TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2023
8:30 AM – 3 PM

The 2023 Internationals Network Fall Professional Development Conference took place on Tuesday, November 7th at Manhattan International High School in New York City.

We are excited that this event continued the momentum of our return to in-person gatherings. As always, we’re excited to have hosted workshops created by (and for) teachers, counselors, school support staff, and others from across the network to highlight the innovations and new ideas that are surfacing in schools for how to best support multilingual learners.

As well, preceding the day of the full conference on Monday, November 6, a wide array of school visits took place, tailored to the interests of visitors, highlighting foundational practices of the Internationals approach and nurturing the exchange of expertise and experience across regions, with visitors joining from peer schools all over the country.

On November 7th, educators and staff from all across our network offered workshops that highlight this year’s conference theme of “Exchanges: Deepening Heterogeneity and Collaboration.” Facilitators were invited to interpret this theme widely and freely and to generate unique and creative visions for what it means to be together and how it can serve our network community by building and sustaining meaningful connections.

While the conference has concluded, you can browse the workshops and their accompanying materials below, as well as the promising practice shares.

 

CONFERENCE LOCATION

Manhattan International High School
317 E 67th St, New York, NY 10065

Public transportation is suggested.

CONFERENCE AGENDA

 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6th

School Visits 9 AM – 3 PM

(Only for participants visiting from outside of NYC)

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7th

Doors open at 8:30 AM!

Registration & Breakfast

Opening Gathering

Morning Workshops

Lunch

Afternoon Workshops

Conference Completed at 3:00 PM

FAQ

 How do I register for workshops?

  • Just hit the “Register Here” button found throughout this page and you will be directed to the official registration form.

Do I need to bring a laptop?

  • We recommend bringing your laptop to access electronic workshop materials if necessary.

Will meals be served?

  • We offer a continental breakfast, lunch, and coffee and snacks throughout the day. If you have food allergies, we recommend that you bring your meals, as we can not guarantee proper handling of food preparation.

Will I receive a confirmation of the workshops I selected on the registration form?

  • Prior to the conference you will receive an email with your workshop schedule and the workshop room number. 

Workshops

FULL DAY  Sessions

A Multisensory, Student-centered Approach to Literacy Development

Do you have middle or high school students who are developing their literacy in English, who struggle to read because decoding in English is a barrier, who get stuck in their writing because they do not have an understanding of the way the code of English works? While decoding/encoding are essential to reading and writing and support comprehension and fluency, they are not generally taught to high school educators or frequently built into high school learning. This workshop will introduce you to a flexible multisensory approach to supporting decoding and encoding that can be used across content areas with all learners; it is specifically useful to MLLs. The approach, called linguistic phonics, is flexible, multisensory, student-centered, inquiry-based and can be rooted in any curriculum. We will engage in this approach together, have time to practice and then have some time to concretely plan for how we want to implement the practices in our classroom or setting. This workshop is open to all educators interested in supporting literacy development.

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): Shahzia Pirani-Mellstrom-Brooklyn IHS & Suzanne Marten

Filming and Editing a One Minute Process Video

Although documentary filmmaking can be a long and complicated process, the basics are to film an event, using a variety of shots, then choose which footage you want to keep or edit out. For participants who have never made a video before, this is a great introduction. And for those who are more experienced, they can be leaders in their group and have fun with this project. This is a fun hands-on workshop that allows participants to be creative, collaborative and to explore how they might see an everyday process from a new angle. During this workshop participants will receive an introduction to documentary filmmaking with a mini-lesson on camera shots. Next, in small groups participants will be provided materials to make their own footage! In the afternoon, participants will learn about editing using iMovie. At the end of this process, participants will celebrate their work, reflect on their experience and discuss how this can be applied in their own classroom context. Participants will walk away with new skills as well as some short films they can share with their students and follow up activities to encourage student discussion about the filmmaking process. This workshop is open to all, especially teachers who are interested in learning about video production and offering it for their students.

