increased ownership of their learning and lesson planning has become about enabling students to be more responsible for their own progression.!
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Evaluation and feedback has highlighted amongst all participants a real appreciation for not only the high standards of the sessions but also the general atmosphere of collaboration, enthusiasm and productivity that prevailed. A huge thank you goes out to all our attendees; their willingness to engage in a process of such rigorous, innovative and detailed subject specific professional development is undoubtedly ensuring Asian British International schools continue to provide some of the best educational opportunities available. !
! A huge well done to all and we look forward to seeing you again soon. ! ! Sudha Nair, Professional Development Manager! Garden International School, Kuala Lumpur! CPD Update
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KS2 & KS 3 SCIENCE JAWS Jerudong International School, Brunei.
! During a relaxed but highly productive two-day Science JAWS event at Jerudong International School, some 20 or so KS2 and KS3 teachers shared their good practice, assessment ethos, differentiation ideas, meaningful enquiry-based teaching strategies and engaging lesson starter ideas. !
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Within KS2 groups, discussions focussed on the effective integration of real life enquirybased learning and cross-curricular links, whilst a very interesting KS3 discussion focussed on effective IGCSE preparation. As a collective group, we had tremendous fun experiencing engaging lesson ideas from the students' perspectives, and spent lots of time in outside spaces trialling each other's ideas for the delivery of both scientific content and skill. There were sessions covering everything from CSI role play investigations to team-building methods of teaching science, from philosophical starter ideas to artistic ones, and from online assessment to provision for the Gifted and Talented students in our classes.!
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All those attending the JAWS event were highly motivated and enthusiastic about improving the teaching and learning of science, and for this reason, the sessions were challenging, constructive, humorous and thought-provoking. Everyone left with ideas, questions, new strategies to use in the classroom and a network of support in all corners of South East Asia.!
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Susan Blomley, Middle Years Science Co-ordinator! Jerudong International School, Brunei 
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ARE OUR SCHOOLS PROVIDING WHAT OUR CHILDREN, STAFF AND COMMUNITIES TRULY NEED FOR SUCCESS AND FULFILMENT IN THIS FAST PACED WORLD? SET ON BEAUTIFUL PHUKET, THE CONFERENCE PROGRAMME WILL BALANCE HIGH QUALITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WITH INFORMAL NETWORKING AND SOCIAL OPPORTUNITIES - NOT TO BE MISSED!
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Inaugural Teachers Conference highlighting Technology, Career Advancement, Global Issues & JAWS 17th - 18th October 2015
There will be a range of workshops on these themes during the two day conference and the opportunity to join pre-conference workshops at the British International School, Phuket, on the following: Boarding - Best Practice, The International Award, Circus Skills Within the PE Curriculum and How to Run Great Field Trips
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Crossroads Foundation, Hong Kong (crossroads.org.hk) dedicated to ‘connecting people in a broken world’, by acting as a crossroads for those who need help and those who can help
! ! Be a Workshop Leader? !
If you would like to lead a workshop or discussion on one of our Conference Themes, please contact Tania Donoghue <tania.donoghue@fobisia.org>
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Keep the date free! More information to follow.
CPD Update
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Early Years JAWS British International School, Phuket, Thailand.
!Twenty-six participants from a variety of schools, including schools in Thailand, Malaysia and China, joined the October 16 and 17, 2014 Early Years JAWS at the British International School, Phuket (BISP).!
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The JAWS opened with a warm welcome from the Headmaster, Mr Neil Richards, and then a tour of the school. The early years has undergone major restructuring over the recent summer holiday break, to accommodate more effective ‘free flow’ and child centred learning opportunities. Participants were enthusiastic about the extensive indoor and outdoor facilities and the degree of planning and organization that sits behind an effective environment.!
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The BISP team then told the early years learning story. This retelling was set against the whole school learning values and learning skills continuum. BISP staff shared their planning processes, reporting procedures, observation processes, use of Blogs and tracking of learning with participants and used this as a springboard for sharing. BISP is committed to personalization and connection of learning, with high expectations in a supportive learning environment and development of expert learners. Recent developments include planning for individual children in partnership with parents and reporting through individual blogs. Participants contrasted the BISP approach with their own, discussing relative merits and challenges.!
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After lunch participants had 2 choices from three structured conversations: continuous provision, child centred planning and making a day with minimum interruptions work. BISP staff opened the conversations with information about how they were working, a dilemma they faced or some stimulus input. The group then had an opportunity to explore the topic in depth, sharing their insights and experiences. So popular were these conversations that they extended well past the allocated 30 minutes. A group also revisited the BISP learning environment for further reflection and sharing.!
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Walking meetings were set up, at the end of day one, to support participants to decide on an issue to explore during the following morning’s Consultancy Process. Formal processes are excellent ways to support dialogue and focused attention on an issue. On the second morning groups of 4 or 5 participants met with a BISP facilitator to explore a range of challenges: weapons play, behaviour CPD Update
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issues, AEN and ESL needs, social skill development. Participants acted as ‘consultants’ for each others’ challenges and problem solved, identified strategies and explored new ways of thinking about the issues presented. As always, the structured dialogue process enabled deep conversation, thoughtful reflection and critical thinking.!
