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Index (click on the number to go down to the article)
The
most noticeable change on the Shambles website since the last newsletter
has been the redesign of the Shambles
home page ... hopefully cleaner, easier to read and easier to
navigate.
If you are missing the original design then not to worry ... it
is still there, see the link at the top left of the new page.
A new addition to the content of the website
has been the start of a series of Screencasts thematic mini-tours
around the website ... there is a link to all of these on the bottom
right of the home page.
The Screencast just below this is an example.
Virtual
Singapore www.twinity.com/en/singapore
Virtual Singapore opened last summer ... free membership ...
this is NOT in Second Life but self contained.
Led Zeppelin
in Second Life www.youtube.com/watch?v=mq1uEaEVYH8
Led Zeppelin in Second Life, apart from the great music it
does show the clever control of avatars.
"...it's not cutting edge
if you don't bleed a little."
(Student)
Film Festival Asia http://studentfilmfests.ning.com
"Some of you are working on film festivals in your region
or school, some of you are beginning a film festival this year,
and some of you have simply asked to be kept in the loop for the
time being.
This year we are working with EARCOS to create a regional festival
for students to submit work from all over Asia. Our goal is to create
a moving festival that goes from city to city in asia, that is hosted
by our regional festivals every year.
We'll need some help to make this happen! If you are interested
in working on this process, please join the Film Festival Asia group
on the Student Film Festival Network site: http://studentfilmfests.ning.com/filmfestasia
Shoot me an email if you have any questions, or if you would like
to be removed from this list." David Gran (David.Gran at saschina.org)
Art Educator, Shanghai American School
The
3rd Hong Kong Mobile Film Festival www.mobilefilm.hk/2009/eng/contest04.html
For Hong Kong residents only ... 13 Oct 2009 - 26 Jan 2010 ... drat
... I sometimes wish I was teaching Media Studies in HK ... what
a great opportunity this is ... either to participate or to just
observe and learn.
Vidsnacks
http://vidsnacks.ning.com
One of my own favourite resources for "Video in the Classroom"
is Vidsnacks ... a Ning network.
... an while we're on this topic ..
have you seen "Animator vs Animation" (a golden oldie)
... so very cleverhttp://bit.ly/animatorvsanimation
IB Asia
Pacific Regional Workshops & Conference
www.ibo.org/ibap/workshops
IB Asia-Pacific Events organizes a programme of internationally
recognized workshops and conferences that promote the sharing
of knowledge and information amongst IB Schools offering Primary
Years Programme, Middle Years Programme and the Diploma Programme.
These events create opportunities for professional development
and networking for teachers and coordinators from around the
region.
The School year has only just started ...
and International School teachers (in the
northern hemisphere at least) are already having to think
about the renewal of contracts for 2010.
Senior managers are hoping that most teachers who plan to resign
will let them know before Christmas ....
Database of International School
Teachers the submission form http://bit.ly/3gZGEd
the list http://bit.ly/1roMCL
Blog
Post One teacher has set up a Google Doc (spreadsheet) to list
teachers that work in International Schools.
The idea behind this is to make it easier for you to contact teachers
directly in a school that you might be applying to work to ... as
another means of determining if this is the right school for you.
The list is public and lists Blog URLs and Twitter names ... but
not email addresses for obvious reasons.
There is no expectation for you to add your name ... but it is hoped
that you will.
How to survive a new boss http://bit.ly/3tlXrQ
Getting a boss is like getting a parent - you don't get
to choose. Managers, on the other hand, do get to choose who will
be on their team. Here are six key questions you can ask yourself,
along with strategies to help you keep your job when you get a new
boss
Britannica
- Wikipedia debate http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8150129.stm
In staffrooms and school libraries around the world the Britannica
- Wikipedia debate continues ... this BBC news story comes up with
a surprising (for some) fact .. "In a world where Wikipedia is THE
first port of call for many millions of internet users, a paid-for
encyclopedia, such as Britannica, risks looking like an ageing and
ailing relative.
But a (2009) poll of Britain's top consumer brands has placed Encyclopedia
Britannica in 10th place."
Keele
University (UK): MBA Education (International)
www.keele.ac.uk/depts/ed/mba-international
Keele University (UK) has launched a unique part-time, semi-distance
learning MBA Education (International) programme designed exclusively
for managers and teachers in schools, colleges and universities
across Asia.
Although accredited, taught and administrated by Keele University,
the programme is delivered at Payap University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Starts May 2010. Fee discounts available for early applicants.
