Eteach attended the 30^th annual Council of British International Schools’ (COBIS) Conference in May. Continuing her earlier piece, Gerry Manolas reports on a programme to raise self-esteem through rugby, on moves to develop children’s safety awareness when using social network sites and on the ‘My World’ network and learning models for international collaboration. She also links to video interviews recorded around the conference by international students.

As I mentioned at the end of the last piece, one of my personal highlights of the conference was meeting England Rugby player Andy Gomarsall and finding out more about his programme to raise self-esteem and develop leadership skills through sport, and especially rugby.

“Sport can certainly play an important part in triggering increased focus, learning, and in some cases improved behaviour, organisation and attitude in the classroom,” says Andy.

Through his work with children he has created a Visual Success Map which promotes the use of parents and coaches as mentors, allows a visual representation of an individual’s progress and illustrates the steps towards achieving their goals in all areas of life.

This would be of real relevance to any school looking for new and innovative methods to develop leadership, communication, organisation, focus and self-belief.

E-safety – making informed choices

An area for concern in all schools these days is that of e-safety – not only for students, but also for staff. This issue has been right at the forefront of discussions in education recently (see previous Eteach blog here).

Kate Valentine’s seminar introduced us to a scheme that is being promoted across the UK called ‘Safe’. Safe has been developed by DigitalMe with support from Childnet International, the I in Online and Radiowaves. Safe is a new programme of practical activities to develop primary children’s skills, self-confidence and safety awareness when using social network sites.

Social networking and sharing content online has become an integral part of young people’s lives. It provides many opportunities to develop creative and communication skills in ways that are relevant to them, in school and at home.

However, with these new opportunities come new choices, and Safe can help children make positive and informed choices when creating and sharing online.

By completing the Safe programme, which consists of easy to deliver, practical activities to develop pupils’ safety awareness and digital literacy skills, pupils will gain a Safe certificate as evidence of their learning. They also get access to Radiowaves, the free child-friendly social network for schools. There’s more about Radiowaves below.

Supporting materials and teacher guides are available to download and the programme gives primary schools a framework to help pupils develop as active and ‘Safe’ digital citizens. Safe is free to use in schools and easy to join.

To sign up to Safe, click here and follow the link ‘sign up’. Email for further information or ring 0113 2469989.

Radiowaves develops digital skills

Radiowaves is the leading online community for young people aged 5-19, enabling them to publish their videos, podcasts and blogs safely and easily. It also allows schools and groups working with young people to get all the creative and learning benefits of social media in a simple and safe way. With their own Radiowaves website, schools can create multi-media stories, join national campaigns and easily develop pupils’ digital literacy skills.

Radiowaves has a good track record in innovation, having won a BETT award in 2004. Since then, the community has grown to over 40,000 members in 30 countries. Partnerships with Parliament’s Education Service, Imperial War Museum and British Council have helped grow the community and provide unique opportunities for members.

With 50,000+ stories already online, Radiowaves is the place to hear what young people are saying. To join this safe, child-friendly social networking site for young people go to www.radiowaves.co.uk/join for your free school networking site.

Radiowaves has been working closely with DigitalMe to develop the My World network and learning models for international collaboration, funded by the British Council’s Youth in Action fund. These projects allow young people to safely use social media to connect and collaborate, to share stories about their lives and to debate the issues facing all young people today, no matter where they are.

View online interviews from COBIS

You can take a look at the Radiowaves network here – it’s bursting with international news and activities. You’ll find student blogs, and audio and video interviews filed from the COBIS conference by students from the British School of Paris from this link, including interviews with Andy Gomarsall MBE, Nick Gibb MP, COBIS Chairman Dr Roger Fry and others.

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Teaching unions have announced their intention to strike later in the month in defence of members’ pensions – a move that could close thousands of schools and which has been described as ‘irresponsible and wrong’ by Cabinet Minister Francis Maude.

The National Union of Teachers (NUT) has announced ‘overwhelming endorsement for strike action by its members to defend teachers’ pensions’. The union will be campaigning alongside the Association of Teachers and Lecturers – traditionally the most moderate of the teaching unions.

‘Pay more, work longer and get less’
The NUT believes that teachers’ pensions are fair and affordable. It says the Government wants teachers to ‘pay more, work longer and get less’. It accuses the government of ‘pressing ahead with unnecessary reforms despite the changes already made to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme in 2007’.

NUT General Secretary Christine Blower said, ‘The Government’s unnecessary attack on public sector pensions has convinced NUT members that there is no alternative but to support strike action’.

‘It is disgraceful that the Government is pressing ahead with its reforms which will affect teachers’ pensions. The Government knows that they are affordable. This is a policy which has nothing to do with economics and everything to do with politics.’

‘The NUT is party to the TUC negotiations with Government to protect public sector pensions. It is not too late for common sense to prevail and for these unnecessary changes to be stopped. It is in no one’s interest to create a whole new swathe of people who are a burden on the taxpayer in old age.’

‘Irresponsible and wrong…’
However, cabinet office minister Francis Maude has appealed to those planning to strike to reconsider, calling the move ‘irresponsible and wrong.’

