TUE 15 NOVEMBER
Differentiated instruction is a pedagogical philosophy that centers around the fact that each learner is unique and if used appropriately can be an effective tool for the classroom. But can it also be used as a tool to impact, inspire and engage learners outside the classroom? In this workshop, join Ruzina as she walks you through the process of differentiation using neuroscience and positive psychology. You will learn what differentiation is, why we need it now more than ever and how to use it in an ever-diverse and ever-changing world. This workshop is ideal for vocational teachers who are looking for new and innovative ways to meet the unique learning needs of their students.
Language : English
Topic : Higher Education / Vocational
Learning a trade or earning a degree is essential, but it’s not usually enough for sustained success. To succeed in the long term in the modern workplace, students also need to develop soft skills. Soft skills development is a worthy goal if students want to improve their overall effectiveness in life and business. In this session, Soraya will talk about what soft skills are, why they are important and how students can sharpen them. Further, she will also talk about how students can develop skills required for the future and the changing workforce. As an advisor and educator, we play an integral role in the development of a student's career. Soraya will also talk about strategies that promote healthy, lifelong career management habits, and guiding students in their career journey and equip them for a successful road ahead.
Language : English
Topic : Leadership and Management
This workshop will discuss the 5th SEL competencies which are: Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, and Responsible Decision-Making. Also, we will review the reasons of this kind of learning and placement in our curriculums. This workshop will show a pilot study results about Reality of SEL in Saudi Schools.
Language : Arabic
Topic : Learning Environment
What can we learn from corporate management for leading and motivating artistic and academic talent? This presentation uncovers fundamental leadership strategies, while providing specific examples for real-world application for leaders of educational institutions. Corporations have struggled for years to both increase employee satisfaction and increase organisational performance. Corporate experiences will be leveraged to generate an actionable plan for motivating and retaining the best academic and artistic talent in any organisation. Specific examples of what behaviours and functions that may need to change will be discussed from a management and employee point of view. Each attendee should leave with a plan of how to make positive changes in their organisation and grow in professional management practices for the future.
Language : English
Topic : Leadership and Management
I will call upon my experience across the UAE as a principal and ethnographer/researcher to provide an alternative to the commonly used leadership structure of CEO and Principal in private schools across Dubai. I will argue that if a school recruits a skilled principal then there is a distinct possibility that the CEO position is redundant. This is because school principals are best positioned to drive school improvement through their staff in ways that research tells us are effective methodologies for change in the 21st century. I will refer to the research of Dewar, Keller and Malhotra "CEO Excellence"; Simon Senik and CCL Research White Paper "The role of power in effective leadership".
Language : English
Topic : Innovative Methods / 21st Century Teaching
Gratitude as a Pedagogy helps build Social and Emotional Learning skills making the students resilient and helping increase students’ overall progress and attainment in every aspect as an individual, and is beneficial for schools’ progress. Furthermore, neuroscience research shows that learning is not only cognitive, but emotions also play a role. Learning is facilitated or hindered by cognitive processes such as attention and memory. SSIS has taken up Gratitude as a Pedagogy to improve students’ learning outcomes and equip them with these skills in this competitive world. We have been selected as TOP 10 schools for the Best School Prize by T4 Education. Our presentation covers step-by-step classroom applications of redesigning Gratitude as a pedagogy framework that follows the 4-F model (Focus, Focal, Fetch, Figure) and extends the experiential learning cycle. The approach application is in real-time learning within Pre-Primary, Primary, Secondary, and the Higher secondary model.
Language : English
Topic : Wellbeing
During the talk, we will explore what it really means to be an "educationist". A concept, which I believe, is a bit misunderstood and becoming a bit more transactional in nature. As “Educationists” our attempt should be to connect the home and school, allowing it to evolve into a strongly knit learning community. A community of mutual respect and understanding. A community that breeds responsible societies. We should feel privileged to personally interact with children and be amazed at their appetite to learn and grow. Our mission if we are to accept it should be to provide a safe space for children to express their social and emotional needs while we listen very carefully to them. But how do we provide that safe space? What does that safe space look like? Why do we need to rethink our leadership roles? What values should we promote? The talk will provide the structure for all to explore, re-imagine, and re-discover our purpose as educators.
