June/July 2020
School Leaders Promoting Staff Learning to Impact Student Success Video
Steve Barkley, Executive Vice President, PLS 3rd Learning
Video available. Schedule your one to one session.
​
Our students have always needed our staffs to be continuous learners. Today, educator learning is more critical than ever as schools work to maintain and hopefully increase high levels of student success amid rapidly changing conditions. MAIS is offering an opportunity for Directors to explore a specific focus area of educator learning that can have the greatest impact on your school. Steve Barkley https://barkleypd.com/ has agreed to provide a learning experience personalized to your desired outcomes.
​
In an initial video presentation, Steve will examine staff continuous growth through effective professional development planning, mentoring of new staff, peer coaching teacher to teacher, instructional coaching from administrators and teacher leaders, building skills of principals and middle-level leaders, teachers working in PLCs with student work and data, and implementing valuable professional growth plans for all staff. Steve has a long career of addressing these issues in schools around the world both face-to-face and through distance formats. He continues working with many schools today and can use those experiences to provide insights and reflection.
​
After exploring these topics, you will select a focus area of importance to you and begin a one-on-one learning and coaching dialogue with Steve. Coaching calls will be arranged, and Steve will follow those calls with resources, blogs, podcasts, and articles aligned to your focus. You will control the schedule. As Steve uncovers common focus areas, he will link you with colleagues. Some small group collaborative calls might be available. Our goal would be for your participation to produce a plan/strategy for implementation.
​
We will be set to begin in early May and work through your decision that you are ready to implement a plan built around your leadership actions. Steve has agreed to be available through the summer if that best fits your purposes.
Leaders are learners. Make some time and create a plan for your learning.
​
Distance and Blended Learning Solutions Now and Beyond the Pandemic Webinar
Abdul Chohan, Director of ThinkSimple Ltd
Recorded Webinar Available
​
Review the salient points of virtual learning platforms such as Google, Seesaw, etc. Discover how to continue to add value to these virtual learning platforms for teachers and students now and beyond the pandemic. Explore new tools that have been used with great success for blended asynchronous and synchronous learning Showbie and Socrative for seamless blended asynchronous and synchronous learning.
Session finalized Friday, May 22, 2020, at 17:00 (GMT+2:00)
International discussion on reopening schools
Dr. Kathryn Catania, Deputy Superintendent, Fresno County Office of Education with a video foreword by Dr. William “Bill” Durden, President Emeritus, Dickinson College.
Please join Dr. Kathryn Catania, Dr. Diane Leonardo and Abdul Chohan for a conversation of considerations and recommendations as the worldwide education community is working on plans to reopen schools or has begun to bring children back on campus. I will share our countywide/statewide reopening plans on assumptions and considerations, as well as being sure we all are sharing other important documents to guide us.
One way to organize thinking and behaviors is to segment into to areas that need to be addressed; facilities, program design, school staff, instructional program designs, health/safety, communications, food service, after school or extra-curricular activities, parents and families, special education students, distance learning, fiscal and legal considerations.
Parents are counting on us to keep their children as safe as possible while continuing a high-quality education. Undoubtedly, all of us sharing together is the best pathway to achieving that goal.
BIOGRAPHIES
​
Steve Barkley
Steve Barkley is internationally recognized for his ability to facilitate change. He has more than 35 years of experience working in classrooms, schools and universities building teacher capacity for heightened student success and is well-known for guiding school improvement through coaching, mentoring and professional development. Steve has worked with teachers at the Shanghai Singapore International School, the International Schools Group in Saudi Arabia, American School of Madrid, College du Leman in Switzerland, ACS International Schools in London and Doha, QSI International School of Chengdu, Western Academy of Beijing, and the Swiss International Schools Group. Steve has presented at a variety of international conferences including the European Council of International Schools (ECIS), the Mediterranean Association of International Schools (MAIS), AAIE (Association for the Advancement of International Education), and the Near East South Asia Council of Overseas Schools (NESA). Steve’s dynamic energy and captivating style translate his extraordinary knowledge about life in the classroom and provide the necessary skills for effective change in individual teachers, teams and schools.
