Parental Engagement
Join this session to explore the power of parental engagement in education, where we’ll delve into recent research showing its positive impact on children’s academic progress, including an average of four months’ additional progress. We will discuss effective strategies to involve parents, addressing challenges and sharing success stories from various schools. The session will cover tailoring communications to foster positive dialogue about learning, maintaining engagement as children grow, and overcoming barriers. Participants will engage in discussions to help to develop tailored communication plans and practical strategies for high-quality home learning support.
Debbie Fineberg
Head of Year, Maths Coordinator, Rugby School Thailand
Monster Phonics
Since the UK DfE decided that Letters and Sounds was not necessarily the best way to teach phonics, lots of schools around the world have been looking for and trying new phonics schemes. We have embedded the Monster Phonics program into our Pre-Prep and would like to share with other schools the impact it has had.
Please note that we are an ambassador school, and as such it is part of our role to promote Monster Phonics and work with other schools across Thailand and SE Asia when they first start to implement the program into their classrooms. This presentation will in no way be a sales pitch, but rather a guide of the journey we have been on in the hope that other schools may find it useful and wish to look into using Monster Phonics themselves.
Kirsty Burkhill
Deputy Head Academic, Rugby School Thailand
A journey of enhancing and developing the Primary Science curriculum
This session will take educators through our school’s journey to elevate Science education, exploring strategies for providing personalised support, setting rigorous challenges, and maximising the potential of teachers and teaching assistants. Along the way, participants will uncover the power of cross-curricular links, instilling Science with renewed vibrancy and relevance across all areas of the curriculum, ensuring an engaging and enriching educational experience for students.
Marc Mitchell
Science and ECO leader, Harrow International School Bangkok
Thai Fun Phonics
Explore the Thai Fun Phonics! Tailored for educators of children aged 3-6, this interactive training delves into engaging techniques to teach Thai phonics effectively. Discover creative strategies, hands-on activities, and resources to enrich early language development. Perfect for educators seeking innovative approaches to enhance learning outcomes in Thai language and culture.
Weena Popaijit
Thai Teacher, St Andrews International School, Sukhumvit
Suttiwan Suwannarat
Thai Teacher, St Andrews International School, Sukhumvit
Losing the Stabilizers: Effective Transitions from Novice to Expert
Supporting the transition from novice to expert learner is challenging. This session explores the Cognitive Science behind best practices during this critical period, drawing on the work of Rosenshine, Sweller, and Bjork. We will cover key processes such as modeling, examples, explicit instruction, checking for understanding, guided practice, and independent practice. Learn how and (most importantly) when to shift focus at crucial moments in lessons to optimise learning.
Ryan Woolaston
Head of Maths Teaching and Learning Lead, Denla British School
Enhancing Student Engagement and Learning Outcomes Through Gamification
Gamification is more than just turning lessons into games; it’s a strategic approach to enhance engagement, ownership, and motivation. By incorporating game design elements and game thinking into the learning process, educators can create an environment where students are not just passive participants but active, motivated learners who chart their path through the curriculum. The benefits include increased participation, improved agency, and a more enjoyable learning experience.
In a gamified classroom, game elements such as experience points (XP), badges, leaderboards, guilds and challenges are seamlessly integrated into the curriculum. This approach taps into the natural human inclination for competition, achievement, autonomy, mastery, and purpose, making the learning journey more exciting and fulfilling.
Ram Mahadevan
Computer Science and Cybersecurity teacher, International School of Bangkok
Developing a Culture of Professional Growth and Inquiry
This session will use Taipei European School as a model to explore the culture of professional growth. I will discuss the why and how of shifting from a formal evaluation-based appraisal model to a collaborative approach focused on professional growth and inquiry. Participants will gain insights into what this looks like in practice and learn about the challenges and successes. Participants will leave equipped to reflect on their own school culture and practices regarding professional growth.
Leica Burley
Assistant Head, Taipei European School
Metacognition Made Simple: Thinking Moves A-Z
In this session, participants will explore how the 26 verbs in the A – Z Thinking Moves encompass and surpass Bloom’s famous, but flawed, taxonomy of cognitive processes. Participants will learn how teaching and learning at any level, and in any domain, can be improved by planning for and practising individual Thinking Moves. Participants will learn a simple but comprehensive scheme that provides a common language for teachers and students to talk and think about thinking. Its mnenomic structure enables it to be learnt very quickly (perhaps even within 45 minutes!).
Dean Clayden
Education Consultant, Wellington College China
PARENTS - Pushy, Positive or Pirate?
Parents – love them or not, they are an essential part of our world. They have much to give to help the development of their child, but we all know some can be tricky. Let’s look at the types of parents (Pushy, Positive, or Pirate) and how to best deal with them. How can teachers get parents on their side in those first few days (what not to do and what to do), and how can managers help support both their staff and the parents? What is acceptable to say and do when dealing with those tricky customers? There are no perfect answers, but many years of experience have taught me how to manage different parents in an ever-demanding and challenging environment.
Sarah Shuttleworth
Head of Pre-Prep, Rugby School Thailand
Future Proofing the ECE Curriculum - Understanding, Supporting and Recognising the Nature and Role of Learning Behaviours
Critically identified Learning Behaviours such as self regulation, metacognition, emotional Literacy and Creativity form an integral part of Children’s development and progress Understanding and supporting the acquisition and development of Children’s Learning Behaviours is a crucial aspect of an aspirational, ambitious, , relevant and responsible Curriculum. By ensuring that children have these necessary drivers to seek, engage and act on knowledge and skills, educators will secure effective and transformational outcomes for the children that they work with. As such an integral part of supporting children’s development, it is also vital that the acquisition and progression of Learning Behaviours is represented in a way that both supports Educators decision making and also provides a robust mean of accountability. This Keynote will examine the principles and practices that enable leaders and educators to create a unique, value driven approach to integrating the support and assessment of Learning Behaviours across all Early Years Provision.
Jan Luke Dubiel
Independent ECE Consultant
