Fun Run

Go fast enough to get there, but slow enough to see. ~ Jimmy Buffett.

There is something special about the early morning in Brasilia. Birds welcome the dawning light with joyous melodies, the vast and magnificent blue sky instills a spirit of optimism and possibility, and fresh air invigorates the mind and body. It was one of these typical Brasilia mornings that set the stage for our school’s annual Fun Run.

EAB’s Fun Run is one of many educational opportunities that constitute the Sábado Legal, or Cool Saturday, program. The “Learners Inspiring Learners” element of our school’s mission statement is embodied through these special events when students, parents, and teachers embrace the opportunity to learn and grow together.

This year’s Fun Run attracted approximately 450 people of all ages who were anxiously awaiting the start of races designed to meet the needs of all ages and interests. From the three-year-old student sprints to the 10-kilometer run, it was a remarkable day of community building, personal connections, learning, positive energy, and healthy activities.

The day can best be described through the pictures included in this post, with color photos to highlight the vibrancy and energy of the day and black and white photos to emphasize emotion and the special relationships in our community. It is events such as the Fun Run that underscore the role schools play in ensuring meaningful, relevant, and experiential learning opportunities that further personal growth, relationship development, and community building.

Relying on the adage that a picture is worth a thousand words, it is hoped that these photos can at least partially capture the full spirit of the day and the special nature of our community.

 

Versão em português depois das fotos

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Fun Run

Vá rápido o suficiente para chegar lá, mas devagar o suficiente para enxergar. ~ Jimmy Buffett

Há algo de especial sobre o início da manhã em Brasília. Os pássaros dão às boas vindas à luz da aurora com melodias alegres, o vasto e magnífico céu azul infunde um espírito de otimismo e possibilidades e o ar fresco revigora o corpo e a mente. Foi uma destas típicas manhãs de Brasília que preparou o palco para a corrida anual da nossa escola, a Fun Run.

A Fun Run da EAB é uma das muitas oportunidades educacionais que constituem o programa Sábado Legal. O elemento da nossa missão “aprendizes inspirando aprendizes” está incorporado através destes eventos especiais, em que os alunos, pais e professores abraçam a oportunidade de aprenderem e crescerem juntos.

Este ano, a Fun Run atraiu cerca de 450 pessoas de todas as idades, esperando ansiosamente o início das corridas programadas para satisfazer as necessidades de todas as idades e interesses. Desde a corrida (sprints) dos alunos de três anos de idade, até nas provas de 10 km, foi possível notar a construção de uma comunidade, as relações pessoais, a aprendizagem, a energia positiva e as atividades saudáveis.

A melhor forma de descrever esse dia é através das imagens incluídas neste artigo, com fotografias coloridas para destacar a vibração e energia do dia e com fotos em preto e branco para enfatizar a emoção e as relações especiais da nossa comunidade. São eventos como aFun Run que ressaltam o papel que as escolas desempenham em garantir experiências de aprendizagem experimentais, significativas e relevantes, que futuramente levarão ao crescimento pessoal, ao desenvolvimento dos relacionamentos e na construção da comunidade. Com base no ditado, uma imagem vale por mil palavras, espero que essas fotos possam, pelo menos parcialmente, capturar o espírito completo do dia e da natureza especial da nossa comunidade.

Featured image: cc licensed (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) flickr photo by Fe IIya: Run; https://www.flickr.com/photos/renneville/3031455100/

All Other images by Rayssa Sereno Dequanne

Future of Education

 

We recently hosted an evening event with parents and teachers entitled, “The Future of Education.” The workshop was more of a discussion about the factors that are currently disrupting and redefining education rather than an articulation of what education will look like in the future.

To begin the discussion, each participant was asked to describe the most effective learning experience in his or her life. While there was a wide range of responses, there was one common theme: All but one of the learning experiences occurred outside of a K-12 school setting. The one parent whose experience took place in school shared that his Grade 2 teacher allowed him to extend his learning in an area of personal interest that developed well beyond the level required in the syllabus.

The participants were then asked to explain why they believed the learning experiences they described were so effective and meaningful. What emerged from the ensuing discussion was the concept of relevance – when the learning represented a high level of relevance to the learner, the result was usually an effective and deeply meaningful learning experience.

Relevance

So, is the concept of relevance as a basis for our educational programs the panacea we have been seeking to significantly improve K-12 educational programs and, in turn, student learning and development? While we know there is no simple “one solution fits all” solution to improving schools, we are seeing an increased focus on relevance and personalized learning. If forced to use one word to describe the future of education, many would agree that the word would be relevance.

The research of Lee Jenkins (2013) highlights why this discussion is important. Jenkins worked with 3,000 teachers from Kindergarten to Grade 12 to determine how enthusiastic students are about school. The result of the study was that 95% of kindergarten students are enthusiastic about school. However, this percentage drops significant each year until Grade 9 when the percentage of students enthusiastic about school drops to a low of 37%. The small increase between Grades 10 to 12 is attributed to the focus of some students on graduation and beyond (see graph below). It seems that we should all be concerned with the results of this study.

Interest GraphSource: The New Meaning of Educational Change, Fifth Edition, by Michael Fullan

It is believed that a greater focus on relevance in education will contribute to ensuring a higher level of student enthusiasm for school. To that end, relevance can be defined in many ways, including the framework of preparing students for life beyond school.

Future of Jobs

In Future of Jobs, published by the World Economic Forum, the report lists the top ten skills needed to thrive in a 2015 work environment. Looking ahead five years, it is believed that over 35% of the skills considered important for work today will have changed, resulting in a different list of top ten skills in 2020.

Top 10 Skills in 2015:

  1. Complex Problem Solving
  2. Coordinating with Others
  3. People Management
  4. Critical Thinking
  5. Negotiation
  6. Quality Control
  7. Service Orientation
  8. Judgment and Decision Making
  9. Active Listening
  10. Creativity

Top 10 Skills in 2020:

  1. Complete Problem Solving
  2. Critical Thinking
  3. Creativity
  4. People Management
  5. Coordinating with Others
  6. Emotional Intelligence
  7. Judgment and Decision Making
  8. Service Orientation
  9. Negotiation
  10. Cognitive Flexibility

In comparing the two tables, it is interesting to note that five of the skills in 2020 are relationship based: People Management, Coordinating with Others, Emotional Intelligence, Service Orientation, and Negotiation. It is also interesting to note that Creativity moved up the list from tenth place in 2015 to third place in 2020.

