Thursday
3:00 – 6:30 PMRegistration and Hotel Check-In
Exhibits Open
6:30 – 9:00Opening Dinner
Conference Welcome and Opening Remarks
Vivien Stewart, Vice President for Education, Asia Society
Tony Jackson, Executive Director, Asia Society International Studies Schools Association (ISSN)
Putting the World into World Class Education
Dinner
Dessert and Roundtable Discussions
Learning in a Flat World: Implications of Globalization
Vishakha Desai, President of the Asia Society, will facilitate a conversation with high-profile leaders from the public policy, business and information sectors. The discussion will focus on the nature of today’s interconnected world and the skills and knowledge needed for success.
FridayEducation Responds: A Nation Preparing Its Youth for the Future
8:30 – 9:45 AMPlenary Session
Meeting the Demands of the Global Age: A Nation Preparing?
A panel of education leaders will discuss the current and future status of policies and practices that will equip today’s youth with the skills needed for success in the 21st Century global environment. Is there real awareness of the need for new knowledge and skills, including and beyond “STEM” (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math)? What has been the impact of policies developed and actions taken thus far? What unintended consequences have been encountered? What needs remain unmet and why?
9:45 – 10:10 Morning break (Exhibits)
10:10 – 11:25Concurrent Sessions
(1) Developing a Globally Competent Graduate: How to Create an Internationally Focused School
What does it mean to prepare students for the global age? What does an internationally-focused high school “look like”? How can schools systematically pursue effective strategies to bring greater international perspectives into the high school curriculum? Award winning educators from large and small schools will join Shari Albright, Chief Operating Officer of Asia Society International Studies Schools Network (ISSN) to discuss the Asia Society’s ground breaking work “Developing Globally Competent Graduates: What Schools Can Do.” Workshop participants will reflect on their own school practices and discuss multiple ways to bring an international dimension to the curriculum and school culture.
(2) Creating Effective World Language Programs
What are the essential elements that ensure world language learning? How do we set program goals? How can we ensure that curriculum, instruction and assessment are aligned and standards-based? How do we measure student learning and establish learning outcomes that are articulated from elementary language learning through post-secondary education? How do we offer multiple entry points for new students? Where does cultural learning fit in a world language program? Practitioners from elementary and secondary schools that offer exemplary world language programs will share their expertise and engage participants in responding to such critical questions.
(3) Making the Case in Your Community for International Knowledge and Skills
How can we generate greater public support for global competencies as critical elements in pre-K – 12 education? How do we identify the natural allies in a community? What are the talking points, what are the predictable challenges and how can they be overcome? Administrators who have successfully “made the case” in their communities will share their experiences and strategies.
(4) “College Ready and Globally Competent” – How Do We Know We’re Reaching Our Goals?
Today’s businesses are seeking individuals who can demonstrate cultural understanding, collaborative teaming, problem-solving skills, second language literacy and ethical citizenship. Besides anecdotal evidence, how can individual and school-wide progress toward those goals be measured? This session will use the Asia Society ISSN Graduate Profile as a framework for engaging participants in a generative dialogue around performance assessment for global competencies. Attendees are invited to join the presenters in sharing their promising practices, including interdisciplinary projects, cumulative and digital portfolios.
(5) Preparing Teachers to Teach about the World
Globalization is receiving increased attention in teacher preparation, graduate education programs and ongoing professional development. What are the critical elements teachers need to know and be able to do so they are appropriately prepared to infuse a global perspective in their instruction? What common experiences should be included in the preparation for all teachers? What additional resources or support should be provided that are specific to individual disciplines or grade levels? Participants will engage in a discussion of these and other questions related to teacher preparation.
(6) Exploring a 21st Century Approach to Elementary School
The Asia Society is in the process of extending the school design for its successful International Studies Schools Network (ISSN) in grades 6-12 to the elementary level. Working with the newly established Joan Ganz Cooney Center for Children’s Media and Research, its elementary model includes integrating interactive digital media within a comprehensive elementary school to accelerate children’s literacy learning. Recent initiatives such as Penwapa and Muppet-based Mandarin instruction illustrate a new approach to fostering language instruction and cultural awareness. Session attendees will learn more about this innovative model through a conversation with members of the development team.
(7) Connecting Schoolhouse and Statehouse – The Impact of Successful Statewide Mobilization
Practitioners teamed with Asia Society State Directors will analyze several case studies to understand how advocates have successfully developed policies and practices that support international studies programs, policies and resources for all students in their states. Participants will explore how practitioners and policymakers can work together to create a new “opportunity structure” for global studies education.
