Technology Professional Development for ISD Faculty

In the past week and weekend, the ISD faculty, technology staff and administration received several excellent technology trainings.  Two Google trainers presented several trainings regarding the use of Google Docs, which will help teachers and the business office staff to communicate and exchange documents of lessons, and spread sheets, while also organizing online working groups.  Forty staff members took the official Google Trainers course, which will enable them to serve as coaches to the rest of staff as they all continue to grow in their technology skills for the benefit of their classes and students. 

On Monday and Tuesday, 14 faculty members and administrators received technology training in the administration of the MAP (Measures of Academic Progress).  We use the MAP test as one of our main external achievement measures at multiple grade levels to determine individual and full class academic progress several times a year.  We can also use the test for some admissions purposes.  Since the test is administered online, and the results are also delivered online, it is good for our faculty and staff to have a strong core of experts who can administer it. 

 Faculty Recruitment for 2014 – 2015

During the first 12 days of January, Dr. Alan Knobloch and I participated in the Search Associates and International Schools Services recruitment fairs that were held in Bangkok.  These fairs are among the first of the recruiting season in the international schools circuit.  Given Dr. Knobloch’s long tenure in Asian schools, and the early timing of the fairs, we determined this might be a good time to tap that resource.  This was the first time ISD has attended these fairs.  While most schools attending are based in Asia, several were from Europe, and 8 schools were from Africa.  We were very pleased to find great interest in ISD, thanks to our excellent website presence and our active solicitation emails to candidates prior to the fairs.  We noted that while Asian schools offer the excitement of big cities and the bustling economies of the Pacific Rim, several of the cities now suffer from serious air pollution issues.  The prospect of a friendly, family oriented school in Dakar, with its beaches, fresh ocean air and sunny skies proved enticing to teachers.  We were pleased to secure 4 teachers (two teaching couples) there, even while we had already hired 2 prior to the fairs from among candidates that were known to ISD admin staff personally. 

Next week Brad Bell and I will be joining Alan Knobloch at the recruitment fairs held in the Boston region, where we hope to complete our recruitment for the coming school year.  We are seeking top flight, talented teachers to join the ISD faculty, the better to continue to grow its high quality over the coming years.