Creativity

George Land was responsible for developing a creativity test for NASA to determine how innovative potential scientists and astronauts were as part of the candidate assessment process. In 1968, Land used the same test to evaluate children over a ten-year period. The results were astonishing, as displayed in the chart below.

CreativitySource: Most Likely to Succeed: Preparing our Kids for the Innovation Era, by Tony Wagner and Ted Dintersmith

The test was given to 1,600 students with a resulting score of 98% for five-year-olds. The same students were tested five and ten years later, scoring 30% and 12% respectively. The same test was given to 280,000 adults, who scored an average of 2%. The conclusion of the study was that non-creative behavior is learned.

The significant drop in levels of creativity has been attributed, in large part, to, an educational system that was developed on a premise established 200 years ago during the Industrial Revolution to train students to follow instructions and be good workers. Education has of course evolved since that time, though it can be argued that the framework associated with the original premise continues to limit reform in education.

Returning to the title of this post and the Future of Education, some of the questions that will guide future educational reforms will need to include issues relating to creativity, future work skills, enthusiasm for school, and, perhaps most importantly, the concept of relevance and the learning process.

O Futuro da Educação

Recentemente nós promovemos um evento para pais e professores chamado “ O Futuro da Educação”. O workshop foi mais uma discussão sobre os fatores que atualmente estão perturbando e redefinindo a educação do que uma articulação sobre o que a educação virá a ser no futuro.

Ao começarmos a discussão, pedimos que cada participante descrevesse a experiência de aprendizado mais eficaz em sua vida. Em meio uma variedade de respostas, notamos um tema em comum: Todas as experiências, exceto uma, aconteceram fora do ambiente escolar. O pai que contou sobre a sua experiência na escola disse que a sua professora do segundo ano permitiu que ele estendesse sua aprendizagem em uma área de interesse pessoal que se desenvolveu muito além do nível exigido pelo programa.

Em seguida, pedimos aos participantes que explicassem por que eles acreditavam que suas experiências de aprendizado compartilhadas ali foram tão eficazes e significativas. O que emergiu do debate que se seguiu foi o conceito de relevância – em que o aprendizado representou um alto nível de importância para o aluno e o resultado foi uma experiência de aprendizado efetiva, profunda e significativa.

Relevância

Sendo assim, será que o conceito de relevância como base para nossos programas educacionais é a panaceia que temos buscado para melhorar significativamente os programas educacionais K-12 e, por sua vez, o aprendizado do aluno e seu desenvolvimento?

Apesar de sabermos que não há uma simples “solução para todos” para a melhoria das escolas, estamos vendo que existe um foco maior na relevância e aprendizagem personalizada. Se nos esforçarmos para achar uma palavra que descreva o futuro da educação, muitos irão concordar que a palavra seria relevância.

A pesquisa de Lee Jenkins (2013) destaca por que esta discussão é importante. Jenkins trabalhou com 3.000 professores do jardim de infância ao 12º ano para determinar como alunos entusiasmados se sentem sobre a escola. O estudo mostrou que 95% dos alunos do jardim de infância estão entusiasmados com a escola. No entanto, esse percentual cai de forma significativa a cada ano, até a 9ª série, quando a percentagem de alunos entusiasmados com a escola cai para 37%. O pequeno aumento entre os 10º e 12º anos é atribuído ao foco de alguns alunos na graduação, entre outros (ver gráfico abaixo). Parece que todos nós devemos nos preocupar com os resultados deste estudo.

Interest Graph

Fonte: The New Meaning of Educational Change, Fifth Edition, by Michael Fullan

Acredita-se que um foco maior na relevância em educação contribuirá para assegurar um maior nível de alunos entusiasmados com a escola. Para isso, a relevância pode ser definida de várias maneiras, incluindo a abordagem de preparar alunos para a vida além da escola.

O Futuro dos Empregos

O artigo “O Futuro dos Empregos”, publicado pelo Fórum Econômico Mundial, lista as dez principais habilidades necessárias para prosperar em um ambiente de trabalho de 2015. Olhando cinco anos para frente, acredita-se que mais de 35% das habilidades consideradas hoje importantes para o trabalho, irão mudar resultando em uma lista diferente das dez melhores habilidades em 2020.

As 10 melhores habilidades em 2015:

  1. Resolução de problemas complexos
  2. Interação com os outros
  3. Gestão de Pessoas
  4. Pensamento Crítico
  5. Negociação
  6. Controle de Qualidade
  7. Orientação de Serviços
  8. Julgamento e Tomada de Decisão
  9. Escuta Ativa
  10. Criatividade

As 20 melhores habilidades em 2020:

  1. Resolução de Problemas Completa
  2. Pensamento Crítico
  3. Criatividade
  4. Gestão de Pessoas
  5. Interação com os outros
  6. Inteligência Emocional
  7. Julgamento e Tomada de Decisão
  8. Orientação a Serviços
  9. Negociação
  10. Flexibilidade Cognitiva

Na comparação das duas tabelas, é interessante notar que cinco das habilidades para 2020 estão ligadas a relacionamento: Gestão de Pessoas, Interação com os outros, Inteligência Emocional, Orientação a Serviços e Negociação. Também é interessante notar que a criatividade subiu na lista de décimo lugar em 2015, para o terceiro lugar em 2020.

Criatividade

George Terra foi o responsável pelo desenvolvimento de um teste de criatividade para a NASA para determinar o potencial e quão inovadores cientistas e astronautas eram, como parte de um processo seletivo. Em 1968, Terra usou o mesmo teste para avaliar crianças em um período acima de dez anos.

Os resultados foram surpreendentes, conforme mostrado no gráfico abaixo.

CreativityFonte: Most Likely to Succeed: Preparing our Kids for the Innovation Era, by Tony Wagner and Ted Dintersmith

O teste foi aplicado a 1.600 alunos com uma pontuação de 98% para crianças de cinco anos. Os mesmos alunos foram testados cinco e dez anos mais tarde, marcando 30% e 12%, respectivamente. O mesmo teste foi dado a 280.000 adultos, que marcaram uma média de 2%. A conclusão do estudo foi que o comportamento não criativo é aprendido.