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A networking dinner on Rang Hill, Phuket Town gave participants an opportunity to relax and socialise on a gorgeous balmy Phuket evening.!
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The second day workshop options included: schemas and their role in observation, planning and reflection, working with Letters and Sounds in a child centred, ‘free flow’ environment and working with TA teams to promote initiative, ownership and responsibility. Participants had the option to attend 2 of the three sessions, revisit the early years environment or begin school planning as a team. Once again the BISP staff prepared a short introductory input, exploring the topic and outlining some approaches tried at BISP, and then facilitating sharing and dialogue.!
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After lunch participants had an opportunity to do some team planning (multiple participants from a school) or individual reflection. BISP team leaders supported participants requiring a sounding board or mentor.! The conference closed with a high energy ‘Little Gems’ session where everyone shared a resource, strategy, IT tip or useful idea, and completion of the FOBISIA evaluation form.!
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The conference resources and support materials were available in a Google Drive folder at: https:// drive.google.com/folderview?id=0BxI5ZJIsiO2eMnZ6S00ydUNFR1E&usp=sharing !
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Participants valued the variety of approached used throughout the conference, the openness of the BISP staff’s sharing and the many opportunities to explore topics in depth. Flexibility in the program and a commitment to follow up on participants requests received prior to the conference were greatly appreciated.!
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In the weeks leading up to the JAWS, the BISP staff dedicated 8 meetings to planning and sharing approaches to sessions, reflection and feedback. This valuable time enhanced an already aligned team’s commitment to individual planning, child initiated learning and close partnerships with parents. Staff, new and ongoing, bonded and found greater clarity and consistency as each run through occurred. Engaging 26 people in dialogue, discussion and sharing was incredibly rewarding and a huge privilege, very positively culminating a great learning experience.!
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Karen Cornelius, Deputy Principal! British international School Phuket CPD Update
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An Introduction to New Member School British Vietnamese International School, Ho Chi Minh City
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The British Vietnamese International School, part of the BIS Group in Vietnam, is delighted to have recently gained FOBISIA membership. We’re a new school, just 3 ½ years old, located in a rapidly developing area of Ho Chi Minh City. The school opened in August 2011 with 350 students aged from 2 – 14 years and has now expanded to 700 including our “Fundinotots” (families and toddlers who meet at school several mornings a week) and Years 10 – 13.! The school is fully dual language in our EYFS and Primary departments, offering a unique curriculum based upon the English National Curriculum and IPC. We have our own teacher training department, with more than 40 teachers trained since we opened the school. By training local teachers ourselves we are able to deliver the curriculum in Vietnamese as well as English. Children move seamlessly from their English lessons to those in Vietnamese spending approximately 50% of learning time in each language. When children enter our Secondary School, most learning then takes place in English. At BVIS, we nurture mother tongue proficiency, as well as an understanding and appreciation of Vietnamese culture. ! We look forward to hosting FOBISIA events and welcoming you to BVIS.!
! Rosy Clark, Primary Head! British Vietnamese International School CPD Update
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Learning Support Conference and JAWS British International School, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
! On 21 and 22 November BIS, HCMC hosted a LS JAWs and Conference. On Friday we had a key note speaker, Kathryn Phillips, followed on Saturday, with the LS JAWs. It was a sociable opportunity for professional development with very positive feedback.! Our keynote speaker, Kathryn, travelled from USA to spend the weekend with us sharing her experience in specific areas of Special Needs â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Special Gifts; Executive Functioning; Best Practices and Practical Tips. Kathryn has been in the educational field for more than 35 years and has taught from preschool through to university. She is a lifelong educator with expertise in school psychology, classroom management, behavioural issues and special learning needs. Her experience has included teaching in the general education classroom, special education centres, counselling as well as administration. Currently, Kathryn presents in more than one hundred cities a year as she travels throughout North America, Australia, Europe and Asia providing consultation to schools on education and special learning needs. She is the author of twelve books and is the owner of Total Behaviour Management, an internationally recognized educational consulting firm. !
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On Saturday, The delegates had the opportunity to present on a range of topics relevant to Learning Support in an International setting. Topics covered included:; Movement to Support Learning; Touch Maths; Colourful Semantics; Senses at Play; Differentiation; Nurture Group and Inclusive Best Practices. The range of topics presented meant that everyone left with some practical ideas and food for thought.! The opportunity to have a conference, with keynote speaker, on the first day really added to our professional development and the combination of Conference and JAWs can hopefully be replicated in future years.! BIS HCMC were delighted to host the event and enjoyed sharing some of the delights of Saigon with the delegates including a Night tour of the city on Vespas and a traditional Vietnamese dinner. !
