Saturday, 26 December 2015

Teacher: Why I burned out and what I did about it

It's official, teachers must relax over Christmas to avoid burnout

Teachers' Workload - The Guardian 2015

10 Big Ideas of School Leadership | Edutopia

10 Big Ideas of School Leadership | Edutopia

Teacher Development and Leadership Research Review | Edutopia

Teacher Development and Leadership Research Review | Edutopia

School Leadership: Resource Roundup | Edutopia

School Leadership: Resource Roundup | Edutopia

An advice for Leaders!!

Norway is the best place to live in the world, according to the UN

Saturday, 12 December 2015

THE WHOLE-SCHOOL SUSTAINABILITY FRAMEWORK - Guiding Principles for Integrating Sustainability Into All Aspects of a School Organization

http://centerforgreenschools.org/sites/default/files/resource-files/Whole-School_Sustainability_Framework.pdf

Stephanie K. Barr, Jennifer E. Cross, & Brian H. Dunbar Institute for the Built Environment • Colorado State University

The Whole-School Sustainability Framework | Edutopia

The Whole-School Sustainability Framework | Edutopia

Καλές Γιορτές!!!

Στην συναυλία θα παίξει και ο Χρήστος Διαμαντίδης junior, ανερχόμενος κιθαρίστας :-)

Paris climate deal: nearly 200 nations sign in end of fossil fuel era

Paris climate talks: delegates reach agreement on final draft text - HOPE!!!

Monday, 7 December 2015

First day on the "UNESCO International Seminar"

HOPE Framework - A guide for education practitioners to contribute to achieving quality education and sustainable development for all.

ACCU - Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO

First day on the "UNESCO International Seminar"

A thought:

... before we talk about implementing ESD in our curriculum we should think to promote creative and critical thinking skills along with citizenship and then promote concepts such as sustainability, perspective and innovation in an interdisciplinary leve , taking into account communities and their needs, in a project based approach. 

ESD: Education for Sustainable Development



First day on the "UNESCO International Seminar"

Getting Climate-Ready ASPnet Schools' response to climate change - 7 and 8 of December 2015 in Paris.

Tuesday, 16 June 2015

Project Design: Overview and Student Learning Guide

The essence of teaching ...

17 Teacher-Tested Ways to Find Free or Cheap Stuff for Your Classroom

The Ultimate STEM Guide for Kids: 239 Cool Sites About Science, Technology, Engineering and Math July 14, 2014 by DS Examiner

6 STEPS FOR BUILDING A COLLABORATION CLASSROOM

Teachers, break free of your cages – and this book might just help

Tom Bennett: Don't call me 'tsar' Tom Bennett

Friday, 12 June 2015

The emissions abyss (and why climate action in the next 5 years is critical)

Can the divestment movement tame climate change?

PBL and formative assessment go hand-in-hand.

Little Talks Guitar Cover by Lego Mindstorms EV3

15 Things Teachers Wish Everyone Knew

The Next Generation Science Standards

What Is This Thing Called STEM?

What Is This Thing Called STEM?

Wednesday, 10 June 2015

Top 12 Summer Tips for Top Teachers | Edutopia

Top 12 Summer Tips for Top Teachers | Edutopia

Can teachers ever have a work-life balance? Teaching is stressful, but it's not unprofessional to have a life - Sean Reid

http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2011/dec/07/teachers-work-life-balance
Sean Reid is a PGCE tutor for the University of Buckingham

Top 10 tips on how teachers can improve their work-life balance Experts share their views on how teachers can manage workloads and avoid burnout – without falling behind on marking • How can teachers get a better work-life balance? – live chat

Bloodhound supersonic car gets its 'feathers' Jonathan Amos Science corresponden

Top Tip from the learning wall at @IOE_London c/o Sir Ken of Narnia

Max Ventilla used to run a team that personalized your search results—now he wants to do the same for kids' education. June 10, 2015 by Adam Satariano

Lessons from history: 100-year-old blackboards reveal teaching techniques from a bygone era William Martin

Monday, 8 June 2015

Secret Teacher: I’m fleeing the UK to find work-life balance

What do you mean by "Teachers' Development"? Add your opinion if you wish to!