A spokesperson for the Department for Education (DfE) said; ‘The Government is committed to working openly and constructively with unions to ensure that teachers continue to receive high quality pensions and that the interests of all professionals are represented fully as pension reform is taken forward.’

‘Lord Hutton has made it clear that there needs to be a balance between a common framework for all schemes and the need for flexibility to take account of specific workforce circumstances, such as those of the teaching workforce.’

‘We are clear that a strike by teachers will only damage pupils’ learning and inconvenience their busy working parents. The wellbeing and safety of pupils must remain paramount.’

What are your thoughts about the upcoming teacher strike? Will you be taking part in it or do you think it will do more harm than good?

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Education Secretary Michael Gove MP has launched a consultation which he says will make the school admissions process simpler, fairer and more transparent for all parents.

The Department for Education (DfE) says the two current Admission Codes stretch to more than 130 pages and impose more than 600 mandatory requirements on admissions authorities. It says that the process is complex, confusing, costly and unfair, and that the current Admissions Code and Appeals Code undermine parental choice.

The proposed changes would see two new codes created. Together, the two slimmed-down documents will contain around half as many requirements.

The DfE says the proposals will make it easier for popular schools to take more pupils, improve in-year applications so it’s quicker to find a new school, ban local authorities from using area-wide ‘lotteries’ and reduce bureaucracy.

The consultation also asks whether academies and free schools should be able to prioritise children receiving the pupil premium, as announced in the Schools White Paper last year.

‘Good schools must be able to grow’

‘The school system has rationed good schools,’ claimed Michael Gove. ‘Some families can go private or move house. Many families cannot afford to do either. The system must change. Schools should be run by teachers who know the children’s names and they should be more accountable to parents, not politicians. Good schools should be able to grow and we need more of them’.

‘Two-tier system’

Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, Andy Burnham MP, suggested that the new code would make it harder for the majority of parents: ‘Step by step this Tory-led Government is eroding the principle of fair admissions and moving towards a two-tier system. Parents will be worried by this code, which signals the way for an increase in selection at age 11 and a return to the days of grammars and secondary moderns. This code will make it easier for some parents – like those setting up free schools – to get the school they want, but by weakening the system overall, it will make it harder for the majority of parents.’

The new codes will not affect the next admissions round (for entry in September 2012) but will take effect for the September 2013 intake.

See this BBC article for an in-depth discussion on who will benefit from the new school admissions code and feel free to share your views on school admissions with other Eteach readers below.

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With millions of users all over the world, there is no doubt that social media has had a massive impact on the way people communicate with each other and how companies conduct their business.

With the majority of students (aged 13 and above) and their parents already signed up to Facebook, it’s an excellent way to get to know students in a completely different light. Really knowing your students, their likes and hobbies results in a better experience in the classroom and a greater ability to reach every student effectively.

How can teachers use social media to connect with their students and enhance what they are teaching in their lessons?

The first and most important thing to consider if you want to start using sites such as Facebook in the classroom is that all the appropriate privacy settings should be used. There are some very strict controls that users can set up so that only people they want can access information, photos and send messages.  This greatly reduces the risk of unwanted individuals contacting students. 

Skype, Twitter and Facebook can all very easily be used as platforms to discuss and share materials from the classroom. Lesson plans, homework, notifications and letters to parents can all be posted online so that students can access them at any time.

Lessons can be recorded and then posted as online videos and podcasts on YouTube. This is excellent for students who have missed a lesson, as they can catch up online by watching the video.

Establishing an online community for you and your students can create an open and supportive environment. This can be very beneficial for students who are too shy to participate in the classroom as they may find it easier to engage with their classmates online. This can slowly help to build their confidence and eventually they will feel able to participate more and more in class.

Having an online facility can even help students in the evening if they have a question or are stuck on their homework. Rather than having to make yourself available in your free time, you can specify that you will be available online for questions during certain times.

Finally, social media websites can also help teachers keep in touch with students years after they have left school. This is great for teachers who like to know what their ex pupils end up doing later in life.

What do you think about teachers using social media in the classroom? Is it a good idea or will it end up causing more problems for schools and parents?

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“International-mindedness isn’t something that can be taught in discrete lessons on the odd Friday afternoon, it’s a ‘frame of mind’ and as such needs time to develop”, says Steven Mark, Educational Director of the International Primary Curriculum. In this follow-up to his well-received article last month for Eteach, he points to some invaluable classroom resources to help children start thinking internationally.

Defining international-mindedness

Across the world today you’ll find schools, both international and increasingly in national systems too, that seek as part of their mission to help children become internationally-minded. But what does it actually mean? As yet, there is no single commonly agreed definition. To some, it may be defined around themes such as securing peace and eradicating poverty, whilst others may see it from a more environmental perspective.