Transnational
Education Zone www.educationuk.org.hk/TNE
30-31 January 2010 Hong Kong Convention & Exhibit Centre
A British Council event
The Education UK exhibition will feature a TNE Zone dedicated to
promoting UK qualifications and courses available in Hong Kong.
The event will host 80 education institutions and over 8,000 visitors
who are seeking studies at secondary, post-secondary, undergraduate
and postgraduate levels. Opportunities are available to exhibit
for local institutions marketing UK courses.
For further details of the exhibition, please email juhanie.cheung@britishcouncil.org.hk.
Leading
Learning: A Guided Inquiry approach view/download
pdf flier
23 Nov. 2009 Hong Kong
“Leading Learning: A Guided Inquiry approach” featuring
Dr Ross Todd.
The day is of interest to teacher librarians, teachers and particularly
school principals/managers. It is also invaluable for IB schools
since the Guided Inquiry approach matches the IB approach perfectly.
FOBISSEA
Schools Courses www.fobissea.org/prof_dev.php
Courses organised by the FOBISSEA Professional Development Centre
FOBISSEA: Federation of British International
Schools in S.E.Asia & East Asia
TechTrain 2010 http://techtrain2010.wikispaces.com
also see Blog
30 & 31 January 2010 International School Bangkok, Thailand
Beginners Learning Technology Tools Together
TechTrain 2010 is an EARCOS weekend workshop.
This will introduce you to a selection of educationally and developmentally
appropriate technology tools that will help enhance learning in
your classroom and beyond.
EARCOS Weekend Workshopswww.earcos.org/ww_workshops.html
One of the advantages of an EARCOS membership is access to a programme
of weekend workshops across the region.
TEDxEDU.cn http://tedxedu.info/TEDXEDU/Home.html
TEDxEDU.cn will be held at the International School of Beijing on
Saturday, November 14. The theme of our TEDx event is "Daring
to be different: curiosity, creativity, and courage."
The International School of Beijing and the Western Academy of Beijing
are breaking new ground by collaboratively hosting this conference
which will continue annually at alternate\sites.
CamTESOL 2010 www.camtesol.org
27-28 February 2010
Cambodia and English Language Teaching (ELT) .. conference
ECIS
Annual Conference www.ecis.org/november.asp
18-22 November Annual ECIS November Conference, Exhibition and Annual General
Meeting, Congress Centrum, Hamburg, Germany
21st Century Learning
(Hong Kong) Conference Ning Social Networkhttp://21clearninghk.ning.com
Websitehttp://21c-learning.hk
This 3 day event earlier this term in Sept. held at Hong Kong International
School (Tai Tam Campus) was very well attended and was well received
by participants. If you visit the Ning then you will still have
access to materials that were given out/mentioned/created.
I hosted a pre-conference session the week before the conference
in Second Life with a focus on "The Flat Classroom Project"
... and attendance was up on the previous year which is an indicator
that Virtual Worlds are appearing on the horizons of more educators. My one sadness about these conferences
... they seem to flash past much too quickly and I just don't have
the opportunity to sit down and spend quality time with friends
and colleagues ... maybe the answer is a 3 day barcamp? ;-)
This conference is being offered again in
Hong Kong during the 2010-2011 academic year .. dates have
not yet been confirmed but it is likely to
be later in the year than last time.
Shanghai
Learning 2.010 Conference http://learning2cn.ning.com/
16th to 18th September 2010
This will be the third in this series of conferences in Shanghai
... the dates look to be confirmed now .. watch the Ning for further
announcements.
Shamblesguru
note: it does look like there may be some overlap
in the content and purpose of these two conference in Hong Kong
and Shanghai ... but the brilliant news it that it does increases
the possibility of teachers in Hong Kong and in Shanghai being able
to attend at least one of them ... simply because of reduced disruption
to teaching and reduced costs.
Each workshop is a mixture
of Web 2.0 tools, pedagogy and classroom management ... using whole
group work and also individual hands-on.
In house programmes are also possible in individual schools and
organisations ... for details contact Cheng Fun at Synergyst in
Singapore chengfun@synergyst.com
NESA librarians http://nesalib.blogspot.com
NESA (Near East South Asia international schools) librarians.
The Near East South Asia Council of Overseas Schools (NESA)
is a non-profit, voluntary association of more than 90 private,
independent international schools in the Near East and South Asia,
a region stretching from Libya, Greece and Egypt in the west, to
Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in the east.
