RISA Conference programme

CONFERENCE PROGRAMME
9:00 Welcome - Mr Adam Oliver
(Vice Principal St. George’s British International School)
Keynote Speaker – Prof. Stephen Heppell
Global Developments and Trends in Education
10:15 Workshops Group A
11:15 Coffee break sponsored by Ambrit International School
Refreshments will be served in the school cafeteria
Distribution of Certificates to Presenters
Musical Performance by St George’s students
12:00 Workshops Group B
13:00 Close of conference
RISA would like to thank St. George’s British International School of Rome and
the Vice Principal, Mr. Adam Oliver, for hosting the 2016 RISA Conference

Workshop Group A 10:15-11:15 Venue
WORKSHOP 1
Prof. Stephen Heppell
Any Questions?
Professor Heppell will host a Q&A session on material raised in his
Keynote speech.
Refectory
WORKSHOP 2
Mr Adam Oliver
Holding Difficult Conversations
Holding difficult conversations is a challenging but essential part of
leadership. If they do not occur, things can go badly wrong within an
organization at a rapid rate.
Difficult conversations are however just what the name suggests –
difficult! This session, via a mixture of information and role-play
activities, is designed to:
 Explain why they need to happen
 Give you practical strategies for how to prepare, deliver and
follow-up for best effect
 Help you to be as human as possible whilst doing so!
The session is open for all but likely to have more value for those in any
form of leadership position, either within middle or senior management.
St. George’s British International School of Rome
Drama Theatre
WORKSHOP 3
Mr Raniero Bei & Mr Fabio Boccuni ( 15-18 years)
Language As a Way of Knowing
With the increasing IB focus of TOK being at the centre of the IB DP
learning experience, this workshop will focus on how Language as a way
of knowing is treated in the Language A and Language B courses. The
interpretation of a text, the correlation between language and culture,
the extent to which language can deceive us, are all aspects that offer a
natural bridge with TOK concepts and a springboard for interesting
discussions.
St. Stephen’s school
D12
ARG Session

WORKSHOP 4
Mr James Weston ( all age groups)
Video made the classroom go Aaaah! – Using video to
enhance teaching, learning and assessment.
Explore the role video has to play in the modern classroom and its ability
to enrich, enhance and support teaching and learning. You will have the
chance to get hands on by screen casting, designing basic eBooks and
creating Auras which brings photos to life, in this action packed, fun
workshop. This opportunity is open to anyone who would like to make
video a more prominent feature in their lessons and requires no previous
specialist knowledge.
F3
WORKSHOP 5
Ms Helen Wilford
Art History Ideas and Discussion Forum
The discipline of Art History provides fertile ground for developing the
critical thinking and communication skills required at KS5, and can inspire
a life-long interest in art and culture. In the presentation, I will outline the
process of writing the IB Art History school-based syllabus and the new
direction it is taking. I would also like to share some ‘hands on’ ideas for
teaching Art History to different age groups and explore cross-curricular
links afforded by the subject. The second half of the session will be an
open discussion forum, where we can share ideas and questions.
C4
WORKSHOP 6
Mr James Lyons
CO2 Reduction Methods: Activities to Involve Students
Reducing greenhouse gases is becoming a key focus in many schools. In this
workshop, we will see how the WAVE organization aims to reduce
CO2 emissions and present how Castelli International is taking part in this
initiative. Other practical "green" teaching activities will be shared. For example,
creating a student-led project on the features of an ecological home. A
brainstorming will conclude the session
Castelli International School
D5
Job-Alike Session,
Discussion Panel

WORKSHOP 7
Ms Maria Mascia
English Language Learners in the Classroom
This talk gives a background, insight and strategies to help ELL students
survive and thrive in our schools. Maria will discuss research that has
helped her implement strategies to differentiate between language
learners needs. She additionally will address learning differences
between ELL and learning support students.
Ambrit International School
D7
WORKSHOP 8
Ms Viktorija Podagelyte (12-18 years)
Understanding Adolescents (Pastoral Care)
The focus of the presentation is based on research done by psychologists
and neuroscientists regarding adolescent brain development. We will
examine why teens love risk, lack motivation and have difficulty
understanding others’ perspectives and emotions. Working through a
number of scenarios we will have better insight of what constitutes
“normal” adolescent behavior. We will assess when specific attitudes
need additional attention from adults in the community, such as an
advisor, school counselor, or parents.
St. Stephen’s School
D26
WORKSHOP 9
Ms Sara Kirby (6-11 years)
Reader’s Workshop: Fostering Comprehension and Life-long
Readers
Reader’s Workshop allows children to learn in their own way, in their
own time, and creates an environment that fosters a love for learning.
Reader’s Workshop is a structure for teaching and learning which
includes a mini-lesson, guided and independent practice, conferring, and
sharing. We will focus on the six metacognitive comprehension strategies
and explore ways to release responsibility to students. Teachers will
come away with practical lessons and resources to implement into their
classrooms.
American Overseas School of Rome
C6

