I’m going to be writing a series for the next week or two about TED and some of the presentations that I’ve been able to watch, although watch is such an inadequate word for what happens when viewing a TED presentation, over the past few weeks. I’ll be back to school reviews after I do a week or so of TED reviews. What I’m finding out in my early days of retirement is that there isn’t enough time to do what I want even when I don’t have to go to work everyday – or forever actually. But, more on that later, because what I really want to do is talk about TED and discuss the first of the TED videos that I’ve downloaded.

So, this is a blog about international education. It’s about international education because that’s where I’ve been for the past 19 years. But as most teachers know, education is very similar all over the world. So while I discuss educational issues, along with the school reviews that are probably the main reason that people come to this blog, in the context of international education, the ideas are germane to educational systems around the world. And, actually, I guess that’s what makes it international. Well, enough of that, back to TED.

TED is a both a conference and an organization. The acronym stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. The conferences go back to 1984 and the scope of the conferences has expanded over the years to include development issues, global warming, education and much more. Speakers are brought in each year to discuss an idea in 18 minutes. It’s fun watching speakers keep their eye on the clock, and after watch a half dozen talks, it seems that all the speakers have amped up on caffeine before they made it to the stage because you’ll see and hear some of the quickest talking in the universe.

So TED is a conference where some of the most creative people on the planet show up and over four days give these 18 minute presentations on an idea or a concept or an experience that has changed them or changed others around them or can change others.
These talks are interesting, generally quite funny, and designed to make the audience think and hopefully act.

If you go to the TED website, you can find over 200 talks available for downloading in either video or audio format. Everything here is under that Creative Commons license, so you are free to download the talks and use them. As the TED website says, their mission is to spread ideas.

The first talk that I’m only briefly going to discuss (because I think that you should follow the link and download it for yourself) is by Ken Robinson – actually Sir Ken Robinson. If you don’t know who Ken Robinson is don’t worry because neither did I before I was given a link by a friend to his TED video.

photo taken from ted.com

Ken Robinson is an author, former university professor, and speaker who specializes in creativity. He’s been an advisor to arts and education commissions, foundations and organizations around the world. He’s published several books and has a new one coming out early next year.

His TED talk is about how schools fail to recognize, develop and nurture creativity. It’s very humorous and hits straight at one of the problems with educational systems, as they currently exist.

This is a talk that all of us who are involved in education need to hear. Download it, you won’t be sorry.

I love to receive comments on my blogs; it shows that someone is reading them besides me (well, I know that folks are reading them by looking at the blog stats, but it’s nice to hear from readers anyway).

I do get a few comments, but most of them are folks listing their qualifications for a job at one of the schools that I’m reviewing. Please note that I am not a hiring agent, and I have no connection with the schools that I review. This is a completely independent blog and posting qualifications here is absolutely a waste of time. Additionally, not to be overly critical but most of the comments by folks looking for employment are phrased in such a way that no one would hire them. I had a comment recently that said, “I’d like a job in ur school. Email me.” Seriously, I hope that the person who posted this was not really looking for a job.

To be very honest about this, and I hope that it helps someone, you cannot just send an email with a few sentences about yourself and then finish it by asking, “Do you have a job for me?” No one would answer this type of email even if it was sent to the right place.

Finding a teaching position in an international school takes a lot of work: you need to have an impressive resume, relevant work experience, and strong writing skills. Please read what is on each post about finding employment and follow those instructions. If you cannot do that, you will never find a position overseas.

American School of Warsaw

The American School of Warsaw was established in 1953 during the early years of the cold war. ASW initially started with 12 students. It is only in the past 20 years that they have expanded from a K-8 school. They now provide education for students from Preschool through Grade 12. The ASW is accredited by the European Council of International Schools and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

The school is governed by a Board of Trustees which are both appointed and elected. The Board sets policy. ASW is administered by a Director along with Elementary, Middle and High School Principals.

The Director’s page on the website stresses the friendliness of the school, but also notes that it does not compromise academic rigor in its classes.

ASW has almost 900 students that represent 49 countries. There are over 100 teachers and specialists and the school has a low student-teacher ratio with an average class size of 20. Core subjects are Math, Science, Social Studies and Language Arts.

ASW has the IB program. It is a member of the Central and Eastern European Schools Association.

Afterschool activities include: chorus, chess, crafts, publications, sports, speech, debate, art society and many more. Athletic and Activities teams travel to such places as Bucharest, Budapest, Istanbul, Moscow, Munich, Prague, Sofia, Vienna and Zurich.

Graduates of ASW attend such prestigious schools as University of California, Berkeley, University of Chicago, Columbia University, Cambridge University, Yale and Harvard, University of Toronto and many others.

ASW admits students to Preschool who turn 4 by September 30^th. Students are admitted to Kindergarten if they turn 5 by September 30^th of the year they want to enter. ASW have a list of grade levels and ages online.

Mission Statement

We offer a rigorous, supportive and balanced PK-12 program in English for the international community of Warsaw that is driven by a strong commitment to prepare students for lives as responsible world citizens. Guiding Principles The American School of Warsaw will provide:

• An academic program of high standards that promotes excellence and mutual respect
• A faculty of the highest quality
• A strong co-curricular program
• A focus on the skills for success in a changing multicultural environment
• An emphasis on the whole child
• A variety of opportunities for parent communication and involvement

Facilities

The school moved to new facilities in 2001. They include a 350-seat auditorium, computer labs, science labs, library, an arts complex, two gyms, a swimming pool, and an early childhood area.

Elementary School

The Elementary School consists of Grades PK-5. There are around 400 students in this section of the school. ASW is a late starting school; the school day begins for all students at 8:50 and ends for the students in Grades 1-5 at 3:45. The Elementary School is structured much like other schools on the international circuit. Students have Math, Social Studies, Science and Language Arts with their homeroom teacher. They have specialists for their other classes which include: Art, Music, Technology, PE, Foreign Language, Polish Language and Culture, and Library/Research Skills.

