May 8 , 2012
8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
BCIU Education Centre
KEYNOTE MESSAGE
Global Understanding:
Developing a Framework for K-12 Educators
KEYNOTE SPEAKER - DR. LORI E. MURRAY
The keynote speaker was Dr. Lori E. Murray, president and CEO of the World Affairs Council of America. Dr. Murray is a national security expert and a longstanding member of the board of directors of the World Affairs Forum in Stamford, CT. During the Clinton Administration, she served as assistant director for Multilateral Affairs of the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency. Dr. Murray’s congressional experience includes senior legislative assistant and national security policy for a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Her latest venture is a new initiative, The Future Global Leaders Awards & Scholarship program.
ADDITIONAL SESSIONS INCLUDED:
Building Global Competencies - Wilson School District’s Global Academy Concept
At Wilson we believe that our students must possess strong skills in critical thinking and problem solving, innovation, communication, and technological literacy to be successful beyond high school. Additionally, they must be able and willing to take risks, collaborate across cultures, be open minded, perceptive and respectful of diversity, and embody a global awareness that will enable them to be productive contributors to a 21st century global economy.
In furthering these beliefs, as part of our Academy system, we have built a smaller learning community that while continuing to emphasize the overall rigor of our curriculum, focuses, through an emphasis on World languages and culture, business entrepreneurship, intercultural collaboration, the humanities, and community service those behaviors we believe will help our students develop and hone these skills.
In this presentation we shared with you the framework of our academies, the challenge of our work with the Global Academy, its growth over the past year, and our vision for its future. We shared specific examples of intercultural collaboration as well as elements of community collaboration and partnerships. We also shared with you how we are measuring the success of this academy and the performance of our students who elect this learning option.
Interactive Panel Discussion
Area K-12 and higher education educators engaged in an interactive discussion centered on global understanding in the classroom. A team of panelists from a variety of backgrounds discussed methods to incorporate global awareness and competencies into the curriculum.
World Quest Session
Participate in a World Quest! World Quest is a team competition sponsored by the World Affairs Council assessing high school students’ knowledge of current events. This session was led by the 2012 World Quest Champions from Wilson High School, testing knowledge of current events from the following categories:
- Countries
- Current Events
- International Humanitarian Relief Organizations
- People in the News
- International Financial Organizations
- The Space Age
- The Arab-Israeli Conflict
- The Geography of Africa
- The Global Marketplace
CLOSING KEYNOTE SPEAKER - Yo AZAMA
There was also a presentation by Yo Azama, the 2012 ACTFL National Language Teacher of the Year. Since 2000, he has taught Japanese at all levels at North Salinas High School in California. Azama has published widely in the field of language education and culture and has received many awards since beginning his teaching career 15 years ago.
contact: Sue Calvin, program administrator
610-987-8639, suecal@berksiu.org