A queda significativa nos níveis de criatividade tem sido atribuída, em grande parte, a um sistema educacional que foi desenvolvido em uma premissa estabelecida há 200 anos, durante a Revolução Industrial, para ensinar alunos a seguirem as instruções e serem bons trabalhadores. A educação vem, naturalmente, evoluindo desde aquela época, embora se possa argumentar que o quadro associado com a premissa original continua a limitar a reforma na educação.

Voltando ao título deste artigo e ao Futuro da Educação, algumas das questões que irão orientar as futuras reformas educacionais terão de incluir questões relacionadas a criatividade, habilidades de trabalhos futuros, o entusiasmo para a escola, e, talvez a mais importante, o conceito de relevância e o processo de aprendizagem.

 

Featured image: cc licensed (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) flickr photo by Nelson de Witt:Child's Play; https://www.flickr.com/photos/mcescobar1/4826861354

 

 

Envisioning a True Leader

Kristie Da-Ngoc Nguyen, a friend and former colleague at the American School of Brasilia, published her deeply profound and moving personal story in the most recent edition of The International Educator (TIE) newspaper.  Kristie’s article is shared below, with permission.

Envisioning a True Leader

By Kristie Da-Ngoc Nguyen
01/13/2016

“Together we inspire a love of learning, empowering all students with the courage, confidence, creativity, and compassion to make their unique contribution in a diverse and dynamic world.”

 On our welcome back to school day,  our head of school, Mr. Andrew Hoover and our school board chairperson, Ms. Gayathri Sriram, asked us to reflect on how we can use the 4 Cs of our school’s mission—Courage, Confidence, Creativity, and Compassion—to inspire our students. Ms. Sriram also shared with us a story about India’s beloved former president, APJ Abdul Kalam, who had passed away in the previous week.

Twenty years ago, Ms. Sriram had the opportunity to be in the audience at one of the Former President’s talks. He asked all those in the audience to close their eyes and envision a great leader. Our school board chairperson repeated this challenge, asking all of us to do the same,  calling up the image of someone who had inspired us. A vision of my father, Binh Van Nguyen, in his crisp white shirt and tie appeared in my mind. A man who embodied courage, confidence, creativity, and compassion. A man who has been a force throughout my life. A man who made me who I am today. Here is the story of my father.

In 1975, after the Fall of Saigon, my father was arrested and put in a re-education camp. His crime was working for the former government’s telecommunication office. Fortunately for us, my maternal grandfather had some connections from his resistance days fighting against the French regime. With what money he could gather, he paid a bribe to free my father from his incarceration. With a mark on his file, my father was unable to find a job. My grandfather gave my dad a job on his fishing boat. Though he had never done a day of hard labor in his life, my father happily accepted it.

Without any complaints, he embraced his new life as a fisherman. He learned as much as he could about the work and always found joy in everything. Every time he came home from a fishing trip, he taught my siblings and me the names of all the new sea creatures he had harvested. We learned which ones to stay away from and which tasted good. He made it so fun that we always looked forward to his return home.

By 1978, life had become unstable in Vietnam and my parents did not know what kind of future we would have there. They ultimately decided our family should flee the country. For their children’s future, my parents would say goodbye to everything and everyone in Vietnam and bring us to a new land of hope.

The plan to escape was simple: my father would go on one of his fishing trips and pass the checkpoint, then wait for us on shore. We would take a smaller boat through the jungle to get out to the coast without going through the checkpoint. A few mementos were packed and hidden on the boat. Everyone was set and ready to leave the country.

As dusk arrived, we boarded the small boat to head through the winding, narrow river in the dense jungle. We prayed that we wouldn’t get caught. Our hearts were thumping in our chests as we paddled further and further away from our home. We met with a few mishaps—the boat got stuck in the mud, and we met a few people that wanted to know where we were going—but we managed to reach the coast. The sea breeze blew away some of our worries as our destination came into view. A light flashed from afar, a signal from the boat that would carry us away. Unfortunately, the wind blew harder and harder, and the rain began to pour down on us.

Then suddenly, a dreadful storm came up and capsized our boat. We were thrown into the water, fighting for our lives. After what seemed like an eternity struggling against the relentless storm and the merciless waves, we were rescued by another fishing boat. Soon, we discovered that my mother, my five-year–old sister, and about seven other members were missing. A few people jumped in the water to search for them, but found no one. We were urged by the kind fisherman that rescued us to go, because they didn’t want to get caught.

When we arrived at my father’s boat he was informed of the news. My father broke down and cried. He wanted to go back and find my mother and sister, but time wasn’t on our side. Other members of the group pleaded that we had to leave immediately, before the authorities discovered our escape. They begged him to think about his other children: if we were caught, our future would forever be sealed. For his four other children’s future, my father sadly steered the boat to freedom. It must have been one of the hardest decisions he had to make in his life.

We arrived in Malaysia and were taken to a refugee camp in Kota Bharu. Life was hard, but it was not too bad. We were given sardines, eggs, and rice to eat. We didn’t have much, but we had each other. After five months in the refugee camp, we were sent to Des Moines, Iowa with some second-hand clothes and an album of valuable pictures in a rice sack. After a few months on welfare, and a few English lessons, my father went out to look for a job. He found a work as a custodian in a hospital. A man with a college degree, used to wearing a tie to work, now had to clean the floor and toilets. But he proudly went to work every day, and continued to go to school at night.

Wonderful dad that he was, he didn’t grumble when he came home at the end of a hard day. He always brought little treats from the hospital for us: discarded magazines and uneaten packages of jam or Jell-o were presents we always looked forward to. After eating a quick dinner, he would load the four of us and some of his classmates into his used station wagon to go to his night school. While he was in class, my siblings and I entertained each other by running down the hallways and peeking into other classrooms. It sure beat doing homework at night. After a few years of working and going to school, my dad earned an Associate degree from the community college. He quit his job as a custodian and found a better one working in the printing department of a newspaper. He died a few years later of a brain tumor, but not before seeing all of his children as college graduates working happily in their chosen fields.

This is a story about my father, a man who embodied courage, confidence, compassion, and creativity. A man who, despite starting his life in America with nothing but an empty hand, was able to bring up four wonderful children all by himself.

My wish for all us as educators is that many years from now, when kids close their eyes and think of who inspired them as a leader,  that each of our images will come to the mind of at least one child.