The Early Childhood Program (PreK and K) focuses on physical, emotional, social and intellectual growth. Students at this level also work with language and math as well as science, social studies, movement, drama and music.

ASW has an ESL program for students who speak no or little English.

Middle School

The Middle School consists of Grades 6-8. There are about 175 students in the Middle School that come from 44 nationalities. The Middle School uses block scheduling, curriculum integration and team teaching in order to provide the most effective and age appropriate education possible. There are advisors at each grade level to assist students in their growth throughout the year.

Students take eight classes which meet twice a week in 90 minute blocks. Additionally, they have one 50 minute period on Friday. They can choose their subjects from these areas: Math, Social Studies, Science, Rotation Classes (such as Health, Art and Music which change every quarter),Language Arts, Language Classes (Polish, French and German), PE, and Exploratory (which changes every semester and is based on Middle School teachers’ interest).

In addition to sports teams, there are a variety of other extracurricular activities available for students. These include: Monday Fun Clubs, Honor Choir, Speech and Debate, Young Writers’ Retreat, Middle School Drama Production, MathCounts, Music Festival, Student Council and more.

High School

The High School consists of Grades 9-12 and offers the IB Diploma for those students who are interested and academically capable. There are 240 students enrolled in High School. While the IB is offered, it does not appear that AP courses are offered which I find a little curious as this is a school that works with an American curriculum.

High School students take the SAT and their average scores are well above the US average. Graduates go on the prestigious universities around the world as mentioned above.

Students need 23 units to graduate from ASW. These 23 units include: 4 units of Language Arts, 3 units of Social Studies, Math and a Foreign Language, 2 units of PE, 1 unit of Fine and Performing Arts, and 4 units of Electives. The ASW website has a complete listing and description of all courses including textbooks used.

There are a number of sports teams that students can join. These teams participate in tournaments that require travel. Students are responsible for their own costs for these expeditions which is somewhat unusual in that many of the schools that I’m familiar with pay at least a partial cost of team travel. Sports that are available for high school students include: soccer, softball, tennis, swimming, track and field, basketball, volleyball and cross country. Students that participate in team sports that require travel are expected to house visiting students when ASW hosts a tournament.

High School students can avail themselves of many extracurricular activities to balance with their academic schedule. Some of these activities involve travel around Poland or to other European countries. Some of the activities offered at ASW are: Dance Team, Art Club, Photography Club, Math Club, Services Club, Outdoor Club, Model UN, Student Council, Drama Festival, Rock n’Rota, and many others.

Employment

There are 110 teachers employed at ASW. 70% of those have advanced degrees, and three-quarters of the teachers hold US passports – good news for you Americans that are interested in working here.

Job openings are posted on the school website. They attend a variety of conferences. The school website gives three reasons why teachers should want to work at ASW: the facilities, the students and the opportunities. What they don’t give you is any information on their salary schedule or their benefits or precisely what they are looking for in a teacher.

The website does note that they do not hire couples if one of them is not a full-time teacher due to cost considerations. While this is normal for overseas schools, it is regrettable nonetheless, as it limits the choices of those teachers who do not have teaching spouses or who have very young children where one parent wishes to stay home for the early years. The website also notes that teachers holding EU passports are not eligible for employment

Teachers who are interested in applying for a position should send a cover letter, a cv, open letters of recommendation, and a complete list of all references and contact addresses to the school director.

While the school appears to offer some fine facilities and a pleasant work environment, the lack of information about salary, benefits and working conditions is a bit of a worry. I much prefer schools like WAB that come right out and lay everything on the line so that you know exactly what you are in for and what is expected of you before you spend time making an application.

About Poland

Poland is located in central Europe. It is the ninth largest country in Europe and is about the size of the state of Ohio in the United States. Being located in the center of Europe, Poland has had more than its share of difficulties throughout its history. It has been conquered by Russia, Prussia, and Austria, and at one time, from 1795 through 1918, it ceased to exist as a country.

Poland is known for its food and friendly people. It offers beautiful countryside, sandy beaches on the Baltic Sea, lovely mountains and a temperate climate. There are many historical monuments and buildings for the expat to visit. Travel is easy to and from the rest of Europe which makes Poland an exciting home for an international teacher.

So You Want To Retire in Paradise

Published in Escape Artist.com March 10, 2005

Once upon a time, there was a man with a band of children, a lovely wife and a house in Bali. Life was good, but this man thought that life could be better if only he didn’t have to work. This is the story of that man and his dream.

Bali. For some people the name says it all - warm seas, soft sands, cold beers, vibrant colors, exotic sounds, friendly people, large smiles, laughing children, a multitude of inexpensive small hotels and homestays. Bali. A land of wonder and magic set in the warm waters of the Bali Sea and the Indian Ocean. Hand planted rice, homemade religious offerings, vibrant cloths used in ceremonial clothes. Gamelan orchestras practicing in the warm nights under a brilliant moon, the mystery of a midnight village performance of the wayang kulit. Bali. A quiet walk through luxurious ravines teeming with birds and butterflies, the hypnotic chant of the village priest, the cry of the jamu seller in the tropical sunrise, the aroma of sate sizzling over charcoal-filled grills.

Take all of this and you have the seemingly perfect tropical paradise and, for at least one dreamy soul, the ideal place to retire and raise a crop of children. Of course, things are not always what they seem. You might think that I would have learned such an elementary lesson after fifty years of life in big cities and exotic ports of call, but then some of us are slow learners.

During almost a decade of living in the jungles of New Guinea while teaching a range of subjects from second grade through high school algebra, I gradually created a life in Bali during school vacations. My Indonesian wife and I had just finished building a new house on the edge of the Bali Sea as my ninth year in New Guinea came to a grateful close. I decided that it was time to “retire” to “home”.  The Plan was to work on eking out a living as an editor and freelance web designer.