Battle
of the Books (Hong Kong) www.bobinhk.com
Whether you're a parent interesting in finding out more about Battle
of the Books or a school keen on participating, feel free to browse
the site for a host of resources and support materials.
Leading
Learning through the School Library
: A Guided Inquiry approach view/download
pdf flier
23 Nov. 2009 Hong Kong
U.N.'s
World Digital Library Goes Online www.wdl.org/en/
A globe-spanning U.N. digital library seeking to display and explain
the relics of all human cultures has gone into operation on the
Internet for the first time, serving up mankind's accumulated knowledge
in seven languages for students around the world.
Library
Profile pages at WorldCat.org http://bit.ly/4svXFU
Now libraries have profiles on WorldCat.org. Similar to the way
a personal profile page gathers together your activities on WorldCat.org
in a single page, now there’s a page that showcases all your
library’s relevant information such as location, links to
your catalog, Web site, virtual reference services and more.
Library Profile pages will keep evolving. They are built from data
in the WorldCat Registry, so you may want to check your library’s
Registry profile and make sure all the fields are populated and
up-to-date.
Free
email account with address username@internationallibrarian.info http://www.internationallibrarian.info/
Would you like a free email account with
the domain name @internationallibrarian.info
If yes then just send me an email
with your first name / last name / and the username you would like
and I shall create it for you. The actual email engine being used
for this is Google's gmail .. so very reliable, confidential and
trustworthy.
After I've created the account for you then just log in at http://mail.google.com/hosted/internationallibrarian.info
to send and read email ........ ONLY for librarians and library
staff.
Do you know of any International Schools for Sale? Do you know of any International Schools that may be 'up
for sale' now or in the future?
If so then please pass this invitation to the appropriate person
... with a request to contact me csmith@csmith.info
... I will then pass the details on to the potential purchasers
in complete confidence.
International Education Week http://iew.state.gov
IEW Facebook Page http://www.facebook.com/internationaleducationweek
16-10 November 2009 and 15-19 Nov 2010 and
14-18 Nov 2011
International Education Week is an opportunity to celebrate the
benefits of international education and exchange worldwide.
This week is observed all across the United States and in more than
100 countries overseas. IEW is celebrated in November each year
during the week before the American holiday of Thanksgiving.
COBIS Award for British International School Students www.cobis.org.uk
The 2009 COBIS Award has been presented to 30 pupils from British
International Schools in Brunei, Czech Republic, Egypt, France,
Germany, Greece, Italy, Mauritius, Netherlands, Romania, Spain,
Turkey, and the UK. The citations provided by head teachers illustrate
a wide variety of achievements including a student with straight
A* grades at GCSE (Kanu Tewari, British International School, Cairo),
a semi-finalist in the World Schools Debate Championship (Filipos
Lekkas, St Catherine’s British Embassy School, Greece), and
a student organising charity relief for a local hostel for children
in need (Lorna McKinlay, British International School, Istanbul,
Turkey).
ECIS Shortcuts www.ecis.org/shortcuts.asp
The Oct issue of this free online publication focused on
"Teacher Recruitment"
Webinars http://screenr.com/CwN
I've become very comfortable with the Webinar platform Elluminate
over the past few months ... to explain what a Webinar is and for
a recommendation to try, even just as a 'lurker', then view the
screencast I made.
Principal Matters www.cybertext.net.au/PrincipalMatters.htm
Principal Matters is a quarterly professional development
paper-based journal for Australian secondary school leaders. Articles
in Principal Matters centre on issues, trends, debates, reforms,
research and developments in secondary education (at the school,
district, regional, national, State/Territory and international
levels) that impact on schools and the work of practising school
leaders.
ISC Research www.iscresearch.com/newsletter/
These guys continue to grow their database of International
Schools Worldwide ... probably the most comprehensive global snapshot
available.
Ofqual
Student Competition Results www.youtube.com/yourstudentvoice
Ofqual is the new regulator
of qualifications, tests and examinations in England. Our work ensures
that children, young people and adult learners get the results they
deserve, that standards are maintained and that the qualifications
learners receive count, both now and in the future.
Earlier this year they supported a National Competition ... Students aged 11-19 were asked to produce
3 minute videos outlining suggestions for constructive changes to
the education system. The winning entry was announced
at the end of July and came from Learners in Merseyside who attend
the Rock Ferry High School in Birkenhead, their video was titled
'Motivate
Us'.