​
Dr. Kathryn “Kitty” Catania
Is currently the Deputy Superintendent of the Fresno County Office of Education in California. She has been in education for over 32 years, serving as a teacher, site administrator, district administrator and adjunct professor for University of California San Diego. Her current assignment includes educational leadership over 300 schools and 204,000 students in the Central Valley of California, with many schools that have 50% students who are English learners. She has also be the Chair of the CA State Curriculum and Instruction Committee, working with educational leaders across California.
Abdul Chohan
Presenter Abdul Chohan is a teacher of 17 years and is a Co-founder of The Olive Tree Free School in Bolton, UK. He was the former Principal and CEO of the Essa Foundation Academies Trust based in the UK. He is known for his pioneering work on mobile-based learning at Essa Academy, Bolton, UK. Since then he has worked with a number of international educational organizations as well as devising learning strategies based on mobile technology platforms.
In addition to this, he is also the Director of ThinkSimple Ltd which is a thought leadership organization that provides support to schools and Ministries of Education, in terms of Vision and implementation.
​
William G. Durden
Is President Emeritus of Dickinson College, where he served for 14 years (1999-2013). He is currently President of the International University Alliance (IUA), Chief Global Engagement Officer, Shorelight Education, a Joint Appointment Professor (research) in the School of Education, Johns Hopkins University and an Operating Partner of Sterling Partners, a diversified investment management platform founded in 1983 and based in Chicago with branch offices in Baltimore and Miami.
Dr. Durden received his undergraduate degree from Dickinson College in German and philosophy and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in German Language and Literature from the Johns Hopkins University. Directly following graduation from Dickinson, he was a Fulbright-Hays Scholar at the University of Basle, Switzerland. He has also studied at the University of Freiburg and the University of Muenster, Germany. He was a Klingenstein Fellow at Columbia University and American Council of Learned Societies’ Fellow in Wolfenbuettel, Germany. He served as an officer in the U.S. Army, Military Intelligence Branch and most recently chaired the Middle States accreditation process for the United States Military Academy (West Point).
Directly prior to his 14-year tenure at Dickinson College, Dr. Durden was simultaneously president of a division of the Sylvan Learning Systems, Inc. (today Laureate Education, Inc.) and vice president of academic affairs for the Caliber Learning Network—a joint venture of MCI and Sylvan. Prior to Sylvan Dr. Durden was a member of the German Department at the Johns Hopkins University and founding Executive Director of the Center for Talented Youth (CTY) for 16 years. During his Hopkins’ engagement at CTY, he was also a senior education consultant to the U.S. Department of State for 11 years and chaired the Advisory Committee on Exceptional Children and Youth. He served as a “private tutor” to then Prime Minister Tony Blair on the topic of talent development and global competitiveness.
Dr. Durden served as chair of the advisory board of the Council for the International Exchange of Scholars (the Faculty Fulbright program) and as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Institute of International Education (IIE) as well as a trustee of St. Paul’s School (MD) and Indian Mountain School (CT). He currently serves as a director of Walden University and Squashwise Baltimore, a non-profit organization to help Baltimore City youth achieve their academic goals through squash and associated academic tutoring. He is also chair of the board of trustees of Columbia College Hollywood/Flashpoint College, Chicago, a joint non-profit, higher education institution focused on the liberal arts, the arts, film and media.
He was appointed to the Honorary Council of LEAD WITH LANGUAGES campaign commencing March 1, 2017. This campaign was undertaken at the bipartisan request of the U.S. Congress. He was also appointed in 2019 as Ambassador to Maryland for the University of Freiburg, Germany—a top-tier global research university in Freiburg, Germany.
Dr. Durden has published and spoken widely on topics ranging from German literature to gifted and talented education, international education policy, higher education, first-generation college students, international education, the distinctiveness of U.S. higher education and the liberal arts.