What could be better: I had a lovely new house with a beautiful view of the Bali Sea to the north and the mountains to the south; an ISP had just opened shop a few kilometers down the road from my house; my wife and I purchased a new car; I had a local connection with a travel agent who wanted me to design a website for him; my children were installed in a reputable private Balinese school. This was the dream of a lifetime my friends told me over and over as I fretted about giving up a sizeable salary and the benefits of living in a well-designed model community in the lowlands of New Guinea. No more getting up at dawn to plan for the day’s lessons, no more aggravation of dealing with irritated parents, bored students, or cranky teachers. I was moving to Paradise. Good things come to those that wait.

Life did seem to be even better than my fantasies for the first few months. There were the occasional hassles with the Department of Immigration – the bane of wannabe expatriate residents. But, being a patient man - a former schoolteacher and principal - I was more than prepared to deal with a few minor bureaucratic inconveniences. Even after my children and I were threatened with deportation, I smiled, shuffled a bit, made some apologies and showed my material appreciation to the local authorities. Only after leaving the building did I snap the side-view mirror off the car. Life was good and retirement seemed to be a golden opportunity to develop new people skills and work on a new lifestyle.

As I sat editing articles and writing html code in my third-floor study, I would gaze out at the Bali Sea and watch my neighbors fishing in their outriggers at the edge of the coral reef. If I wanted a beer with my lunch, I could amble downstairs to the kitchen and pull one out of our gleaming new refrigerator. If writing html code started to blur my vision, I could have a lie in the sun on the balcony outside my office. I could work two hours, drive down the beach to a friend’s bar’n'grill, have a few cold beers and discuss the current cultural events on the island. A fifteen minute drive back home, and I could begin work again completely refreshed. Life was good and retirement definitely seemed golden.

One day a Balinese friend mentioned that my preparations for the monsoon season seemed to be a bit sparse. I had installed some drop-down rattan curtains to keep the rain off the balcony, but Nyoman seemed to feel that they were going to provide less protection than I needed. Of course, being a Balinese he only made this point in the most oblique and polite way. An American might have said, “You fool, do you think those puny curtains will protect you from gale force winds right here on the ocean.” My wife, being Indonesian, just smiled and said that everything looked very nice on the third floor and that I had done a lovely job. I had my little tropical house on the Island of the Gods - life was indeed good and retirement was offering more than I could ever have hoped for.

The rainy season (musim hujan) blasted upon us in December just as I left for Singapore to renew my Indonesian visa. I felt that the house was ready for anything. I eagerly anticipated a few days of shopping and eating in Singapore while I waited for my visa renewal to be processed. Even though it rained the entire time I was in Singapore, I enjoyed myself confident in the knowledge that my retirement home was safe and secure should the rains in Bali be anything like they were in Singapore.

Upon my arrival home, I noticed that main road from the airport to my house one hundred kilometers away showed signs of flooding, but I had a car full of toys and clothes for the children and was looking forward to seeing them. Life was wet but indeed good, and retirement meant never having to say, ” I have to go to work.”

A mild drizzle was falling from the evening sky as I pulled into my driveway. As I opened the front door of the house, a stream of water rushed past me seeking lower ground. Soaked towels were scattered around the floor and water stains streaked the walls. But no human activity was evident on the first floor. I abandoned my suitcases and dashed up the stairs to the second floor, slipping on the wet tiles and bruising my knees as I frantically clutched the railing to keep from tumbling backwards. Limping out onto the second floor, half of my wife’s extended family was rushing about with buckets, mops and towels trying to stem the torrent of water cascading down from the third flood. Noticing me, everyone smiled wanly and wished me welcome. I ran to the third floor stairs just in time for the electricity to flash out, flash back on and flash out once again. By the time I was able to find a flashlight and maneuver my way upstairs, I noticed that my beautiful, authentic rattan curtains were missing. Life was wet but surely good, and retirement meant having plenty of time to clean up the house the next day.

Apparently the north coast of Bali is visited by cyclones. I discovered this while questioning my wife and her brother about the location of my curtains and the tropical plants that I had lovingly cultivated in my balcony garden. The presence of cyclones was somewhat of a revelation to me after almost ten years of staying on the island during my vacations from teaching. I always managed to be off-island during the monsoon season and, of course, no one wanted to upset me by mentioning such an unpleasant fact of life in my tropical paradise.

Peering inside my study, I noticed my bed upended and the mattresses stained a deep red indicating massive water absorption. My computers, television, scanner and printer were piled on top of the desks covered with obviously wet towels. The power surged back on and the extent of the flooding was evident. Life was drier in Chicago, and retirement meant that I had no excuse not to repair the remnants of my former study.

A total accounting of the following three days of monsoon madness were: three computers power supplies shorted out, one scanner capable of creating a rhythmic knocking as it vainly tried to advance the scanning mechanism, a printer that printed a series of numbers and symbols generally used to signify obscenities, a television that hissed when plugged in, a microwave that flashed “888888″ and avoided  responding to programming, three rattan curtains shredded on the beach forty feet away, four beds that required three days to dry out, and seventeen roofing tiles scattered around the monkey’s play area on the first floor. Life in Paradise was coming to resemble the Garden of Eden after the snake dropped in to visit, and retirement meant having no place left to flee.

But, for the patient and the good, there are always solutions to problems. Humbled but hopeful, I headed off in my trusty Kijang to Denpasar to purchase new power supplies for my computers; I explained to my children that life would go on without microwaved popcorn, having only one television meant that we could watch it as a family and that using sleeping bags for a few days would be an adventure - they seemed rather doubtful. After purchasing my goods in Denpasar, I began making my way home in another downpour - life could be as good as ever, I reasoned, once I had my computers repaired and was back doing some editing and designing. The two-hour trip home stretched into five as the windshield wipers dropped off the car, one of the headlights suddenly faded to black, a tire blew out, and the ball joint began screeching. I arrived home drenched, tired and bleary-eyed from holding my head out of the car window in an attempt to visualize the road. Life in Paradise was a long, wet ride, and retirement meant living far from a freeway.