Kristie Da-Ngoc Nguyen is a third-grade teacher at the American International School Chennai.

One Resolution at a Time

The start of a new year also brings with it a deluge of advice and commitments to guide our resolutions. Mick Walsh, author and coach, believes that most new year resolutions are not fulfilled because they are too short-term in nature (i.e. knee-jerk remedies) and more focused on meeting the expectations of others rather than our own dreams.

To realize higher degrees of fulfillment, self actualization, and happiness, it can be argued that resolutions should be based only on long-term, life pattern behaviors. Walsh refers to a publication by Regina Brett, a journalist who celebrated her first fifty years of life by publishing an article listing the fifty lessons life taught her.  The following sample statements from Brett’s article speak to the ideals associated with resolutions that could serve to frame our long-term, life pattern behaviors.

  • Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
  • When in doubt, just take the next small step.
  • Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
  • You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
  • Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.
  • When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
  • Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
  • It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
  • Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
  • Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
  • Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
  • It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
  • When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.
  • Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
  • No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
  • Frame every so-called disaster with these words ‘In five years, will this matter?’
  • Forgive everyone everything.
  • Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
  • However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
  • Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
  • Your children get only one childhood.
  • All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
  • Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
  • If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.
  • No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
  • Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.

So how does this connect to the start of a new school semester? One of the many facets that I appreciate about our profession is the opportunity to begin each semester afresh as part of a continuous cycle of renewal. The new relationships, new challenges, and new learning and growth opportunities offered during the school year bring us another step forward towards the self-actualization aspirations we set for ourselves, both as individuals and as an institution.  The ongoing processes of setting goals and establishing resolutions, particularly those that are long-term life pattern behaviors that further our own and collective self-actualization and happiness, are directly linked to the ideals expressed through EAB’s mission: Learners inspiring learners to be inquisitive in life, principled in character, and bold in vision.

Jack Layton’s words further articulate these thoughts and our work as educators:

“My friends, love is better than anger.  Hope is better than fear.  Optimism is better than despair.  So let us be loving, hopeful, and optimistic.  And we’ll change the world.”

So, let us work to change the world through education, one resolution at a time.

 

Uma Resolução de Cada Vez

O início de um novo ano traz também uma enxurrada de conselhos e compromissos para orientar nossas resoluções. Mick Walsh, autor e instrutor, acredita que a maioria das resoluções de ano novo não são realizadas porque são de natureza transitória (ou seja, soluções apressadas) e com foco em atender as expectativas dos outros, em vez de cuidar dos nossos próprios sonhos.

Para alcançarmos um grau de satisfação maior, felicidade e termos consciência do nosso potencial, podemos afirmar que as resoluções devem ser baseadas apenas em longo prazo, nos comportamentos padrões de vida. Walsh fala de uma publicação de Regina Brett, uma jornalista que comemorou seus primeiros cinquenta anos de vida publicando um artigo com 50 lições que a vida lhe ensinou. Os exemplos seguintes do artigo de Brett falam dos ideais associados às resoluções que podem servir para estruturar o nosso padrão de comportamento a longo prazo.

  • A vida não é justa, mas ainda é boa.
  • Quando estiver em dúvida, dê somente o próximo passo, pequeno.
  • A vida é muito curta para desperdiçá-la odiando alguém.
  • Você não tem que ganhar todas as vezes. Concorde em discordar.
  • Chore com alguém. Cura melhor do que chorar sozinho
  • Quanto a chocolate, é inútil resistir.
  • Faça as pazes com seu passado, assim ele não atrapalha o presente.
  • Não há problemas em deixar suas crianças verem que você chora.
  • Não compare sua vida com a dos outros. Você não tem ideia do que é a jornada deles.
  • Respire fundo. Isso acalma a mente.
  • Livre-se de qualquer coisa que não seja útil, bonito ou alegre.
  • Nunca é muito tarde para ter uma infância feliz. Mas a segunda vez é por sua conta e ninguém mais.
  • Quando se trata do que você ama na vida, não aceite um não como resposta.
  • Acenda as velas, use os lençóis bonitos, use a sua roupa íntima chique. Não guarde isto para uma ocasião especial. Hoje é o dia especial.
  • Ninguém é o responsável pela sua felicidade a não ser você.
  • Enquadre todos os assim chamados “desastres” com estas palavras ‘Em cinco anos, isto importará?’
  • Perdoe tudo de todos.
  • O tempo cura quase tudo. Dê tempo ao tempo.
  • Não importa quão boa ou ruim é uma situação, ela mudará.
  • Não se leve muito a sério. Ninguém faz isso.
  • Suas crianças têm apenas uma infância. Torne-a memorável.
  • Saia de casa todos os dias. Os milagres estão esperando em todos os lugares.
  • Se todos nós colocássemos nossos problemas juntos em uma pilha e olhássemos os dos outros, nós pegaríamos os nossos de volta.
  • Não importa como você se sente, levante-se, vista-se e apareça.
  • A vida não está amarrada com um laço, mas ainda é um presente.

Então, como isso se conecta ao início de um novo semestre letivo? Uma das muitas facetas que eu aprecio sobre a nossa profissão é a oportunidade de começar de novo a cada semestre, como parte de um ciclo contínuo de renovação. As novas relações, novos desafios e novas oportunidades de aprendizado e crescimento oferecidas durante o ano letivo nos colocam um passo a frente nas aspirações de crescimento que estabelecemos para nós mesmos, como indivíduos e como instituição. Os processos de estabelecer metas e resoluções, particularmente as que são modelos de comportamento em longo prazo, que estimulam a nossa felicidade e consciência do nosso potencial e do todo, estão diretamente ligados aos ideais expressados através da missão da EAB: Aprendizes inspirando aprendizes a serem inquisitivos na vida, firmes em seu caráter e com uma visão audaciosa.

As palavras de Jack Layton estimulam a articulação desses pensamentos e o nosso trabalho como educadores:

“Meus amigos, o amor é melhor do que a raiva. A esperança é melhor do que o medo. O otimismo é melhor do que desespero. Por isso, vamos ser amorosos, esperançosos e otimistas e, assim, vamos mudar o mundo”.

Então, vamos trabalhar para mudar o mundo por meio da educação, uma resolução de cada vez.

