Closed Blog

Please be advised that I am no longer at MIST and the Blog is no longer being updated.

 

Thanks to all who have participated in creating the Blog as well as those who have read and commented.

Dr. Rod

Self Study Progress Update:

The following represents the progress as of the week ending June 6th, 2008.

Self Study Progress Update:

The following is the graphic chart representing progress for the Self Study - things have slowed due to the end of the school year.

Self Study Progress Update:

Currently we are behind on receiving progress reports from ALL committees and sub-committees. Whereas some of the Part B Horizontal and Vertical committees have met 3 or 4 times, others have only met once and one or two not met at all. Likewise various major section committees have NOT met and have not forwarded their minutes.




NOTE: The Summer School afternoon schedule will be released in the next week. It is very important that all sub committees meet and concluded their reports during this time.

Just 3 weeks left before the Summer School CIS Conference sessions!

Sub Committee B - Horizontal KG - Y2 Minutes

This report includes the steps that were discussed in the meeting of the sub-committee B Horizontal ~ Kindergarten through Year 2

Chair person Mr. Mark (Y 1 - 2 Teacher)

Members: Ms. Ilda (teacher)
Ms. Valmira (KG teacher)

The meeting was held on 30.04.2008.

• Weekly meetings have been changed to Fridays, period 7. Last week meeting was cancelled due to the chairperson called in sick.
• STEP ONE is finished. All the relevant information has been gathered, including a new philosophy for the KG-Y2 division that was created.
• Each member has their first set of questions to be completed for Friday May 9th based on STEP TWO. At this meeting the second set of questions will be distributed to each member.
• STEP TWO is to be completed approximately by May 23rd.

Member Discussion Item

The following presentation is being made available for the various committee members to discuss within their groups. It is based on the Scottish Ministry of Educations 'Curriculum for Excellence' model. Each part of this model looks at the purpose of our children being in school and the rationale for what we as teachers deliver to the student population. Many of the factors should be considered as to their relevance to the MIST Mission and Vision statement as they reflect the needs and desires of parents, the business community and the students themselves in our global economic environment and the best way to prepare our students for success.

Besides this overview graphic the video takes us step by step through the process of rationale and delivery.

Committees are encouraged to comment on the above material and to try to infuse this into their self study process. Drawing on outside materials is crucial in empowering us to develop a comprehensive and far reaching curriculum.

Sub Committee B - Mathematics VERTICAL

This report includes the steps that were discussed in the initial meeting of the sub-committee B: Vertical - Mathematics group who met on April 18, 2008. This is their report:

Chair person: Mr. Ismail

Members: Mr. Mehmet.

The Mathematics vertical sub committee met and discussed the following points:

Purpose of the committee and what aspects should be tackled first.

Since text book appropriation is currently a major point within the school it was decided that today they would focus on this area.

Primary Mathematics syllabus and curriculum. Specifically the appropriateness of our text books within years three to five.

We agreed the books were appropriate to the needs of the students and that we would continue to use them in the future.

Teaching style for primary mathematics:
Assisted teaching is more appropriate that lecturing for the primary classes. This should be developed further.

Years six through eight text books. The books are good however we need additional time within the schedule to allow the students to explore and demonstrate their understanding of the materials covered.

Secondary section – Year 9 and above. There will be a new text book for year 12 as this is our first year to have this grade level. Additionally we will change the text book for year 11. Years 9 and 10 will continue to use the present text book as it is appropriate to the needs of our students.

The next meeting will be on May 12, 2008.

Progress Report / Timeline 3

Sub-committees are now on their third and fourth meetings. Progress reports / minutes are slowly coming in. Please be sure to send me the meeting minutes as soon after your meetings as possible. I know there have been a lot of meetings but I don't have a 'lot' of mnutes to match them!

Documentation has been collected and is available in the secretarial office, or the office of Mr. Mehmet or Dr. Rod. Please RETURN all materials borrowed so others can use them.

Just 6 weeks left before the Summer School CIS Conference sessions!

IMPORTANT REMINDER - Academic Fair

Memorial International School of Tirana would like to remind all parents that the 'Academic Fair' will be held at the school on Friday, 9th of May. Every student will have some work on show. The students have participated in various projects and assignments during the second semester to show 'how' what they learn in school can be 'applied'.

Parents are asked to encourage their children in these final two weeks to complete their projects and work hard in refining their work. Students have plenty of time 'in school' to work in their groups as well as with their teachers.

Full details of times and activities will be announced next week.

Important Dates

School will be CLOSED on the following dates:

MONDAY 28th, April, 2008 to celebrate Orthodox Easter

THURSDAY 1st May, 2008 for May Day.

Thank you.