(8) Simulations in the Social Studies: Building Global Perspectives and Knowledge
Simulations build situational analysis skills, problem solving, negotiations and mediation skills. Schools also use simulation experiences to develop students’ understanding of world events, political dynamics and culture. Discuss how elementary, middle and high school teachers can create powerful learning opportunities with simulations like Model UN, A Global Marketplace and Saving Darfur.
(9) Preparing All Middle School Students for Success in a Global World
Middle grades students will live and work in a world that requires new knowledge and skills. Middle school educators must examine whether their schools and instruction are designed to serve their students well in an increasingly “flat” world. In this session, educators from international studies middle school programs discuss the specific issues and opportunities for integrating international knowledge and skills within the middle grades curriculum. Tony Jackson, Executive Director of the Asia Society ISSN and author of Turning Points 2000 will lead this interactive session.
(10) Connecting with Artists and Arts Institutions to Integrate International Perspectives
The visual and performing arts provide a multitude of opportunities to connect students with other cultures and world history. Resources available within local institutions can be augmented through virtual tours of most high profile museums worldwide. Arrangements such as “Artists in Residence” programs heighten student interest, knowledge and skills. Participants will discuss multiple strategies for purposeful infusion of a global perspective through the arts in their schools.
11:30 – 1:00 PMLunch: Excellence and Equity through International Studies Education
Lunch
Speaker Introduction
Tony Jackson – Executive Director, Asia Society International Studies Schools Network (ISSN)
Creating Opportunities for ALL Students to Become Globally Competent
Pedro Noguera, Professor - Steinhardt School of Education at New York University
1:10 – 2:25Concurrent Sessions
(11) A District-Wide Approach to Ensuring Global Competencies for All Students
How are conditions created at the district level that enable a systemic approach to educating all students for the global age? Experienced district leaders who have taken on this challenge will share reflections on successful strategies they employed, particularly when addressing the needs of at-risk students.
(12) Discovering the World in Your Own Backyard: Mapping and Using Community Assets
Local businesses, post-secondary institutions, Title VI Centers, civic organizations, advocacy organizations and second language media can provide a wealth of resources to schools and districts seeking support for international studies. Parents, guardians and extended families can be an often-overlooked treasure: willing to share cultural beliefs, traditions and languages. Educators who have tapped community assets to enrich their students’ global competencies will lead this discussion.
(13) Students Should Be Seen and Heard: Fostering Student Voice
A diverse group of students will speak about the impact that engagement with global issues has had on their academic interests and achievements as well as on their future career directions. They will elaborate on the coursework, projects, activities, and experiences that helped to frame these perspectives.
(14) The Power of Stories: Making Cultural Connections through Middle and High School English Language Arts.
The practice of storytelling has long been used to pass down cultural traditions through the ages. The reading, writing and listening skills of even the most reluctant students can be strengthened when they are captured by a mesmerizing tale. Learning is further enhanced when students themselves become the storytellers. Presenters will share strategies that engage students in verbal, written and digital storytelling experiences.
(15) International Studies As A Catalyst to Urban School Reform: Excellence, Equity and Global Opportunities (ISSN Model)
Practitioners from the Asia Society International Studies Schools Network (ISSN) will engage participants in a discussion focused on the ISSN’s comprehensive international studies school design. The session will include frank conversations about both challenges and successes experienced in implementing key elements of this 6 – 12 model, which aims to advance achievement in communities serving low income and minority students.
(16) Access to the World through Travel, Exchanges, Sister-Schools and Online Collaborations
Limited resources do not have to limit real-life connections with students and teachers in other countries. An overview of multiple approaches to making those connections will be followed by small group, in-depth discussion of specific strategies. The critical issue of identifying and tapping potential funding sources that offer all students access to travel opportunities will be included in the discussions.
(17) Building Global Competencies through After-school Programming
After-school programs offer opportunities to go beyond traditional content, to “hot-house” small programs until they can be infused into larger school programs, to accelerate the learning of low achieving students and to pursue a particular interest in greater depth. These programs often serve as the most engaging aspect of school for some students. Participants in this session will be presented examples from Asia Society’s national study of best practices and will join experts in after-school programming to discuss implementation of extra-curricular activities designed to foster global competencies at the elementary, middle and high school levels.
