is magazine 8.1 - Autumn/Spring 2005 - International Schools ...

Planning a new school
basic necessary conditions in his explanatory article of social
contact theory:
● ‘…opportunities to become acquainted and develop friendships;
● equal status among students from the different groups;
● experiences that require inter-group cooperation to achieve a
common goal;
● ‘authority figures who encourage, model, and support comfortable
inter-group contact and relationships’.
Similarly to the teacher exercise above, Murthadra-Watts and
D’Ambrosio (1997) suggest students share their life experiences,
which may serve as starting points for teaching critical thinking,
analysing oppression and alternative viewpoints.’
One of the many discourses of international teaching is the
content of the instruction. D’Ambrosio (1995), referring to the
recent advances in theories of cognition, claims there is a strong
relation between culture and cognition. D’Ambrosio (1995) conceptualises
ethnoscience as ‘the study of scientific and technological
phenomena in direct relation to their social economic and
cultural backgrounds’. This point of view challenges the ethnocentric
assumption that mathematics is largely a product of the
men of European descent (Sleeter, 1997), thus creating a chance
for students from diverse cultures to relate their cultural background
and the subject. If students from diverse cultures meet and
work together towards collaborative goals that have meaning in
their lives (Johnson & Johnson, 1992) this kind of relationship
makes authentic learning occur. D’Ambrosio (1995) claims this
is not a mere academic exercise, since its implications for the
pedagogy of mathematics are clear.
Teaching in an international community is both a unique situation
and a unique challenge. It is also absorbing and rewarding.
Sencer M Corlu teaches mathematics and ICT at Istanbul MEF
International School, Turkey.
Bibliography
Bennett, C., (2001). ‘Genres of research in multicultural education’,
Review of Educational Research. Washington: Vol.71, Iss. 2; pg.
171, 47 pgs.
D’Ambrosio, U. (1985). ‘Ethnomathematics and its Place in the
History and Pedagogy of Mathematics’, For the Learning of
Mathematics 5, 1.
Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (1992). ‘Social interdependence
and cross-ethnic relationships. Interdependence: Key to effective cooperation’.
In J. Lynch, C. Modil, & S. Modil (Eds.), Cultural diversity
in the schools (Vol. 11, pp. 179-190). London: Falmer Press.
Murtadha-Watts, K., D’Ambrosio, B. (1997). ‘A convergence of
transformative multicultural and mathematics instruction? Dilemmas
of group deliberations for curriculum change’, Journal for Research in
Mathematics Education. Washington: Dec 1997.
Pepin, B. (1998) Paper presented at the European Conference for
Educational Research, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia September
17th to 20th.
Sleeter, C.E. (1997). ‘Mathematics, multicultural education, and
professional development’, Journal for Research in Mathematics
Education. Washington: Dec 1997.
A guide for planning
a new school
Walther Hetzer applauds the CIS Accreditation
Instrument
Anyone starting a school will sometimes sympathise with the sentiment
expressed by the great Austrian cabaret artist Helmut
Qualtinger: “I don’t quite know where I am going but at least I’ll
get there more quickly”. While the notion of speed has its appeal,
a careful look at some roadmaps in detail is essential before roaring
off into the unknown. One such useful map can be found in
the CIS accreditation instrument (seventh edition).
Among the characteristics of an accredited school, CIS lists:
‘The school knows itself. It has thought deeply about the services
it offers to students, family, and community.’ A new school obviously
cannot evaluate past and present services but it will think
(one hopes deeply) about the services it intends to offer, about the
indicators and standards by which planning, implementation, and
– in due time – accreditation will be guided.
Many of us know from experience how the preparation of a critical
self study and the ensuing verification by a visiting team can
lead to productive and focussed talks with board members, teachers,
students and parents. A bit of stress as well, no matter how
much the team members emphasise that they do not visit as
‘inspectors’. Accreditation does indeed focus a school on its mission
and helps ascertain whether a school’s claims are being fulfilled.
The resulting follow-up on any recommendations ensures that
this focus is not blurred even after the coveted ‘seal of approval’ is
received. Established schools know where they have been and
where they are going. This is not the case with schools in the
planning phase, even if the future school community is clear
about their mission and goals.
I have not, until now, fully appreciated to what extent an
accreditation instrument can contribute to the development plan
of a new school. So far I have been a ‘customer’ of accreditation
services within well-established schools; involved in preparing the
self-study, the team visit, and the subsequent follow-up.
I have also served on numerous visiting teams. On one occasion
this was in a school at an early stage of development, and the
excitement and spirit of creating a very special school and ‘living
its mission’ was tangible. For a school which has not even opened
its doors the instrument, with its clear standards and indicators for
most aspects of school life, provides a useful check and a host of
questions related to future philosophy, organisation, or educational
provisions.
The Development Plan of the St Gilgen International School
makes use of applicable categories of the seventh edition and liberally
quotes from it (no charges of plagiarism since Gerry Percy is
duly notified of this fact). Like other such plans, it states an overall
goal for each section, lists the main strategies envisioned for
reaching this goal, and adds corresponding action steps with an
indication of expected timing and assignment of responsibility for
each step.
Much of the scope and language of the future accreditation
process will thus already be familiar to everyone involved in setting
up the school. The effectiveness of the plans will obviously have to
30Spring
is Autumn 2005