In-Person Conference 2024





2023 Workshops

Here’s a look back at our successful workshops from 2023

 
Rachel French, Internationally recognized presenter, consultant, and author Certified by Erickson and Lanning as a Concept-Based trainer. Co-author of Concept-Based Curriculum and instruction for the Thinking Classroom,' 2ndEd., and the book and video series, Concept-Based Inquiry in Action. Soleprovider of the annual Erickson Lanning CBCI Trainer Certification Institute Director of Professional Learning Intemational. Full-time educational consultant.
What a wonderful experience on this lovely student-centered campus!! This 2-day workshop was definitely the best one I’ve attended so far!! It’s the first ever workshop in China for Rachel French, a renowned concept-based trainer and consultant. Her hands-on approach has provoked so many interesting in-depth discussions. I’ve also learned so much from this amazing
cohort, who is welcoming, proactive, and most importantly has a great sense of humor. It’ll take quite a while for all the information to sink in, but I’ll certainly keep reflecting on it and think about all the possibilities of implementing it in my classroom. ”
----from workshop attendee
 
I was thrilled to be invited by IES to do a two-day PD workshop in Beijing on teaching writing--hosted by Keystone Academy—because I know that IES provides non-profit driven PD to help teachers improve their practice by bringing in high-caliber education leaders from around the world. Every step of the way, the leadership of IES was a joy to work with—they were so well-organized, and the workshop ran flawlessly.
Most important, I had a wonderful time working with teachers who attended. There was a sense of excitement the whole weekend as we took a deep dive into studying how to use mentor texts to teach students the craft of writing. There were many “ah-ha” moments for teachers as they learned about concepts such as “reading like a writer,” watched and
discussed classroom videos of minilessons and writing conferences, and studied mentor texts to find the teaching points they contained. Teachers left the workshop with many new and practical ideas they could implement in their classrooms right away.

Playing with Possibility: The Power of Choice in the Music Classroom

Overview: At any given moment in the Orff Schulwerk classroom there are multiple directions that good teaching process can take you. With any piece of literature there are any number of ……

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Learning How Words Work

We need to develop our students’ fundamental literacy skills and we also want to teach them to think critically. The current research around best practice in the teaching of reading and spelling points to the need for......

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Towards a Transformative Multilingual Agenda

Join Dr. Andrea Honigsfeld for a weekend conference focused on a multilingual equity agenda in international schools. Through copresented keynotes and carefully-aligned sessions, Gini and Andrea will guide participants......

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Concept-Based Mathematics Teaching for Deep Understanding

This workshop will cover the concept based curriculum design model specifically for mathematics. All content will be based on Dr Jennifer Chang Wathall's book "Concept Based Mathematics; Teaching for Deep Understanding in Secondary......

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Concept-Based Inquiry

Overview: Throughout the workshop, you will reflect on the strategic use of structured, guided, and open inquiry, considering the unique power each holds in the classroom. Together, we will explore the potential of moving beyond a single conceptual idea to articulate multiple understandings within a unit.......

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Concept-Based Inquiry focused on teaching strategies and specific ideas for implementation

Overview: The interactive workshop provides a deep dive into Concept-Based Inquiry focused on teaching strategies and specific ideas for implementation.This practical session begins......

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How Do You Help Students Learn to Write Well? Teach with Mentor Texts!

Every writing teacher has this question: How do I teach my students to write well?The answer? Teach with mentor texts. To help students learn how to craft their writing in effective and beautiful ways, students need ……

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Differentiated Learning in an Academic Diverse Classroom

In each classroom, there are diverse learners who require varied approaches to learning in order to meet their learning needs to be successful in the classroom. Differentiated classrooms require learning experiences that are meaningful, engaging, and ……

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Sharing Sessions Recruitment

The event commenced promptly at 8:30 am on September 23, 2023, with an energetic audience of over 55 HR professionals and leaders from various international schools in attendance. As the event unfolded, the participants found themselves captivated and inspired by the wealth ……

