IN THIS ISSUE   
Featured Schools to Illustrate Good Practices at GLC
Water Educational Exchange Reaches Out
Research Fellows Explore Citizenship and Policy
International Classroom
CASIE Staff Updates

QUICK LINKS   
Global Language Convention Registration
Read CASIE Position Papers
Register for IB Training Workshops
Global Language Convention Schedule

Featured Schools to Illustrate Good Practices at GLC

Educators interested in seeing dual-language programs in action will want to see the Featured Schools Presentations at the 2008 Global Language Convention. Eight schools from throughout the world will present their unique dual language programs in multimedia interactive sessions. The featured schools are:
• Atlanta International School (USA)
• Benowa State High School (Australia)
• Chinese International School (Hong Kong)
• Concordian International School (Thailand)
• Dillon Valley Elementary School (USA)
• Escuela Lomas Altas (Mexico)
• Katoh Gukuen (Japan)
• St. George’s College (Argentina)

In addition to the Featured Schools Presentations, the convention will feature three exciting keynote speakers: Katty Kay of the BBC, Dr. Colin Baker of the University of Wales and Dr. Myriam Met of the National Foreign Language Center. Program workshops will feature topics such as Exploring Language Immersion through Music, The Implications of Language Immersion in an International Boarding School, How A School’s Administration and Library Can Best Support a Language Immersion Programme, Technological and Online Resources for an Immersion Programme, Strategies for Language Immersion in a Middle School Classroom, and many more workshops and round-table discussions providing best practices for teachers and administrators at every program level. There will also be a panel discussion with students who have achieved genuine dual language proficiency through study in International Baccalaureate programmes.

A draft program will be available in early February. Registration for the event is now open. Visit www.casieonline.org/glc for more details.

Water Educational Exchange Reaches out to High School Educators and Partner Schools Abroad
By Lynne McClendon, CrossWorlds Director

Seventy-eight teachers and students from fourteen elementary and middle schools throughout the Atlanta Metro area attended CASIE’s first Water Educational Exchange. The event was held at Atlanta International School on October 8, 2007.

Since the event, eight teams have committed to participate in follow-up water projects in which they will share findings and information with partner schools abroad. These teams are competing for first, second and third place cash awards and honorable recognitions. Each school will submit its water project via powerpoint to be judged by an independent panel of representatives associated with water issues and concerns in Georgia. Look for these award winning projects at the CASIE website in May 2008. The presentations will be shown and prizes bestowed at a luncheon celebration on May 7, 2008.

Following the success of WEE for Elementary and Middle School students, CASIE is hosting WEE II on May 7, 2008. WEE II is designed for high school teachers of Science, Social Studies and Journalism. Teachers will be engaged in collaborative and cross disciplinary learning activities on local and international water issues to enhance their own instructional lessons. In additon to a resource packet, teachers will also learn about a variety of student competitions available for the upcoming school year. Registrations are due April 7, 2008. More details can be found at www.casieonline.org/crossworlds/ee.

CASIE extends its appreciation for the collaborative efforts of the following companies and organizations:
Center for Global Safe Water at Emory University
City of Atlanta Watershed Management Division
Coca-Cola Company
Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Division, Watershed Protection Branch
DOW

Research Fellows Explore Citizenship and Policy

Cosmopolitan Citizenship and Language Education Policy are two topics being explored further in 2008 by CASIE’s research fellows. Theresa Alviar-Martin, the 2007 Fellow, is a PhD candidate at Emory University. Theresa is researching how cosmopolitan citizenship is taught in social studies courses at two international schools – one in the United States with the IB curriculum and another in Hong Kong using the Advanced Placement program.

The 2008 fellow, Leah Mason, is an EdD candidate at Columbia University’s Teacher’s College. Leah is comparing and contrasting the language policies of the United States and European Union and how they prepare students to be global citizens.

In addition to research fellows, Cecile Doyen is CASIE’s Resource Bank Fellow. Cecile is completing her Master’s degree at the University of Strasbourg. As a fellow, she is building a searchable database of resources and research on international education and language learning.