Teachers' development.
  There are a lot of definitions that approach the meaning of teachers' development from different perspectives.  Some of them are presented bellow.
  Porter and Henderson (Karagiannes G., 2005, p.38) give a sweeping definition.  They mention that development is the summation of activities and measures which are adopted and applied with exclusive and primary aim to develop the academic or practical and personal or professional knowledge, skills, interests and abilities of teachers during their service.
  Another definition that connects development with the every day teaching is given by Maurogiorgos (Karagiannes G., 2005, p.39).  He mentions that development must have as a primary and basic aim the scientific support of teachers, in order to be in position to make reasonable and conscious choices, after they have examined the starting points, the aims and implications of their educational act, as to the material and ideological terms of their school and society.
  Hargreaves (Karampiny P., 2005, p.139) gives emphasis to the personal development, saying that development is a continuous and repeated procedure, organized systematically, which is placed among life long learning and adult education, and creates favorable terms for professional and personal development of the teachers.
  Grossman (Phocialy P., 2005, p.132) gives emphasis in procedures that lead to professional development, through which teachers must develop ideas and visions that have to do with school culture, professionalism and the awareness of their social part.
  Finally, what does development means and to what does it aim? Summarizing, someone may say that teachers' development, either the organized one or the one that is leaned in experience or self development or the informal development through the exchange of experiences, is a procedure that is placed among lifelong teachers' education and aims at their personal development and by extension to their professional development.
  The teacher is a distinctive personality that demands, within the frameworks of his job, to be heard, trusted, respected, looked up to, watched out and encouraged (John Mac Beath, 2005, p.36).  Through teachers' development a lot of these could be achieved.

Greek References (in Greek)

Καραγιάννης Γ., Στάγια Π., Τσιρίκου Μ., (2005), «Η συμβολή της επιμόρφωσης στην αποσαφήνιση και τον επαναπροσδιορισμό του ‘ρόλου’ του εκπαιδευτικού», Σύγχρονη Εκπαίδευση, τεύχος 141, σ.38-52.
Καραμπίνη Π., Ψίλου Ε., (2005) «Επιμόρφωση και επαγγελματική ανάπτυξη των εκπαιδευτικών της Δευτεροβάθμιας Εκπαίδευσης στην Ελλάδα: Εμπειρική έρευνα και συμπεράσματα», στο Μπαγάκης Γ., (2005) Επιμόρφωση και επαγγελματική ανάπτυξη του εκπαιδευτικού, Μέρος 1Β, ΜΕΤΑΙΧΜΙΟ, Αθήνα.
Κρουσταλάκης Γ.Σ., (1998) Διαπαιδαγώγηση, πορεία ζωής, Γ’ έκδοση, Αθήνα, εκδόσεις ΨΠ1 Φιλοσοφική Σχολή Πανεπιστημίου Αθηνών.
Μαυρογιώργος Γ., (1999) «Επιμόρφωση εκπαιδευτικών και επιμορφωτική πολιτική στην Ελλάδα», στο Αθανασούλα-Ρέππα Α., Ανθοπούλου Σ., Μαυρογιώργος Γ., Κατσουλάκης Σ., (1999) Διοίκηση Εκπαιδευτικών Μονάδων, 2ο κεφάλαιο, Τόμος Β’, ΕΑΠ, ΠΑΤΡΑ.
Φωκιάλη Π., Κουρουτσίδου Μ., Λέφας Ε., (2005) «Ζήτηση για επιμόρφωση: Οι συνιστώσες της επαγγελματικής ανάπτυξης των εκπαιδευτικών», στο Μπαγάκης Γ., (2005) Επιμόρφωση και επαγγελματική ανάπτυξη του εκπαιδευτικού, Μέρος 1Β, ΜΕΤΑΙΧΜΙΟ, Αθήνα.
Day Christopher, (2003) Η εξέλιξη των εκπαιδευτικών – Οι προκλήσεις της δια βίου μάθησης, Tυποθήτω, Αθήνα.
HAEF (2004-2008), "ΕΝΗΜΕΡΩΣΗ", περιοδική έκδοση του Ελληνοαμερικανικού Εκπαιδευτικού Ιδρύματος, issues 55, 56, 57, 59 & 62, Athens.
Javeau Claude, (2000) H έρευνα με ερωτηματολόγιο. Το Εγχειρίδιο του Καλού Ερευνητή, Τυπωθήτω, Αθήνα.
John MacBeath, (2005) «Μπορούν να μάθουν οι εκπαιδευτικοί», στο Μπαγάκης Γ., (2005) Επιμόρφωση και επαγγελματική ανάπτυξη του εκπαιδευτικού, Μέρος 1Α, ΜΕΤΑΙΧΜΙΟ, Αθήνα.