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): Sybil Patten & Martin Pascual- Manhattan IHS

Roll for Creativity: Making Our Own Games for the Classroom (and Beyond)

In this full-day, interactive workshop, participants will learn some basics of game design, analyze how existing games connect to our curricula, and then create our very own playable board or card games. These games could be used to teach or review class concepts, build community in the school, or as a basis for a game design unit with your own students. Learn through playing and creating! While teachers, club leaders, counselors, and admin are especially encouraged to register, all are welcome!

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): Brian Hsu & Brendan Gillett IHS at Prospect Heights

AM  Sessions

Animating Paragraphs: a Stop-Motion Workshop

How can you bring non-fiction reading and writing to life? Learn how to incorporate animation with stop-motion in your curriculum. During this workshop, participants will review some student work samples then experience the process like a student would! Participants will collaboratively read a non-fiction text, compose a MEAL paragraph and then use this to create their own animation. Participants will be able to showcase their work through a short screening and debrief this process with the group. This workshop is open to all, but participants must download Stop Motion Studio on their cellphones prior to the workshop.

Workshop materials coming soon.

Facilitator(s): Padmini Narumanchi– IHS at Prospect Heights

Best Practices for Work Based Learning (WBL) and College Access

The infusion of College Access into daily curricula is a growing necessity that has become apparent in many areas. Concurrently, the need for WBL awareness has come to the forefront of many classrooms. When they are combined and integrated seamlessly, the result is an informed scholar who feels empowered to achieve more. This workshop will exemplify best practices to utilize within your WBL/College and Career classroom. You will have the unique opportunity to learn how our high school students can explore a bridge between the classroom and the professional world. We will explore techniques and strategies that can be used with students to attain deeper thinking. Participants will leave with multiple approaches to assist multilingual learners with navigating the work environment, understanding the college process, and seeing how the worlds of College & Career can and must be taught from 9th grade through 12th grade. All are welcome!

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): Eva Morales & Samantha Davis – Crotona IHS

Creating 3D models using Tinkercad for Project Based Assessments

The amount of things you can design in Tinkercad is virtually limitless. It’s entirely possible for students to design (and 3D print) things that could be beneficial for a school, a neighborhood, a shelter, or anything else that can provide for different people. A class can easily design anything from garbage cans, to office supply organizers, to even eating utensils. 3D modeling is a way for people to design things that they ever thought possible! In this workshop, participants will learn how to use Tinkercad, a cloud based program that allows your work to be saved and loaded anywhere with an internet connection. Participants will be guided through the process of signing up and managing a class (or multiple classes) and how to use the basic controls within the interface. Participants will walk away having designed something using Tinkercad, explored a typical class structure to support using Tinkercad and brainstormed ideas on creating project based assessments and interdisciplinary projects using Tinkercad. This workshop is open to anyone who wants to create and explore how to incorporate 3D printing into their projects!

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): Leonard Melzer-Manhattan IHS

Cultured Science: Incorporating Diverse Experiences into Teaching

How can science classrooms incorporate culturally responsive practices to support our heterogeneous community of multilingual learners? And how can we do this in the context of rigorous project-based learning? In this interactive workshop, participants will explore multiple approaches and perspectives intended to widen our ideas on how to integrate culturally responsive teaching into science projects. The workshop will also enable participants to share their own ideas of culturally responsive teaching with one another, an opportunity for cross-school exchange of ideas and resources that will enhance the science projects of Internationals network schools. While especially designed with science teachers in mind, all who are interested in the intersection of science and culturally responsive practices are welcome!