Sub-Committee B: Horizontal Primary Meeting

This report includes the steps that were discussed in the meeting of the sub-committee B: Horizontal - Primary who met on Friday April 4, 2008. This is their report:

Chair person: Miss Tinah

Members: Mr. Ahmet
Ms. Entela

The following was discussed and decided:

1. We must gather all necessary paper work in order to continue.

2. Request curriculum from Mr. Mehmet or Mr. Durmez

3. Obtain list of all teachers, their grades, and their qualifications from Mr. Mehmet or Mr. Durmez

4. Obtain timetable of all classes from Mr. Mehmet

5. Obtain documentation regarding which classes are required and which are elective, from Mr. Mehmet.

6. What is the school philosophy? Ask Dr. Rod. (Completed April 24, 2008 via email)

7. Summary of professional development activities. -> Saturdays at the complex, Turkish and Albanian teachers. Summary to be prepared by Miss Entela.

8. Obtain copies of assessment teachers from all teachers years 3-6.

9. Obtain documentation of learning activities.

10. Request resuts of student achievement for past three years.

Sub Committee B - English Vertical Meeting

This report includes the steps that were discussed in the meeting of the sub-committee B: Vertical - English/ESL who met on April 22, 2008. This is their report:

Chair person: Dr. Rod

Members: Mr. Timothy
Ms. Juna

The meeting opened at 13:40 and ended at 14:20.

The members discussed the following items:

1) Today's meeting would focus on Books and Materials

1. Creating a Student CD of English Resources: and Together the English teachers for grades 6 and higher will research materials to provide a resource CD for students in each grade. With the advent of many 'non copyright' books being available on line we can copy and create a mini library for each year. These could consist of the recommended reading books and the summer reading lists as well as poems and anthologies. For next week each teacher will create a list of recommended books and if possible sources for these book. We will then discuss which books fit with each year.
2. Summer Reading List - Create a recommended Summer Reading list for years 6 and higher
3. Concern over Year 11 and 12 Books:- the teachers of years 11 and 12 reflected their concern over the student text books for year 11 and 12. The debate centers around 'Are we teaching the English Curriculum and preparation for IGCSE or should we be developing the students understanding of Western Literature.' Specifically it is felt the books are inappropriate for our students and that the American Grade 11 and 12 English text books would be more beneficial to our students.
4. English Department meetings must be created and there needs to be open cooperation between the various teachers teaching English to specific classes. There are many times the 'right hand has no idea what the left hand is doing.' Likewise there should be cross curricular meetings with each Grade level.

Meeting ended.

Sub-Committee B - VERTICAL - English / ESL

This report includes the steps that were discussed in the meeting of the sub-committee B: Vertical - English/ESL who met on April 16, 2008. This is their initial report:

Chair person: Dr. Rod

Members: Mr. Timothy
Ms. Juna

The meeting opened at 13:00 and ended at 14:10.

The members discussed the following items and made the following preliminary decisions:

1) Role of this committee - Why we are meeting and what we will discuss
Five areas were identified initially for our attention:

1. ESL Curriculum / standards and preparatory classes for students entering school with grade inappropriate English levels or no English. Area of concern: How and when students should be returned to class and what support needs to be given.
2. English Classes - Scope and Sequence
3. Books and Materials - especially in the higher grades. Appropriateness. Cultural aplicability. Academic level.
4. English vocabulary and useage in cross curricular classes especially Social Studies and Science.
5. Using KSAT and Pre SAT assessments in years 9 and 10

The above will be discussed and reviewed in detail.

2) Meeting schedule: We will meet each Wednesday during PERIOD 6

3) Format of Committee:

1. It was decided to rotate the chair position. The first month it will be Dr. Rod followed by another member of the committee
2. Guests will be encouraged to participate especially other English teachers. If we need to co-opt additional short term members this will be done and the schedule of the meetings changed to accomodate the guests.

Meeting ended.

Vertical English REMINDER

There will be a meeting of the Section B, Vertical English sub committee on WEDNESDAY April 16th from 13:00 ~ 13:30 in Dr. Rod's office. Please bring your materials.

This will be our first meeting and we will discuss the objectives and goals of the committee, check resources we have received and set a schedule and timeline for ourselves.

What the Self Study means to me...

As Tennyson's poem Ulysses states...

I am part of all that I have met;
Yet all experience is an arch wherethrough
Gleams that untravelled world, whose margin fades
For ever and for ever when I move.
How dull it is to pause, to make an end,
To rust unburnished, not to shine in use!
As though to breath were life. Life piled on life
Were all too little, and of one to me
Little remains: but every hour is saved
From that eternal silence, something more,
A bringer of new things; and vile it were
For some three suns to store and hoard myself,
And this grey spirit yearning in desire
To follow knowledge like a sinking star,
Beyond the utmost bound of human thought.

I continue to be molded and shaped by the relationships I form around the world. The Self Study process is part of this lifelong journey and part of the shaping and molding that continues in my life.