 

Featured image: cc licensed (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) flickr photo by Toni Verdú Carbó:The Passage of Time; https://www.flickr.com/photos/tonivc/2283676770/

Gratitude

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” William Arthur Ward.

The end of another school semester brings with it so many exciting events, including sports tournaments, musical and theatrical performances, Model United Nations (MUN), community service projects, art displays, and parent workshops, to name a few. In this seemingly frenzied mix of events is, of course, Thanksgiving. EAB celebrated this event with a traditional ThanDessertksgiving lunch that was highlighted by the large number of parents who joined their children to share a special moment together. Families were also invited to bring desserts to support the event. Given the strong sense of community at EAB, no one should have been surprised at how many tables were filled with desserts provided by our families. Thank you, once again, for making the event such a success.

While engagement with so many enriching experiences at the end of a semester is indeed a cause for celebration, the frenetic feeling associated with this experience also poses a challenge. If we spend all of your time literally running from one event to another, when do we find the time to reflect and appreciate all that is wonderful in our lives? When do we stop to think about our relationships, our opportunities, our work, our personal growth, our unique experiences, and our lives in a meaningful context? Fortunately, the Thanksgiving long weekend represents an opportunity to not only recharge our batteries, travel, and eat delicious food, but it also a time to reflect, learn, dream, and marvel. While the extraordinary can easily become commonplace, it is hoped that we do not lose our capability to be awestruck, humbled, and grateful.

There may be no single word more important to our wellbeing, happiness, and future than gratitude. Melody Beattie highlights this sentiment when stating that, “gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity…it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

In the spirit of this Thanksgiving holiday, this post is highlighting seven videos that are intended to emphasize the importance of gratitude as a fundamental element associated with our happiness, wellbeing, and humanity.

Nature. Beauty. Gratitude.: Louie Schwartzberg

Want to be Happy? Be Grateful – David Steindl-Rast

The Epidemic of Smiles and the Science of Gratitude – Jennifer Moss

Gratitude, Gifting and Grandpa – John Styn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOn6MruboY8

The Power of Saying Thank You – Laura Trice

365 Days of Thank You – Brian Doyle

365 Grateful Project – Hailey Bartholomew

Wishing everyone an enjoyable, restful, reflective, and thankful holiday weekend.

Gratidão

“Gratidão pode transformar dias comuns em dias de ação de graças, transformar trabalhos de rotina em alegria e transformar oportunidades comuns em bênçãos.” William Arthur Ward.

O final de mais um semestre letivo traz consigo muitos eventos emocionantes, que vão desde torneios esportivos, apresentações musicais e teatrais, o MUN, projetos de serviço comunitário, exposições de arte, até seminários para os pais, entre tantos outros. E, no meio dessa mistura frenética de eventos, encontramos o Thanksgiving. A EAB celebrou o evento com um almoço tradicional de Ação de Graças, que se destacou pelo grande número de pais que se juntaram a seus filhos para compartilhar um momento especial juntos. As famílias também foram convidadas a trazer sobremesas para apoiar o evento. Devido ao forteDessertsenso de comunidade da EAB, não deveria ter sido surpresa o número de mesas com sobremesas fornecidas por nossas famílias. Obrigado, mais uma vez, por tornarem o evento um sucesso.

Embora o envolvimento com tantas experiências enriquecedoras no final de um semestre seja de fato um motivo de comemoração, o sentimento frenético associado a esta experiência também é um desafio. Se nós passamos todo o tempo, literalmente, correndo de um evento para outro, quando é que vamos encontrar tempo para refletirmos e apreciarmos tudo que é maravilhoso em nossas vidas? Quando é que vamos parar para pensar sobre nossos relacionamentos, nossas oportunidades, nosso trabalho, nosso crescimento pessoal, nossas experiências únicas e nossas vidas, em um contexto significativo? Felizmente, o fim de semana prolongado de Ação de Graças representa uma oportunidade não só para recarregar as baterias, viajar e comer comidas deliciosas, como também representa o tempo de refletir, aprender, sonhar e se maravilhar. Ao mesmo tempo em que o extraordinário pode tornar-se facilmente banal, esperamos que nós não percamos a nossa capacidade de admirar, de sermos humildes e gratos.

Acredito que não exista uma única palavra mais importante para nosso bem-estar, felicidade e futuro do que gratidão. Melody Beattie destaca este sentimento ao afirmar que, “gratidão transforma o suficiente em muito mais. Transforma a negação em aceitação, o caos em ordem, a confusão em clareza … dá sentido ao nosso passado, traz a paz para o presente e cria uma visão para o amanhã “.

No espírito deste feriado de Ação de Graças, este artigo destaca sete vídeos que se destinam a destacar a importância da gratidão como um elemento fundamental da nossa felicidade e bem-estar da humanidade.

Nature. Beauty. Gratitude.: Louie Schwartzberg

Want to be Happy? Be Grateful – David Steindl-Rast

The Epidemic of Smiles and the Science of Gratitude – Jennifer Moss

Gratitude, Gifting and Grandpa – John Styn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOn6MruboY8

The Power of Saying Thank You – Laura Trice

365 Days of Thank You – Brian Doyle

365 Grateful Project – Hailey Bartholomew

Desejando a todos um agradável e repousante, reflexivo e grato fim de semana de feriado.

Um abraço,

Barry

Photo: Villarrica Volcano, Pucón, Chile, January 2015

 

A Better Tomorrow

 

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

International news reports in recent weeks and months have been filled with disturbing reports of terror attacks, refugee migration, acts of aggression, and indescribable loss and suffering. Our hearts go out to everyone who has been affected by these horrific acts and circumstances.

As we are reminded daily of the conflict, hate, and desperation that can exist in the world, we are compelled to reflect on the role international schools play, especially with a focus on the education of future generations.

There are clearly no simple answers to what seem to be infinitely complex global challenges. While it is not the explicit mission of schools to solve these problems, it is the responsibility of schools to work in partnership with families to prepare students with the necessary skills and dispositions to make a positive difference in our communities and the lives of others. Taking this belief a step further, there is a moral imperative for international schools to lead by example and provide students with opportunities to learn how to lead and solve complex problems. We know there is no quick fix to our problems and that solutions of a profound nature will require a long-term strategy guided by a strong moral compass. It is hoped that schools can contribute in meaningful ways to this strategy through relevant and profound learning opportunities.