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): Kris Ramir & Melody Henry- IHS at Lafayette

Develop Competency-based Instruction for any Subject

How can you make the shift to competency-based instruction? Students in Joshua’s classroom run a faux micro-nursery business with individualized instruction through career-based experiential learning to grow plants, using software or upcycling to construct planters and support structures, make documentaries or websites about plants, and more based on student choice; all at the same time. Participants will learn how to structure a competency-based unit while incorporating career-based knowledge through projects. This workshop will dive deeper into the teacher’s role as the facilitator and show participants how to effectively plan to create competency-based units for any subject area. Participants will leave this workshop with planning tools and an initial outline for their competency-based unit.

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): Joshua Apple– Manhattan IHS

Differentiating Algebra 1 Content through Project-Based Learning

How can mathematics classrooms incorporate projects-based learning to support our multilingual learners? In this interactive, collaborative workshop, participants will explore differentiated projects and assessments. Participants will engage in a stations activity to learn about how we can support students with varying needs by using the Zone of Proximal Development. At the end of the workshop, participants will discuss where and how this can fit into their own classrooms. While this workshop is geared towards Algebra 1 teachers, the topics discussed can also more broadly be applied to differentiation in other math classes and non-Algebra 1 teachers are welcome to attend!

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): Janice Song & Ruby Chang– Flushing IHS

Event-ify Your PBAT (Project-Based Assessment Task)

As our PBATS and class projects become more authentic, how can we re-imagine the way students present? How can our PBAT presentations evolve into large-scale community events? In this workshop, participants will look at a 2023 Arts Project-based assessment task that became a community event, involving all 40 student presenters, teachers, administrators, and multiple student organizations. Participants will learn how to reimagine each band of a PBAT rubric as part of an event; where project planning and event planning intersect and where they diverge; and how to involve student and community groups in a PBAT event in an authentic, discipline-specific way. Participants will come away with an idea of how their PBAT presentations can take a different, and more authentic form as well as tangible ideas for how to involve the school community in the process! This workshop is open to all teachers, especially those whose class culminates in a PBAT.

Explore the workshop materials  here.

Facilitator(s): Brigid Warnke– Claremont IHS

Experiencing the Internationals Approach

This workshop begins with a lesson taught entirely in a foreign language. After an initial experience in which the content is delivered in this language with no supports, participants are taught the same content through activities, curriculum, and instruction that models good teaching for students who are new to the language of instruction. Participants have the opportunity to reflect on the experience of the two different lessons and to look closely at several of the techniques the teacher uses that were effective for them. This workshop is a useful introduction to the Internationals Approach as it puts participants in the shoes of their students and helps them gain first hand experience with the benefits of teaching students using the techniques expanded on in the other workshops.

Workshop materials coming soon.

Facilitator(s): Marguerite Lukes- Internationals Network for Public Schools

Get Those Groups GOING!

Have you been wondering about how to empower students to take more ownership during group tasks, or do you need some new collaborative structures? This workshop introduces participants to a variety of techniques and structures that can be used in the classroom to develop autonomy and collaboration between students. Participants will be able to experience structures, reflect, and discuss how they can adapt them. After completing this workshop, participants will learn about how to turn “group work” into true collaboration with accountability and agency.

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): Amany Esa– IHS at Prospect Heights

Houses on the Moon: Finding Your Authentic Voice

Houses on the Moon Theater Company was founded in 2001 with a mission to dispel ignorance and isolation through the theatrical amplification of unheard voices. Through creative workshops, original performances, post-show conversations, and accessible ticketing, Houses on the Moon unites communities through the public sharing of untold stories. In this creative arts PD we will explore the myriad ways in which young people tell their stories in the 21st Century and how educators and administrators can assist them in uncovering their authentic voice. Through theater games, creative writing and experiential exercises we’ll share tools to create a more trusting, expressive and socially engaged classroom experience.