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Andrea Dix, Learning Support Leader! British International School, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnamâ&#x20AC;Š
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PRIMARY MATHEMATICS JAWS St. Christopher's International Primary School, Penang, Malaysia
It was with a great deal of pride that the staff of St. Christopher’s opened their doors on Friday 20th November 2014 to welcome a group of primary teachers from Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei; all of whom had signed up to attend the FOBISIA Primary Maths JAWS 2014.! The two-day event began with an opportunity for everyone to get into the classrooms and observe (or in some cases join in with!) maths activities across the breadth of the school. After a calorieladen lunch at the Evergreen Laurel Hotel, the delegates took part in three workshops that offered opportunities to share observations, collect information and learn new skills…and this was followed by a group social in the evening where the quite extraordinary weather conditions created a unique bonding opportunity. With torrential rain keeping everyone in their seats, what else could we do except eat…and drink…and talk!! Saturday morning saw everyone back at SCIPS and ready to begin the first of five workshops that were the focus of the day. The quality of the workshops was self-evident and everyone who was part of the JAWS event is to be congratulated for their willingness to both be a leader and a participant. The value gained by attending events such as these really does depend upon the contributions offered by the attendees, and this Primary Maths JAWS stands as a perfect example of what can be achieved when like-minded, dedicated professionals work together. If you want to find out more about this event, we have an Edmodo site that can be joined by clicking on the following link: https://edmo.do/j/3gbhmf ! Sue Houghton, Deputy Principal! St. Christopher's' International Primary School, Penang, Malaysia
CPD Update
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Science for Technicians and Teachers JAWS Regents International School, Pattaya, Thailand.
Behind the Scenes of Science Lessons! Over the weekend of the 15th of November, science technicians from nine FOBISIA schools in five different countries met at Regents School to take part in the first ever Job Alike Workshop (JAWS) for technicians. This was a pioneering event and was a great opportunity for all the technicians to get together, share ideas and learn from each other with the goal to make our jobs easier and help both students and teachers in our schools. ! On the first day the visiting technicians were able to see our science department and learn about how itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s developed over the last few years. There was then a long round table discussion that covered topics from health and safety to the best suppliers for different types of equipment. In the afternoon, Regents International School Science Technician, gave their time to spend a session with the technicians on subject specific topics so we could learn more about setting up particular experiments. ! On Sunday there was more opportunity for discussion and lots of plans for the future were made including developing a blog for us all to share hints and tips for science experiments and trying to organise training for us all from the British health and safety organisation CLEAPSS. Overall it was a very useful workshop and everyone felt that they got something out of it and, here at Regents, we are hoping that it will start building safer and more interesting science experiments for our students. !
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Christine Press, Secondary Science Laboratory Technician! Regents International School, Pattaya, Thailandâ&#x20AC;Š
CPD Update
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An Introduction to New Member School The British School, New Delhi
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The British School, New Delhi is unique. Not just because it is home to a rich cultural mix of almost 850 students with 55 nationalities ranging from ages 3 to 18. But because it combines the best of British and international education which draws inspiration from India culture and tradition.
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The school was first started in July 1963. The school is located in the heart of the diplomatic area of New Delhi. It attracts about 30 per cent of its students from the families of diplomats, but is also in strong demand from Indian students and parents. !
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The British School is growing fast, having just occupied the first phase of its state-of-the-art education facility designed to match the school’s excellent faculty and committed community. The second and final phase of the building project is underway and will be completed in summer 2016.!
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The British School New Delhi is a close-knit community of no more than 66 students in any year group with a diverse mix of over 50 nationalities, with India and British the largest groups. The school is non-selective, accepting all children that it can educate effectively. The school achieves strong outcomes, both in terms of excellent top and average academic attainment rivaling many selective schools, and in terms of adding value to all pupils. The school has seen academic standards rise steadily and is determined to see this excellent progress continue taking the school from excellent to outstanding across all aspects of school life. The school is proud of its Indian soul, reflecting the dynamism, the energy and the inter-connectedness of Indian society, as well as a tradition of open speech, democracy and debate.!
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Mahua Ray Chaudhuri! Director - HR! The British School, New Delhi!
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It is gives me great pleasure to introduce myself to the CPD FOBISIA community. As the Director Human Resources, and the Chair of the CPD Panel, at The British School, New Delhi, I am excited to be part of the bustling CPD opportunities and community at FOBISIA. I hope we can, through FOBISIA, imbibe the best practices of other schools and offer opportunities for other schools to come to British School New Delhi to learn from ours.
CPD Update
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JAWS Review Assessment for Learning, Bangkok Prep School
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On Friday 3rd and Saturday 4th October, twenty-three teachers from FOBISIA schools attended a JAWS course about Assessment for Learning (AfL) at Bangkok Prep School. Job Alike Workshops (JAWS) enable teachers who have similar jobs, but are from different schools, to get together and share good practise. The idea is that delegates from the attending schools offer to lead workshops to showcase a particular area of expertise, thus up-skilling their teaching colleagues; the sharing of good ideas leads to discussion, innovation and creativity and all attendees leave with ideas and strategies to share in their own schools.!
