Wednesday, November 06, 2013

Wahoo! The 2013 Global Education Conference - Still Time to Present + Plan to Attend!


Please mark your calendars for November 18 - 22 for the fourth annual Global Education Conference (http://www.globaleducationconference.com).

Lucy Gray and I, the founders and co-chairs of this massive, worldwide, and free event, may have gotten ourselves a little behind this year on GlobalEdCon planning (with STEMxCon in September, then the Reform Symposium, Library 2.013, and Connected Educator Month in October--how are we still standing?!), but we're raring to go now, and we hope you are, too!

The Global Education Conference is a collaborative, inclusive, world-wide community initiative involving students, educators, and organizations at all levels. It is designed to significantly increase opportunities for connecting classrooms while supporting cultural awareness and recognition of diversity and educational access for all. We've had 750 actual practitioner presentations since we started GlobalEdCon, all of which were recorded and are still available for free on the website to watch or listen to at any time. Join us this year to hear what your colleagues have been doing this past twelve months or to hear from our great lineup of keynotes (see below!).

We also really hope that you will consider presenting. There is still time to submit your presentation proposals. Try not to make our lives too hard, but you can submit to present all the way up until the end of day November 15th (we've gotten really good at this virtual conference thing, plus we have to make up for being so tardy ourselves). If you're a seasoned presenter, do share your wisdom with your worldwide colleagues! If you have never presented before, and are doing things your colleagues would benefit from knowing about, we invite you to expand your horizons in this amazing way. More information in presenting HERE.

We've got lots of training going on for presenters and volunteer moderators; we've got the amazing Nikki Ugalde doing special training sessions in both English and Spanish; we've got an awesome set of sponsors, partner organizations, and advisory board members (and we can always use more!); we've got logos (do you like our new logo!?), badges, a printable flyer, and a press release; we've got an awesome set of accepted presentations so far; we've kept our iEARN strand, as well as added a strand of sessions on the global "Education for All" campaign; and we have got a terrific set of keynote speakers--speaking of which...

We'll end here with this year's keynote speakers (but stay tuned--the amazing Lucy Gray is likely to add even more before the conference officially starts!).  Please join us! See you online!


Karen Armstrong

Charter for Compassion International

How to Change the World

Karen Armstrong, renowned and provocative writer about the nature of religion will speak about compassion as the common imperative in all world religions: Every single one of the world religions has developed this ethos of compassion, summed up in the ‘Golden Rule’ - which has arisen independently in all religions - ‘never treat others as you would not like to be treated yourself’. That is the test of true spirituality, rather than any doctrine or rules. Speaking about the Charter for Compassion, the global peace initiative of which she is the founder, posits that compassion is a force that can change politics, governments and communities, I am convinced that compassion is key to the survival of our world but urged us to begin with ourselves – what can I do to make my family or my workplace more compassionate? – and be gentle, it’s step by step. And it is a rewarding journey, don’t feel burdened by it: compassion can be a lot of fun.

BIO:
Religious thinker Karen Armstrong has written more than 20 books on faith and the major religions, studying what Islam, Judaism and Christianity have in common, and how our faiths shaped world history and drive current events. A former nun, Armstrong has written two books about this experience: Through the Narrow Gate, about her seven years in the convent, and The Spiral Staircase, about her subsequent spiritual awakening, when she developed her iconoclastic take on the major monotheistic religions -- and on the strains of fundamentalism common to all. She is a powerful voice for ecumenical understanding. Armstrong's 2008 TED Prize wish asked to help her assemble the Charter for Compassion, a document around which religious leaders can work together for peace. In late fall 2008, the first draft of the document was written by the world, via a sharing website. In February 2009 the words of the world were collected and given to the Council of Conscience, a gathering of religious leaders and thinkers, who are now crafting the final document. The Charter was launched in November 2009.