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): Robb Davis & Emily Weiner– Houses on the Moon

Humanizing Education for Newcomer Immigrant Youth

This workshop presents strategies, narratives and insights from educators of newcomer students. Participants will engage in discussion about what systems, practices, and approaches promote humanizing education for students, contrasting with the dehumanizing forces in our nation’s schools. We will explore a range of topics including classroom strategies, whole school approaches (community walks at OIHS), and community/alumni engagement. This workshop will be led by Professor Monisha Bajaj of the University of San Francisco, Gabriela Martinez, graduate of Oakland International High School, San Francisco State University and the University of San Francisco, and Kathleen Rucker, principal of Brooklyn International High School. Participants will walk away with concrete strategies and examples of how to center the humanization of their students and families in a school community.

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): Dr. Monisha Bajaj & Gabby Martinez- University of San Francisco, Kathleen Rucker– Brooklyn IHS

Literacy for Secondary Multilingual Learners 1: Word Reading in the Content Areas

What do you do with a 15-year-old in your science class who never learned to decode? How can you build in opportunities for reading in the middle of math class? How does reading work, anyway? Join us to learn information about the science of teaching early literacy skills to older students, and to build opportunities to explicitly teach and have students practice those skills in core content and non-intervention elective classes. This session can be taken on its own or as part 1 of 2 with Literacy for Secondary Multilingual Learners 2.

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): Alison Walter & Jessie Pare– Hammond Middle School Internationals Academy

Picturing a Hero: Creating Children's Books Together

In this workshop, participants will explore a semester-long inquiry project combining heroes and picture books. This process entails examining a variety of picture books, identifying characteristics of the genre, conducting research, creative writing, and finally creating an original page of a picture book. There will then be an opportunity to discuss how incorporating multiple languages can deepen both learning and storytelling. Participants will be able to explore resources and ways in which teachers can collaborate with librarians or other colleagues and leave ready-to-use resources and activities plus have concrete plans to develop authentic project-based learning by incorporating research skills and creative writing in the classroom. This session is intended for teachers of any subject area with research and writing outcomes and librarians.

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): Tracy Post Teixeira & Phoebe Lichty- IHS at Lafayette

Place-Based Learning: Using the Community Around You to Build an Interactive Project

In this interactive workshop, participants will begin by examining student work and resources from a community mapping unit in a 9/10 Humanities class and interdisciplinary 9/10 portfolio project. In the second half, participants can use tools and resources to imagine activities in the context of their classroom and have time for more focused conversations about how to use materials. By investigating an ESL Humanities unit, student work, and an interdisciplinary unit, participants will come away with ideas about how they might use resources from public libraries, city parks and the Bureau of Labor Statistics to develop their own project and place-based curriculum. This workshop is open to all teachers, but might better align with ESL, ELA or Social Studies teachers.

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): Erin Fleischauer– Brooklyn IHS

Purposeful PBL - Developing Products for an Authentic Audience

Are you wondering about how to increase the impact of your Project-based units? In this workshop, participants will explore the role of an authentic audience and how they can design PBL units where the products have an impact.In PBL, students work towards the development of a specific product. Projects typically end with some sort of presentation or showcase to an audience connected to the context of the project. Participants will collaboratively explore a variety of ways to incorporate authentic work and experiences in Project Based Learning units and have time to imagine what that looks like for their own projects. All are welcome!

Workshop materials coming soon.

Facilitator(s): John Derian– Brooklyn IHS

SEL Screener Process to Support Student Needs

Have you been wondering about how to refine your school’s student support systems? In this workshop, participants will explore the social-emotional-learning screener process at Pan American High School that has been precisely created to cater to the specific needs of their student population and has helped them design a multi-tiered support system. During this session, participants will have the opportunity to share processes their school uses and engage in a problem of practice discussion. Participants will walk away with ways to adapt similar strategies for their school communities.This workshop is open to all, but may be especially helpful for counselors, social workers, or teachers working closely with student support and advisory.

