Global Opportunities for Teachers Newsletter - Japan-U.S. Exchange, PISA, and More
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The application is now available for the 2014 Japan-U.S. Teacher Exchange Program for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). The program will provide 24 U.S. teachers and administrators with a fully-funded opportunity to travel to Japan to learn about ESD efforts and strengthen ESD curricula in both countries. ESD is "a vision of education that seeks to balance human and economic well-being with cultural traditions and respect for the earth’s natural resources," according to UNESCO. Twenty-four teachers from Japan will also travel to the U.S. as part of the program. The U.S. and Japanese teachers will have the opportunity to meet in both countries to collaborate and work on joint ESD curriculum development. For more information or to access the application, please visit the program website at www.iie.org/esdteacher. The Japan-U.S. Teacher Exchange Program for ESD is administered by Fulbright Japan and jointly funded by the Educational and Cultural Affairs Bureau of the U.S. Department of State and the Japanese Government’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. International School of Asia, Karuizawa (ISAK) is Japan’s first fully residential international high school and is set to open in Karuizawa (one of Japan’s premier mountain resort areas) in August 2014. ISAK will be offering the IB (International Baccalaureate), so that our graduates can choose from a wide range of top universities from around the world (ISAK has received IB candidacy status and is moving forward for final recognition).
ISAK is set to bring in students from Asia and around the globe for our inaugural class in 2014. ISAK’s admissions process has opened as of November 8, 2013 and will run until January 6, 2014.
For the past 4 years, our Summer School has also brought together Middle School Students from around the world for a unique and enriching international experience. In 2013 we received nearly 400 registrations from 35 different countries. We welcome motivated students who are interested in leadership, design and diversity to join us for our program in 2014.
 ISAK High School Admission: Opening: August 2014
Eligibility: Approximately age 15 (See site for details)
Application period: Nov. 8, 2013 - Jan. 6, 2014
ISAK Summer School 2014 for Middle School Students:
Dates: July 19 - 31, 2014
Eligibility: Age 12-14 (See site for details)
Application Period: Dec. 2, 2013 - Feb. 17, 2014
More information can be found through the links below:
Short Intro video of ISAK: www.youtube.com/watch?v=s36B-bKeluU
*ISAK has been featured in the following media:
South China Morning Post, The Straits Times, The Business Times, My Sinchew, Manila Bulletin, Newsweek Japan, The New York Times, The Japan Times
Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ISAK.jp
Visit our Homepage: isak.jp/ The Elgin Heinz Outstanding Teacher Award recognizes exceptional pre-college teachers who further mutual understanding between Americans and Japanese.
The award is given annually in two categories (humanities and Japanese language ) by the United States-Japan Foundation, the only private American foundation focused improving understanding and communication between Americans and Japanese.
The award consists of a certificate of recognition, a $2,500 monetary award, and $5,000 in project funds. It is named in honor of Elgin Heinz for his commitment to educating students about Asia as well as for the inspiration he has provided to the field of pre-college education.
Deadline for 2014: Applications must be received by the Foundation on or prior to February 5, 2014 to be considered for the 2014 award. For more information on this award and instructions for submitting an application or nominating a qualified educator, please review this informational flier.  The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), with the U.S. Department of Education, released the latest results from its Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), in Washington, DC, on December 3, 2013. PISA is regarded as the most comprehensive and rigorous international assessment of student knowledge and skills. The test is administered every three years to fifteen year-olds across 70 countries that make up close to 90% of the world economy. The 2012 assessment was administered in 65 countries and three U.S. states—Connecticut, Florida and Massachusetts. PISA is unique, as it is meant to measure how students think critically, problem solve, communicate and work collaboratively. This assessment is valuable to U.S. education professionals and policy makers alike as we continue to strategize about how we can better prepare our students for the new knowledge economy.
IIE staff was privileged to attend a briefing by Andreas Schleicher, Deputy Director for Education and Skills, and Special Advisor on Education Policy to the OECD's Secretary-General, followed by an important discussion on how the U.S. compares to other countries.
We invite you to gather your colleagues and discuss the findings. Complete information can be found at the links below.
Alliance for Excellent Education: all4ed.org/reports-factsheets/the-deepest-learners-what-pisa-can-reveal-about-the-learning-that-matters/
Global Exploration for Educators Organization (GEEO) is a non-profit organization that runs summer professional development travel programs designed for teachers.
GEEO is offering the following travel programs for 2014: India Spring Break, Morocco Spring Break, India/Nepal, Italy, Portugal/Spain, Amalfi Coast, Greece, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Thailand/Laos, Cambodia, China, Russia/Mongolia/China, Turkey, South Africa/ Mozambique/Zimbabwe/Botswana, Morocco, Australia, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Peru, and The Galapagos Islands. The registration deadline is June 1st, but space is limited and many programs will be full well before the deadline.
Educators have the option to earn graduate school credit and professional development credit while seeing the world. The trips are 8 to 24 days in length and are designed and discounted to be interesting and affordable for teachers. GEEO provides teachers educational materials and the structure to help them bring their experiences into the classroom. The trips are open to all nationalities of K-12 and university educators and administrators, as well as retired educators. Educators are also permitted to bring along a non-educator guest.
Detailed information about each trip, including itineraries, costs, travel dates, and more can be found at www.geeo.org.
A new book, Raising Global Children: Ways Parents Can Help Our Children Grow Up Ready to Succeed in a Multicultural Global Economy, published by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, emphasizes the need for today's children to develop a global mindset -- an indispensable tool for success. International Careers Expert Stacie Nevadomski Berdan and her husband, veteran travel writer Marshall S. Berdan, provide the rationale and concrete steps parents and teachers can take to open up the world to young people. Packed with practical information, hundreds of tips and dozens of real-life stories, this combination parenting-advocacy book is the first of its kind to detail what raising global children means, why global awareness is important and how to develop a global mindset. Enthusiastically praised by parents and professionals alike, Raising Global Children will change the way you think about raising and educating children. Read more about the book and this important topic in a recent article by Stacie Berdan in the Huffington Post, Working Together to Raise Global Children. |
www.iie.org/iienetwork • Member website of the Institute of International Education
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© 2024 Institute of International Education. All rights reserved.