21st Century Skills: Collaborative Learning on an International Stage

Featuring Keynote Speaker: Jamie Feild Baker

presenting:

Leading and Developing 21st Century Survival Skills

The fact is that we, as teachers and school leaders, cannot give what we donʼt have, we canʼt teach what we donʼt know. Unless and until leaders and teachers develop and internalize 21st century skills, there is little hope that significant redesign of our schools will occur.

Building off the key premises of Tony Wagner’s book, The Global Achievement Gap: Why Even Our Best Schools Donʼt Teach: The New Survival Skills Our Children Need and What We Can Do About It, Jamie will outline why these skills are as crucial for ourselves as they are for our students.

Learn more about Jamie Baker at her blog: Shared Leadership: Shifting education through strategic thinking and meaningful conversation.

Sample Breakout Sessions

Collaborative Curriculum Planning with Andrew Derry, Head of School, Riverstone International School
How do you go about finding suitable schools for collaborative projects? How can teachers in different schools work together to create a collaborative curriculum? Participants will share examples of how they made it work in their schools – the success stories and the pitfalls to avoid.
     
Elementary School Collaborative Projects: Art and Dance in Spanish and English (Pre-K) and Creating a collaborative international calendar (Grade 5) with Kari Boazman, Brad Baxter and Anne-Marie Derry, Riverstone International School
Participants will be taken though two collaborative projects (one in Pre-K and one in Grade 5) between a school in Boise and a school in Bogotá. All aspects of the projects will be discussed including making the initial contact, curriculum planning, putting the students in contact, assessment as well as technology use.
     
A Middle School Collaborative Project: The Wolf and the Condor as metaphors for life with Tarrah Elam, International Coordinator, Riverstone International School
Participants will be taken though a collaborative project between a school in Boise and a school in Bogotá. All aspects of the project will be discussed including making the initial contact, curriculum planning, putting the students in contact, assessment, technology as well creating a physical exchange for the students.
     
A High School Collaborative Project: A comparison of the ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest of the USA and the Brazilian rainforest with Alex Ide and Tarrah Elam, Riverstone International School
Participants will be taken though a collaborative project between a school in Boise and a school in Rio de Janeiro. All aspects of the project will be discussed including making the initial contact, curriculum planning, putting the students in contact, assessment, technology as well creating a physical exchange for the students.

Structuring an Online Conversation: the Why Not? Model with Richard Kassissieh, Catlin Gabel, (OR)
Let’s imagine that you have found an international partner for a virtual exchange. Now what? This session will describe the key features of a rich online environment and curriculum for international collaboration. Learn how to take your virtual exchange beyond the “pen pal” stage. We will explore the “Why Not?” model used to connect Oregon schools with teens in the Palestinian Occupied Territories, Jordan, and Iraq. Session participants will be invited to share success stories and challenges from their virtual exchanges.

Global Education: More Than Just Trips with Richard Kassissieh, Catlin Gabel, (OR)
The presenters will share global education projects that go beyond cultural exchange and language learning. Examples will highlight international service, the Global Viewfinder Film Series, trip planning, curricular integration, cross-grade collaborations, technology, ongoing partnerships, and sustainability. We will encourage attendees to share interdisciplinary global projects that happen at their schools.

Technology and Collaborative Learning with Alan Preis, IT coordinator at Atlanta International School

Agenda

9:30-10:00 - Registration
10:00-11:00 - Keynote with Jamie Baker
11:00-12:00- Breakout 1
12:00-1:00 – Lunch
1:15-2:15 - Breakout 2
2:30 - 3:30 - Breakout 3

Registration

• $95 Early Bird for PNAIS Schools By September 3, 2010*
• $145 Late for PNAIS Schools After September 3, 2010
• $175 Non-PNAIS Schools

*To receive the early bird discount, your registration must be complete and payment must be postmarked or received by September 3, 2010.

• For registrations completed by mail or online registrations with payment by check, payment must be postmarked by September 3, 2010.
• Online registrations completed by credit card must be completed by 11:59pm on September 3, 2010

• Click here for Online Registration
• Download a mail-in registration form

Accommodations

The group rate is $84 per night at the Marriott Spring Hill Suites, 424 East Park Center Blvd, Boise, Idaho 83706. To Make reservations call: 1-800-228-9290 or reserve a room here.

 Marriott Spring Hill Suites hotel offers:

• Complimentary parking and complimentary shuttle service
• Complimentary high-speed Internet access.
• Many suites feature two double beds - perfect for teams and families.

Cancellation Policy

Substitutions may be made any time prior to the conference. Written cancellations received by September 17, 2010 are eligible for a refund after a $25 cancellation fee. Cancellations received after September 17, 2010 are ineligible for any refund.

Our Host – Riverstone International School

Riverstone International School is a pre-k through grade 12 school for 330 students in Boise Idaho. As an International School, it is one of only a hand-full of schools in the USA to be fully authorized to offer all three IB programmes, PYP, MYP and DP. Riverstone’s international collaborative program has been developed in conjunction with other schools around the world. Curricular units are created at various levels between the schools so that children develop age-appropriate, collaborative, linguistic and intercultural skills. Students must learn to cross the cultural, geographical and linguistic divide to meet assessment criteria. Riverstone is currently in the process of vertically articulating the collaborative skills throughout the school.

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