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Concordia and Columbia, Sitting in a Tree...

By Eric Semler and Erin Kent
26-Mar-13
Concordia and Columbia, Sitting in a Tree...


Christine Holley, a reading consultant from Teachers College, Columbia University, puts some elementary students through their paces during a visit to Shanghai (photo: CISS).
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Shanghai school consolidates a privileged partnership with Columbia University’s Reading and Writing Project
Three years ago, Concordia International School Shanghai’s (CISS) elementary school established tight connections with Columbia University in New York by becoming an affiliate school.
Columbia’s Reading and Writing Project is one of the world’s leading institutes in literacy education. The ideas and research generated by this organization have far-reaching impact on literacy across the globe, and our school’s status as an affiliate gives Concordia access to Columbia University’s latest educational research, as well as all curriculum and assessment resources produced by the Reading and Writing Project’s think tank.
One immeasurable benefit of Concordia’s status as an affiliate school is collaboration with Columbia University’s top trainers. Misha Graham, Kindergarten team leader at Concordia, shared, “Having this relationship with Teachers College gives us access to the architects of the program. Being able to collaborate with the authors and trainers of the workshop is priceless when it comes to ‘walking the talk’ in the classroom.
“The staff developers at Columbia are constantly working together to make the workshop better, and through our relationship with them, we, and our students, can benefit right away.”
As an institution Concordia believes in continual growth, and veteran teachers have seen the impact of this collaboration on student learning. Patti Lee, one of Concordia’s Grade 2 teachers, explained, “The Reading and Writing Project has developed such a thoughtful curriculum and vehicle of teaching through the workshop model!
“Over the last four years at Concordia, I have witnessed incredible growth in the students’ passion, enthusiasm, and ability to understand and think critically about their reading and writing because they have been immersed in workshop teaching.”
This year, three literacy specialists will guide Concordia teachers on site, using the latest pedagogical methods and folding in cutting-edge curricular content in Concordia classrooms. “We have always been a great institution with excellent teachers,” said elementary instructional coach Erin Kent, “but this infusion of the latest and greatest thinking about education from a premier educational think tank like Columbia has truly made us cutting-edge.”
Ms. Graham concurs, “I feel very fortunate to be at one of the only Teacher’s College affiliate schools in Asia.”
Elementary school principal Eric Semler describes Concordia as a place that embraces learning and expects everyone—students, teachers, and administrators allike—to stay current of educational best practice and exemplify what it means to be lifelong learners. He explains, “One of the marks of a great school is that it is ever-evolving.
“The teachers at Concordia are never satisfied with the status quo. They continue to push themselves to better the experience for the students in their care. No matter how long a teacher has been in the classroom, Concordia is a place where everyone grows.”
Mr. Semler and Ms. Kent were invited to Columbia University’s Coaches’ Conference last October, to lead a workshop on how to establish a school culture that keeps all teachers growing professionally.
The Coaches’ Conference is, as Reading and Writing Project founding director Lucy Calkins put it in her introduction, “the gem of all Reading and Writing Project institutes.” During the weeklong conference, highly accomplished participants were trained in how to advance whole school literacy reform efforts.
Participants worked alongside top trainers from the Project in schools across New York City, putting theory into practice and honing skills in moving whole groups of teachers forward in implementing the latest pedagogical techniques.
This year, Concordia was fortunate enough to send four staff members to this elite conference!
Erin Kent spoke of the experience: “This was a dream—to be asked to share my ideas at a place like Columbia University was exhilarating.” Mr. Semler added, “This was a great opportunity for us to make an impact in schools around the world. We believe in the work we are doing at Concordia, and we were delighted to share our model with other educators.”
Mr. Semler is Elementary School Principal, and joined the Concordia International School Shanghai faculty in 2009. Ms. Kent is currently Elementary School Instructional Coach at CISS, and has been a staff member since 2006.




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Comments

03/31/2013 - azo
like.
03/29/2013 - sanjiv

Nice