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With teachers from primary, secondary and tertiary phases in attendance, a vast array of content was covered across the two days. Teachers showed their creativity in adapting ideas for their specific phase of teaching. Stu Burrows, the organiser of the event from Bangkok Prep, led workshops on Emphasising Learning, Engaging with Feedback and also facilitated discussions about Target Setting and Convincing the Sceptics about the use of AfL strategies. Nick Lee (Alice Smith School) explained how they have developed a whole school approach to AfL through consultation with all stake-holders. David Whittaker (Bangkok Patana School) shared his approach, as a specialist art teacher in a primary setting, to enabling students to become assessment capable learners who can identify their next steps. !
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Punctuating the longer presentations, every delegate was given the opportunity to share good practise from their settings during sessions called Three Minute Slapdowns; names were chosen at random (adding nervous excitement to proceedings!) and assessment strategies, policies, games, websites and anecdotes were shared. Fox Diagrams (look them up – they are an amazingly versatile way for students to collaborate and peer assess), Padlet (website where students can update simultaneously and respond to stimuli – free to set up an account) and Coach’s Eye (App that enables the teacher to slow down video they take and also to annotate it – ideal for PE) were some of the ideas shared. !
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In amongst the presentations, current research, that of Carol Dweck, John Hattie and Paul Guinness in particular, was discussed. Their ideas and findings are having a significant impact on assessment approaches in schools. Some of Paul Guinness’s AfL Marking Strategies were shared by Martin Breen (Bangkok Prep) in one session and many other delegates contributed their thoughts to make marking more meaningful for learners. Primary and Secondary teachers (Etienne Visser and Caroline Olijynk) from Garden International presented a plethora of useful strategies for Peer and Self-Assessment, making especially great use of ICT. The importance of an appropriate lesson objective/learning question/learning intention and success criteria was explored through discussion. A number of other discussions, including the use of Assessing Pupil Progress (APP) documents and the situation for schools with the imminent removal of National Curriculum Levels, further enriched the two days.!
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With research into assessment strategies continuing World-wide, this was a fantastic opportunity to update knowledge, discuss, reflect and learn. The key message at the end of the two days was that our learners are at the centre of all we do and our assessment should evolve with them – giving them choice, ensuring that they are motivated and enabling them to identify their next steps will maximise enjoyment and progress. Thank you to those who attended for your inspiring and creative ideas and a special thank you to Stu Burrows from Bangkok Prep for all his hard work in organising this excellent event.!
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Duncan Ferguson, Assistant Head of Year 6! Bangkok Patana School, Thailand!
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Secondary Science JAWS British School Jakarta, Indonesia.
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“Professional learning is an even higher priority than children’s learning” (Macbeath, 2009)!
With the above quote in mind the initial Secondary Science FOBISIA JAWS was conceived. Although the event was in early October the participants were working throughout September planning a schedule of workshops and learning activities. This in itself was a learning experience, as we came to terms with the challenges faced with long-distance collaboration; Google docs ultimately proved far more useful and flexible than a website forum. The agreed schedule looked at sharing good practice as well as discussing wider issues faced by all participants. All workshops were led by participants and offered a blend of different activities with an emphasis on sharing through talk! !
! Following an ice-breaking coffee or two in the school coffee shop and a goal setting exercise, we created short, medium and long term action plans for students, teachers and departments in “How can international schools improve Science learning?”. Next up was a live web-session run by Tine Willis of KLASS (whilst in KL), on using Bestchoice in Chemistry teaching. Guy Atkinson of TTS then led a session allowing teachers to share their experiences of using collaborative web-based media. We all agreed that ICT and cloud-based applications would hold huge potential for learning in the future and the rate of change was likely to accelerate rather than slow. Kamran Malik (JIS) and Jenny Ball (Regents) lead us through a session on “encouraging students to take active roles in lessons”. This was followed up by Tom Metters (BSJ) who challenged us to use questioning techniques in our pursuit of enhanced learning in the sciences. The last act of the day, before a well-deserved Friday night meal, looked at: IGCSE - curriculum model and choices by Jasmin Burton-Morgan (BISKL) and Michael White (BSJ).!
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Day 2 kicked off with BSJ’s ToK coordinator, Paul Stedman encouraging us to look for critical thinking opportunities in our KS5/IB Science teaching. Jan Williams (BSJ) got us thinking about our provision for Gifted and Talented students, which generated lots of opportunities to share resources and ideas. We also had the opportunity to explore coursework, splitting into A Level and IB teams to discuss current changes and approaches. The last session of Day 2 explored the not inconsiderable needs of EAL students at our schools and how they can be best supported. Then, before a plenary and evaluation session we had some fun ‘experimenting’ with some of BSJ’s air rocket/cannons.!
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The two days were successful and met the objectives decided upon by the group in the first session. Key to the success was the enthusiasm of teachers and their willingness to share and reflect on current practices. We all came from enormously different schools but all shared a love of learning and a desire to improve our skills. !