Karen Blumberg

Technology Integrator
The School at Columbia University

BIO:
Karen Blumberg is an educational technologist at The School at Columbia University working with faculty and students to integrate technology academically, respectfully, and responsibly. On a daily basis, Karen reminds her students to make wises choices, especially in light of the fact that everything they put online is public, permanent, and traceable. Previously, she was a Technology Integrator at Sacred Heart teaching robotics and programming to 5th through 7th grades and supporting the faculty's technology and integration needs. Karen also taught 7th grade Math at The Dalton School and 7th/8th grade Math at LaBrum Middle School, a public school in Philadelphia. Karen is passionate about building community and creating opportunities for people to collaborate and communicate. An organizer of TEDxNYED, TEDxYouth@TheSchool, Robo Expo, EdCampNYC, and EdcampMumbai, Karen is also a former President of the New York Consortium of Independent School Technologists (NYCIST). She was recently chosen to be a Teacher of the Future by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), and she has also been named a Top Education Influencer on Twitter. Karen has presented at conferences around the country about teaching students to navigate social media and working with teachers to develop digital projects that embrace new media literacies. In her spare time, Karen travels locally and globally in search of new sights, tastes, and absurdities. Karen earned her BA in Mathematics from Bryn Mawr College and her MA in Instructional Technology and New Media from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Don Buckley

Co-founder
Tools At Schools

Design and Maker Thinking - how can they be part of our Everyday in Education

The focus of this presentation is to investigate the teaching and learning of design and maker thinking in schools. Design Thinking is a context-driven, human centered problem solving process that emphasizes ideation, learning from failure, prototyping and designing for real-world use. Maker Thinking is related to the DIY mindset and refers to a process of thinking through making, emphasizing tinkering resourcefulness. How and why is this thinking relevant? Should we be teaching these processes in our schools? Where does this type of problem solving fit in in the current education landscape? How can this thinking we integrated into education?

BIO:
Don Buckley has transformed learning spaces so they work for teachers and students and not just architects, he has transformed textbooks so that they work for students and teachers and not just publishers, and transformed new media resources so that they work for students and teachers and not just programmers. He has advanced degrees from leading European universities, is a former industrial chemist, published photographer, and consultant to MOMA. As well as teaching a graduate course at Columbia Teacher's College in Educational Technology and directing the Technology and Innovation at The School, he is an author for Pearson's Interactive Science Program (a K-8 Science series for 21st century schools). Most recently Don has just co-founded Tools at Schools with design partner aruliden, who's mission is to make design thinking our everyday. Don is passionate about Travel, Architecture, Design, Change, The Future and Innovation. He is a scientist, technologist, educator, author, traveler, design thinker, innovator and dual citizen of Ireland and the United States.

Jaime Casap

Global Education Evangelist
www.google.com/edu

The Transformation of Education
Those entering school this year do not know a world without technology or the web. Our students are children of technology and the web. It is where and how they manage their resources, where and how they manage their relationships, where and how they collaborate with each other, and most importantly, where and how they learn. Think about what we do with technology and the web today and try to imagine what we will be able to do in two years, ten years, or 20 years. We will examine what the transformation of education needs to look like to take advantage of new learning models, and in the process, transform “students” into lifelong “learners.”

BIO:
Jaime Casap is the Global Education Evangelist at Google, Inc. Jaime evangelizes the power and potential of the web, technology, and Google tools in education. He helps educational organizations across the world find ways to utilize these tools in support of new learning models. His team is responsible for bringing Google tools to millions of administrators, teachers, and students across the globe. Jaime serves on the Science Foundation Arizona Board of Directors, on the Board of Directors for New Global Citizens, is a member of the Digital Learning Council, and a member of the South by Southwest EDU advisory Board. You can follow Jaime on Google+ at +Jaime Casap and Twitter @jcasap

Kim Cofino

Technology and Learning Coach
Yokohama International School

Adventures in International Education
For the last 13 years I've been living and teaching in international schools around the world. From Munich, Germany to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Bangkok, Thailand, and now Yokohama, Japan, teaching internationally has been an amazing and fantastic adventure. Every country, school and community has taught me something new, and every day I am envious of my students who have grown up in this ever-changing environment. During this presentation, I'll share some of the key highlights (for me) of teaching in international schools. I hope this will encourage you to start your own adventure in a new country too!

