From the Director of the International School of Prague, Dr. Arnie Bieber Dear Friends and Colleagues, On behalf of the International School of Prague community, it is a pleasure to invite you to attend and participate in the 28th annual CEESA Conference this March in the beautiful city of Prague. Described in ancient texts as “The City of 100 spires” and “The Golden City”, Prague is a true jewel in the heart of Europe. Here, in this wondrous city, youRead more
Posts filed in: Professional Learning Community (PLC)
My Visit to China
While headquartered in London, ECIS is a global organization with over 400 member schools in over 90 countries on six continents. Last week in my capacity as Chair of ECIS Board of Trustees, I had the honor to help launch our new ECIS China office, in Beijing. It was an exciting time of visiting schools, meeting with ECIS China colleagues, Chinese educators and international school representatives from throughout the country and making new friends. It was my first visit to BeijingRead more
“The Shadow Knows”… a day in the life of a student
As Director of the International School of Prague (ISP), I like to believe that I work hard every day, but yesterday I gained a new perspective on hard work, having “shadowed” Grace, a grade 9 student at ISP, for a day. While I often visit classrooms and observe kids learning and teachers teaching, spending a full day shadowing one student, from class to class, as well as lunch, is a very different experience and one I highly recommend, especially to other school decision makers. IRead more
Guiding Light Lost – Grant Wiggins
I was saddened to learn that a great leading light in the world of progressive education had passed away, Grant Wiggins. Although I had the opportunity to meet Grant on a few occasions, I did not know him well. Nonetheless, his work had a profound impact on me and my work and the work of thousands of educators from around the world. Grant was an educational leader who was willing to “tell it like it is.” Among many other important contributions,Read more
The “Edge” in Education
At the International School of Prague, we believe that a great school is one that is committed to bringing to life, an ambitious and forward thinking mission and vision. In order to continue to remain relevant to twenty-first century learners, it is crucial that all members of the school community have the opportunity to provide perspective and ideas in furthering the mission. With the goal of thinking out of the box and generating innovative ideas, ISP teachers have formed themselvesRead more
Parent Focus Group and Project Based Learning
Over the past year, teachers at the International School of Prague have formed Professional Focus Groups (PFG) based on their own professional interests. The purpose of these groups is for teachers to interact from elementary through high school and focus on their practice, as well as moving the school toward providing an “authentic global education.” These open ended groups empower teachers to think outside the box and to innovate without the usual limitations found in traditional school organizational structures. TheRead more
Growing the School Mission
A school mission statement that expresses the purpose, values and vision of a school in a few compelling words can have a powerful impact on the school change process. In order to remain relevant and meaningful to the school community, the mission should be developed through an inclusive process in which all constituencies have a voice. The mission process itself is as important as the final product in that it serves as a way for the community to crystallize theRead more