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): Karla Pina & Yuliesy Vargas– Pan American IHS at Elmhurst

SPED/SLIFE Resource Share

This is an opportunity for SPED and SLIFE professionals to come together to explore and share best practices. During this session we would like to support new teachers in SPED or SLIFE with networking opportunities as well. We will discuss how to support students with IEPs, how to use a SIT Team to a school’s advantage, as well as share our best strategies and practices that support student success in the classroom and through transition.

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): Medi Ford & Nathaniel Jimenez – Brooklyn IHS

Vocabulary Is Vital: Empowering Multilingual Learners with Words

Vocabulary is a key gateway to literacy learning for multilingual learners. In this workshop, participants will examine strategies for vocabulary building that are collaborative, playful, and carefully engineered to make language accessible to learners of all backgrounds. This workshop proposes a model for integrating instructional and independent vocabulary protocols in a heterogeneous classroom. Through examining sample materials and enacting parts of vocabulary routines, participants will come away with concrete strategies for incorporating vocabulary instruction into their classes as well as a deeper understanding of the many ways words empower multilingual learners as students, communicators, and self-advocates. This workshop is designed for teachers who wish to incorporate more explicit vocabulary study into their instruction. Sample materials will come from a 9-10 Literacy/ESL class.

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): Becky Gould & Students from International Community HS

Ziriguidum: Teaching Language and Literacy through Onomatopoeia with a Brazilian Social Dance

Have you been wondering about how to support literacy in your classroom? Are you interested in exploring a unique way to integrate arts into your curriculum? Dancer or not, this workshop will show participants how dance can be a vehicle to teach language! In this workshop co-facilitated by students, participants will collaborate to learn a Brazilian social dance that is inspired in part by the sounds the samba drums make! It will also embody Afro-Brazilian movement qualities learning about the social and historical importance of dance in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil. After experiencing this unique workshop, participants will have new tools to integrate arts instruction into any discipline to motivate students to collaborate and learn through multiple modalities! All educators are welcome to attend.

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): Megan Minturn- Brooklyn IHS

PM  Sessions

Accommodating a Variety of Levels in a Competency-Based Math Class

How can we challenge all students in a heterogeneous math classroom? This workshop begins with a class simulation where participants will work through a series of problems at their own pace and difficulty level. Next, participants will debrief the simulation, review the resources that support accommodating all learners simultaneously in a mixed-level math class. It will be followed by a Q and A. Finally, participants will have the opportunity to work on creating self-paced lessons about an upcoming topic, or engage in further discussion about processes. Participants will come away with new strategies to challenge all students in a class simultaneously and an understanding that high-level mathematics can be taught in classes that contain MLL and SLIFE students. This workshop is open to teachers of any subject, especially anyone who is struggling to differentiate and challenge all students.

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): Meredith Levine- ELLIS Prep

Blow it Up!: Student Engagement and Collaboration through Oversized Paper

Getting our students to actually collaborate can be a struggle. Students don’t want to work together, or they don’t see the point. This workshop may be a solution. By limiting resources, using tabloid size paper, and color-coding, you can increase student engagement and collaboration for a given task and still give individual grades to students. In this workshop participants will engage in model activities so that they can see the benefit from a student’s perspective, and also plan and design their own activities for collaborative reading and/or writing tasks. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss collaboration strategies they are using and pose questions about areas where they are interested in growing. Participants will leave this session with a plan and/or activity to implement the collaboration strategies and solutions learned during the workshop. This workshop is open to all!

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): Marc McEwan- Claremont IHS

Building a Community: How to Talk So Students Will Learn

How do you build a positive classroom community with students that support one another? Getting to know our students and recognizing their contributions to society can allow students to see school as a safe space and reinforce the idea that we see them holistically, not just as students who need to learn English and content knowledge. This workshop is grounded in socio-emotional and trauma-informed instruction and will support teachers to learn how to build a positive community that works together. Through this workshop, participants will learn strategies to incorporate and teach social-emotional learning skills along with content in their classrooms as well as ways to build students’ self-efficacy. This workshop is open to anyone who wants to learn more about how to build relationships and a strong, positive, student-centered learning community.