WORKSHOP 10
Ms Christine D’Aquanni (6-11 years)
Best Practices for English Language Learners
This workshop is intended for both EAL and elementary classroom
teachers who are seeking new strategies to support ELLs in their
classrooms. The presenter will share some of her favourite components
from the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) as well as the
Guided Language Acquisition Design (GLAD). Participants will leave with a
toolbox of teaching strategies and have the opportunity to share their
own ideas and network with other international teachers.
D25
WORKSHOP 11
Ms Viki Bridge & Ms Lauren Waite (8-11 years)
Teaching the Research Process in Library and Technology
Classes
An elementary librarian and an elementary technology teacher will share
how they teach the research process to students beginning in second
grade and how they collaborate to empower the students to present
information on their topics. In library class, students learn to be flexible
about choosing a topic, how to evaluate resources of information, take
notes without plagiarizing, write a complete paragraph, and the
importance of citing sources. In technology class, students type their
writing, edit their writing, animate their slide, search and import images,
and cite their source.
Library
WORKSHOP 12
Ms Chiara Concas & Ms Miriam O'Brien (12-14 years)
“A Lighthouse in a Stormy Ocean” – How to incorporate and
go beyond accommodations to guarantee success for
students with special needs
Reduced workload and additional time are standard accommodations for
students with special needs. How does this transfer into the regular
classroom? The purpose of this presentation is to share some effective
and time proven strategies on how the development of Teacher-Student
Subject Specific “Contracts”, while incorporating accommodations,
D4

empower students to become active participants in their learning.
Presenters will share how these“ Contracts” have positively impacted not
only academic performance of students but also their behavior , attitudes
and relationships with peers, parents, and support professionals.
Participants will be provided with examples and strategies on how to
implement these contracts in their subject areas.
WORKSHOP 13
Ms Simona Keshav
Secretarial Good Practice
A mutually beneficial opportunity to meet, share ideas and discuss points
of common interest e.g.
1) Streamlining the re-enrolment/re-registration process and paperwork
2) Databases (linked to point 1)
3) Student Pass/ID cards
4) AOB
Southlands English School of Rome
D13
WORKSHOP 14
Mr Christopher Scorer (12-18 years)
Adventure Education - Is it worth the risk?
This workshop is aimed at generating a discussion and sharing good
practice around adventure education.
Objectives:
To identify some of the risks teachers and schools face when offering
adventure education. To identify the value of adventure education to
both the students and the school. To share good practice – in relation to
risk and crisis management, managing parental expectation and response
and providing staff with sufficient support.
Southlands English School of Rome
C2
Job-Alike Session ,
Discussion Panel

WORKSHOP 15
Ms Sandra Collins (6-18 years)
Marking and feedback
This is a session to get teachers to evaluate the effectiveness of their
formative assessment. We will look at recent Ofsted statement on
marking and what they expect to see in schools - and consider how
frequently we need to mark books etc. Participants can look at examples
of feedback and comment on which are useful and which are not. I will
show the group findings from a research project conducted by a teaching
school in the UK who have been judged outstanding by Ofsted, looking
on what students find useful and what they do not. The group can then
examine strategies suggested by Teacher Toolkit which looks at various
methods of giving feedback. They can then consider which of these the y
could try! I will show evidence from ‘response to marking’ using the
‘yellow box’ idea used in English.
The New School Rome
D2
WORKSHOP 16
Mr Michael Barber (3-18 years)
An Interactive Session on Resilience
Schools and classrooms, can be demanding places to work - successful
teaching and learning requires cognitive, social and emotional
investment by both teachers and students. This tests reserves of physical,
psychological or emotional energy for both parties.
Research shows that one of the most important attributes for a teacher
to be both successful and happy is first to be resilient.
This interactive session aims to look at some of the contemporary
research and provide a forum for teachers to share their own
experiences.
St George’s British International School of Rome
C5