Language : English
Topic : Leadership and Management
It is vitally important that integrated STEM education in K-12 schools aligns with 21st century skills, creates new jobs, improves economies, and educates the next generation of STEM professional. Significant amounts of money and resources have been allocated to advance STEM education in various settings. The study of these subjects combined as STEM education occupies the forefront of investigation for many educators, researchers, and decision makers The purpose of this study was to investigate the key factors related to the implementation of an integrated STEM curriculum in K-12 schools. The theoretical included description and discussion of three major theories and model as appropriate to the integrative, investigative nature of study. Using a mixed method research design, the current study sought to learn what experts identified as critical elements of successful integrated STEM curriculum development in the context of design-based education, project-based education.
Language : English///Arabic
Topic : Curriculum
Following a year long exploratory study of the opinions and observations of educators working on maker education activities across the UAE, themes into the conflicts and tensions experienced by schools implementing makerspaces and integrating maker education were identified. In this presentation, key findings are discussed and recommendations are made for educators and school leaders who are considering, or in the process of, building maker education and constructionist learning into their teaching and learning.
Language : English
Topic : Leadership and Management
Want to institutionalise ongoing growth and support for your middle level leaders? Our cohort model uses pre-service days, monthly support sessions and 1-1 coaching to build leadership, collaboration and facilitation skills. Participants will come away with strategies and structures that can easily be adapted into any school setting. By treating your middle level leaders as a cohort, you can foster a sense of community that values a shared skillset. Investing in this segment of the school will have far reaching impacts on school culture because collectively they interact with all teachers on a daily basis.
Language : English
Topic : Leadership and Management
WED 16 NOVEMBER
Knowing how the international school market is evolving, and where future growth is likely, is essential for your international expansion plans. If you are interested in learning more about how to increase your business with international schools around the world, ISC Research would love to meet with you on the 16th.
ISC Research provides the most comprehensive, current and objective data and intelligence on the world’s English-medium international schools market. With over 13,000 international schools around the world, alongside over 62,000 staff contact details, ISC Research’s data will provide you with everything needed to connect with the schools and develop a strategic international approach.
Language : English
Topic : Curriculum
Emiratisation Strategy Emiratisation in schools.
Language : English
Topic : Leadership and Management
Drawing on his extensive career in fragile and conflict-affected states, including recent work in Iraq, Somalia, Afghanistan, North-East Nigeria, Bangladesh (including Cox’s Bazar) and Sierra Leone, Matthew will highlight the lessons that can be drawn from educational programming in both acute and protracted crisis settings. He will detail innovative approaches to evidence-collation, ensuring effective accountability to affected populations, highlight the importance of adopting approaches of known efficacy, explore the interconnect between education and other areas of provision (WASH, child protection, food security, and livelihoods), and consider the role of technology in enabling effective education outcomes. He will also address nuances of refugee and IDP education interventions, as well as the effectiveness of mechanisms for financing education in emergencies internationally, before providing recommendations for stakeholders on approaches to adopt in future crises.
Language : English
Topic : Digital / eLearning
As schools invest in middle leaders, frustrations emerge when their attempts to enact change are restricted. Systems and perceptions are often misaligned with the training provided and there is a stark difference between the theoretical and the practical. And although many schools are prioritising the development of staff in order to raise the profile of their establishments, middle leaders are becoming increasingly frustrated. The talk will explore the conditions necessary for a middle leader to turn theory into practice. Examples of effective impact will be shared in order to demonstrate that senior and executive leaders must place more trust in the people on the ground. Finally, the talk will share possible avenues for further research. How can we measure middle leadership development against improvement in student outcomes? What does the research around middle leadership development mean for the MENA region and how can more schools benefit from this understanding?
Language : English
Topic : Leadership and Management
Universities across the world are seeing record levels of applications - this year, UCAS (the UK University and College Admissions Service) released a projection that the 2026 cycle could see one million applicants, with the number of international students to grow by two-thirds. So, how to make an application stand out and how to prepare as an international student? Fiona Mckenzie, Head of Education at Carfax Education shares her guidance and advice, in making a competitive application.