EAB Mission Statement: Learners inspiring learners to be inquisitive in life, principled in character, and bold in vision.

The Model United Nations (MUN) program is one example of how schools support students towards realizing these ideals. Last weekend, EAB hosted the first ever Brasilia MUN conference with 150 students in attendance. In modeling similar issues faced by the United Nations, students are responsible for proposing and negotiating solutions to some of the world’s most challenging problems. The performance of the students was impressive, not only based on their knowledge of world affairs, but also based on their ability to effectively negotiate effective, creative, and innovative solutions. The following video and photo links highlight some of the extraordinary work of our students: Video, Photos, Website.

EAB Vision Statement: To positively impact the world through excellence in academics, activities, arts, leadership, and service.

EAB’s mission and vision statements provide our community with an important framework in terms of the ongoing development of our educational program. To be “inquisitive in life” emphasizes the focus on learning about the world around us, which includes developing high degrees of empathy and understanding about what is both familiar and different. To be “principled in character” challenges us to by guided by a moral direction. To be “bold in vision” is to commit to making a positive difference in our community and the lives of others.

In a letter reflecting on the Paris attacks, Kevin Ruth, the Executive Director of ECIS, underscored one of the key roles of international schools, which also corresponds to the essence of EAB’s “bold in vision” ideal:

“An absolute cornerstone of any school that calls itself an international school should be the social impact that that school can effect, beginning in its immediate surroundings, yet going beyond, to create positive impact in our world. At times like these, we must go beyond our curricula, beyond our politicking, beyond our first world complaints, and seek to create positive impact in our world as deeply and intentionally as we can.”

Through an educational program that includes experiential learning opportunities such as MUN, it is one of EAB’s fundamental goals to “seek to create positive impact in our world” based on a whole child, community-based educational approach. It is with this vision and commitment that we look to the future with optimism and a belief in a better tomorrow for all.

A escuridão não pode expulsar a escuridão; apenas a luz pode fazer isso. O ódio não pode expulsar ódio; só o amor pode fazer isso. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

As notícias internacionais nas últimas semanas e meses foram preenchidas com relatos perturbadores de ataques terroristas, a migração de refugiados, atos de agressão, perdas e sofrimentos indescritíveis. Nossos corações estão com todos aqueles que foram afetados por esses atos e circunstâncias.

Ao sermos lembrados diariamente dos conflitos, ódio e desespero que podem existir no mundo, somos obrigados a refletir sobre o papel que as escolas internacionais desempenham, especialmente sobre a educação das gerações futuras.

Evidentemente, não há respostas simples para o que parecem ser os mais complexos desafios globais. Mesmo a solução desses problemas não sendo a missão explicita das escolas, é nossa responsabilidade trabalhar em parceria com as famílias, para prepararmos os alunos com as habilidades e disposições necessárias para fazerem uma diferença positiva na nossa comunidade e na vida dos demais. Ao levarmos esse pensamento à diante, existe uma exigência moral das escolas internacionais para darem o exemplo e proporcionarem aos alunos, oportunidades para aprender a liderar e resolver problemas complexos. Sabemos que não existe uma solução rápida para os nossos problemas e que as soluções de uma natureza profunda requer uma estratégia em longo prazo, guiada por um forte compasso moral. Esperamos que as escolas possam contribuir de uma forma significativa para essa estratégia, através de oportunidades de ensino profundas e relevantes.

Missão da EAB: Aprendizes inspirando aprendizes a serem questionadores na vida, firmes em seu caráter e com uma visão audaciosa.

O programa do Model United Nations (MUN) é um exemplo de como as escolas podem apoiar os alunos para realizarem esses ideais. No último final de semana, a EAB sediou o primeiro evento do MUN em Brasília, com a participação de 150 alunos. Usando como modelo os problemas enfrentados pelas Nações Unidas, os alunos são responsáveis por propor e negociar soluções para alguns dos problemas mais desafiadores do mundo. O desempenho dos alunos foi impressionante, não apenas com base no seu conhecimento sobre os assuntos mundiais, mas também em sua capacidade de negociar soluções de forma eficaz, criativa e inovadora. O vídeo a seguir e o link das fotos destaca alguns dos trabalhos extraordinários dos nossos alunos: Video, Photos, Website.

Visão da EAB: Impactar o mundo de forma positiva, através da excelência acadêmica, atividades, artes, liderança e serviço.

A Missão e a Visão da EAB fornecem a nossa comunidade uma importante estrutura em termos de desenvolvimento contínuo do nosso programa educacional.  Ser “questionador na vida” enfatiza o foco na aprendizagem sobre o mundo que nos rodeia, o que inclui o desenvolvimento de um alto grau de empatia e compreensão sobre o que é familiar e diferente. Ser “firme no caráter” desafia a nos orientar em uma direção moral. Ter “uma visão audaciosa” significa se comprometer a fazer a diferença positiva na nossa comunidade e na vida dos outros.

Em uma carta que reflete sobre os atentados de Paris, Kevin Ruth, o diretor executivo da ECIS, destacou um dos papéis principais de escolas internacionais, o que também corresponde à essência do ideal da EAB “visão audaciosa”:

“O alicerce de qualquer escola que se diz internacional deveria ser o impacto social que essa escola influencia, começando pelo seu ambiente, mas indo além, criando um impacto positivo no nosso mundo. Em tempos como esse, nós temos que ir além do nosso currículo, além da nossa politicagem, além das nossas primeiras queixas sobre o mundo e procurar criarmos um impacto positivo da forma mais profunda e internacional que pudermos.”

Através de um programa educacional que inclui oportunidades de aprendizagem como o MUN, um dos objetivos fundamentais da EAB é “buscar a criação de um impacto positivo em nosso mundo”, com base na abordagem educacional da criança/comunidade por um todo.  É com essa visão e comprometimento que nós olhamos para o futuro com otimismo e  crença num amanhã melhor para todos nós.

 

 

Teachers’ Day

 

“One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child.” ~ Carl Jung.

Teachers’ Day is celebrated in Brazil on October 15 each year. As a small token of appreciation and recognition, this post is dedicated to all teachers at the American School of Brasilia, in Brazil, and worldwide: Happy Teachers’ Day! Your work, dedication, and commitment to the development of others is deeply appreciated.