English References

Earley P., Bubb S., (2005), Leading and Managing Continuing Professional Development: developing people developing schools, Paul Chapman Publishing, London.
ERIC (2009)
[Last accessed 01 February 2009].
Huberman M., (1989), "The Professional Life Cycle of Teachers", Teachers College Record, 91 (1), Fall, Columbia University.
Kelchtermans G., (1993), "Getting the story, understanding the lives: From career stories to teachers’
Professional Development", Teaching and Teacher Education, 9 (5/6) 443-456, Great Britain.
NFER (2009)
[Last accessed 15 January 2009].
School zone resources-educational intelligence (2009)   http://www.schoolzone.co.uk/resources/articles/career/training/Teachers_CPD.asp
[Last accessed 18 January 2009].
School zone resources-educational intelligence (2009)
[Last accessed 18 January 2009].
Wiliam D., Lee C., Harrison C. and Black P., (2004), "Teachers developing assessments for learning: impact on student achievement", Assessment in Education:  Principles, Policy & Practice, 11 (1) 49-65

Το σεμινάριο Project Based Learning στο Κολλέγιο τελείωσε για φέτος!! Καλή αντάμωση του χρόνου!!

Project Based Learning workshop 2015, Hellenic American Educational Foundation








Saturday, 30 May 2015

Teachers in Scotland ‘work an extra 11 hours’, EIS survey finds

H.O.T. / D.O.K.: Teaching Higher Order Thinking and Depth of Knowledge: More Than a Ride: Why Every Educator, Student, Par...

H.O.T. / D.O.K.: Teaching Higher Order Thinking and Depth of Knowledge: More Than a Ride: Why Every Educator, Student, Par...: Don't dismiss TOMMOROWLAND as another marketing ploy by Disney to buy merchandise or visit their parks by making a movie about one of...

Redraw The Line

"We are still waiting for a binding international commitment that will drive our nations to respond to the climate challenge as a global community; however, there are agents of change responding to climate change at every level. The Asia-Pacific Media Alliance for Social Awareness (The Media Alliance), with the support of the Swedish Government and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), are working jointly to promote positive social action and behaviour change on critical issues facing the region today, particularly climate change...."

http://www.redrawtheline.org/

Project Design: Overview and Student Learning Guide

PBL Essential Elements Checklist

Wednesday, 27 May 2015

Επιμορφωτικό σεμινάριο στο Project Based Learning για καθηγητές όλων των βαθμίδων και ειδικοτήτων!

Σάββατο,30 Μαΐου 2015, 09.15-11.45 
Θέμα:H αξία του Project Based Learning για τη διδακτική πράξη 
Εισηγητές:Φ. Διαμαντίδης,M.Ed.,Μ.Α.,Καθηγητής Γυμνασίου–Λυκείου Κολλεγίου Ψυχικού, Στασινή Φράγκου,Ph.D.,Καθηγήτρια Γυμνασίου Κολλεγίου Ψυχικού 

Σάββατο, 6 Ιουνίου 2015, 09.15-14.30 Θέμα: Οργανώνοντας ένα Project 
Εισηγητές: Φ. Διαμαντίδης, M.Ed, Μ.Α., Καθηγητής Γυμνασίου-Λυκείου Κολλεγίου Ψυχικού, Στασινή Φράγκου, Ph.D., Καθηγήτρια Γυμνασίου Κολλεγίου Ψυχικού 

Πληροφορίες Δρ Πολυάνθη Τσίγκου Σύμβουλος του Διευθυντή/President Κολλεγίου Αθηνών-Κολλεγίου Ψυχικού τηλ.: 210-6798265

Monday, 25 May 2015

Study: Major Antarctic Ice Loss Could Impact Earth’s Gravity

http://www.discovery.com/dscovrd/nature/study-major-antarctic-ice-loss-could-impact-earths-gravity/?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=Discovery&hootPostID=9ce285b14df6c8732dc7b647d9e4a123

Sunday, 24 May 2015

Mysteries of the deep: oceans and marine life to inspire your class – gallery

From ghost crabs to shipwrecks, the ocean depths are fantastic for intriguing young minds. Dive into our photo gallery for lesson inspiration

http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/gallery/2015/may/24/oceans-marine-life-inspire-class-gallery?CMP=share_btn_tw

Saturday, 23 May 2015

SOJA - Shadow | #OutOfSchool | UNICEF

World Employment and Social Outlook 2015 Where are workers less likely to have a permanent contract?

http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/multimedia/maps-and-charts/WCMS_369618/lang--en/index.htm