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Nigel Wilsonlock, Faculty Leader Science ! British School Jakarta, Indonesia CPD Update
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A Personal Account of the NPQML Course
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I have always taken an interest in pursuing different CPD routes. After working closely with a deputy head in the UK, who had embarked on an NPQH, I was inspired to take charge of my own professional development.! After contacting various different providers and communicating with the NCTL, I eventually received a response from Edge Hill University offering the opportunity to undertake the NPQML as a distance learner. This course was particularly appealing due to it being nationally recognised, offered the support of a tutor and accreditation towards an MA. !
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The NPQML comprises of different elements. There are two essential modules: Leading Teaching and Managing Systems and Processes. There are also elective modules to choose from: Effective Leadership of SEN Provision, Leading an Effective Team and Developing Staff, Succeeding in Middle Leadership and Leading Change for Improvement. Additionally, participants are required to complete a school-based project by leading a target on the school development plan. This involves creating an action plan and liaising with a school-based mentor on a regular basis. The project allows middle leaders to embed the principles of leadership and ‘learn on the job’, in turn creating a self-improving system. All of the modules are intended to stimulate and provoke thought, extend knowledge and skills and promote changes in leadership behaviour. !
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Working through the modules on the course has enabled me to find out more about professional practice. Resources, which are drawn from evidence and research, provide an informative reference point. In each module participants are encouraged to reflect on their learning through various ‘think pieces’, articles and case studies and also reference this to their own role as leaders. The case studies have been particularly useful by providing examples of how leaders, from a variety of contexts, have developed into their roles and how they have coped when faced with challenging situations. It has also inspired me to extend my knowledge by engaging in further reading and ignited a personal interest in how data can be used effectively. Consequently, this has enabled my school development plan project to expand and include evidence based work - something which I hope to build on in the future by tracking a range of data from Preparatory to Senior school. !
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As part of the course each student is assigned a tutor who provides direct contact and support, which I have found invaluable. Having both a mentor who knows me at school and a support network from the university has been beneficial to my own learning. !
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Leading a target on our School Improvement Plan has allowed me to take ownership of a project and develop my leadership skills in various ways. I am currently liaising with teams across three campuses to ensure the effective transition from Prep to Senior school. Joint moderation and agreement on levelling is integral to the success of this target. In my work so far I have learnt that regular communication and a professional dialogue is essential, as is the ability to prioritise and delegate. Due to changes in the national curriculum I have also seen that the best-laid plans sometimes need to change. Making decisions and knowing when to use my initiative have been an important part of the process. Through meetings with my school based mentor I have been able to reflect upon my own practice and understand ways in which I can improve or extend my leadership skills. !
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I have found the NPQML course to be beneficial not only to my own professional development, but also to the school, in regards to the school-based project and good practice I am able to share. I would highly recommend this course to other middle leaders who are seeking to develop their own practice. !
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Sarah Sheldon! Kellett School, Hong Kong
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Primary Physical Education JAWS
! Jerudong !!
International School, Brunei.
Jerudong International School hosted a Job a like workshop aimed at Primary Physical Education teachers. 10 workshops were held over 2 days with staff from a variety of schools providing practical and classroom based sessions to stimulate discussion and share ideas. It is always a pleasure to see the enthusiasm and expert knowledge from colleagues and there is much to be gained with in service training of this nature. Importantly all members of the group were prepared to involve themselves fully in the content being delivered. Examples of the workshops included: Integrating fundamental movement skills into a free flow FS environment, balancing competition and curriculum; the use of IPADs, SAQ, gymnastics, assessment and early years orientation games.!
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Early years teaching is of course fundamental to the development of children's physical, mental and social development and it was particularly interesting to be able to see and listen to staff teaching outside of one's own area of expertise and teaching experience in the P.E. curriculum. Valuable information was shared among colleagues showing how important it is for schools to have a strong early years program this being such vital stage for long term athletic development. Much was, therefore to be gained in ensuring cohesion between KS 1 and 2.!
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I sincerely hope that everyone left feeling positive and am looking forward to the next opportunity to meet.!
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Mike Carter, Head of PE! Jerudong International School, Brunei!
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The Digital Classroom A framework to support the designing of learning experiences using Web 2.0 technologies Learning Never Ends! There is nothing new about theories that say that learning should be centred around the student or that learning tasks should allow students to demonstrate what they know; John Dewey was talking about these concepts at the turn of the 20th century; what is new however, is how in the 21st century, technology is allowing us to do different things and also to do them differently and if used appropriately, Web 2.0 tools can have a very powerful impact on learning.! Effective use of technology can create a climate of high impact instruction, facilitate an active learning culture, support the contextualisation of understanding complex and abstract ideas and thus lead to deeper thinking.!
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As highlighted in the image , it is important that the subject learning outcomes remain paramount and the use of technology should be considered in the light of what it will allow students to create, share, publish, research, present, collaborate upon, evaluate, reflect upon and thus evidence growing learning not just of the curriculum but also of digital literacy, which will be a key future skill.!