One definition that I’ve found useful is that of a growing sense of the ‘other’. Howard Gardner describes “declining ego-centrism” as the basis of human development. Therein perhaps lies the most helpful way of considering what international-mindedness might be: a journey from ‘self’ to ‘other’. If we can help our children and students to develop a strong sense not only of themselves and their own identity, which is crucial, but alongside that, a deep sense and awareness of other peoples, cultures, countries and customs, then we offer them a great chance to be truly 21st century global citizens. Living in such an interconnected world as we now do, and facing complex challenges –ranging from climate change, to terrorism, to poverty elimination – will require a generation of problem solvers and creative thinkers, who see problems not from one perspective but from many. These global challenges and problems will ultimately be faced by the children going through our schools today, and what better chance do we have to help solve them than by helping our children, from the earliest age possible, develop that strong sense of the ‘other’.

What does it look like in children?

So now we have a rough but hopefully helpful idea of what it means to be internationally-minded. But what does it look like in children? Can we really say that a six-year-old in primary school is internationally-minded? Possibly, but given what we know about how the human brain develops it seems unlikely. What we can do though is to set in place cumulative experiences and opportunities that over time – in this case many years – build on each other and hopefully help move our children along that pathway to a greater sense of the ‘other’. International-mindedness isn’t something that can be taught in discrete lessons on the odd Friday afternoon; it’s a ‘frame of mind’ and as such needs time to develop.

Back to our six-year-old then: what might international-mindedness look like in him or her? In the International Primary Curriculum and the soon to launch International Middle Years Curriculum, we’ve tried to be as explicit as possible in articulating what international-mindedness is for different age groups. So for the six-year-old, it may well be knowing that the children in his or her classroom have different home countries, and being able to work with each other and being able to respect one another’s independence and individuality. For older students, international learning outcomes might include knowing about the ways in which the lives of people in the countries they have studied affect each other, or being able to identify ways in which people work together for mutual benefit.

Having a definition of, and clear outcomes for, international learning is the best starting point for schools seeking to develop international-mindedness. If we have these outcomes in place from the outset, then designing activities and tasks to help children learn them becomes so much easier.

Getting started…

Abstract concepts such as international-mindedness can at first seem almost daunting and impractical. Questions such as ‘where do I start?’ and ‘where do I find resources?’ naturally surface. There are, however, lots of great examples from schools around the world and I’ve pencilled below just a few of my own favourites and ones I’ve used in the classroom before to help children to start thinking internationally.

• And now for the news…you come in the morning, time for register and all the other start-to-the-day duties. How on earth can you bring international learning into this? Well, whilst you’re busy with the admin, let the class listen to the daily children’s news podcast from the BBC world service. Aimed at early secondary students, although it can easily be used with older primary children as well, the 3 to 4 minute podcast covers the main stories of the day, and is bound to lead to great discussions and debates afterwards.

• Maps, maps and more maps…does your classroom environment reflect the world? Maps are a brilliant way to help children begin to ‘see’ the world and from a range of perspectives. For map anoraks like myself, Stanfords shop in London offers the best selection of maps for all uses, ranging from traditional Mercator projection maps to Pacific Centred Maps in the fantastic ‘Down Under’ Map. All available to order online.

• Become an explorer… as the title on the webpage below says, “You don’t need a passport” to travel the world. At least not now with so many fantastic resources to explore only a mouse click away. One of the best is the National Geographic Kids site and in particular the ‘places’ part of the site. Take a different country each day or week and go exploring it!

• The local as well as the global… don’t forget what’s on your doorstep. Literally. If we’re serious about helping our students to develop an awareness of the ‘other’, then starting with learning about the host country and culture is an important part of developing international thinking.

• Play a junior version of the real thing…in David Perkins’ new book, ‘Making Learning Whole’ (have a look on Amazon as it’s a great read), he describes how children often learn through playing a ‘junior-version’ of the real thing. He gives the example of baseball but we can equally imagine it for football or indeed any other sport or game. Countries that are successful at football tend to develop children’s skills through five (or less) a side games, small pitches, small goals etc. Think of Junior Monopoly! It’s about giving children the chance to do the same as adult players but with a scaled down version.

So what better way to learn about how countries are linked and work together to solve problems than to play a junior version of the real thing and hold a Model United Nations. Mostly used with senior secondary students, but now increasingly with upper primary and middle years students too, it’s a brilliant way to develop a range of skills from communication to co-operation. Have a look at this website for a fantastic case study of how Overseas Family School in Singapore approached this.

As we’ve seen, ‘international’ needn’t only mean the many nationalities that make up a school population, but can also be something much deeper. Making the development of international-mindedness an explicit aim of our teaching may well offer the best means of making Edwin Ginn’s dream of international education a reality and give our children a great chance of success in the globalised, interconnected world they will live and work in.

Steven Mark is the educational director of the International Primary Curriculum (IPC). His education experience includes many years as a teacher and school leader in Scotland, Netherlands and Germany. He has a Masters degree in Educational Management from the University of Leicester and is about to embark on his doctorate with the University of Bath, England.
Steven has a great range of experience working with both national and international schools. He has spoken at conferences and delivered professional development for educators throughout many parts of the world. He is currently writing a book about how we can best help children and adults to develop international-mindedness, which he thinks may well become the key skill for 21st century citizens.

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