School 21 and the Power of Oracy | Education Vanguard # 106
Like me, you may not be familiar with oracy, the ability to express yourself fluently and with proper grammar. But as educators, you are likely familiar with the concept and supportive of the idea. I talk today with Daniel Thomas, the head of School 21, a private school in London. We jump into the power […]
HS Principal Dr. David Lovelin on Life after Nine Weeks of Virtual Schooling | Education Vanguard # 105
When you wake up in the morning and read in the newspaper that your international school will be closed, it can be a bit shocking. Dr. David Lovelin, the High School Principal at Hong Kong International School, had that experience along with the added concern of how do we plan a program in a virtual […]
Aaron Reedy Helps Us Interact with Data at All Grade Levels | Education Vanguard # 104
Hey, let’s talk about data! Hearing those words might make some of us run for the hills and hide, while others might be excited for that discussion. Thankfully we now have other ways to talk about and deal with data. Thanks to people like Aaron Reedy, my guest today, the discussion of data is moving […]
The Connecting Power of Stories With Author Deborah Abela | Education Vanguard #101
“Stories connect us in a way facts cannot.” These words from Deb Abela, my guest today, stuck with me during our conversation. For Deb, the author of 26 books and counting, stories are the lifeblood of her work. But storytelling is not the only thing driving Deb today. Much of her work involves sharing the […]
Virtual School Reflections From Stephen Dare, the Head at Hong Kong Academy | Education Vanguard # 103
I remember well when I saw schools in Hong Kong and China going virtual and thinking, “Oh gosh, that must be rough. I am so lucky that this is not happening at my school.” Seven weeks later and I am not asking “Ok, how did those schools handle it now that I am in full […]
At The Open School Self-Directed Learning and Democratic Decisions Are The Norm | Education Vanguard #102
When you hear the idea of a self directed democratic school, you might wonder if that means the students will vote for ice cream everyday. Or, more likely, you have a more mature viewpoint than I and are curious how a school can be democratic in its educational mission and still deliver a strong learning […]
Graham Nobel’s Mission to Bring 100 Languages to International Education | Education Vanguard # 100
While English is the predominant language in international education it is often not the only one our students speak. How should we recognize the variety of languages in the world today (over 6000 according to my guest) and celebrate the interesting diversity that comes with it? I talk with ELL teacher Graham Noble about his effort […]
Getting To Yes: Securing a Position in an International School | Education Vanguard # 99
Starting the job hunt for a position at an international school can be both frightening and exciting. Or maybe just one of the two. Knowing how to prepare for the process and having an understanding of what administrators on the hiring end are looking for can be a big help. Today I speak Tim Bray, […]
Educator Eugene Leonard Shares Tips for Bringing Podcasting to Your School or Classroom | Education Vanguard #97
If you are listening to this podcast, you have likely heard of podcasting. You may have even thought to yourself “This podcasting sounds interesting. Maybe I should try it. I mean if Michael can do it, how hard can it be?” Not too hard is my response, but don’t take my word for it. Instead […]
Student Lincoln Bacal Shares Her Vision of an Activist Future for our Students | Education Vanguard #96
As you can imagine the youth of today are a little riled up when it comes to our world and the direction it is heading. While this may be the norm for all younger generations, I get a sense it is magnified at the moment. Today, I speak with Lincoln Bacal a student at the […]