Friday 20th October - Sharing expertise for school improvement

Travel to Hiram Bingham School (08.30 - 09.15)

Tour of Hiram Bingham School (09.15 - 10.15)

Coffee (10.15 - 11.00)

Welcome (11.00 - 11.15)

Workshops 1 (11.15 - 12.15)

1. Blue Ivy Coaching, Marcus DeWitt and John Kelly - Unlocking 4x Faster Learning: Harnessing VR for Your Children's Education

In this workshop, we will delve into the exciting realm of virtual reality (VR) and its potential to revolutionise the learning experience. Throughout the session, we will explore how VR technology can propel learning speeds up to four times faster, offering a dynamic and immersive educational journey for your children. Our workshop will cover a range of key topics, including:

- Understanding VR's impact on learning: We will dissect the cognitive mechanisms behind accelerated learning in virtual environments, shedding light on how VR can stimulate engagement, retention, and critical thinking.
- Exploring immersive learning scenarios: Discover how VR opens the door to interactive and lifelike learning scenarios, enabling children to explore historical events, traverse distant lands, and engage in real-world simulations.
- Personalised learning experiences: Learn how VR can adapt to individual learning styles and paces, enhancing the education process by tailoring content to match each child's needs.
- Overcoming educational challenges: Explore how VR can address learning challenges, making complex subjects more accessible and fostering a deeper understanding through hands-on experiences.
- Ethical considerations and safety: Delve into the ethical dimensions of VR in education and gain insights into ensuring a safe and responsible virtual learning environment.
- Case studies and success stories: We will share real-life examples of educational institutions that have embraced VR, highlighting the remarkable achievements and advancements witnessed in their learning outcomes.
- Hands-on VR experience: Experience firsthand how VR can transport learners into unique educational settings, enabling you to envision the transformative potential for your children.

By the end of the workshop, you will have a comprehensive understanding of how VR technology can amplify your children's learning capabilities and ignite their curiosity like never before. Join us to explore this groundbreaking frontier in education and unlock the door to 4x faster learning possibilities.

Marcus is the CEO of Blue Ivy Coaching, an educational coaching company in Latin America. Blue Ivy offers a diverse range of services, including undergraduate & MBA admissions advice, higher education marketing, global studies with a focus on social justice curriculum, and innovative VR education programmes. It has offices located in Miami, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and Central America.

John is the owner and General Director of Colegio Ikigai, a kinder and primary school in Mexico City. He also operates as a Metaverse and VR consultant, forging collaborations with educational institutions and companies on a global scale. Under John's leadership, Colegio Ikigai wasthe first school in Mexico to embrace the Metaverse, pioneering an educational approach influenced by the phenomenon-based learning principles developed in Finland.

Location: Room 27

2. Academia Britanica Cuscatleca (ABC), Stephen Lang - Defining high-quality learning

As a new Head, where does one start? I started with a process to review, refine and re-write our mission and values. Foundational? Making good use of the 100-day window? Perhaps. Ambitious, even risky? Probably. In hindsight, I am not sure I would change much but I do know this: having just led a process to define for ourselves what constitutes high-quality learning, I am ashamed that I left it so long.

Steve is in his 5th year as Director of Academia Británica Cuscatleca in El Salvador. Previously, he was Director of KISU in Uganda and has also held senior positions at St Andrew’s, Turi in Kenya, Baobab College in Zambia and Elizabethan High School in the UK. Steve is a published poet, a keen golfer, a die-hard Partick Thistle fan (a Scottish football club) and a daily devotee of The Times cryptic crossword puzzle. He is married to Jacqui, a geography teacher, and together they have three children.

Location: Room 23

3. Colegio Villa Per Se, Diego Valverde along with students Arianna Roeder and Ana Paula Delgado - Thriving against the tide: Revitalizing our greenhouse in a coastal challenge

Discover the remarkable journey of our school project as we tackle the unique challenges posed by our coastal location. Situated near the ocean, our school faces adversity in the form of saline-rich soil, limited freshwater access, and a desire to establish a circular economy based on sustainable practices like permaculture. During this presentation, we will delve into:

1. Greenhouse transformation: Explore our cutting-edge greenhouse redesign strategies, carefully crafted to thrive in salt-affected soil while optimising crop growth.
2. Saline water solutions: Learn about our ingenious methods for effectively utilizing salty well water, transforming it into an asset for our agricultural endeavors.
3. Circular economy vision: Witness our commitment to closing resource loops within the school, reducing waste, and fostering sustainability through innovative practices.
4. Permaculture philosophy: Dive into the principles of permaculture that guide our approach, promoting harmony between agriculture and the environment.

Join us on this journey of adaptation, problem-solving, and sustainability as we navigate the distinct challenges of our coastal setting. Gain insights into how our project is shaping a more resilient and eco-friendly future for our school and beyond.

Diego is a dedicated science teacher and sustainability coordinator at Colegio Villa Per Se in Lima, Peru. With a strong academic foundation in environmental science and marine biology, his passion for the natural world has driven my career for over eight years. As the sustainability coordinator, he implements eco-friendly initiatives within the school, promoting environmental consciousness among students and staff. Beyond the classroom, I am committed to raising awareness about environmental issues and advocating for sustainable practices.