In the spirit of celebrating Teachers’ Day, the following is a reposting of a letter entitled, “Why I Hated Meredith’s First Grade Teacher”, written by Kylene Beers:

Why I Hated Meredith’s First Grade Teacher: An Open Letter to America’s Teachers

When my first born headed off to first grade, 21 years ago, she held my hand as we walked down the hallway of Will Rogers Elementary School in the Houston Independent School District. We walked into Ms. Miner’s room and Meredith’s steps grew more hesitant. This wasn’t the University of Houston Child Care Center, the place she had gone for years while I was a doctoral student at UH. This place looked different – bigger, more official. There were big-kid desks pushed together in clusters. And though there were centers, they were not the dress-up center or the cooking center or nap center or water play center of the Child Care Center.

The room was filled with children she did not yet know, with books she had not yet read, with a math center that had lost-teeth and birthday charts, and with a big poster by the door labeled, “Our Classroom Rules” that was still blank. “I don’t want to stay,” she said. I didn’t want her to, either. I wanted her still with me, only me. I didn’t want to give up those first six years of childhood just yet, those years when her world mostly revolved around her parents and new baby brother and a silly dog with big ears and afternoons spent in our local library reading book after book after book or playing in our neighborhood park, sometimes just sitting on the grass, watching the ants march by. With every ounce of courage, I said, “Oh, you will love first grade. It was my favorite year in school. I loved my first grade teacher, Mrs. Allen, and I bet you are going to love Ms. Miner, too.” Meredith looked doubtful and so very small. And then Ms. Miner, long blond hair pulled back into a ponytail, saw us, came over, and bent down to Meredith’s level. A first year teacher – the one I had told the principal that if he was willing to listen to requests I wanted – Ms. Miner was full of energy and excitement. She loved books, wanted to be a great teacher, and had obviously spent weeks making her room look inviting to these 22 six-year-olds.

“Oh, you’re Meredith! I recognized you from your picture! Come here and let me introduce you to some others. And let me show you all around the room. And, hey, you brought Corduroy as your favorite book and that’s one of my favorite books, too!”

And then, somehow, without me even realizing, Meredith’s small hand moved from mine to Ms. Miner’s and she was gone. She was swallowed up by the sheer joy this other woman brought into her classroom, into learning, and into my child’s life. “I guess I’ll be going now,” I said to Meredith who was busy putting school supplies away in her desk. “So, I’ll be just around the corner at our house,” I said blinking hard to keep away the tears.” I think she nodded. Perhaps she even paused to wave. My feet couldn’t move and Ms. Miner gently helped me and a few other moms out of the classroom. “She’s really shy,” I said to Ms. Miner just as Meredith sped by holding a new friend’s hand showing her “all these hooks where we can hang our backpacks.”

Meredith was breathless with excitement at the end of that day – every day – and by the end of the first week, our family had a new member: Ms. Miner. Each afternoon and for long into the evening, I had to listen to “Ms. Miner said . . .” and “Ms. Miner thinks . . .” and “Ms. Miner showed us . . .” and “Ms. Miner suggested . . .” and when I slipped and said, “Oh damn” at dinner burned in the oven, I was reminded that “Mom, Ms. Miner would never say . . . .” Right, I smiled through gritted teeth. “Ms. Miner says that manners are important,” Meredith said as she explained why we must always put our napkins in our laps, something that I swear I had mentioned a million times.

For the entire year I watched my child fall in love with school, with learning, with figuring out, and most importantly, with her first grade teacher, Ms. Miner. Meredith, who had once hated ponytails, now only wanted to wear ponytails. And blue skirts, “just like Ms. Miner’s.” “And Mom, my name starts with an M and Ms. Miner starts with an M. Isn’t that great!! We match!” Yes, Meredith, just great. Really great. Oh damn.

Though I had been a teacher for years before having Meredith, before sending her off to first grade, I had never truly understood the power of a teacher in a child’s life. We give our most precious and priceless to you – dear teachers – each year, knowing you will teach them, but also hoping you will care for them, help them discover how very much they matter, watching over them, and being there when they have been hurt by the ones who won’t let them sit at the “popular” table – and then you do just that and they fall in love with you. It shows up in different ways, as they grow older. But it’s still there, this deep affection and respect. And, certainly, it’s harder to forge those bonds when there are 150 students instead of 22, when the day is fragmented into 45 minute segments, when education seems to be more about the test than the child. But I promise, underneath that bravado of the seventh grader or swagger of the tenth grader you will find that small first grader who wonders, “Will my teacher like me?” And when that child – that teen – knows that you believe he or she matters, then that student will do most anything for you.

To this day, Meredith remembers you, Ms. Miner, and to this day, I so hated how much she loved you that year. And, simultaneously, I am so grateful that she did.

And so, teachers, across this country during the next two weeks, most of you will be opening your classroom doors in a first-day welcoming for your students. As a teacher I am proud to stand beside you in all that you do. But as a parent, well, as a parent I stand in awe of all that you do. And to Ms. Miner, thank you.

Wishing teachers all the very best on Brazil’s Teachers’ Day. Thank you for all you do!

“Education is the point at which we decide whether we love the world enough to assume responsibility for it and by the same token to save it from that ruin, which, except for renewal, except for the coming of the new and the young, would be inevitable. An education, too, is where we decide whether we love our children enough not to expel them from our world and leave them to their own devices, nor to strike from their hands their choice of undertaking something new, something unforeseen by us, but to prepare them in advance for the task of renewing a common world.” ~ Hannah Arendt.

 

Featured image: cc licensed (CC BY-NC 2.0) flickr photo by Julie Falk:Sam Reading in Badlands; https://www.flickr.com/photos/piper/10571971

Moving Pictures

 

Culture is the widening of the mind and of the spirit. ~ Jawaharlal Nehru

The process of capturing and effectively communicating the essence of an organization’s culture can, at times, be a challenge. However, social media and video provide us with the means to share organizational and cultural highlights with a great community. To that end, the following series of videos are designed to communicate a little about what makes the American School of Brasilia (EAB) so special.

EAB Institutional Video

https://youtu.be/9dolZv8hvMs

Sábado Legal: EAB’s Sábado Legal (“Cool” Saturday) offers families the opportunity to engage in further learning opportunities on Saturdays.

https://youtu.be/vfvfQLOU18M

Celebrating Learning and Innovation: Highlights of the changes made to EAB’s facilities to better support innovative, creative, and collaborative learning practices.