WORKSHOP 17
Ms Judith Munro Faure
School Nurses Forum
C1
Job-Alike Session

Workshop Group B 12:00-13:00 Venue
WORKSHOP 18
Prof. Stephen Heppell
Learner-Led Make-overs
We seem to be in a policy inversion. Teacher led, and learner led change has
accelerated way beyond national and bureaucratic control, probably because
new technology has empowered bottom up ahead of top down. But what
does learner led change look like? This grounded pragmatic session shows
how others have asked for the reflection and research of their learners - and
found their schools transformed, favourably and effectively, as a result. What
a decade!
WORKSHOP 19
Mr Greg Morgan & Mr Richard Lancaster (8-18 years)
Teaching for Creativity:
Developing Creative Thought and Action through Cross-
Curricular & Inter-School Collaboration
I will present a range of our innovative in-school and off-site projects, which
have enabled teachers and students from diverse specialisms, departments
and schools, to collaborate equally. Participants identified opportunities,
explored divergent ideation and developed surprising yet effective
outcomes. The visible products ranged from murals and operatic
performances to video documentaries and TEDx debates on drones.
However, developing the creative processes and attributes of curiosity,
imagination, critique and resilience were arguably the key consequences of
these projects.
Extension and Challenge through Visual Media
The talk will explain a range of short and long term extension and challenge
projects, within the Art department. These include a collaborative
photography assignment for IB students in which they produce a series of
distorted, grotesque and experimental portraits. The project encourages
students to quite literally stretch their artistic ideas.
We also run an early entry GCSE programme which allows particularly able
students to take an AS level qualification before starting their IB
Diploma.
C3
F1
ARG Session

WORKSHOP 20
Ms Denise De Paoli, Mr James Lyons & Mr David Clapp
Science Job-Alike
Denise (Marymount) will talk about her trips to Space Camp and to Cern;
James (Castelli) will give a short version of his other presentation on
involving students in reducing CO2 emissions; David (SGBIS) will lead a
discussion on the new IA assessment in IB sciences .
The RISA scientists recently met (Nov 2015). This would be 2nd
meeting of
this group.
Marymount International School
Castelli International School
E1
WORKSHOP 21
Ms Geraldine Farrell (12-16 years)
How do we support EAL students in international schools in
Rome?
EAL Working Party –
Who are our EAL students? How can we be best supporting them to achieve
their potential?
Step 1 is to look at strategies for supporting EAL students’ learning. In our
Roman international schools perspective, what do we do and how do we feel
that this works? What strategies can we share from our specific schools?
Participants are asked to bring one successful strategy that they have used in
their RISA school.
D26
Job-Alike Session

WORKSHOP 22
Ms Helen Andrew
IB DP Coordinators
- Entry to university in UK, USA and Italy regarding IB diploma, certificates and
accreditation to CIS or other.
- Academic Honesty policies - what we do, what we give out, who is involved
- AIBWSI updates on their lobbying strategy in Italy
- Uploading of IB work to IBIS (including via Managebac). E-coursework
experiences/latest situation
C6
WORKSHOP 23
Ms Veryan Blake, Mr Marco Gemelli, Mr Matthew Tait
& Dr Darren Laffar
Exam papers
How do exam boards construct exam papers? What consideration do they
give to bilingual students? How does readability assessment differ for mono
and bilingual students? The findings from a literature review regarding these
questions were used to manipulate the difficulty exam papers in order to
reduce the assessment of English ability and increase the subject focus. A
mixed mono/ bilingual student cohort were exposed to both manipulated
and non-manipulated exams.
Carrying out Action-Research Projects in an international school:
barriers and benefits
St George’s Action Research Group (ARG) was established in September 2014
with the aim of creating a learning community amongst staff and carry out
action research projects which would inform policy and practice. Mr Gemelli
will start the session by summarising barriers to implementation and the
strategies used at SGBIS to overcome them.
Mr Gemelli and Dr Laffar will then discuss the benefits of adopting the
D22
Job-Alike Session
ARG Session

