It has been a while since writing. There is no excuse, other than I have had a serious case of the blues. Feeling better now, I am determined to finish some posts that were started over the past month or so.
Three weeks ago, I was fortunate to travel to Dubai to attend a Professional Development event. The start of that entry goes something like this...
November 8, 2015
I have just returned home from a remarkable weekend in Dubai. When I applied to the PD department at our school about one month ago, I thought to myself, this looks like a great opportunity. And indeed it was!
After a busy week at school, which included sending home report cards and meeting with parents about their children, I escaped to Dubai for the N..ES.A. Fall Training Institute. I had never been to an "institute" and I quickly discovered that these people take professional development seriously. A wide variety of two day institutes were offered. Although I was interested in many of the eight topics, I selected Assessment-Redefining Fair, by Damian Cooper.
The name was familiar to me from teaching in Ontario. Mr. Cooper's background includes teaching English and Drama in high school, as well as working for the Ministry of Education in Ontario. His work forms the basis of assessment practices in my home province.
The timing of the event was appropriate because we had just completed progress reports at school, as well as Parent/Teacher conferences. The information was exactly what I needed to learn right now. The speaker was personable, knowledgeable, interesting, and extremely helpful to both older and younger teachers...
Today I am happy to revisit this experience and reflect on its relevance. The workshop was not just about assessment. The speaker demonstrated many practical ideas to engage learners, as well as plan units, lessons and assessments. All in all a worthwhile experience.
Because there were teachers from all over the Near East and South Asian area, representing grade levels from 1-12, rich and interesting discussions happened, which provided opportunities for networking.
I was asked to share the information with the elementary staff at the first faculty meeting upon my return to Kuwait. This motivated to consolidate the learning and then reflect on a very positive experience.
For that, I am truly appreciative.
Until next time,
Bee Rich
PS Closer to home, our school had a school wide Professional Development day today. Some very interesting initiatives were introduced, including TRIBES training and implementation, and Genius Hour.
Three weeks ago, I was fortunate to travel to Dubai to attend a Professional Development event. The start of that entry goes something like this...
 |
| Damian Cooper, Educational Consultant from Toronto |
November 8, 2015
I have just returned home from a remarkable weekend in Dubai. When I applied to the PD department at our school about one month ago, I thought to myself, this looks like a great opportunity. And indeed it was!
After a busy week at school, which included sending home report cards and meeting with parents about their children, I escaped to Dubai for the N..ES.A. Fall Training Institute. I had never been to an "institute" and I quickly discovered that these people take professional development seriously. A wide variety of two day institutes were offered. Although I was interested in many of the eight topics, I selected Assessment-Redefining Fair, by Damian Cooper.
The name was familiar to me from teaching in Ontario. Mr. Cooper's background includes teaching English and Drama in high school, as well as working for the Ministry of Education in Ontario. His work forms the basis of assessment practices in my home province.
The timing of the event was appropriate because we had just completed progress reports at school, as well as Parent/Teacher conferences. The information was exactly what I needed to learn right now. The speaker was personable, knowledgeable, interesting, and extremely helpful to both older and younger teachers...
Today I am happy to revisit this experience and reflect on its relevance. The workshop was not just about assessment. The speaker demonstrated many practical ideas to engage learners, as well as plan units, lessons and assessments. All in all a worthwhile experience.
Because there were teachers from all over the Near East and South Asian area, representing grade levels from 1-12, rich and interesting discussions happened, which provided opportunities for networking.
I was asked to share the information with the elementary staff at the first faculty meeting upon my return to Kuwait. This motivated to consolidate the learning and then reflect on a very positive experience.
For that, I am truly appreciative.
Until next time,
Bee Rich
PS Closer to home, our school had a school wide Professional Development day today. Some very interesting initiatives were introduced, including TRIBES training and implementation, and Genius Hour.