BIO:
Originally from the US, Kim is an enthusiastic and innovative globally-minded educator. Kim has been teaching internationally for over 10 years, first in Munich, Germany, then in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, next at the International School Bangkok in Thailand, and currently at Yokohama International School in Japan. An Apple Distinguished Educator, her work focuses on helping core subject teachers authentically embed current and emerging technologies in the classroom to create a global and collaborative learning environment. Her inquiry-based, constructivist approach to teaching utilizes project-based learning experiences developed using the Understanding by Design process combined with the MYP Technology Design Cycle. Kim regularly consults with other international schools interested in implementing 21st century learning, has been profiled on a number of educational websites and journals, is a member of the K12 Horizon Report Advisory Board 2008 – present, and is a regular presenter and keynote speaker at conferences and professional development sessions throughout Europe, Asia, and the United States. Her professional blog, Always Learning, is an invaluable resource for teachers seeking examples of authentic student engagement.

Michael Furdyk

Co-founder
TakingITGlobal.org

Imagining Future Friendly Schools: Global Citizenship, Environmental Stewardship, and Student Voice
Michael Furdyk will take us through his decade-long journey with TakingITGlobal (TIG), creating an online network engaging millions of youth in taking action on the world’s greatest challenges. TIG has engaged more than 40 million young people in 13 languages in informal learning, and has a growing community of more than 4,000 schools in 140 countries taking their classrooms global. He will share stories of educators collaborating to engage their students in challenge-based learning, and explore what it means to be a Future Friendly School in this complex, rapidly-changing world.

BIO:
Michael Furdyk is the Co-founder of TakingITGlobal (www.tigweb.org), which provides innovative global education programs that empower youth to understand and act on the world's greatest challenges. In the past, he turned his interest in technology into several successful online companies, including MyDesktop.com, which sold to Internet.com in 1999. In 2008, he was named by Contribute Magazine as one of 10 Tech Revolutionaries Redefining the Power and Face of Philanthropy. Michael has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show, presented at TED, and was named one of Teen People's Twenty Teens that will Change the World. Over the last decade, he has keynoted over 100 events across sectors, sharing his social media expertise and insights on youth engagement and educational reform to audiences in over 30 countries. He sits on several non-profit boards, including the Re-Inventing Schools Coalition, and on the International Advisory Council for Microsoft's Partners in Learning program.

Julie Lindsay

Director
Learning Confluence

How to go Global - Lead, Learn, League
Emerging technologies and increased access across the world is the catalyst to embed global awareness, interaction and understanding into all learning opportunities, but has this really happened yet? What positive social change needs to take place to fully realize the goal of a connected and 'flattened' environment that supports personalized learning? Join Julie for 'How to Go Global' as she describes, and shows through current examples, how leadership, collaborative learning that leads to true co-creation, and building 'leagues' of designers, innovators and communities can take learning to the next level. Our future is important, let's articulate and plan now to go global now.

BIO:
Julie is an enthusiastic, global educator, leader and innovator who has led the way in global education and technology-infused connections and collaborations across six countries including Africa, Asia and the Middle East. As an IT Director in international schools she implemented 1:1 learning and worked with teachers from K-12 on pedagogical applications for mobile and ubiquitous computing. Worldwide she is recognized for innovative programs using a wide array of Web 2.0 tools to transform learning for the emerging digital, “world-is-flat” educational landscape. Her experiences in education have included International Baccalaureate schools including MYP & DP implementation, leadership and management. Now based back in Australia as a consultant, presenter and workshop leader she is kept busy as Director of Learning Confluence, Director and co-founder of Flat Classroom® and Global Collaboration Consultant for THINK Global School. She is also co-author of Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds: Move to Global Collaboration One Step at a Time, Pearson 2012, and an ADE (Apple Distinguished Educator).

Anne Mirtschin

Teacher
Hawkesdale P12 College, Department of Education Early Childhood Development, Victoria Australia

The World is My Classroom
Although the classroom may be our world, the world can by our classroom. Students need to be equipped with the skills, knowledge and understanding that will enable them to engage effectively with and prosper in an increasingly globalised world. Technology provides students and teachers with an amazing power and opportunity to gain knowledge and experiences beyond the textbook. It breaks down all physical and social barriers. We can connect, collaborate and create in both synchronous and asynchronous time globally with students, classes, teachers, experts and community members. This presentation will share some stories from an innovative, practising classroom teacher and will provide a glimpse into what can be achieved, how it can be achieved and the amazing resultant outcomes that are now possible when learning extends beyond the classroom walls. It will also cover an array of useful tools for global interactions, the challenges faced and means for overcoming these challenges and provide useful resources. Teaching and learning globally will create the need for new competencies. What might these be? Please join this session and join in the conversations.