Eventually, my internet-connected computer was repaired, and I logged in to retrieve e-mail and ftp some updates to a webzine. Having no e-mail waiting was a surprise as I usually received several hundred a day from a multitude of listservs. Unperturbed, I logged in to the webzine server only to find that I was uploading an article at a whopping 15 bytes per second which rapidly dropped to zero. The connection timed out after twenty minutes of doing nothing. The ISP informed me that nothing was wrong with their server - must be me. After three days of playing with the computer and growing increasingly frustrated, I dropped by the ISP office to have a discussion about my problems only to find that a crowd of subscribers were there biding their time as they had no connections either. After a long discussion about our problems, the clerk admitted that the chief technician had left for a month’s vacation and no one else really knew what was wrong but someone from Denpasar would come up within a few days to track down the problem. Seven days later, I received a backlog of 4,587 e-mails. The connection was still impossibly slow and trying to ftp anything anywhere was useless. Life in Paradise meant having no alternative ISPs, little technical help and a surplus of rain; retirement meant having a lot of time to brood about life.

Cyclones came and went, we storm-readied the house, new surge protectors and stabilizers were bought for our electrical equipment. The monsoons departed for another eight months. Power returned to its usual semi-reliable state; the ISP technician returned and repaired the server problem; the car was serviced and rehabilitated. Life in Paradise once again returned to the peaceful, tropical rhythms that I love, and when a call came offering me a job in Pakistan, I accepted in a flash.

Today, there’s no review of a school partly because I’m just about to move (again, the fifth major move that I’ve done over the past nineteen years) and partly because I’ve managed to come up with some sort of illness that is as yet undiagnosed, but is fairly inconvenient and thus I’m at home away from the Internet and my research base.

All this being said, what I’m writing about today is Education. I capitalized the world Education today because I want to say something about what that word, that concept, that process, that institution, that we call Education means to us.

My friend here at the little school where I currently teach (and by the time this blog gets posted, I may not still be teaching there as my retirement is about to actually happen)) just returned from a trip to Singapore to take a look at several schools that are using the IBO’s PYP approach to education. When he returned, the first thing he told me about was the technology that the schools had as technology is one of my fascinations and has been one of the two main things that have supported me over the past 14 years – that is I’m what’s known in the education business as a computer teacher (I’m going to write more about that specialty next month when I get settled down in Bali).

Back to what Stephen told me.

The second thing that he told me after telling me about the great technology that these schools had was that he viewed these great YouTube videos about education, and in his excitement, he began reeling off quotes and statistics from these two videos. Not feeling well, I only took in a bit of what he was saying, but some of it went like this (and my apologies to Stephen if I’ve processed his words in slightly altered form from the way there were presented) – education is only educating part of the child, a kindergartner today will be retiring in the year 2065 (on a personal level, my youngest child will be retiring in the year 2058), the technologies that we will be using in ten years haven’t been invented yet, education is still working on the industrial model. There was a lot more, but this excerpt will suffice for today’s post.

So, first, you should view these videos if you are a teacher, if you are a parent, if you are a student. You can find them at You Tube. My connection here won’t let me in, but you can put in “Schools Killing Creativity” and “Shift Happens” to see the videos that I’m discussing.

Second, and this was my immediate response to Stephen, I’ve heard this before. I’ve been a member of EARCOS  for the past five years and before that SEATTCO. I’ve attended probably 10 conferences over the past 19 years that those organizations have sponsored for teachers and administrators working in the East and Southeast Asian region. I’ve heard this before. It appears that I said that up above so why am I repeating it. Well, if you’re giving a speech, repeating yourself is an effective way to get your message across. If you’re writing, it can also be an effective way to impress your point on your readers because we tend to read articles like these by skimming – where’s the interesting information? That’s what the reader asks.

Well, the interesting information here is that I’ve heard it before – and so have thousands of other teachers and administrators. The interesting question that follows is - so what? Is anybody hearing what’s being said. Well, obviously some people are, because the world is changing: companies get smarter in designing products, marketers get smarter in selling the products, artist and writers get smarter in creating their works. And back to Education (the capital E education).

Are the people who work in Education, who play with it and who think about it, are they getting smarter? Well, the answer is a qualified yes and no. There are schools around the world that are getting it, that are redesigning curriculum, that are retrofitting schools, that are thinking about what it is that we do in Education and how we do it. That’s the qualified yes. The qualified no? Most of us are not. We’re still thinking in the old way, structuring our schools in the old way, and teaching the old way. I can think of a few schools that aren’t, and I’ll discuss those in later posts. But, more than the number of schools that are what I’m going to loosely call visionary (it’s probably not best word to use, but for lack of a better one at hand, I’ll use that designation for now), there are a growing number of teachers that are coming to have a visionary approach to teaching and to our profession.

These teachers are beginning to move things and shake up the foundations of our fossilized institutions and our fossilized mindsets. But, it’s a long haul and there are a whole assortment of obstacles in the way. Just offhand a few of them are school boards, parents, teachers and administrators. Who did I leave out? Students.

Where do we go? How do we go about it? Those are the big questions. The first big question is obviously the most important. I’ll discuss this more next in later blogs when I get a chance to get settled in Bali once again and have my physical library and my virtual library at hand. But until then, what is it that you think about this?

Bandung International School

Bandung International School is located in the lovely town of Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. It is an IB World School. The school has 180 contact days per year and runs a 36-week school year. BIS works to develop students are international aware and “internationally educated.”

BIS is a private, non-profit, non-sectarian school. It has a School Board which sets policy and a school administration which implements policy. I found it interesting to see that this was listed on the information page of the website because I have worked at several schools both as an administrator and a teacher where the School Board mistakenly took their mission to be to set and implement policy. Always a mistake and a sign of trouble for teachers if a Board has too much power and thinks too highly of itself. BIS is accredited by CIS and NEASC.