CASIE will be accepting applications for 2009 fellows in the fall of 2008. For details about the Fellowship Program, visit: www.casieonline.org/Programs/Fellowships.html

International Community School - Using Visual Arts to Overcome Challenges of the Refugee Population
Part of the International Classroom Series, showing international education in practice.
By Yang Li

The International Community School, a charter school in Decatur, Georgia, is home to 380 students, many of whom are from refugee families. Our school's dream is to create "a beloved community that is designed to bring together refugee, immigrant and native-born children in an academically challenging and nurturing environment." Thousands of refugee children have come to DeKalb County, bringing "not only gifts and talents but also the deep physical and spiritual wounds of war" coupled with great financial needs. Our children from the refugee families have many obstacles to overcome. Besides facing extreme poverty in many cases, some of our students from refugee families are experiencing the aftermath of war, torture, and associated symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Many barriers and challenges including language, isolation from the mainstream society, and busy working schedules of both parents have challenged us teachers to go beyond the classroom walls to meet their needs.

As a public school, ICS must meet requirements set forth by “No Child Left Behind” and we are challenged to go beyond teaching testing subjects. We believe that each child, no matter what his/her background or socio- economic status, deserves an education that will develop the whole child. One way we attempt this is by integrating and infusing the Arts in our regular classes.

Art Integration in the learning process is a powerful tool for creating Culture, Diversity and Community. By engaging students in the creative process they are compelled to grapple with the daunting realities and unanswerable questions that undergird each purposeful life. By meeting this challenge in their childlike way they uncover the beauty and meaning of their own voice. The relationships, patterns and connections they discover within the arts, literature and their personal lives will give form to their collaborative and solitary endeavors. Their emerging artistic expressions help strengthen individual identity and provide a vehicle for crossing cultural and class boundaries, building community and a common culture under the umbrella of a democratic and collaborative teaching dynamic.

Click here to see the recent New York Times article on ICS. www.nytimes.com/2007/12/25/us/25school.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

CASIE Staff Updates

The new year brings about a few changes with the CASIE staff. Below is a listing of the CASIE staff:
Alex Horsley, Executive Director
Bobbi Kay, Assistant Executive Director
Lynne McClendon, CrossWorlds Director
Rasamy Yin Vanijcharoenkarn, Business Office Manager
Ayesha Siraj, Program Coordinator & Registrar
Meredith Woolard, Events and Marketing Coordinator
Tahirih Varner, Assistant to the Registrar
Sharon Belton, Program Coordinator

PAST ISSUES          Sept-Nov '07         June-Aug '07

Notes from Alex

I would like to begin by wishing all readers the very best for 2008! Here at CASIE we are anticipating another year of growth as we continue to promote international and language education. We firmly believe in the value of international education and feel that by promoting such programs we can play our part in the development of a safer and more prosperous world for everyone. For my part I find that the 10 attributes described in the International Baccalaureate Learner Profile should serve as the basis for all educational programs as they so succinctly describe what we should endeavor to develop in all young people throughout the world.

For 2008, we are excited to continue our work with the International Baccalaureate, both as an authorized workshop provider and as host of the 2008 Global Language Convention.

In 2007 we had over 1,200 participants in our 4 IB training workshop sessions, and we expect even more to attend this year. We pride ourselves on providing excellent service for both presenters and participants. In fact, virtually all our presenters for 2007 have indicated that they would like to return this year. We will continue to work closely with IB as the North America region is restructured. We feel that CASIE is now well established as an IB Workshop Provider and can serve as a model for other organizations working in this field.

The Global Language Convention promises to be a highlight of 2008 for us. Following the highly successful 2006 GLC hosted by IB Asia Pacific, I would really love to see this become a regular feature of the ongoing IB calendar. It would be wonderful to see a 2010 GLC hosted in one of the other regions.

At the same time as the GLC is taking place in Atlanta, there will be a full range of IB Board of Governance meetings, including the Annual Meeting and Peterson Lecture. This will bring most of the IB leaders to Atlanta, and enable a reasonable level of participation of IB personnel in the various GLC sessions. One of the IB meetings taking place is to be a working group on languages within the IB, which will, hopefully, spark an ongoing discussion about the importance of language education as an integral part of all IB programmes.

As mentioned elsewhere in this newsletter, I welcome Bobbi Kay’s appointment as CASIE Assistant Executive Director. Bobbi has been closely linked with CASIE since the very early days when Monique Seefried had the vision and determination to launch our organization. She has already made many tremendous contributions to CASIE as Director of Marketing and Communications and I am looking forward now to working with her in her new role. I also welcome our newest staff member, Tahirih Varner who will be working as assistant to our registrar, Ayesha Siraj. Tahirih was one of the very first students at Atlanta International School when it opened in 1985, and has now returned to the school in the capacity of parent.

Best wishes,

Alex Horsley

© Copyright Center for the Advancement and Study of International Education 2007-2008.
If you experience difficulty with this page, please contact the webmaster