The collection of all the videos (on YouTube) is called "Student
Voice"
USA
National Educational Technology Plan (NETP) original
(prior versions) plan Details of the revision/planning
processhttps://edtechfuture.org/
The federal government of the United States of America
has assembled an 18 person team to update and revise the National
Education Technology Plan.
Their report deadline 11 November 2009.
Tokyo
HackerSpace http://tokyohackerspace.org
Hacker spaces are community-operated physical places, where people
can meet and work on their projects.
Tokyo HackerSpace is an open community lab, studio, workbench, sewing
circle, machine shop+, where people with common interests in technology,
building things, gardening, cooking, science, sewing, digital art,
gaming+, can find the space, the like-minded people, and the infrastructure
needed for these activities.
The Tokyo HackerSpace initiative was created from discussions at
TokyoBarCamp 2009
ICT in Education UNESCO
www.unescobkk.org/education/ict
This website provides material about the use of information
and communication technologies (ICT) in Asia-Pacific education.
Moodle http://hkmoodle.ning.com
"My name is Paul White and I am the Learning Technology
Adviser for the English Schools Foundation schools in Hong Kong.
We are currently rolling Moodle out to all 21 of our schools. Many
other schools in Hong Kong are also using or considering using Moodle
and this Ning may be a place to share our journey. I plan to organise
a Hong Kong MoodleMoot in the near future if there is enough interest."
Connecting
learners in a global world www.ssat-inet.net
Student Online Conference 16-23 November
3rd
(GIN) Global Issues Network Conference www.global-issues-network.org
http://earcosgin.ning.com
19-21 March 2010 Chinese International School of Hong Kong
This years GIN Conference will retain many of the familiar elements
of our previous events and will introduce new ways for students
to participate and communicate their passion for Global Issues.
Schools can bring up to 15 students with two accompanying facilitators.
Each school is to submit a film of up to 3 minutes long before the
conference starts
available for
consultancy work
in schools
related to ICT
Computer / Technology
school reviews / audits
development planning
inservice training
parents sessions mainly
Use of ICT across the curriculum and
use of the internet I also speak
at conferences
and run workshops
Shambles Puzzles
If you have received any
of the Shambles Puzzles
then some solutions HERE
STOP
PRESS
(last minute items)
The
Wild Planetwww.thewildlodge.com
The Wild Planet. have over the last 15 years built a reputation for offering
safe, fun and exciting adventure programs for Schools, colleges and corporate
groups all over Thailand. They have recently opened a purpose built venue,
situated on the edge of Khao Yai National Park.
UK Staffing Regulations www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si200926
The School Staffing (England) Regulations 2009, replacing the School Staffing
(England) Regulations 2003, came into force on 2 November.
The regulations introduce a duty on the governing body to ensure that
the headteacher complies with and benefits from entitlements laid out
in the School
teachers' pay and conditions document. They also place a duty on the
governing body to respect the work-life balance of the headteacher and
require that at least one person involved in the recruitment of school
staff has undertaken safer recruitment training. Free email account with address username@internationalteacher.info
http://www.internationallibrarian.info/
Would you like a free email account with the domain name @internationalteacher.info
If yes then just send me an email
with your first name / last name / and the username
you would like and I shall create it for you. The actual email engine
being used for this is Google's gmail .. so very reliable, confidential
and trustworthy.
After I've created the account for you then just log in at http://mail.google.com/hosted/internationalteacher.info
to send and read email .... ONLY for teachers in international schools.
.. and while here why not listen to some music,
use this mini-browser requires internet connection
Shambles Poster for Staffroom Noticeboards : Full of I.T. www.shambles.net/about/fliers/fullofIT.doc
It would be appreciated if you could download and print out this A4 notice for your staffroom noticeboard.
That's IT
The next newsletter will be February 2010
Feedback
www.shambles.net/feedback
Any feedback you can give about this newsletter is always appreciated
.... especially ideas or contributions for future editions ...
If you know of any
new international schools opening in the region - Brunei
Burma/Myanmar Cambodia China Hong Kong (HKSAR) India Indonesia Japan Laos
Macau Malaysia Philippines Singapore South Korea Taiwan Thailand Vietnam
- then please let me know csmith@csmith.info
It
would be appreciated if you could tell
colleagues about the Shambles newsletter
If you know
of any commercial companies or organisations that might be interested
in sponsoring a future newsletter then please feel free to forward this
newsletter to them .... many thanks.