Japanese ‘lesson study’ approach to secondary mathematics lesson planning.
Ms Blake will analyse how exam boards construct their papers and how
readability assessment differs for mono- and bi-lingual students.
Mr Tait will investigate the role of chance based games on student learning
and motivation.
WORKSHOP 24
Ms Christine Williams, Ms Hannah Moore & Ms Vicky Walsh
(3-14 years)
Taking Initiatives in Primary Education
Taking initiatives may be easier within the International school setting since
school leaders are not bound by national legislation, politics or league tables.
At SGLS, we have committed to three initiatives we feel shape the nature of
our school: ‘Talk for Writing’: a multisensory approach to literacy;
‘Relationships & Sex Education’: from policy writing to classroom delivery,
and ‘Play in Education’: the importance of play for learning and creativity.
This workshop aims to share experiences and although the main focus is
Primary, RSE will look at KS3 in particular.
C4
WORKSHOP 25
Ms Claire Angeletti, Ms Roberta Pazardjiklian & Ms Sarah Talbot
Chaos, Creativity & Connection: A Pathway to Well-Being
We need new maps to support students in developing their emotional
intelligence alongside their own unique gifts and talents in order for them to
flourish in today’s fast paced world. Through the chaos of creative exploration
there is a way for young people to discover new learning pathways and the
dynamic connection between student and teacher has the potential to
transform the learning experience for both. In this presentation and practical
workshop Claire Angeletti will be speaking about the significance of
introducing Heart Strengths, Mindfulness and Well-Being into a creative
curriculum and Roberta Pazardjiklian will be presenting her Creative
Enrichment Project to support students in increasing their awareness of the
world in which they live and their place within it as visual learners and change
makers. This workshop is also supported by Sarah Talbot.
Drama
Theatre
ARG Session

WORKSHOP 26
Mr John Talbot
Technology & Teaching
Technology is changing the way we teach and creates tremendous
opportunities to enrich the quality of our teaching and the enrich the learning
experience of our students. This is a hands on workshop that aims to
demonstrate how flipped learning can be effectively delivered in the
classroom. Delegates will be shown how to use screen casting software to
make their own flipped learning lessons together with some of the pitfalls to
avoid and aspects to take on board when running these sessions.
F3
WORKSHOP 27
Ms Moira Egan (15-18 years)
What a Character: Understanding Characterization through
Creative Writing Exercises
For writers, it is crucial to create interesting, well-rounded characters, in both
fiction and poetry. For the younger reader, personal psychological insights
into character can be a fascinating way to become an ever better critic and
writer. Using specific examples of published work based on literary characters,
this workshop/lecture will give teachers academically solid yet entertaining
tools (including poetic forms) to encourage students to become more
engaged with characters in texts read in literature classes
St. Stephen’s School
D25
WORKSHOP 28
Ms Elizabeth Reenstra (6-11years)
Engaging All Learners With Multisensory Instruction
Participants will learn to utilize a multi-sensory approach during the literacy
block. A common concern for teachers is a lack of transfer between skills in
isolation and further application. Presenting concepts through an explicit,
sequential and kinaesthetic manner allows students of all levels to more deeply
internalize them. Participants will be given a book of common phonetic rules,
ideas for lesson planning and the tools necessary to easily integrate the content
into their own classrooms.
D6
ARG Session

WORKSHOP 29
Ms Jane Rumsby (6-14 years)
Taking the numbers out of math
“When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals,
adjust the action steps. “Confucius
STEAM is the way forward with math. Creativity, fun, and practical application
are so often missing from math lesson and students lose their desire to ‘do’
math. Let’s take a look at how we can bring some joy back into the lessons for
all math students. A hands/feet on workshop, exploring, geometry,
engineering, technology, science, creativity and of course math.
D23
WORKSHOP 30
Ms Julie Finan & Ms Elena Colucci
Creating Reggio Inspired Spaces
(How to use the third teacher in your early childhood classroom)
The participants will learn how color, balance and texture can bring harmony
and enhance their early childhood setting. By taking into consideration these
three elements. On a tight budget, is it possible to transform your space into a
stimulating and nature-connected learning environment.As there are several
international preschools in Rome, this workshop will be open for those who
work in in these settings. We will provide information on how to transform
their classrooms to make them more welcoming interesting and inspiring.
Marymount International School Rome
D11
WORKSHOP 31
Ms Giovanna Atturi (6-14 years)
GHFGHF Bes e Bilinguismo / Organizzazione programmi italiani
Questo incontro informale tra gli insegnanti italiani di elementari e medie che
operano nelle scuole internazionali, ha come fine uno scambio costruttivo di
idee ed esperienze, volto a rendere sempre più proficuo il nostro lavoro e
soddisfare le aspettative di genitori e alunni.
Una particolare attenzione vorremmo dedicarla ai ragazzi con DSA e BES,
scambiandoci idee sull'approccio alle lezioni, alle verifiche ed esami.
Southlands English School in Rome
D12Job-Alike Session