Teacher Flashmob: A surprise teacher flashmob during an evening band performance.

Tour of EAB’s Campus: Click on the following link to take a 360 tour of the American School of Brasilia

360 Tour

“Culture is the underground stream of norms, values, beliefs, traditions, and rituals that builds up over time as people work together, solve problems, and confront challenges .This set of informal expectations and values shapes how people think, feel, and act in schools.”  ~ Peterson and Deal

Realistic Fiction

 

Last week’s blog post highlighted the Bold in Vision element of the American School of Brasilia’s (EAB) new mission statement – Learners inspiring learners to be inquisitive in life, principled in character, and bold in vision. As a follow-up to this post, one of our amazing teachers, Caira Franklin, shared the following story about one of her talented students and how her student made a natural connection with the new mission statement.

Caira’s Email to EAB’s Leadership Team:

I have been working with my students on the new EAB Mission Statement since the beginning of the school year.  Though I’ve tried my best to explain and have my students connect to each part of the Mission Statement, the most challenging part to make clear is “Bold in Vision.”

I read a blog on this very topic, written by Barry a couple of days ago, that gave me new hope around how to explain this in class again at some point.  But today, unexpectedly a 3rd grader made the connection all on her own during reading.

We’ve been working on Realistic Fiction as a genre by analyzing character traits, asking good questions about the books we read, etc.  Valentina read a book today and completed her realistic fiction form as seen below.  Pay close attention to the section on character:

Bold1

Yep.  That’s right!  She said “bold in vision.”

I asked Valentina to take over the class for 10 minutes and read the story to us all.  What came out of it?  A great discussion about how the character in this book was bold in vision because…

  • she paints the sky the colors she sees in her dreams because she didn’t have the color blue in her paint set
  • she paints about things she believes in and shares them with the world
  • she believes all people are artists

All this is to say, I think I am out of job.  She knows the Mission Statement better than me!

Caira Franklin

P.S.- Matt Hajdun, thank you for getting me started on this whole in class empowerment related to the Mission Statement last year in Grade 3!

Thank you to Caira for sharing this story and for her work towards making the new mission statement come alive in her class.

And, thank you to our very talented student, Valentina, for making such a creative and wise connection with the mission statement.

Bold2

Bold4 Bold3

 

Featured image: cc licensed (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) flickr photo by Peter Durand (Brushes Painting: Batestown City Limits) https://www.flickr.com/photos/alphachimpstudio/5619737553/

 

Bold in Vision

“Use your unique gifts and talents to make a difference in the world.” Lailah Gifty Akita.

After a yearlong review process, involving regular feedback and contributions from parents, students, and teachers through surveys, retreats, and focus group meetings, the American School of Brasilia’s new mission statement was officially introduced at the start of this school year:

 Learners inspiring learners to be inquisitive in life, principled in character, and bold in vision.

As part of an ongoing analysis of EAB’s new mission statement, this week’s post looks at the fourth and final element of the mission: Bold in Vision.

Bold in Vision highlights the aspiration that our students and community members will make a positive difference in our community and the greater world around them. In one sense, Bold in Vision is the outcome that brings the other elements of the mission together towards a higher aim. While it is imperative to support and empower a community of learners to inspire each other and foster a lifelong love for learning (Inquisitive in Life), knowledge and learning can be further enhanced in the context of values systems (Principled in Character). Taking this progression a step further, it seems to be a loss if all of this learning and character development are not applied in some manner to improve, not only ourselves, but our communities and the lives of others.

To further the goal of making a positive difference, the Bold in Vision aspect of the mission also focuses on the strategic approaches to implementing effective change. These strategic changes and the ability to effectively address many of our current challenges will require creative and innovative approaches. To that end, our schools must assume the fundamental responsibility towards ensuring learning environments that support creativity, innovation, empowerment, and engaged learning.

In his book, From Master Teacher to Master Learner, Will Richardson highlights this responsibility of schools, with a particular focus on the role of teachers:

“Our job as educators is to understand deeply what it means to be a modern learner more so than a modern teacher. Our goal should not be to learn new technologies in order to become better teachers in the traditional sense. Our goal is to develop expertise in powerful new technologies to become better learners for ourselves and for our students, who may lack other learning models.”

It is hoped that EAB’s new mission statement embodies the ideals associated with Richardson’s words.

As with any focus on a Bold in Vision statement, technology will play a key role in the future of education. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published a report in 2015 entitled, Students, Computers, and Learning: Making the Connection, which frames the role that technology will play in education. Specifically, the report stresses that, “information and communication technology (ICT) has revolutionized virtually every aspect of our life and work. Students unable to navigate through a complex digital landscape will no longer be able to participate fully in the economic, social, and cultural life around them.”

The work of teachers is key to leveraging the opportunities associated with ICT. However, the report cautions that, “technology can amplify great teaching but great technology cannot replace poor teaching.” This is an important quote in that it clarifies that technology is not driving our work nor replacing poor teaching but rather providing teachers with an additional, important, and ubiquitous resource to support the learning process.

Finally, when considering our commitment to the Bold in Vision aspect of our mission statement, the OECD report emphasis the role of schools and educators on the future of learning:

“We need to get this right in order to provide educators with learning environments that support 21st century pedagogies and provide children with the 21st-century skills they need to succeed in tomorrow’s world. Technology is the only way to dramatically expand access to knowledge. Why should students be limited to a textbook that was printed two years ago, and maybe designed ten years ago, when they could have access to the world’s best and most up-to-date textbook? Equally important, technology allows teachers and students to access specialized materials well beyond textbooks, in multiple formats, with little time and space constraints.”

Returning to EAB’s new mission statement, the last element of the mission – Bold in Vision – was purposely designed to be less prescriptive and focused as compared to the other elements of the mission. The reason for this design is to frame the American School of Brasilia’s future work in the context of dynamic and changing environments. Bold in Vision is an open-ended premise that challenges us to use our collective learning and development to make a positive difference in the world through personalized, innovative, and creative approaches.

Learners inspiring learners to be inquisitive in life, principled in character, and bold in vision.

Previous Posts about Mission Statement:

Featured image: cc licensed (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0) flickr photo by Chase Elliott Clark (Binoculars V) https://www.flickr.com/photos/chasblackman/8502151556/