Preparing Leaders for Deeper Learning

http://gettingsmart.com/publication/preparing-leaders-for-deeper-learning/

Q&A With Sir Ken Robinson - Education Has to Be a ‘Human Business’

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/05/20/qa-with-sir-ken-robinson.html?cmp=soc-edit-tw

3,000 children enslaved in Britain after being trafficked from Vietnam Like many Vietnamese children, Hien was brought to Britain for a life of modern slavery. He ended up in prison on cannabis offences. We report on the gangs expanding across the UK and efforts to help their victims

http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/may/23/vietnam-children-trafficking-nail-bar-cannabis

Secret teacher: I am all for inclusion in principle, but it doesn't always work

A very provoking discussion ...

http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2015/may/23/secret-teacher-support-inclusion-but-not-at-any-cost?CMP=share_btn_tw#comments

Wednesday, 20 May 2015

More pupils 'reading for pleasure' By Judith Burns Education reporter

http://www.bbc.com/news/education-32797986#?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Still Can't Remember All Their Names? | Edutopia

Still Can't Remember All Their Names? | Edutopia

10 Tips for Educators Considering a New Position | Edutopia

10 Tips for Educators Considering a New Position | Edutopia

Critical Thinking: A Necessary Skill in the Age of Spin | Edutopia

Critical Thinking: A Necessary Skill in the Age of Spin | Edutopia

Homework vs. No Homework Is the Wrong Question | Edutopia

Homework vs. No Homework Is the Wrong Question | Edutopia

3 Things Students Desire to Hear From Teachers | Edutopia

3 Things Students Desire to Hear From Teachers | Edutopia

6 Engaging End-of-Year Projects | Edutopia

6 Engaging End-of-Year Projects | Edutopia

Sunday, 10 May 2015

Expose children to classical music whether they like it or not, says Nicola Benedetti

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/11595782/Expose-children-to-classical-music-whether-they-like-it-or-not-says-Nicola-Benedetti.html

Report of the Independent Expert on the effects of foreign debt and other related international financial obligations of States on the full enjoyment of all human rights, particularly economic, social and cultural rights, Cephas Lumina - Addendum - Mission to Greece (22 – 27 April 2013)

Extremely interesting!!!

http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G14/118/82/PDF/G1411882.pdf?OpenElement

‘I have always been temperamentally wired to carry on’ Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot’s lessons in resilience

http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2014/04/i-have-always-been-temperamentally-wired-to-carry-on/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=hu-twitter-general

Is there a way to democratize a school? Here are some thoughts:

I will try to propose ways towards the democratization of a school, trying to avoid a general theoretical discussion. Feedback is more than welcome.

First of all, it must be cleared that democratization is not a panacea for solving all internal or external problems of a school. Democratization is another way of dealing with problems; a way that is based on justice, respect, freedom and autonomy. Solving the problems is up to the people that are implicated on dealing with them.

Another important fact is that if a school that decides to aspire democratic culture should acknowledge that every person on that school has his share. Democratization connotes participation as a person in a profound way. As Woods says (2005, p.118), "it requires an authentic involvement, in the sense of commitment and direction that are guided be deeply embedded navigational feelings".  

Proposes are going to be split in two parts. The first has to do with the school as an organization trying to adopt democratic leadership, and the other has to do with students, as the school tries to adopt a more democratic pedagogy.

Part A: 
A school should try to disperse responsibilities to as many of the stakeholders. Teachers must play a more dynamic role in leadership and the administration should hear them and take what they have to say under serious consideration.

In order to implicate teachers as mush possible, they have to be educated on educational leadership matters. This developmental procedure must be a permanent one, and all teachers should take part despite the years they have in education and in school. Professional development is a great way to create real professionals.

Ministry of Education or School’s Board, decides who is going to be the director and the synthesis of the administration, which is something unchangeable. But there are also the heads of departments, meaning the head of the sciences, the head of mathematics and others. These heads of departments could be elected by the teachers (or everyone should take his turn on a rotation basis) of the departments every two or three years. In that way everyone would be implicated with the common, with the "κοινά" as the ancient Greeks said.
                
Something very important is the creation of clear evaluation procedures. These procedures must be addressed to everyone and implicate everyone. The school must decide which are its performance indicators and try to measure them as objective possible. Finally, the results should be communicated and discussed with all stakeholders that were implicated.
                
Staying at the same spirit, the school should find ways of taking feedback from all stakeholders (teachers, technicians and others) and elaborate this feedback in a scientific way in order to make changes if possible or, at least, discuss things with them. The heads of departments could give this feedback.
                
