PUBLICATION
International School Leader Magazine
Latest issue – February 2024
FEBRUARY 2024
WELCOME
Last month, I was lucky enough to join over 30,000 of the global education community at BETT London 2024. I was struck by not only the scale of the event but also the international reach, with both exhibitors and attendees from all over the world. As I reflect on the fascinating talks and cutting-edge product demos as well as the countless engaging conversations, it is clear that the future of education is one of creativity, diversity and innovation.
January also saw the 2024 International School Awards with initiatives from the 14 winning schools being showcased in an online ceremony hosted on the ISC Community. A huge congratulations to the winners, many of whom will be writing articles for upcoming editions of the International School Leader magazine.
It’s certainly been a busy start to the year but one full of inspiration, and I am sure that this month’s edition of the magazine will leave you feeling similarly. From AI and EdTech to new approaches in leadership and change, I hope these wide-ranging and thought-provoking articles will give you a well-deserved boost to carry you forward to the rest of 2024.
Adam Gray-Sims
Editor
In this issue
How do you enjoy reading our magazine? We keep options open for you! You can access all articles featured in the latest issue below, or download a PDF version via the ISC Research Community. If you’ve not already done so, click here to sign up to the ISC Community!
Empowered leaders empowering learners
UNIS Hanoi believe strongly that great leaders are made, and not born. Megan Brazil and Jenny-Lee Moore from UNIS Hanoi share some advice to help empower international school leaders. Read more
Action research as an improvement driver in international schools
By engaging in action research projects, a team of advanced skills teachers have successfully improved the quality of teaching and learning against the school improvement plan. By supporting practice with educational research and emphasising the ‘why’ behind improvement efforts, staff members have bought into the process and are achieving more meaningful progress. Read more
Hybrid learning partnerships: three ways to support your school’s growth
A hybrid learning partnership can be the key to steadying, expanding and futureproofing your international school. Delivering world-class, live, interactive teaching fully online, 2023 COBIS Award winner King’s InterHigh is a solution international schools trust. Read more
AI is coming to school. Are we ready?
Imagine walking into a classroom where an artificially intelligent tutor provides individualised instruction to each student. Where a virtual assistant instantly answers questions, summarises passages of text and offers writing suggestions. And where algorithms analyse reams of data to flag students at risk of falling behind. This vision of an AI-powered classroom is closer than you may think, but is it what we want? Read more
Building consensus for a meaningful AI policy
Since ChatGPT became publicly available in November 2022, schools have been reeling from the effects of artificial intelligence. In this article, Chris Ferrara discusses ways schools can build a consensus for a meaningful AI policy. Read more
Growing through kindness
In light of World Kindness Day, Lauren Kelley, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Coordinator, ACS International Schools, discusses the pivotal role that kindness plays in ACS’ organisational values and what kindness looks like in an educational setting. Read more
Navigating edtech challenges in international K-12 schools
Educational technology has the power to transform learning in international schools. Technology can help teachers and administrators create an inclusive, flexible and adaptive learning environment that helps to prepare students for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. Dr Megan Conrad from ExploreLearning shares some advice to help international schools choose effective edtech products that work for their students. Read more
Restorative practices and Third Culture Kids
Alistair Goold discusses restorative practices – a growing phenomenon gaining traction in international schools – which hold the promise of transforming school culture and climate through evidence-based methodologies. Read more
Make bilingual CPD part of your leadership development strategy
One problem that often appears in schools with a high proportion of local staff is the difficulty they have in accessing the plethora of professional development opportunities that are only accessible to those with a professional or proficient level of English. There is a solution, which does not seem to be common practice, which is to deliver professional development programmes bilingually. Jeremy Newton shares some tips to help international educators clarify what is possible and how to implement a professional development programme at their school. Read more
The Third Space – A reflection on ways we develop our sense of context, community and culture as international schools
As the sector has evolved from primarily teaching the children of globally mobile expats, to a demographic increasingly made up of local students, there is a mandate upon school leaders to consider ways in which the values and curricula of our schools should evolve to meet the changing needs of our students. Simon Probert reflects on the changing international school sector. Read more
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