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If learning outcomes are initially grounded in the Bloomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Taxonomy Framework then the TPACK framework can be used to look at different technologies that could support the accomplishment of the learning task in order to engage learners, to personalise the learning and of course to have a higher impact on the learning.! This alone however will not be enough as teachers must also subscribe to the belief that Web 2.0 technologies can improve learning and they must be open to new learning themselves in order for teaching with technology to be truly embedded in daily practice.!
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You can access this image on TPACK by going to this web site. http://goo.gl/7vb1Ve !
Bloom's Taxonomy : A Practical Approach to Deeper Learning!
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To learn more about the Bloom’s Taxonomy you can access this site by using this website address http://goo.gl/hH2SZF !
The High Impact, Tech Integrated Instruction workshop material can be accessed on https:// tackk.com/highimpactech; or scan the QR code on the left.!
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You can access some ideas for homework tasks and a Teacher’s Digital Toolkit with examples of student work and tutorials by using the QR code on the image below or by workshop material; or scan the QR code on the right.! https://tackk.com/highimpactech!
Vipula Sharma, EAL Teacher! Garden International School, Kuala Lumpur! @VipulaSharma1! #GISlearninggarden CPD Update
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Senior Mathematics JAWS British School Manila, The Philippines.
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What better way to end a week and start a weekend with a room full of mathematicians collaborating and discussing how to have the biggest impact on our students through the teaching and learning within our classrooms? On November 14th-15th this is exactly what was happening at the British School Manila (BSM) between 18 teachers from 9 International Schools from across Asia. During this time a number of mathematicians (a set of mathematicians? sum mathematicians?) met for a Job-a-like workshop event that saw innovative workshops on teaching and learning (from CAME resources to strategy games), ICT applications, teacher development, assessment, and even a heated ‘fishbowl’ debate on the purpose and future of mathematics education. Everyone that came along led workshops, contributed ideas or got involved in debates and discussions, and had a great (and ever so slightly geeky) time. Despite the busy schedule there was time to socialise, network and make new friends from across the FOBISIA community. Long gone are the days when mathematics was taught through textbooks in silent classrooms full of perplexed students’ who clock watch for their next break time. Today, students are part of a vibrant, engaging, compelling and creative environment where minds are allowed to grow, explore and develop. BSM would like to say a huge thank you to all the delegates for their energy, their ideas and their willingness to share. We hope we meet again next year…
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Rebekah Russell, Deputy Head Senior School KS3 British School Manila, The Philippines CPD Update
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KS3-5 History JAWS Jerudong International School, Brunei Jerudong International School recently hosted the first History JAWS for 15 KS3-5 teachers from across SE Asia. Two days were spent in highly informative and productive discussions and presentations by all members. We were fortunate enough to have some extremely experienced and passionate teachers that were willing to share some of their ‘secrets’.!
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Our packed two days covered an enormous range of sessions including: enquiry based learning, embracing technology in the History classroom, the Harkness Method and P4C, AfL and Active Engagement, handling sources as well as discussions about changes to post 16 qualifications and generally raising the profile of history within school. These sessions were a mixture of practical activities and discussions as well as sharing resources that would be of immediate benefit in our classrooms.! !
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The highly professional and collegiate atmosphere of both days resulted in a hugely beneficial experience for those involved and resulted in some very strong links being made between colleagues in different countries across the region. Speaking on behalf of the JIS participants, we certainly felt inspired by what we had seen and learnt and these last few weeks have seen many (if not all) of what we experienced being put into practice in our classes with nothing but positive outcomes.!
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Matt Landgridge, Head of History! Jerudong International School
CPD Update
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Information Literacy JAWS Tanglin Trust School, Singapore
Both Primary and Secondary colleagues were represented at the Information Literacy Job Alike Workshop (JAWS) held at Tanglin on 7th & 8th November 2014. Participants from around the region shared the initiatives they have introduced into their schools, discussed the issues they faced and worked collaboratively to consider ‘next steps’. All participants were asked to bring along an academic article or piece of research that had inspired their practice. The articles covered a diverse range of topics and were summarised for the group. These were then shared through Google Drive which provided an excellent opportunity to establish a resource folder for the JAWS. !
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A reoccurring theme throughout the JAWS was Academic Honesty and how to embed this important area into the culture of your school. Other presentations focused on digital literacy, inquiry based learning, critical thinking, questioning skills and how this can be taught across the curriculum. A key concern for all participants was identifying progression and assessment of the Information Literacy skills of our students. In the final session the group broke into Primary and Secondary phases to share and explore ways of assessing progress. Overall this JAWS was a very useful opportunity to meet and learn from a knowledgeable group of people who are passionate about their vision for Information Literacy.!
! Quote from the Information Literacy JAWS Evaluation:! !
“It was very useful to find out what is happening in other schools; the progress they have made and the obstacles they have faced. I also enjoyed the article sharing activity, which highlighted a wide range of interesting and relevant topics.” !
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Lisa Cannell, Director of CPD! Tanglin Trust School, Singapore!