Language : English
Topic : Higher Education / Vocational
What are skills and competencies our children need for the future workforce? How does the learning environment support future skills development? How can your school make learning purposeful? In a rapidly changing world, people need innovative thinking and creativity to be able to shape their future. Thus, we need a new approach to education - one that prepares students for an unknown future. Yet, to date there are only scattered attempts to provide one. This can only be done in environments that allow students to learn at their own pace, work together and create and follow their interest and strengths. It can also only be achieved in those environments that promote lifelong learning and well-being. A lot is being done to improve the current system we have or innovate a new one. This presentation focuses on the right drivers in education of well-being and learning in order to create learners not only good at learning but good at life.
Language : English
Topic : Recruitment and Development
If machines are getting better at being machines, if robots are getting better at being robots, then ... we human beings need to get better at being humans! If technology is freeing us up from the daily grind, then instead of bemoaning that it is replacing us, we need to fill that time with looking beyond - at making the world and ourselves better than what we are now. To keep devising better processes and inventing better machines so we can keep moving ahead to becoming better at being human.
Language : English
Topic : Innovative Methods / 21st Century Teaching
This presentation describes a model for school-based improvement applied at Al-Bayan Bilingual School (Kuwait) in relation to Arabic Teaching & Learning. This model relied essentially on engaging Arabic Language teachers in Professional Learning Communities to achieve the strategic goal of developing students' arabic language abilities, and most importantly, helping them appreciate their mother tongue as a language for Communication, Values and Culture. This journey has put upfront five pillars for meaningful improvement:
(a) Arabic curriculum development, (b) effective instructional strategies for Arabic language,
(c) enriching school life with Arabic extra-curricular programs,
(d) strengthening school/home partnerships, and
(e) achieving complementarity among subjects taught in Arabic.
This roadmap has been rich in learning for kids and adults, and facilitated by student data, meaningful discussions and collaboration, as well as different cultural and organisational challenges.
Language : Arabic
Topic : Leadership and Management
What if I have all the capabilities to do this, why should my age limit me. I am Alaa, 15 years old, a public speaker and an inventor. What if each and every one of us is special in our own way. We as humans have something that no other creature has, we have a brain that works 24 hours. Bright minds shine anywhere, that’s what I believe. Many youths nowadays have many capabilities and hobbies and some have hidden talents but what’s limiting them is their community, the people around them, or their fear. I believe that a culture of the initiative making young people its author and actors boost their activity, audacity, and talent in local activism and social cohesion, citizenship and solidarity, sustainable development, and entrepreneurship. And public life helped their social and professional integration. It has stimulated core competencies and skills such as expressing ideas, defending projects adaptation considering constraints, teamwork, and individual work…
Language : English
Topic : Leadership and Management
An increase in emerging threats such as pandemic, terrorism, cyber-attacks has placed even greater importance on educational establishments ensuring that the necessary frameworks and risk protocols are in place to ensure the protection and maintain the welfare of the learners and workforce. The Dubai English Speaking School and College (DESSC) decided in June 2022 to review their current protocols and where necessary enhance them to align to the current threat landscape. Working with Cognitas Global as part of a social responsibility project, they jointly commenced the review of the existing Risk Register and Crisis Management Plan (CMP) to develop an enhanced capability, by ensuring that a prevention, preparation, response and recovery model (PPPR) was embedded in their plan and that a program of exercising, testing and validation could be efficiently executed by leveraging the use of suitable technology including a mobile phone APP and an experiential learning platform.
Language : English
Topic : Digital / eLearning
The first years as a new headteacher in an international school will be filled with new challenges and unfamiliar situations. At times it can also be lonely. Starting a new role in a new school is always a transition but when it involves a new country and culture too, the move can be even more complex. This session is aimed at new and aspiring headteachers in an international setting - how to prepare for your first year, things to ask for in advance, a basic to do (and not to do) list and what to prioritise (and overlook!) to ensure your first years are successful and enjoyable. As a third year headteacher at an international school in Cyprus, I will draw from my own experiences and lessons, as well as wider reading on leadership theory.
