This year's Awaaz...

...it's almost here!

3rd Edition of The Remix

Each year, my J-students put together a magazine.  This year they've outdone themselves.  Great stories, good writing, beautiful design work - I am very proud of them!  Here is the cover:

MSA Re-accreditation Visit

Last week I had the amazing opportunity to participate in a Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools re-accreditation visit.  This was probably one of the best professional development experiences I have ever had.  First of all, the opportunity to work with a diverse and highly professional team of fellow educators as we worked closely together for a week to try to write the best report we could was outstanding.  Second, the chance to become intimately familiar with a school and its improvement process was a genuine privilege.  There are many ways to go about improving a school, and it was interesting to compare and contrast the path that this school has taken with our own. Although I am now hugely behind on my work here at school, I came away from the experience re-inspired by the mission of international education and full of ideas to take back to my own school.  I highly recommend all teachers to involve themselves with the re-accreditation process, whether through the MSA or through some other re-accrediting body - you will not regret it! 

Getting to Know You Idea for the Beginning of the School Year

I read this article yesterday about one of my favorite Pakistani authors, Mohsin Hamid, and it occurred to me that this same format could serve as a good way to get to know our students at the beginning of the school year.  Ask them to write or blog about each of the following, and then get other students to respond or comment: 

What I'm reading...

What I'm listening to...

What I'm watching...

Who I'm following...

What I'm doing/eating/wearing/into/etc...

Nomination for My Favorite Edublog - 2012

I would like to nominate the Gifted Grade 5's blog for this year's Edublog Awards in the "Class Blog" category.  My son is a part of this class and I am SO pleased as a parent to see how excited he and his classmates are about sharing their writing and learning via their blogs.  The students are using their blogs in all kinds of creative ways.  Simultaneously, they are learning how to participate in a supportive online learning community.  Some of the tools that the students have used so far include:  Voki, Vocaroo, and ToonDoo.

Our school is located in Lahore, Pakistan.  Thanks to Miss Wolfenden and Edublogs, my son and his classmates are connected to the world in a manner which is meaningful, safe, and exciting.  Go, Gifted Grade 5's!   

Interview on Reading Habits

One of my Journalism students recently interviewed me regarding our students' reading habits.  Have a listen!

Issue #2 of "What's the Scene?!"

After a long and arduous process, it is finally here!