Finally, there must be a "conscious participation in microgenesis" (Woods, 2005, p.128-129). That means that everyone, by his position, should make short creative actions which must be repeated, in order to succeed small structural changes that, hopefully, will lead to an overall structural change towards democratic leadership. These actions are possible to be decided at the departments and be advocated by the heads of the departments.  
    
Part B:
                
The first thing that must change is the administrations' and teachers' attitude against the students. No one claims that anomy is the solution. There must be a very firm and strict structure that will define and determine the relations between teachers and students. This structure must be known in details to everyone implicated and first of all to the students. It is obvious that everyone should be responsible for keeping this structure and I mean that all teachers must be the keepers of the rules (and not only the “bad” ones). On the other hand students should be given, in the everyday interaction with them: "respect, time and attention" as a head teacher said (cited in Woods, 2005, p.124-125). The key word is respect. Students must like coming to school. They must feel that the school is their second, and sometimes first, family. The national curricula, as everybody agrees, is boring and very pressing. The school must balance things and make education attractive to students. After they leave school they must remember it with a smile and the belief that they gained a lot as personalities. Shouting and punishment is not the solution. They just remind students that there is an autocratic hierarchy that does not care about them as children and future citizen of democratic societies. As Woods (2005, p.125) argues, pupils and teachers are not just subjects for the school but they are also "school builders", through their everyday actions and interplays. Children must be respected as everybody should, beside their characteristics. Maybe an organized feedback from pupils can help the school to find its weakness and change ways of attitudes.
                
Students should be more implicated in procedures that are of interest to them. They could take part in discussions (decision making is something that should be discussed further) having to do with discipline, pedagogy, activities like excursions and others and finally the evaluation of the school. This kind of students’ implication is very advanced for Greek teachers, thus needs a lot of discussion.

All the above are interdependent. In order to achieve them there must be a lot of sincere and conscious discussions and acceptance that things must change. Structures cannot change in one night. Small steps must be made by all, in an individual level and an aggregate level as well. 

Bibliography

Athanasoula-Reppa A., (1999)., "Ληψη Αποφάσεων στον χώρο της Εκπαίδευσης", in Athanasoula-Reppa A., Maurogiorgos G., Koutouzis M., Nitsopoulos B., Chalkiotis D., (1999), Management of Educational Units, volume A, chapter 3, HellenicOpenUniversity, Patra. 
Aristotle University of Thessalonica, (1998), Dictionary of common Greek language, Ινστιτούτο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών, Thessalonica
Aristotle Rhetoric (book A), translation Heliou H., Ι.Ζαχαρόπουλος publishing, Athens
Bottery M., (2004), The Challenges of Educational Leadership, Paul Chapman Publishing, London
Dewey J., (2007), Democracy and Education, Echo Library, USA
Gutmann A., (1999), Democratic Education, Princeton University Press, USA
Haydon G., (2005), Values, Vision and Moral Purpose in Educational Leadership London, University of London Press, London
Maurogiorgos G., (1999)., "Η εκπαιδευτική Μονάδα ως φορέας Διαμόρφωσης και Άσκησης Εκπαιδευτικής Πολιτικής", in Athanasoula-Reppa A., Maurogiorgos G., Koutouzis M., Nitsopoulos B., Chalkiotis D., (1999), Management of Educational Units, volume A, chapter 4, HellenicOpenUniversity, Patra. 
Microgiannakis E., (1992), Παθολογία Πολιτευμάτων στην αρχαιότητα, Καρδαμίτσα publishing, Athens
Petropoulos K., Sarres M., (2000), Πλάτωνα Πολιτεία, Πατάκης publishing, Athens
Strike K., Haller E., Soltis J., (1998), p.93-100 "Educational Authority" in The Ethics of School Administration, in University of London (2005), Values, Vision & Moral Purpose in ed l/ship, London: External programme.
UIOWA (2009) www.uiowa.edu/~c030142/DefinitionsOfDemocracy.html [last accessed on 24 May 2009]
Vaidhyanathan S., (2004), The Anarchist in the Library: How the Clash between Freedom and Control is Hacking the Real World and Crashing the System, Basic Books, USA

Woods P., (2005), Democratic Leadership in Education, Paul Chapman Publishing, London

Sir Ken Robinson: ‘The education system is a dangerous myth’

https://www.tes.co.uk/news/school-news/breaking-views/sir-ken-robinson-%E2%80%98-education-system-a-dangerous-myth%E2%80%99