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Gifted and Talented JAWS Kellett, The British International School in Hong Kong
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What do you do if your school is at the beginning of an area for development, in our case, G&T provision? Invite other colleagues to come and shower you with models of good practice, resources and ideas. Host a Jobs-Alike Workshop, of course! ! What do you do if many of the delegates state that they are ‘at the beginning of G&T development’ and are not sure if they have anything to share and probably couldn’t lead a session, even although it is a requirement of JAWS to do just that? Host a Jobs-Alike Workshop, of course!! And so we all gathered, twenty of us from nine different schools across South East Asia, at Kellett British International School in Hong Kong on 23rd and 24th January. Each of us bravely presenting on areas we wouldn’t consider ourselves proficient in. Session topics covered included: using leadership and class-based audit tools to identify the key next steps in leading G&T in our respective schools; sharing the Gagne model for identification of gifted students; identifying the different characteristics of the gifted learner; using assessment tools for identification; sharing examples of promoting accelerated learning in the classroom; developing the writer’s voice to support the potential of gifted writers; offering case studies to explain ‘twice exceptional’ students and strategies to support them; demonstrating whole school organization models; explaining how to use resources such as Johns Hopkins and TedEd Clubs; making us aware of competitions such as Tournament of Mind and World Scholar’s Cup; demonstrating the use of innovative apps; bind all of this together with rich professional dialogue and exchange of ideas and it is understandable that we all found the two days to be hugely beneficial to our professional development. ! As part of the evaluation delegates were asked, ‘Why did you give the JAWS workshop an excellent rating?’ Some of the answers are recorded below:!
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Enthusiasm of the delegates and all the practical ideas and future contacts.! Information sharing, new ideas to take back to our school, revisiting and consolidating ideas. Networking with other schools/teachers.! It was valuable to find out about different models used in other schools and share theories on understanding and definitions of terms.! Some really interesting speakers and gained a lot of information on how to identify and recognise the characteristics of a gifted learner.! There were so many different perspectives to reflect on and ideas to try! There were some brilliant sessions that included extremely useful strategies and information that I take back to school to share.! I think it's an invaluable experience for specialists to spend time together to discuss the educational issues they face and to share ideas, resources. It helps to build up contacts for help and advice in the future.! Interesting sharing of current school models, time to discuss approaches and what's working well; reminder of previous G&T training but so useful to revisit, be reminded and decide how practice in school can be affected by this.!
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Very good to get perspectives on G&T provision from different schools, lots of interesting ideas and found everything shared very relevant! I'm leaving with lots of new ideas/ipad apps and it has really got me thinking about how I can better support pupils with G & T and ways to take this forward in school. It was great to meet with like-minded colleagues.! It was so useful to meet with like-minded colleagues and share good practice, even though quite a few schools seem to be at the start of the journey! I have learnt so much.! Very well organised, presentations relevant and well presented, time for discussion with others,! Fantastic weekend on all counts. Lots of ideas and expertise shared. Really good discussions round the table and across the room. Felt that I gained a lot professionally and enjoyed being able to discuss this with colleagues over the two days.! I got lots of very helpful ideas and it has given me a clear focus for the next steps that I need to take.! Great mix and wide perspectiveInformation Literacy JAWS!
! ! ! ! Fiona McRobbie! Deputy Head (School Inclusion and Learning Centre Leader)! Kellet, The British International School in Hong Kong CPD Update
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Learning Support JAWS Regents International School, Pattaya, Thailand
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On Saturday 31st January Head of Learning Support – Tricia Gray - hosted a very successful FOBISIA JAWS Event in the newly updated IB Suite. Over fifty delegates traveled from as far away as China to hear inspiring presentations on Learning Support specialist areas. In the morning, Regent’s own teachers, Jacquie Hunter and Sara Berenguer, gave an insight into Regents’ good practice, with their excellent presentations on EAL/ LS identification and LS Interventions. Delegates found themselves reflecting on their current practice and identifying ways to improve provision in their own schools or classes. The close working relationship between the LS and EAL department was evident and is a definite strength of Regents.! In the afternoon, after a delicious lunch provided by Epicure, and complemented on by all the delegates, there was an opportunity to share resources, and then a series of three workshops provided by experts from The Village Special School. ! Harshi Sehmar gave an inspiring presentation on Dyslexia; drawing on his own experiences as a child and leading to his passion for helping dyslexic children overcome their barriers. Now, with two degrees and as Principle of The Village School, Harshi is living proof of how one inspiring teacher can change lives. He is now passing on that inspiration to other teachers and students through his schools. ! May Henderson’s workshop focused on Speech and Language therapy and how a delay or disorder might present in an International School setting. There was plenty of opportunity for discussion about diagnosis and therapy, and how effective early intervention can really help children catch up if they have a ‘Delay’. Delegates learnt that children with a ‘Disorder’ will need help or therapy all their school lives and skilled teachers need to know how to differentiate lessons to meet their needs. ! The mysteries of Occupational Therapy were unlocked by Lauren and Kapook during a highly entertaining practical workshop. Socks and strange sunglasses gave delegates empathy with students who have physical and sensory impairment; and they had to work against the clock to complete very simple tasks. All the participants left with a much better understanding of how Occupational Therapy can help a child and also how difficult day-to-day tasks can be for them. ! The event concluded at a celebratory dinner at local restaurant ‘Indian Roots’, and feedback has indicated that everyone had a ‘…stimulating and useful day’. The many Regents’ staff who attended said that it gave them fresh understanding of Learning Support children and how important it is to find their strengths. The whole Learning Support team can be congratulated for hosting such an excellent and well-organised CPD event. !