Arianna is a key figure in the sustainability club "Sigma" and a driving force behind eco-conscious initiatives within the school. She is head of the ESD student committee, which champions the infusion of sustainable practices into the school curriculum.

Within Sigma, Ana Paula has spearheaded numerous green initiatives, promoting environmental awareness school-wide. As the other head of the ESD student committee, she plays a pivotal role in ensuring sustainability is woven into the school's educational fabric.

Location: Room 22

4. Newton, Claudia Torres and Richard Quantrill - The shift in focus from psychopedagogy to student engagement: our experience

Around 1999, student engagement started to be used as a predictor for academic achievement in education policy. Progressively, this concept has been adapted to school settings. Studies conclude that academic achievement and student engagement go hand-in-hand. At Newton College, we are transforming the psychopedagogy department into a student engagement department, where school-wide early warning data can eventually be used to address both individual and systemic barriers for student achievement.

Student engagement refers to the degree of will and intensity in which students commit to their learning process and is an indicator of the motivation they have to progress in their learning outcomes. It is defined by a group of psychological and behavioral components that develop throughout school life. These components can be systematically measured, allowing schools to find trends and, eventually, the causalities behind
academic achievement. This would allow the school to make data-informed decisions with a preventive approach to actively promote higher academic achievements in students.

Claudia earned her degree in special education, grauduating with top honours, from Universidad Femenina del Sagrado Corazón, where she specialised in hearing, language and learning disabilities. She received a scholarship to study her master’s degree in education policy at the University of Melbourne and graduated with first-class honours before returning to Lima. She has worked at International Baccalaureate schools for the past 10 years, serving as a tutor, teacher, Primary Years Programme Coordinator and Head of Early Years and Lower School. Claudia is currently the National Director of Newton College and remains actively involved in teaching. She is married and has one daughter.

Richard has a Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of Liverpool, UK. He furthered this education with a master’s degree in Latin American Studies from the University of London, UK. His journey relocated him to Lima, Peru. His professional experience includes serving as an IB Economics teacher and being Head of Upper School at Newton College for over 10 years. He is the Headmaster at Newton College and, beyond his administrative duty, he remains engaged in teaching economics. He is married and has three boys.

Location: Room 24

5. LAHC, Alan Downie - Getting the most out of the LAHC Review

The LAHC review is an incredibly flexible tool that can be adapted completely to the specific needs of a school. We will look at some examples of how the review model has been used creatively by different schools and explore ways in which it could be incorporated into continuous school improvement processes as a critical friend element.

Location: Room 25

6. Colegio Colombo Británico, Bibiana Maria Rodriguez Gomez, Carlos Andres Durango Polanco, Miguel Ricardo Quintero Giraldo - Empowering student safety and well-being

Our project is dedicated to ensuring the safety and protection of students within our educational community. It is an initiative that strives to elevate coexistence and well-being through various practices, including restorative practices, teaching and learning support, and child protection.

With a foundation built on essential values and principles, our project is a response to the daily challenges students encounter. We are committed to creating an environment where every member of our community feels secure, respected, and fully included.

Over the years, we have witnessed incredible transformations. Our focus on restorative practices has nurtured understanding, empathy, and conflict resolution skills among students. The teaching and learning support component has enhanced educational experiences, allowing students to thrive academically. Moreover, our unwavering dedication to child protection ensures a safe and nurturing environment for our youngest members.

We are proud of our journey and the positive impact it has had on our community. Together, we have fostered a culture of respect, cooperation, and growth. As we continue this vital work, we remain committed to empowering students, educators, and families to create a harmonious and secure learning environment.

Carlos is a passionate baseball and guitar enthusiast, armed with an education degree and a master's in innovative education. He is an MYP science teacher at Colombo Británico School, where he embarks on a mission to infuse science with boundless enthusiasm, making it a captivating and exhilarating journey for
his students. His heart and soul reside in both teaching and the classroom, with a love for science as vast as the outfield and a commitment to fostering innovation in education.

Bibiana has a degree in English as a second language and studies in educational psychology, bringing over two decades of teaching expertise to the classroom. Formerly the First Grade Coordinator, she combines leadership skills with a passion for early education. Over her six-year tenure at Colegio Colombo Británico, Bibiana has become a trusted educator known for inspiring young minds.

Ricardo is a learner, husband and father of a teenage princess. He is a perpetual PYP rookie, a fifth-grade classroom teacher and grade level coordinator at Colegio Colombo Británico Cali.

Location: Room 26

Lunch (12.15 - 13.15)

Workshops 2 (13.15 - 14.15)

1. BinnaEducation, Bernardo Alayza and Gustavo Ráez - Planning the innovation of your school

This workshop aimed at enhancing your capacity to design, monitor, and evaluate the integration, adaptation, and innovation of educational technologies within your institution. Guided by the "Innovation in Schools" conceptual framework of Apple Education, you will gain valuable insights and strategies to drive positive change in your educational environment. Don't miss this opportunity to empower your leadership and propel your institution into the future of education.

