A new bi-weekly podcast aired for its second time last week. Called Shifting our Schools International podcast and hosted Jeff Utecht and David Carpenter it is set to be a new twist on an important discussion and its coming all the way from Asia! You can catch it via SOS UStream and Jeff’s On Deck blog every second Thursday. I really like the format as each show centers around an essential question that is the lens through which all discussion should flow. I was a guest on last weeks show along with Julie Lindsay and the question “How does making connections affect learning? ”

If you listen to the podcast you will get to hear some great discussion and thinking around the value of collaboration and connecting classroom from some educators who are passionate about the subject but also who are practicing what they preach. There are some big voices in the edu-blogosphere but those who resonate the loudest with me are those who are DOING what others are preaching about and making it happen in an environment that is slow to embrace change and bound by countless  barriers and distractions…………SCHOOLS. IF you are interested hearing about real application and ideas in action. Tune in! 

• The next show is Thursday February 7th. 7:00 PM Shanghai time.
• The guest will be Clay Burell from the Korea International School. Check out his Beyond School blog. This guy is worth reading and is PASSIONATE!
• Essential Question for the show: Passion for learning, how to nurture and grow it?
• Check out the SOS Del.icio.us bookmarking site for some great resources and links associated with each show.

Readers,

Thought you might be interested in the direction ISB is taking with its technology and 21st century literacy professional development for 2008. We have tried out a few models and constantly tweaking and evolving our approach to try and differentiate instruction to meet all of our teachers needs. Here is what was sent to our staff that beginning of this semester.

Update - We have also decided to Ustream the Wired Wednesday to anyone who is interested. Come join us every Wednesday at 2:15 Bangkok time here: http://ustream.tv/channel/isb-edu-stream

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ES Staff,

In response to the results from our recent technology survey we have revised our PD strategy for the year. In an attempt to encourage whole-school sharing and collaboration we have combined the three divisions into two weekly sessions. It is our hope that by bringing staff together discussions around technology, 21st century literacy and the K ­ 12 philosophy will spread. Below are the new weekly in-service opportunities available to you.

While our weekly workshops are a great way to spark and fuel ideas about how to use some of the great tools we have at ISB, the research on professional development is clear. Teachers and students learn best when technology is used in context to help attain the learning outcomes of the classroom. It is for this reason that we will be making more of an effort to embed ourselves in your team/grade/subject level meetings to co-plan with those teachers who wish to explore, promote and bring 21st century learning opportunities to their students

.Mondays: Personal Tech Support
Where: Main Library classroom
When: 2:15 ­to 3:00 pm

Need help with a technical problem? Want to spiff up a lesson? Need help finding online resources to support your unit? Want to know what Web 2.0 means and how it can impact your teaching? Want to collaborate with a global audience? Looking for some SMART Board tips? Just want to know how to podcast? Crop a photo? Download a video clip from YouTube? You have a tech question; we have an answer (we hope).

Justin, Dennis and Kim will station themselves in the Main Library classroom every Monday for any sort of tech question or help. We can work individually or present something to a group.

PD tailor made for you. You can’t beat this kind of personal, differentiated attention.

Wednesdays: Wired Wednesdays
Where: Main Library classroom
When: 2:15 to­ 3:00 pm

Are you interested in talking about technology, the future and how both will impact education? Wired Wednesdays are about that conversation. Come to these sessions to be immersed in progressive and current thinking about how teaching and learning is being redefined in a rapidly changing world and ISB’s plan to keep up. These sessions will have a strong audio/video component so whether you want to get deep or just want to be edu-tained, these sessions are for you.

Hope to see you there!

Justin, Dennis and Kim

ISB is hosting one of first FLNW unconferences. Come join us right now - Jan 16th, 2008 - 2:15pm - Bangkok Time -

http://ustream.tv/channel/isb-edu-stream

We are online right now!