BIS has students from over 25 countries. Because of the international nature of the student body, BIS implements an international curriculum and emphasizes Indonesian culture and language so that students gain an appreciation of their time in Indonesia.

The school educates students from Early Childhood through Grade 12. It has two divisions: Primary which includes students from Early Childhood through Grade 5, and Secondary which includes the Middle and High School students.

Fees are not cheap. The total tuition and technology fees run from US$3,700 for Early Childhood up to US$ 12,700 for high school students. Additional fees include ESL (should a child need additional instruction in English) and a Facilities and Maintenance Fee which runs an additional $1,400 per year for students in EC3 through Grade 12.

The School Mission

Through relevant, challenging and engaging programmes, we inspire students to become skillful and courageous, empowering them to participate responsibly, successfully and with integrity in the global community.

Early Childhood

The Early Childhood program has three levels: EC1, EC2, and EC3. Students start at EC1 at three years old and progress onwards. Students learn through inquiry as is the practice in all PYP schools. Students spend their day in specially designed classrooms for students of this age. Specialist teachers are employed in Music, Indonesian Culture and Language and Swimming. EC3 students also have specialist teachers for Library Skills, Art and PE.

The EC program has a special EC playground so that the children have a safe place to play and explore. Students in EC1 and EC2 have half-day programs, while the EC3 students have a full-day schedule. BIS encourages parent involvement with their children’s education.

The Primary Years

The Primary Years division covers grades 1-5. BIS uses the PYP of IBO as their curriculum. The curriculum centers around six themes (more on this next month when I write about IBO). The themes function on an interdisciplinary approach (and if you are not familiar with PYP, it takes some time to get used to the structure and the jargon that goes with it) and students learn using the inquiry method to build on their curiosity about the world. There are specialist teachers for Art, Music, PE, Indonesian Language and Culture, French (Grade 5 only), Library Skills, and Computers. Each Friday afternoon there is an Elementary Assembly. Students can pick from a variety of after school activities.

Middle School

The Middle School covers the traditional years of Grades 6-8. The core curriculum includes the Humanities, Science and Math. Exploratory subjects include Foreign Language, Indonesian Language and Culture, Computers, Fine and Performing Arts and PE. BIS works to make the transition from Elementary School to High School as smooth as possible. Like all Middle School programs, students are given increasing responsibility for their learning, as they get closer to high school. The Middle School offers a range of extra curricular activities.

High School

The High School program emphasizes critical thinking and applying knowledge to new situations. High school students are given the opportunity to develop a sense of global awareness. The curriculum is college prep and the school web site uses much of the usual IBO jargon of challenging students to be responsible citizens of the world who are able to “…think creatively, reason critically, communicate effectively and learn enthusiastically.” The core curriculum centers on math, English, social studies, science and foreign languages. Additionally there are a variety of electives in Computer Technology, PE, Home Language Studies, Applied Arts and Fine Arts. Graduates of BIS are awarded a diploma which is recognized by Council of International Schools and New England Association of Schools and Colleges. The High School also offers Advanced Placement courses that are needed by students who wish to study in the United States and get a head start on their university education. Activities for high school students include the Student Council, sports teams, and drama productions.

In addition to the academic program, BIS has extracurricular activites that create opportunities for students to develop skills and abilities in areas outside of academics.

Employment

Openings are posted on the school website as well as being listed in TIE Online and with Search. The school website notes that teaching standards are high and teachers are supported with professional development. It also notes on the employment page that the school uses a “demanding” PYP and IBDP curriculum.

The school website does not list benefits or salary. But, my guess from the last time that I was familiar with their salary structure is that it is modest by international standards, that is, don’t expect anything like you would get at one of the big schools like Jakarta International or the International School of Bangkok.

]]> http://theinternationalteacher.wordpress.com/2008/06/02/bandung-international-school/feed/ drbrucepk http://theinternationalteacher.wordpress.com/2008/05/26/canggu-community-school/ http://theinternationalteacher.wordpress.com/2008/05/26/canggu-community-school/#comments Sun, 25 May 2008 23:13:12 +0000 drbrucepk http://theinternationalteacher.wordpress.com/?p=36

Canggu Community School is a non-profit private school serving both the international and local communities in the South Bali area and uses the British National Curriculum and employs certified foreign teachers. CCS was established in 2001. There are over 300 students enrolled at the school in grades Pre-school to Year 8. CCS has a secure, purpose-built facility on a hectare of land. This school is located out in the boondocks of Canggu and if you are living in the Kuta/Legian/Seminyak area, it will take 15-30 minutes to get to school depending on the traffic.

CCS was built with Australian standards in mind; classrooms are 850 square feet and are quite bright. Each classroom has air-conditioning that the teacher uses at his/her discretion as the buildings are insulated against heat and humidity. The school has an IT lab with one computer per student. All computers have internet access, and CCS sees IT as an important part of a students education. Additionally, CCS has a science lab, a music room, a library, and a Multi-function Hall that they use for PE.

Parents who wish to enroll their child in school, need to make an appointment and should bring their child with them. Expats who wish to enroll their child before they arrive in Bali can contact the school and fill out an e-application. Canggu has a waiting list at all grade levels, and priority is given to siblings of current students. CCS is

Children are enrolled in a grade based on their age as of August 1. The school website has a very informative placement schedule which shows equivalent grades in other national systems compared to the CCS grading system. And just a note for that small group of parents who have “gifted” children who just have to be placed in a higher grade than their age dictates, the school website specifically says that higher placements will not be done. The school has set a maximum limit of 22 students in Year 4 and below, and 24 students in Year 5 and above. This is a fairly large classroom size for international schools. Generally schools limit classroom size to 18 if at all possible.

CCS is not one of the cheapest schools in Bali. It is interesting that on their very nicely presented website, their fee information is two years old which makes me wonder if it has been increased since then. However, based on the 2006-2007 academic year, the cost for a Pre-school student is $3,300 per year; $5,000 per year for students in Grades 1-6; and $6,000 for students in Year 7. They also have a late fee of 5%, but also have discounts for families with more than one child: 5% for a second child, 10% for a third child, and 15% for a fourth child.