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): Joshua Apple- Manhattan IHS

Civic Science: Engaging Students in Community and Climate Action

Join the Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation (CELF) in networking with fellow sustainability-minded educators and learning how to engage your students in place-based inquiry and action projects to explore local sustainability and environmental justice challenges that students care about. Discover resources and opportunities that CELF offers to support your project implementation.

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): Rowena Capuno & Victoria Garufi- Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation (CELF)

Creating a Career Day

Interested in bringing a school-wide Career Day to your school? Not sure where to start, or have the beginning of a plan and just need time to prepare? This workshop will take you through the planning and implementation stage of Manhattan International High School’s’ first ever Career Day. Students were given choice and ultimately watched presentations about 8 different career paths! Through this workshop participants will have the opportunity to connect with other professionals interested in work based learning initiatives and learn about how to support or expand current internship and mentorship opportunities. This workshop is open to all – teachers, administrators, counselors and work-based learning coordinators.

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): Jacqueline Thomas & Yanira Roman- Manhattan IHS

Design Challenge: A Fun and Immersive way to Learn and Create

Do you ever worry about cracking an egg? If so, this workshop is for you! Join us for a fun and immersive experience as we learn about the design process by creating a prototype to protect an egg from cracking. Student facilitators will guide you in exploring how to bring the design process into your STEAM classrooms, and you will also become familiar with the Internationals Engineering Design Rubric. All math, science, and art educators are welcome!

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): Maria Eloisa Villanueva & Estefania Hereira- Flushing IHS

Differentiating Algebra 1 Content through Project-Based Learning

How can mathematics classrooms incorporate projects-based learning to support our multilingual learners? In this interactive, collaborative workshop, participants will explore differentiated projects and assessments. Participants will engage in a stations activity to learn about how we can support students with varying needs by using the Zone of Proximal Development. At the end of the workshop, participants will discuss where and how this can fit into their own classrooms. While this workshop is geared towards Algebra 1 teachers, the topics discussed can also more broadly be applied to differentiation in other math classes and non-Algebra 1 teachers are welcome to attend!

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): Janice Song & Ruby Chang- Flushing IHS

Drawing Still Life & “The Art Critique” A protocol for Literacy Development through Art

Through drawing and learning shading techniques, educators in this workshop will use a strategy to help their students develop their art-appreciation skills. The workshop will focus on Value, one of the elements of art that provides a window into the art world. Participants will try a hands-on experience of observing and drawing a still life of tri-dimensional shapes using graphite pencils. By providing step by step directions, participants understand that Art is not an inherited skill, but one based on observation, exploration and practice. Participants will come away from this workshop with ideas on how to differentiate in art class plus one protocol for looking and talking about art, the “Art critique” (Feldman). This protocol helps students learn terms and vocabulary on how to present and share ideas by observing and commenting on each other’s artwork which promotes literacy development in project-based learning. In the art critique, peer collaboration is crucial as students do a gallery walk and work together to improve their own artwork. This workshop may be best suited for Visual Art teachers, but ALL are welcome!

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): Norma Gaytan- Brooklyn IHS

Engaging SLIFE through Interactive Literacy Centers and Projects

How can educators effectively support and tap into the strengths and life experiences of our students with interrupted education? In this workshop, participants will learn about how one INPS school created an interactive, fast-paced developmental literacy class for SLIFE building on curriculum from the NYS Department of Education and CUNY Graduate Center called Bridges to Academic Success (bridges-sifeproject.com). Participants will be able to view the placement assessments, curriculum, student artifacts, video clips from the class and book projects students created at the International High School for Health Sciences in Elmhurst. There will be opportunities to share and brainstorm on the situation at your school to best serve students who come to you with interrupted education.