Language : English
Topic : Leadership and Management
Designing an adaptive and personalised learning experience for today's learner.
Language : English
Topic : Digital / eLearning
THU 17 NOVEMBER
I have received specialist training in Oracy, a trending buzzword in the educational community, but one in which many teachers and schools do not know much about or how to implement it effectively. I want to impart to other teachers how to teach students to learn how to talk but also learn to speak for purpose. It encompasses all types of communication: oral and listening skills to enable students to develop their understanding at a deeper level in order for them to probe, question and challenge concepts as well as unlock critical thinking.
I would like to do a workshop that practices the skills of Oracy to demonstrate how to use it and offer a range of techniques that will enable teachers to be inspired and learn a new pedagogical method in order to help their students.
Language : English
Topic : Leadership and Management
Interactive drama session for adults and young learners.
Language : English
Topic : Music / Performing Arts / Sports
We are spending billions of dollars on standardised testing, we gather enormous troves of incredible data, and then we fail to use them to actually help students or the education system and we did not allow real educational innovation to occur. It's time to try something different!!
Language : English
Topic : Leadership and Management
Focusing on Roshenshine’s Principles of Instruction in relation to effective Review, Questioning, Sequencing & Modelling.
Through an engaging session, you will learn:
1. How to involve all students when checking for understanding.
2. How to use several digital tools to help build an accurate picture of what students have understood and where there may be gaps.
3. Develop a better understanding of questioning and how to leverage technology to quickly gain student responses.
4. How to use digital tools efficiently without dominating entire lessons and keeping teacher workload manageable. 5. How digital tools can be used for the effective delivery, presentation, and organisation of new material.
6. How you can enhance modelling through the ability to digitally record, capture and share your thought process.
7. How you can use digital tools to scaffold and provide cognitive supports to individuals and small groups.
Language : English
Topic : Digital / eLearning
Barriers to girls’ participation in education exist across the world. Education Development Trust has been leading the implementation of growth mindset girls’ clubs in areas where the need for change is most needed. In this talk, Dr Richard Churches will discuss work that has been done in Rwanda and Kenya, and the impact that these initiatives are having. Delegates will also leave with an understanding of how to implement an effective girls’ club and lessons that have been learned about their potential.
Language : English
Topic : Learning Environment
How is the world Best Selling Book The Secret important for educators? Growth Mindset can Transform your Teaching! A review of the research behind the Growth Mindset that is pervading popular discussion in the educational community. Delving into the methodologies that can transform your teaching and taking a practical look at how we can implement these not only in our teaching but in our daily lives.
Language : English
Topic : Leadership and Management
The what, why and how to develop metaverse-based environments for different educational purposes and applications.
Language : English
Topic : Digital / eLearning
How can we ensure that the feedback we receive from staff and parents is used to grow and develop our school? Is collaboration always a success? Who should have a voice? In this presentation, I will share my journey through a time of COVID and into a new future. I will be talking about how the use of parent and staff surveys, in addition to petitions and feedback have had an impact on our practice within the Primary School. I will also reflect on our student voice provision and where we can develop this further. In this anecdotal presentation I will talk openly about the challenges and opportunities that have arisen over the past 2 years and what links I have made between vulnerability and leadership.
Language : English
Topic : Leadership and Management
Some children struggle to read, speak, write and compute not just simply because they lack the basic skills but more so because they lack the basic confidence required to be risk-takers, communicators, reflective thinkers, and inquirers. The National Education Association, USA (NEA, 2017) asserts that confident students are more likely to speak in class, and ask for help when needed. They absorb material faster and are more excited to learn. Developing students' confidence should be every educator's, parent's, and people who work with children first and foremost priority. This session will equip you with innovative and seamless strategies that you can implement in your teaching learning context right away to start building the confidence of the future leaders in your care for their ultimate and immediate success.
Language : English
Topic : Innovative Methods / 21st Century Teaching