BIO:
Anne Mirtschin is an award winning teacher from Victoria, Australia whose most recent major awards are ICT in Education Victoria Educator of the Year 2012 and Australian Council for Computer Education Educator of the Year 2012. She is passionate about rural and global education, immersing technology in the classroom, eLearning and loves collaborating, teaching and learning online with students, educators and community members across the world. These global connections have brought the world beyond the textbook into the classroom. She teaches ICT from grade 3 through to year 12 at Hawkesdale P12 College, a small rural prep to year 12 school. Anne is host of Tech Talk Tuesdays, a weekly online webinar, is a virtual conference coach for Digital Learning, Victorian Education Department, an Australasian Co-ordinator for the Global Education Conference, an active member of the Flat Classroom Projects and is a lead teacher for the Global Classroom projects. A recent and exciting challenge transpired as co-facilitator of the virtual participants in the 2013 Flat Classroom Conference in Yokohama, Japan. She has presented locally, nationally and globally, both face to face and virtually.

Rekha Puri

Founder and President, LINEglobal
LINEglobal

LINEglobal - Gateway to India
LINEglobal connects educators in the USA with educators in India to promote cultural understanding, curriculum development, school reform, innovation and professional growth. LINEglobal aims to refine and expand American perceptions about India and help advance the way schools in the US view and integrate India in their curriculums. This exchange focuses on the imperative need to understand India and for our students to develop the cross-cultural competencies needed to live in our global society. LINEglobal strongly believes that personal relationships between our schools will result in us being more cognizant of social justice issues, more knowledgeable about teaching and learning, and more reflective about education practice. Come hear about our start-up and LINEglobal’s commitment to building an enhanced India-U.S. partnership in education. After more than a year of planning, our team was recently in Mumbai, India, for our first visit and personal interactions with schools and educators there. And we also organized India's first edcamp, EdcampMumbai. Join the conversation about dreaming up a project, taking the steps to turn ideas into reality, building a community around a shared passion, and planning future steps…

BIO:
Rekha Puri is the Founder and President of LINEglobal, a non-profit organization that creates cross-cultural awareness and provides professional development opportunities by connecting educators in the USA and India. Inspired by her dad’s incredible personal journey, LINEglobal is a serendipitous culmination of Rekha’s focus on the cross-cultural competencies, empathy and understanding needed to live in our global society. Rekha is currently the Director of Admissions at The School at Columbia University, NYC, known for its innovative curriculum and extraordinary diversity. Rekha has worked in schools in the US and India. She holds a BFA degree from the JJ School of Art, Bombay University, and a Masters degree in School Leadership from the Klingenstein Center at Teachers College, Columbia University. Rekha was awarded a NAIS fellowship as an Aspiring Head of School. Growing up in India and Malaysia, and having lived in the US for more than twenty years, Rekha claims to be an Indian, a New Yorker and a “global soul” as defined by Pico Iyer, one of her favorite authors. She lives in Manhattan with her husband, Anuj, and their son, Siddhartha.

Julene Reed

Director of Academic Technology
St. George's Independent School

Polar Bears, Global Connections, and Citizen Science
What do polar bears have to do with the forests of Borneo, the Galapagos Islands, and other ecosystems around the world? How do photos and satellite imagery help to document change over time around the world? In what ways is technology providing us with educational opportunities to learn more about different animal species and ecosystems? How can you and your students become scientists—citizen scientists—who can contribute to authentic, real–world scientific research?

Each fall, Polar Bears International's Tundra Connections program broadcasts live from the shores of the Hudson Bay in Churchill, Manitoba, the Polar Bear Capital of the World, to document the effects of climate change on polar bears. Join us to learn how we are using scientific technology, educational webcasts, photos, maps, and satellite imagery to provide authentic, real–world learning experiences…in the Arctic and other places around the world. We will make connections between what is happening to polar bears in the Arctic with what is happening globally. Making a difference with education and technology—this is a great example of how we can all work together to make change happen.

BIO:
Julene Reed is an educator with twenty–three years of experience. She is currently the Director of Academic Technology for St. George's Independent School in Memphis, TN. Julene an Apple Distinguished Educator, Discovery Education Leadership Council member, Google Certified Teacher/Administrator, CUE Lead Learner, Senior Collaborator with Educational Collaborators, AppoLearning Consultant, EdTech Team Member, Instructional Designer for ISTE and the HP Catalyst Academy, and Apple education author.