WORKSHOP 32
Mr Chris Reid
Everybody's going surfing. Enlivening lessons with IT
The aim of the workshops is to give teachers some ideas and skills that will
allow them to improve learning and teaching experiences in all classes.
Participants will be able to apply learning from this workshop to enhance
lessons. Integration of the ICT resources gathered in this workshop into
lessons will be straightforward and beneficial to both students and teachers.
The New School Rome
WORKSHOP 33
Ms Joanne Gillespie
What is Visible Learning?
In this workshop, the presenter will share information contained in the book
“Visible Learning for Teachers” by Professor John Hattie. Participants will
learn about the main idea of Hattie’s work, and have hands-on experience
with the tools contained in the book, for preparing, teaching, and evaluating
lessons. Participants will be encouraged to establish a Professional Learning
Community based on the tenets of the book, in order to share their
understandings.
St. Thomas's International School
E3
D13
WORKSHOP 34
Mr Andrew Spraggon (3-18 years)
Special Education Discussion Panel
An opportunity to share experiences and perspectives about Special
Educational Needs in International schools. Envisioned topics of discussion
include: assessment of SEN, resources and teaching strategies, the use of
outside agencies (e.g Psychologists and Speech and Language Therapists) and
training in SEN for specialist and mainstream teachers. This session will be
useful for anyone working with SEN children, including teachers and teaching
assistants who have an interest in improving outcomes for children with
additional needs.
Southlands English School in Rome
D7Job-Alike Session

WORKSHOP 35
Mr Michael Agliata
Rigor in the Math Classroom
Participants will better understand both the definition of rigor and what it
looks like in the classroom. “We need more rigor in the classroom!” This
comment is often made by teachers, parents, and administrators, but what
does it really mean? True rigor is born when lessons are planned to promote
three fundamental principles: conceptual, procedural, and applied
understandings. This session will explore examples of how each of these
understandings can be reached in the math classroom.
Various technologies promoting both conceptual and procedural
understandings that are also useful for formative assessment like NearPod,
Explain Everything, Go Animate, and Desmos will be discussed. Discussion
will also center on technologies promoting student reflection better suited
for summative assessment like the creation of Puppet Edu movies and
student created books using Book Creator. Practical applications promoting
applied understanding like participation in the Stock Market Game will also
be considered. Attendees should have access to the internet through the use
of a laptop, iPad, or mobile device.
D21
WORKSHOP 36
Ms Amy Agliata & Mr Chad Griffiths
Using IT to Make Thinking Visible
Participants of this presentation will be able to:
-encourage visible thinking within their classroom
-utilize new IT tools to make student thinking visible
What are your students thinking and how do you know? When students
externalize their thoughts through speaking, drawing, writing, and other
methods, they make their thinking visible. Using these methods they can
expand on their thoughts through collaboration and reflection. In this
presentation, we are going to share our favorite tools that allow students to
make their thinking visible. We will share our experiences with screen-
casting, movie-making, book-making, digital portfolios and collaborative
projects across a range of curriculum areas. Some of the tools we will include
are Adobe Voice, Seesaw, and Explain Everything.
D2

WORKSHOP 37
Dr. Marie Catherine Letendre (13-18 years)
Strategies and tips for teaching critical thinking skills
This workshop will focus on both theory and practice. Participants will be
asked to join in the discussion of teaching strategies for critical thinking skills
as the presentation unfolds with a description of good strategies and tips.
Critical thinking, as it pertains to teaching and learning, is considered an
open-minded process of discovery and understanding, analysis and
application, synthesis and evaluation. Creating a critical thinking classroom
makes learning enjoyable.
Marymount International School
C3
WORKSHOP 38
Mr Bob McCarthy (12-18 years)
Walking the Walk: Making Your School Mission & Expectations a
Living Document in Your School Community
What does it mean to be a mission-driven school? How do students
specifically demonstrate the core values and learning expectations
articulated by the school? How does the educational community achieve
consensus on what students should be able to know and do? This seminar
will present how some schools have incorporated their mission, core values
and learning expectations into the fabric of the school and ultimately,
developed graduation requirements related to those expectations.
D8

Public Transport Options for St George's La Storta Campus
The La Storta site is conveniently situated next to La Storta train station on the FR3 line
between Roma Ostiense and Viterbo. The journey to central Rome and the Metro line takes
approximately 30 minutes, and similarly taking the train north to Viterbo takes you through
Bracciano, situated on Lake Bracciano, within 30 minutes.
The Via Cassia next to the school is also served by several local bus routes.
https://vimeo.com/153331251
http://www.stgeorge.school.it
http://www.heppell.net

RISA Conference programme

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