(18) Global Learning for All Students at the Elementary Level
Elementary education leaders will facilitate an exploration of how their schools successfully integrate meaningful international knowledge, skills and cultural understanding within the elementary grade curriculum. Multiple models and schools serving a wide range of diverse learners will be included in this session.
(19) Internationalizing Science
Are there approaches to teaching science in a non-traditional way that promote a greater understanding of international knowledge? Theme-based instruction, project based learning and scientific inquiry take on additional dimensions when students are provided with an opportunity to learn with students from other countries. Experienced science educators will lead this interactive session about innovative approaches to science learning.
(20) Funding Resources for States, Districts and Schools
What resources are available to states, districts and schools to develop global competencies? If a school or district plans to focus on international studies, are there specific aspects of its model (such as language instruction) that might attract outside funding? A panel of experts on public sector funding, private and corporate philanthropies will identify potential resources and answer participants’ questions about appropriate strategies to pursue.
2:35 – 4:00Mini-Plenaries
(A) Benchmarking to Best Practices Around the World
This conversation will delve into OECD data on school practices around the world that make difference in outcomes for students – including the influence of culture and demographics on pedagogy. Videos of lessons from the US and other countries will further enhance the discussion.
(B) Twenty Global Problems, Twenty Years to Solve Them
The book, High Noon, highlights twenty problems such as greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, biodiversity losses, fisheries depletion, water shortages and poverty – issues that cannot be solved by any one nation working individually. Participants will engage in a conversation with educators who have taken part in the 20/20 Project, a global internet partnership initiative that brings together schools in the United States with schools in other countries to identify local solutions to one of the global problems highlighted in High Noon.
(C) Attaining a Global Perspective Across Content Areas: Teaching Differently to Meet Student Achievement Goals
In an era of No Child Left Behind, international studies must contribute to each school’s “bottom line” - improvement in student performance within a standards-based curriculum. Using MCREL standards, Asia Society ISSN curriculum experts will lead a workshop on processes and tools for integrating international knowledge and skills to enhance the rigor and relevance of standards-based instruction. The session will include small group, content specific work in English Language Arts, Social Studies, Math, Science and World Language.
(D)Digital Powerhouses for the Future – A Look Ahead to Tomorrow’s Learning Opportunities
Technology is advancing so rapidly that it’s difficult to imagine how instruction will be delivered five or ten years from now. This session will feature a conversation among representatives from visionary media/tech corporations about tomorrow’s possibilities for pre K – 12 learning. A panel of students will serve as reactors.
4:15 – 5:15School and District Team Meetings
Each team will consider the following questions:
- What are the implications of this learning for our work?
- What steps can we take to move the initiative forward?
- What are our priorities?
- What resources do we need?
- How could connecting with others help our efforts?
Small role-alike groups will be provided and facilitated for participants who attend the Forum as individuals or from teams consisting of fewer than four people.
Program Note: Asia Society State Directors meet separately as a team
5:15 – 6:00Exhibits Open
8:00 Optional Video and Discussion
Two Million Minutes Video
This recent film chronicles the lives of six high school students in three countries around the world – The United States, India and China. Observing the various pressures and priorities of these students, their schools and their families provides insight into the changing nature of competition in the knowledge economy. Supplementing the view from the students’ perspectives is a world-class group of experts who elaborate on the differences in education among the countries and discuss implications for America. The hour-long documentary explores how each culture’s educational priorities and norms are adopted and accepted by schools, family and the students. The stark differences in attitude, effort and priorities of these students’ high school experiences offer important clues to the future of economic competition in the 21st century.
Participants will engage in a facilitated reflection on the video’s implications for America’s educators.
SaturdayGlobal Learning as a National Priority
8:30 – 9:30 AMPlenary
From Blip on the Radar Screen To National Priority
How can we raise the issue of global competencies to prominence in the minds of policymakers at the national level? An interactive discussion with experienced government relations liaisons from national advocacy organizations will address the most effective strategies for moving the issue into a position of prominence across the country.
9:45 – 11:00State Team Meetings and Collaborating Organizations
Asia Society State Directors will each facilitate small group sessions of participants from their state to acquaint them with each other and to share collective efforts already taking place. Using insights gained from the preceding plenary session, each group will develop a targeted strategy for expanding their influence and impact statewide.
11:15 – NOONPlenary
State Team Reports
What’s Next? Advancing International Studies in Policy and Practice
Tony Jackson, Executive Director – Asia Society
NOON– 1:00 PM Lunch and Speaker
Global Education and Its Power to Transform
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