In addition to the tuition, there is an annual building fee of $250 for Pre-school students, and $500 for Grades 1-7. New students pay a one-time registration fee of $300 for Pre-school, and $600 for other students.

The school website has an excellent Pupil-Parent Handbook in pdf format. If you are interested in this school either for your child or as a possible place of employment, I suggest that you download it.

Employment for Teachers

Prospective teachers are required to have a teaching credential, excellent language and writing skills, a commitment to professional development, and an understanding of the use of ICT use across the curriculum. It is advantageous for the prospective teacher to have updated first-aid qualifications, and training in ESL.

While the curriculum is based on the British National Curriculum it has been adapted for international use. Students in Years 2-6 take the SATs. Other assessment is school-based. CCS has an after school activities programs and teachers are required to sponsor one activity per week.

The school has a number of specialist teachers on staff. They are currently in an expansion mode so they are expanding their staff. You can find out about available positions on the school website.

Teacher contracts are generally given for a two-year period. Salaries are based on a teacher’s qualifications and experience and thus are not listed on the school website. Benefits include: assistance with airfare and relocation, a housing allowance, medical insurance, and a long-term bonus that is paid after four years of service at the school. Applications should be emailed to the school. An application should include: Full name, date of birth, residential address, contact details, professional experience, educational background, professional development, and the name of three referees. Interviews are done in Bali or London. If it is not possible to have a face-to-face interview, a telephone interview or video conference is possible.

No school reviews today, although I hope to have one later this week. It’s incredibly busy now with reports at school coming up and moving and trying to rent out or sell our house here in Sumbawa. Today’s post has to do with a few general comments about this site and sites similar to this that I’ve come across on the internet.

First, I am not a recruiter. Please, please note that and do not post resumes here. I have absolutely nothing to do with employing teachers anymore, and most of my friends who are in those positions are retiring now or have already retired. This site is meant to serve as an informational site for those teachers who want to work internationally and are looking for information on international schools and international teaching.

Second, I came across a site the other day through my StumbleUpon app (I love that thing; I have come across some great sites because of it) that offers reviews of international schools written by teachers who work at, or have worked at, the school being reviewed. This is a pay site.

Now, I have nothing against pay sites, and I have nothing against writing for money. (In fact, I hope to have two eBooks out over the next four months – one on the practicalities of moving to Bali, and one on international teaching.) But, I have some reservations about charging for other people’s opinions on schools. But, besides the pay issue, I do have some real problems with anonymous reviews of schools – whether positive or negative. If they’re positive, they could be written by the administrators of the school and be somewhat skewed, and if they’re negative, they could be written by a disgruntled former teacher.

Anyone who has worked in education for a period of time knows that some teachers can be real whiners, and I’ve worked with several (and I’ve gone through a few whiney periods myself). So, is it fair to a school and the school administrator to have an anonymous negative review posted by a teacher who is unhappy because of some issue that may be purely personal and not indicative of the general school environment?

I did read through all the free reviews (the site gives you limited access before you pay and get full access), including two of one of my former schools. I happened to agree with both of them, but I can think of several teachers at the same school who might have written negative reviews because of issues that affected only them. I understand, also, that some administrators take criticisms very personally and can be vindictive. So, how does a teacher go about voicing their complaints about a school or administrator openly without fear of retribution? I know on some teacher websites criticisms are voiced clearly but with vague references to the school in question. Those in the know can figure out which school is being reviewed, but for the new teacher…?

I’d like to hear from other teachers on this issue. Please feel free to contribute and, if you really need to, you can do it anonymously.

The American Community School of Abu Dhabi

More from the Middle East this week. I’ve never had a chance to get to Abu Dhabi, but there’s just something about what I’ve heard of it that is enticing. Well, here is a school with an impressive sounding set of values and programs that is located in…Abu Dhabi.

ACS was established in 1972 and is a non-profit school accredited by the Middle States Association. There are over 800 students from 46 nationalities studying at ACS. 45% of the students are American. There are 81 teachers on the staff and two-thirds of those have a Master’s degree. The student-teacher ratio is 9:1. The Elementary School moved into a new building in 2001. Administratively, ACS has a superintendent and three principals.

The Mission

The Mission of the American Community School of Abu Dhabi is to empower and inspire each student to define and shape his or her future, pursue his or her dreams and contribute to society. This mission will be pursued in partnership with parents through an integrated, college preparatory, American curriculum.

Core Values

We Believe That:

* Diversity with respect is a strength

* All people have equal intrinsic value

* People are responsible for their choices, actions and the consequences that result

* Transforming dreams into reality requires courage, initiative, and commitment

* People flourish in loving, caring relationships

* Learning empowers

Elementary School

ACS has over 400 students from 30 countries in grades KG through 5. The school uses an American based curriculum. Students have language arts, math, science and social studies with their classroom teacher and an assistant. Specialist teachers provide instruction in art, Arabic, music, technology and PE. After school activities supplement the academic program. The Elementary School emphasizes a close relationship with parents, and they are invited to participate actively in a variety of classroom and school roles. The Viper Values (my guess is that the school mascot is the viper) are also emphasized: Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Fair, and Be Honest.

The Middle School

The Middle School has over 200 students from around the world. Students take a core set of courses along with electives. The core courses are Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, PE, Technology, and Health. Electives include Technology, Drama, Art, Band, Choir, and PE. Middle School students must also take a foreign language. These include French, Spanish, Arabic as a Native Language, or Arabic as a Foreign Language. Students from Arab countries must take Arabic in one form or another. Students take a standardized test annually.

Progress reports are issued four times a year at mid-term and report cards are issued each term as well. We used the progress report format at Lahore American School, and I thought that it was an effective way to keep parents informed and to make sure that there were no surprises at report card time.