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): Amanda Vender- IHS for Health Sciences

Entrepreneurship for Undocumented Students - Best Practices for Educators

Approximately 1 million people in New York City live in a household with at least 1 person who is undocumented. This number will continue to grow as more migrants arrive to NYC in search of asylum – you have met some of these migrants as students who are enrolled in our schools. Due to the barriers posed by their status, undocumented students face challenges in identifying and attaining sustainable postsecondary pathways upon graduation. In order to best support our students in creating a well-informed postsecondary plan, we educators must understand policy and employment opportunities for our undocumented students. This workshop will explore entrepreneurship as a viable postsecondary pathway for undocumented students. You will learn about the different types of employment opportunities open to students without work authorization and practices to support students at every grade level. School Counselors and College & Career Counselors are strongly encouraged to attend, although anyone who is interested in learning how to support our undocumented students is welcome to join.

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): Erika Castaneda & Martin Castro- International Community HS

Exploring the Power of Play in Learning and Thinking

What is the role of play in the learning and thinking processes of students and how can we bring it into our secondary classrooms? This interactive workshop is designed to help teachers understand the critical role of play in learning and thinking for students. Participants will explore various types of play and its impact on cognitive, social, and emotional development. Through hands-on activities and discussions, teachers will gain practical insights into incorporating play-based strategies into their teaching methods, fostering creativity, problem-solving, and a positive classroom environment. This workshop is open to all teachers of all disciplines and interests who want to bring play into their classrooms!

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): Ivonne Tejada– Crotona IHS

Has the Accuplacer Placement Exam Impacted Your Recent Graduates?

This workshop will create a space for Internationals Network educators and college counselors to discuss the problem that the ACCUPLACER exam required by many colleges is preventing many of our students from accessing admission and/or starting credited coursework. The ACCUPLACER is a series of tests that evaluate students’ skills in reading, writing, and math that college administrators use for placement in courses. In this workshop, participants will connect to develop a shared understanding of the collective experiences our graduates have been facing. Workshop participants will review and discuss practices employed in response to this problem and then will come together to envision an alternative to the situation that would better serve our Internationals Network graduates’ needs and brainstorm ideas for actualizing this solution. Participants will come away with some initial strategies and a new network of support to continue trying to address this problem. This workshop is open to counselors, Dream Team leaders, administrators, and other educators supporting graduates and recent graduates.

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): Jae Berlin- IHS at Prospect Heights & Juan Carlos Perez- IHS at Union Square

Health Teacher Roundtable: Discussions and Curriculum Shares

This workshop presents a unique opportunity for health educators within the Internationals Network to come together to discuss successes as well as current strategies and methods. Health teachers are asked to come prepared with curriculum that they would like to share or a question they would like to receive feedback on from other health teachers. Participants will leave this session with new ideas to implement in their classrooms and new connections to continue to partner with and learn from.

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): KP Perez- Pan American IHS at Monroe

Houses on the Moon: Finding Your Authentic Voice

Houses on the Moon Theater Company was founded in 2001 with a mission to dispel ignorance and isolation through the theatrical amplification of unheard voices. Through creative workshops, original performances, post-show conversations, and accessible ticketing, Houses on the Moon unites communities through the public sharing of untold stories. In this creative arts PD we will explore the myriad ways in which young people tell their stories in the 21st Century and how educators and administrators can assist them in uncovering their authentic voice. Through theater games, creative writing and experiential exercises we’ll share tools to create a more trusting, expressive and socially engaged classroom experience.

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): Robb Davis & Emily Weiner-  Houses on the Moon

Humanizing Education for Newcomer Immigrant Youth

This workshop presents strategies, narratives and insights from educators of newcomer students. Participants will engage in discussion about what systems, practices, and approaches promote humanizing education for students, contrasting with the dehumanizing forces in our nation’s schools. We will explore a range of topics including classroom strategies, whole school approaches (community walks at OIHS), and community/alumni engagement. This workshop will be led by Professor Monisha Bajaj of the University of San Francisco, Gabriela Martinez, graduate of Oakland International High School, San Francisco State University and the University of San Francisco, and Kathleen Rucker, principal of Brooklyn International High School. Participants will walk away with concrete strategies and examples of how to center the humanization of their students and families in a school community.