Julene has been involved in global education throughout her career, traveling internationally through her professional and philantrophical endeavors. She serves on the advisory council of both Dr. Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots and Polar Bears International where she is the director of their Tundra Connections program. Julene travels to Churchill, Canada annually to observe polar bears in the wild and conduct live educational videoconferences and webcasts with scientists. Julene also works with Suumu Secondary School and Roots & Shoots in Tanzania. Her passion to make a difference in the world through education and technology are clearly evident in her work.

Brandon Wiley

Executive Director, ISSN
Asia Society

Six School-Wide Strategies to Globalize Your School
Understanding how to prepare students to succeed in an increasingly global society takes careful planning. Explore six school-wide strategies that can be employed by school leaders and teachers to globalize the curriculum and learning experience of your students. Hear how schools across the United States are developing students' global competence through the use of authentic, project-based learning experiences and portfolio assessment. Participants will leave the session with practical tools and frameworks to identify ways they can develop a more globally-focused school.

BIO:
Dr. Brandon Wiley is the Executive Director of Asia Society’s International Studies Schools Network (ISSN), a design-driven network of over 30 public, charter and independent schools, located in eight states across the U.S. The ISSN is focused on supporting the development of internationally focused schools that foster students to be globally competent and college/career ready. Brandon coordinates the efforts of a national team of consultants, while assisting district and school leaders to implement the ISSN school model and Graduation Performance System. Before joining Asia Society, Brandon served as the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction in the West Seneca Central School District. With experience as a classroom teacher, Director of Staff Development and district-level administrator, Brandon offers practical experience to implementing school and district reforms and innovative programs. He is a frequent blogger and sought after speaker focusing on school reform, globalization and school innovation. Brandon holds degrees from the State University of New York at Fredonia in elementary education, curriculum and instruction, and educational administration. He recently earned his doctorate degree in educational and organizational leadership from the University of Pennsylvania.

Dan Zanes

Singer of All-ages Music
festival five records

Communal Music-Making: What I've Learned So Far.
In this key note I'll talk about my evolution from rock and roller to all-ages music-maker highlighting lessons that I've learned along the way about participation, inclusion, race, education, and singing with gusto...

BIO:
For the record, Zanes was born in Exeter, New Hampshire in 1961. He was a member of the Del Fuegos from the beginning to the end of the eighties and with them made The Longest Day (1984), Boston, Mass (1985), Stand Up(1987), Smoking in the Fields (1989), and the hit single, “Don’t Run Wild.” In 1994, he released a solo CD, Cool Down Time, shortly after which he moved to Brooklyn, New York with his wife and daughter, where he then released Rocket Ship Beach (2000) which became an immediate hit with families around America as well as with The New York Times Magazine, which said, “Zanes’ kids music works because it is not kids music; it’s just music—music that’s unsanitized, unpasteurized, that’s organic even.” His next CD, Family Dance (2001) features Loudon Wainwright III, Roseanne Cash and a lot of dancing that you can’t actually see but you can imagine. Next in the Festival Five family series came Night Time! (2002) featuring collaborations with Aimee Mann and Lou Reed, followed by the Grammy-nominated House Party (2003), a rambunctious 20-song collection that includes Deborah Harry, Bob Weir, and Philip Glass, as well as the Rubí Theater Company and Rankin Don (a.k.a. Father Goose).Sea Music, a collection of maritime songs that was the first CD in the Festival Five Folk Series and was cited inRolling Stone’s Hot Issue in the category of Hot Maritime Sounds. The next CD in the folk series—Parades and Panoramas: 25 Songs Collected by Carl Sandburg for the American Songbag—is the disc on which Zanes’ scruffy troupe of musicians dragged the poet’s 1927 collection of songs kicking and screaming into this century, with traditional instruments, tuba-driven electric guitars, whatever it takes. And while no one was looking Zanes co-authored two picture book collaborations with the artist Donald Saaf: Jump Up! and Hello Hello (Little, Brown and Company Books), and appeared in the Dan Zanes and Friends concert DVD, All Around the Kitchen! (2005), recorded at the Knitting Factory in New York City.



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