High School

The high school program is college prep. ACS Abu Dhabi is an IB World School. Students in the IB program are also required to complete the ACS graduation requirements. Additionally, ACS also offers two AP courses: Calculus and Chemistry. All students from Arabic speaking countries are required to take Arabic in years 9 through 12. Muslim students are also required to take Islamic Studies and need to take the Ministry of Education examination so that they can have the UAE equivalency for their graduation. Students need a minimum of 25 credits to graduate.

Facilities

ACS has an 8 acre campus. There are 60 classrooms that include a science lab and an infirmary. The school has a Mac lab (yes!) and students can access it before, during and after school. The computers are networked and connected to the Internet. The school is committed to using technology and has 380 computers for its 800 students which is an excellent ratio. Based on the website, technology is used by both faculty and students. The Library/Media Center is available to students during the same time periods as the computer lab. ACS has two athletic fields and a Fitness Center. The school also has a pool and has very strict guidelines about its use. There also is a Theater that is used for drama, music and student assemblies.

Activities

ACS has a wide range of activities where students travel to other schools for athletic and academic events and competitions. These include: basketball, softball, debate, fine arts, swimming, soccer, track and field and more. ACS also has the National Junior Honor Society, Student Council, and several publications that students can write for. ACS is a member of the Eastern Mediterranean Activities Conference. The EMAC sponsors athletic, arts and academic activities around the area. Some of the cities that ACS students recently traveled to for EMAC activities include: Cairo, Dubai, Amman, Athens, Damascus, and Kuwait City. The school pays for ¼ of the cost of the airfare for these trips.

Students at ACS also have the opportunity for field trips. Students in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12 take extended field trips as part of the curriculum.

The salary schedule for 2006-2007

The school website sets out the salary schedule clearly. This is always a great benefit when a teacher is looking around for interesting places to work while still keeping financial issues in mind. While at first glance the salary seems fairly low, when you take into consideration the Overseas Hire Incentive mentioned below under benefits, things look much better.

Teachers are placed on the salary schedule according to past experience (believe it or not, some schools pay all teachers the same regardless of how long they have been teaching). The maximum step that you can enter the school at is Step 7 if you have nine years or more experience as a certified teacher.

Step 0 starts at $20,239 and Step 7 for a BA starts at $31,512 and maxes at $36,114 for teachers with a MA plus 30 credits. A teacher with 2 years of experience and a BA would start at $26,426 which is fairly low, but don’t forget the OHI.

Benefits

The first two years you receive 17.5% of the base salary as an Overseas Hire Incentive. For the third and subsequent years you receive 18.13%.

· There are no taxes

· Tuition and Fee Waivers

· Staff Development according to annual budget provisions

· Paid physical exam at the start of employment

· Shipping of 500 lbs.

· Beginning and End of employment airfare.

· Medical and Dental insurance

· Can be paid in Dollars or Dirhams

· Death Benefit

· Semi-furnished housing including major appliances and bedroom furniture along with a one time furniture allowance of Dhs. 12,000 per household which is paid over a three-year period. You will need to stay three years to receive all of this.

· Paid utilities

· Car loan of up to 24,000 dirhams to be repaid over a 24 month period

· Annual leave to point of origin

· All school holidays

· Sick leave – 15 days at full pay. 30 days at half pay. Teachers receive an additional 15 working days per year in the full pay category which is added to the total number of unused days.

· Personal leave – 3 days with pay. May accumulate up to 7 days to be used for a personal business trip.

· Leave without pay – 45 days

· Maternity leave after one year.

· Paternity leave

· Compassionate leave of 10 paid working days for immediate family members with paid airfare to point of origin.

· Emergency Evacuation (non-medical) – airfare to safe haven (as designated by the school and a per diem. In case of emergency closing of the school, you may be paid up to six months of salary and all usual benefits (airfare, shipping, etc.)

· Emergency Evacuation (medical) – paid airfare to the nearest appropriate medical facility. If the Superintendent decides that the family needs to accompany the patient, airfare will be provided for them as well.

About Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi is one of the seven emirates of the UAE, and it is the largest. The city Abu Dhabi is the capital. There are approximately three million people living in the UAE. There is a large expat community in Abu Dhabi, and the city is known for all of the development that has gone on there over the past two decades.

Western Academy of Bejing

This is one of the most complete school websites that I have ever reviewed. I keep asking myself what else could I want to know about this school and the city and country in which it is located? The answer? Not much, other than making sure that all the figures add up. They have some contradictory figures on the number of buildings the school has which puzzles me, but other than that, this website is incredible. The school emphasizes on its website the amount of energy that is around the school and all of the things happening there.

WAB is a non-profit English language international school. The school was founded in 1994. It is an IBO World School that educates students from Nursery to Grade 12 (ages 3-18). WAB has approximately 1,400 students from 56 countries and regions. There are approximately 100 students at each grade level. US citizens make up the largest block of the student body followed by South Koreans, Brits and Australians. There are 38 languages or dialects spoken as a first language – English is the largest, followed by Korean.

Mission and Goals

WAB’s mission: “to educate our children to reach their full potential in a warm and caring community that fosters excellence and responsibility.”

WAB subscribes to the IB program which seeks to develop students who are:

• Inquirers

• Thinkers

• Communicators

• Intellectual risk takers

• Knowledgeable

• Principled

• Caring

• Open-minded

• Well-balanced

• Reflective

These educational goals are common to all schools that use the IB program. Really, any good teacher will work to achieve these goals with their students, but with the IB people, this becomes something of a mantra. Well, more on IB in an upcoming review.

WAB is a high tech school. All students use wireless laptops as an essential tool in their daily learning. The Middle School works on a 1:1 laptop environment and most students own their own laptops; the rest borrow them from the school. High school students are required to have their own laptop.

The school is built on a park-like campus and is committed to developing its facilities, programs and reputation. WAB has six separate buildings ; Early Childhood, Elementary School, Middle School, HUB – Sports, Arts and Technology Center, Properties Department and the High School.

WAB Curriculum

Early Childhood

The EC program is based on PYP and Reggio Emilia approach.