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Tricia Gray, Head of Learning Support! Regents International School, Pattaya, Thailand
CPD Update
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Departing Words From the Chairman! It was nothing if not prophetic that at the last CPD Leaders Conference in Singapore, the event was opened by Tanglin Trust School’s CEO, Peter Derby Crook. It was Peter, then CEO at BIS Jakarta, who persuaded me to join a working party back in October 2008 to move FOBISIA’s CPD model from a centralised contract to a devolved regional model of hubs and spokes. I say “persuaded” in very loose terms; being new to the Federation he asked if I was interested whilst seated at the conference table in a large room of people. I replied that I was happy to, but had no prior knowledge of the organisation. Once the laughter had died down he looked up from the table, smiled and said words to the effect of “some might think that would be an advantage.”!
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Six and a half years later CPD is in very good shape across FOBISIA. There are an increasing number of JAWS, meetings, events and conferences; so many that on average a CPD orientated event is hosted by a FOBISIA school every working week of the academic year. The Teachers Conference in Phuket is gaining traction and promises to offer a variety of different speakers and workshops to a wide group of delegates. A “portal” in which FOBISIA staff can collaborate is at a good stage of planning which will open up online as well as face-to-face events. Overall it has been a successful time, but we must continue to look forwards and plan for a expanding Federation and a changing world.!
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Our CPD Executive Committee is facing its biggest ever change of personnel this year; three members are moving jobs into non-FOBISIA schools across the globe. There is also the potential in our May elections for a change in Region A, which would put four new people on the committee at the same time. Whilst there is inherent risk in such a turnover, there is also opportunity for the next generation of CPD Leaders to move CPD in new and exciting directions. !
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I am myself stepping down from the Chair and committee, leaving FOBISIA for a school in Singapore, hopefully returning to the fold in the very near future. It has been an incredible journey and one I have been immensely proud of having been a part of. My thanks go out to all past and present members of the team who I have worked with since that meeting in October 2008. !
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Committee Members: Jackie Stevens, Jackie Houghton, Maggie Espley-Jones, Sudha Nair, Irene Yu, Sue Houghton, Sarah Pearson, Lizzie McMahon, Lisa Cannell, Marcus Sherwood, Nicky Russell, Martin Towse, Simi Shah, David Lousley, and Nicole Billante. !
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CPD Facilitators: Tania Donoghue, Julia Cope and Daphne Wong. ! Heads Liaisons: Peter Derby Crook, John Jones, Simon Mann, Val Thomas Peter, Ann McDonald and Mick Farley.! I wish the future committee all the very best of luck. In another six years when FOBISIA reflects on more than a decade of devolved CPD, I am sure it will still be regarded as one of the Federations greatest strengths.!
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Ciaran Harrington, Chairman, CPD Executive Committee! CPD Update
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Contact
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Region A
Region B
Region C
FOBISIA
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Jackie Houghton Bangkok Patana School, Bangkok
jaho@patana.ac.th
David Lousley Shrewsbury International School, Bangkok
david.l@shrewsbury.ac.th
Lisa Cannell Tanglin Trust School, Singapore
lisa.cannell@tts.edu.sg
Simi Shah BIS Jakarta
simi_shah@bis.or.id
Ciaran Harrington Kellett School, Hong Kong
charrington@kellettschool.com
Nicole Billante TES School, Taipei
nicole.billante@tes.tp.edu.tw
Daphne Wong FOBISIA CPD Coordinator
daphne.wong@fobisia.org
Tania Donoghue FOBISIA Executive Officer
tania.donoghue@fobisia.org
Calendar 2014-15 Event
School
Date
Early Years JAWS
BIS Jakarta
Mar 13
Student Data Conference and JAWS
Bromsgrove International School
Mar 13
MFL JAWS
Regents International School
Mar 27
Business and Economics JAWS
Kolej Tuanku Ja’afar
Apr 24
Technology Integration JAWS
Harrow Bangkok
May 01
Primary English JAWS
St Christopher’s Penang
May 08
Admissions, Marketing JAWS
BIS Vietnam
May 08
EAL JAWS
Alice Smith School
May 08
Design and Technology JAWS
Bangkok Patana School
Jun 19
! For full details visit http://www.fobisia.org/page.cfm?p=540 !Events prior to this publication have not been included in the above list. CPD Update
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