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Approaches to Agency

Through the two-day workshop, participants will explore the Primary framework and ascertain how agency are recognised and developed in the school. Participants will be supported in their understanding of learning and teaching in a transdisciplinary……

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Concepts in Action: Facilitating Meaningful Learning Through Conceptual Inquiry

This interactive two-day workshop will examine the role of conceptual inquiry and how we can embed concepts and inquiry into our units of learning to ensure……

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Situational & Adaptive Leadership: Transforming complex educational contexts in uncertain times through dialogic discourse

Michael is currently the academic principal of Beijing Enlighten School, an all-through IB World School that he founded in……

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Previous Workshops in 2022

The following have been successfully held in 2022

Concept-Based Inquiry in Action: Promoting Deeper Understanding

Unlock the power of a Concept-Based Inquiry approach in your school or classroom to engage students as learners capable of building understanding……

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Multilingual Mindsets: Nurturing Multilingual Ecosystems in International Schools

The global majority of people are multilingual, including the vast majority of students who attend our schools. Students

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The Heart, Head and Hands leadership approach to collaboration

A positive school culture requires an holistic, human-centric approach. Head, Heart, and Hands Model encourages active participation, a balance of……

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Curriculum Design and Innovation in the 21st Century

When we are all bombarded with different trends regarding various curriculums in education, leaders are seeking to facilitate and build pathways for students to find their own place in the world……

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Previous Workshops in 2021

The following have been successfully held in 2021

Exploring the Inquiry Classroom

Trevor will be speaking about his work in supporting schools in implementing inquiry, how to scaffold for student agency, and what strong inquiry schools do to build a culture of inquiry both for students and for teachers. Trevor will share structures to cultivate curiosity and engage learners……

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Students Agency Through Project Based Learning

Core competencies students require for success now and in the future include critical and creative thinking, collaboration, and communication.A way to develop these to lead through PBL Structured in groups or independently. Through PBL, students can explore their……

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Developing Thinking and the Implementation of Essential Skills in the Curriculum

The leaders of tomorrow lay dormant in the children of today. Academic excellence is important, but essential skills such as love, empathy, resilience and acceptance cannot be overlooked ……

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Student Wellbeing in China

Mental health and wellbeing is a big topic. There is a general trend of declining student wellbeing in China, and teachers are in a unique position to influence and support the students in their care. In this two-part workshop we will look first at teacher self-care and……

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Learning That Transfers

Synthesizing the best available research on how we learn, educators can design units and lesson plans that prepare our students to meet the challenges of an uncertain future……

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Creative Destruction

What might we need to destroy in order to make space for innovation? How might questions help us create this space? What might we learn by turning our questions inside out……

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Lessons from Leading-Learn

The Core values of successful leadership are common across continents and in both state and private education. Keeping things simple and applying common sense, leaders in education ……

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Educational Landscape

In today’s educational landscape, disruption and change have become the new normal. In these circumstances, leaders who are adaptive and flexible increase their potential to……

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Nurturing Thinking Classrooms

Societal changes are unstoppable. Technological advancements influence the access and delivery of growing knowledge. The demands on the workforce continue to vary while ……

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Developing a Sustainable Culture

In this three-hour session we will build a common understanding of what it means to have a culture of abundance in a classroom setting. Participants……

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Strategies to support guided inquiry

The most common misconception about inquiry learning is that children should learn to answer their own questions through a research process……

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Culturally Responsive Assessments

Assessment, if not done designed and implemented with our students’ identities in mind, will privilege certain evidence of student learning while marginalizing……

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Concept-Based Unit Planning

Teaching and learning in middle school is a challenging and rewarding experience. Successful middle school educators plan units that provide rich experiences that engage students ……

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The Culture of Leadership

The world of school leadership is changing quickly. This workshop will explore the intersection of leadership and culture. Through examining layers of culture including school……

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Learning That Transfers

Synthesizing the best available research on how we learn, educators can design units and lesson plans that prepare our students to meet the challenges of an uncertain future……

Explore more

Creative Destruction

What might we need to destroy in order to make space for innovation? How might questions help us create this space? What might we learn by turning our questions inside out……

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