Elementary School

The school uses the PYP for students from Kindergarten to Grade 5. WAB supports over 10 home languages with an after school program.

Middle School

WAB uses the MYP for students in Grades 6-8. The Middle School program is centered around these areas of development: intellectual development, moral development, physical development, social development, emotional/psychological development.

High School

The school uses MYP for students from Grades 9-10 and the IBDP for students in Grades 11-12. Students may work for an IB Diploma, a WAB High School Diploma, or a combination.

Counseling

The school provides academic and emotional counseling for students including career counseling.

China Engagement

The school actively integrates the study of the host country in its program. This has an academic component as well as a community service component. All students in Grades 6-12 participate in a week-long China Studies field trip to different regions of China.

Student Programs

WAB has an extensive lineup of programs that were developed to provide a balance between educational needs and intellectual, social, moral, and aesthetic needs. These include:

• After School Activities
• Interschool Sports
• Choir, Band and Drama
• Cultural and Academic Activities
• Student Council and Student Leadership Programs
• Recreation and Adventure Programs

WAB also works on developing a strong sense of community and a positive relationship with the community through a variety of outreach programs and special activities.

Facilities

The school has some impressive facilities that include:

· 3 Gymnasiums

· 1 Swimming Pool

· 1 Adrenalin Fitness Center

· 2 Astroturf sports fields

· 1 Athletics track

· Tennis courts (5)

· Indoor and Outdoor basketball courts

· Vertex Climbing Wall

· Theaters (3)

· Libraries (3)

· Computer Labs

· Science Labs

· Music, Dance and Drama studios

· Specialist classrooms

· Dining courts and cafes

Employment at WAB

WAB is looking for teachers who are upbeat, passionate about teaching and learning, interested in living in China and learning about it, working as a team at a school that values its teachers. WAB has 174 full and part time teachers from 18 nationalities. A number of middle management positions are available at WAB and include Grade Level and Department Leaders/Coordinators among others. These positions carry an annual stipend of $500-$3200 per year.

The majority of teachers are Australian with Canadians, Brits and Americans next. 153 of their teachers are overseas hires. WAB is very specific in what they are looking for in their teachers. The list below should give the prospective teacher a very clear idea of what it takes to be a successful candidate at WAB. Do you have what it takes?

• A good match in applicant’s skills and expertise and WAB’s needs.
• A good match to WAB’s educational philosophy and pedagogy.
• A good fit with WAB’s culture.
• The right chemistry and a good transition

Here is the general profile for what WAB is looking for as listed on their website.

* Experienced and qualified teachers

* Fits WAB’s Philosophy and Values

* High level of professionalism and commitment to the school

* Child focused - warm, caring and supportive

* Team player – collaborative

* Ability to become part of a community and work with parents

* Flexible and adaptable

* Commitment to ongoing professional growth and development

* Skilled in IT

* Intercultural sensitivity

* General interest in China

* Stable in personal life

* Experience in school events and extra curricular activities programs

* Experience in coaching sporting teams and/or performing arts

* Experience in outdoor education & recreation programs

* Experience in school development

* Experience in and knowledge of inquiry based learning

* Able to balance high demands of work with personal recreational pursuits

* Preference to teachers trained in IBPYP, IBMYP and IB Diploma, First Steps programs

Pedagogical Profile

* IB – PYP, MYP or Diploma experience (or similar) - please see our IB pages for more information

* Inquiry-based and hands-on learning

* Using local context and environment to enhance learning

* Stimulating Classroom environment

Desirable Professional Experiences and Practices

* Multi-cultural approach or experiences

* Experience and/or training in working in an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) environment

* Experience in meeting needs of individual students and differentiating teaching techniques

* Experience in inquiry approach to teaching and learning

* Experience in activity based and hands on learning

* High level IT skills and experience in integrating IT across the curriculum

* Experience with contemporary practices in English and Mathematics

* Experience with authentic assessment practices

Salary and Benefits

Initial Salaries run from RMB 20,709 to RMB 25,459. The maximum step on the salary schedule for new teachers is Step H for teachers with at least nine years of experience. The current maximum salary is RMB 29,938 for teachers with 11 or more years of experience. So I would be at the maximum after three years of teaching there.

Benefits include:

• Relocation airfare
• Shipping charges and insurance
• Housing – serviced apartment with basic furnishings, utilities, local phone calls, broadband. Teachers may rent on their own up to a maximum amount determined by their contract. Single teachers receive $1,000 a month.
• Settling in allowance - $200 on arrival
• R&R Travel allowance
• Travel Allowance in case of death

• Chinese Income Taxes
• Pension/Retirement Plan – the school matches your 6%
• Visa, Residence Permit and Expert Card
• Health Insurance – comprehensive with medical evac provision
• Personal Accident and Disability Insurance
• Professional Development
• School Fees – Dependent’s Tuition Support

A teacher at Step H would receive RMB 4,151 for travel allowance. This is at 7.70 per dollar.

WAB prefers candidates to send email applications. A form is online . WAB attend the recruitment fairs. Interview appointments may be pre-scheduled ahead of the fairs.

Generally it is difficult to obtain an international school position if you are a single parent, but WAB hires single parent teachers, which is a definite plus. I wish more schools did this.

Teachers at WAB generally teach 30 periods of 40 minutes each week. They have 10 non-contact periods for planning and meetings and preparation. Teachers are expected to serve on at least 2 committees per year. They are also expected to provide two after school activities per year.

So here it is: the biggest review of a school that I’ve done. This school sounds really interesting. They expect a lot from their teachers, but the support offered also sounds excellent. The pay and benefits are good, but certainly not at the top of the scale. I would guess based on my experience overseas that a teacher could save a good amount of money working here. If you want to spend some time in China, this school sounds like a definite possibility. What I find very impressive with WAB is the way that they lay everything out on their website. I like a school that let’s you know what they expect and what they will give in return. You should check out their impressive website.

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