Bernardo is Co-founder and head of BinnaEducation, an enterprise dedicated to spearheading transformation and innovation processes for educational organisations. He is an Apple Professional Learning Specialist. His expertise lies in technology and innovation management with extensive experience in designing projects, processes, and methodological tools for innovation at the organisational levels. He is a lecturer and researcher in postgraduate programmes in Peru and international lecturer at the Pontifical Bolivarian University (UBP) in Colombia. He has a doctorate in Innovation Management in Engineering from PUCP University, master of philosophy in innovation policies for inclusive development and a master's in innovation and technology management.

Gustavo is an education specialist at BinnaEducation. He is also an Apple Professional Learning Specialist. He is a teacher, mentor and expert in technologies for education with more than 20 years of experience in diverse educative institutions.

Location: Room 25

2. Cambridge College, Ben Holman - Re-branding a school and creating a new Vision and Mission

The workshop builds upon Ben's belief that the branding of the school has to be aligned with the direction of travel the school community needs to go, not the past. The new Cambridge vision speaks to the importance of being a newly accredited IB School but also developing the notion of unique individuals who are not afraid to be different whatever that may look like. This session will take us through the Vision and Mission when Ben took over, how he retold the story of the school and how he engaged the whole community in re-branding the school so it reflects the contemporary context with a clear direction moving forward. At the end he covers strategic planning and the theory behind successful projects and finishes with the marketing behind working in a 'group' school.

Ben has worked in schools in the UK, Colombia, Cambodia, Brazil and now Peru for 18 years. For Ben, the enduring reason for being in education is the promotion of intercultural competence and the potential for everyone in education to grasp pluralism in their thinking. He believes that to be possible through delivering a curriculum that is both three dimensional (conceptual, skills and knowledge based) but perhaps more crucially holistic, developing intercultural competence and communication in more than one language. Ben perceives that if students, teachers and parents can all strive towards these goals through the experience of education as either the learner, facilitator or guardian, then we can move towards a society that is more balanced with pluralist thinkers.

Location: Room 23

3. Markham College, Ciaran Malanaphy - Net-zero in schools – Markham’s Journey so far

I would like to introduce our journey briefly at the front of the room, however the main focus of the session is to get participants up and speaking. The idea is to have the representatives in front of their stands sharing their experiences and answering questions.

Ciaran is a physics and mathematics teacher with a passion for renewable energy and the opportunities it offers us. He grew up and studied in the UK before moving to Peru in 2018 looking for adventure. His fiancé is expecting their first child in November and they love surfing.

Co-presenters are:

- Aleshka Pardo (student)
- Tadeo Alban (student)
- Luca Dotto (student)
- Caila Munchen (student)
- Enrique Lulli (CEO of Hidroponika)
- Eduardo Montero (CEO of Gamma Solar) +1
- David Torres (Director, Regenera) + 1

Location: Room 22

4. LAHC, Maureen Fleming - The LAHC Safeguarding Roadmap: a tool to support continuous improvement of safeguarding provision

Maureen will take participants on a tour of the LAHC Safeguarding Roadmap, indicating how it can be used in practice to establish and monitor an action plan to support a process of continuous improvement, wherever the school finds itself on the safeguarding journey. There will be plenty of opportunities for questions and discussion.

Maureen has spent over 30 years in Colombia, dedicated to teaching and leading in international schools. Her most recent position, before retiring from full time employment, was as the Head of Colegio Gran Bretaña in Bogotá. She now works part time for LAHC as Review Coordinator and Safeguarding Lead, and represents LAHC on the International Task Force for Child Protection and the Safeguarding Coalition. She is also a member of the Board of Governors of the Buckingham School in Bogotá, having served as Chair from 2020 to 2022.

Location: Room 24

5. Falkland Islands Schools, Gaynor Kilmister - Creating Active Schools – Whole school approach

This workshop will look at the following aspects:

- Research – evidence of the effects of physical activity
- What is an active school?
  Group activity to generate ideas
- No part of the school day should be overlooked!
  Group Activity – active lessons
- What did we do?
  The journey so far and how this has informed the implementation in the Falkland Islands
- Policy Environment Stakeholders Opportunities
  What worked? What didn’t?
- What did we learn and how is that shaping the vision and ethos for an Active School in the Falklands

Gaynor is the Principal of the Infant Junior School and Camp Education, Falkland Islands, a role she has held for almost two years. Prior to her move to the Falkland Islands she gained a wealth of experience working within UK primary school settings and has held a range of middle and senior leader posts. Following on from the UK work Gaynor took part in ‘Creating Active Schools’ as she recognised that the Falklands unique environment and opportunities to develop an active curriculum could easily be achieved. She is developing a whole school ethos that embraces activity across all aspects of the school day.

Location: Room 26

Student presentations (14.15 - 14.30)

Closing session (14.30 - 15.15)

Optional networking activities (15.30 - 18.00)

Orchestra and choir concert (19.00 - 19.45)

Cocktail (20.00 - 20.30)

Dinner (20.30 - 22.00)