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): Dr. Monisha Bajaj & Gabby Martinez- University of San Francisco, Kathleen Rucker– Brooklyn IHS

Literacy for Secondary Multilingual Learners 2: Bridging Language Functions and Literacy Skills

I have learned how to guide students in primary source analysis skills, but my students are struggling to enter the text – they just don’t understand! What tools do my students need to assist them in reading different types of text with a variety of sentence complexities? How do I offer authentic experiences with grade-level content texts to students who don’t know how to read yet? And how do I start teaching them the skills to read when I am not a literacy specialist? This workshop will cover sentence-level and text-level reading strategies for secondary students in core-content and non-intervention elective classes with a focus on integrating language function instruction. This workshop can be taken on its own or in addition to Part 1.

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): Alison Walter & Jessie Pare- Hammond Middle School Internationals Academy

Problem Solving Techniques in Math

How can collaborative strategies support students in attacking problems in math class? In this workshop, participants will work collaboratively to explore unusual, but effective ways to solve math problems and discuss different ways to approach them. During this workshop, participants will tackle problems together, share strategies and learn about how they can apply and adapt strategies utilized in the workshop. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and reflect on their own practice.  

Facilitator(s): Aristides Uy- Crotona IHS

Scaffolding the Writing Process for MLLs

In this workshop participants explore the relationship between the Framework for Achieving Objectives (FAO) and writing development activities that address Linguistic Complexity, Language Forms/Conventions, and Word/Phrase use. Participants will experience writing strategies that can be used in their classrooms and have time to discuss adaptations. In addition to exploring writing strategies, there will be time dedicated to reviewing how to provide effective feedback for students. Participants will come away from this session with strategies to add to their writing toolkit as well as having had time to share ideas and receive feedback. This session is open to all teachers who are interested in supporting student writing in their classrooms.

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): Mireia Rothman-Simon- Internationals Network for Public Schools 

Using Stop Motion to Deepen Understanding of Literature

Are you looking for new ways to help students deepen their understanding of a text and share their creativity with each other? This interactive workshop presents an opportunity for teachers to explore using stop motion as a way to leverage students’ creativity to deepen their understanding of a text while also building community. Participants will explore resources from a unit on Frankenstein to see how stop motion was used. Then, participants will read an anchor text and create their own stop motion videos in small groups. Participants will come away with creative ideas to support engagement with texts and specifically ways to incorporate stop motion into upcoming units. This workshop is open to English and Social Studies teachers.

Explore the workshop materials here.

Facilitator(s): Wesley Hoffman- IHS for Health Sciences

Promising Practice Shares

These spotlighted artifacts and reflections represent ideas and strategies Internationals Network educators are excited about from their class or school. Enjoy! 

"I AM" Poems as Prep for Personal Statement

Rosa Vega of Pan American International High School in Elmhurst helped students prepare for their personal statements by having them explore and create poetry about who they are. Rosa says: “In the process of working on the Personal Statement, students created ‘I AM’ poems. In doing so it allowed for their creativity to flourish. I gave students the opportunity to create presentations/movies for their ‘I AM’ Poem, and I created a website to share their work with the school.” She adds these poems helped build community in the school by “providing opportunities to explore different ideas and help one another on creating these mini movies as a community.” Click here to check out the images and poems from this project!

Rosa Vega PAIHS Elmhurst

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1h4LmQm4jNdlx-rvYxTHgeSjsK40rCmMg/view?usp=sharing

Building Calmness from Within

Yumeris Morel of International High School at Lafayette has promoted and shared practices and strategies that support mindfulness and calm, based on trainings Yumeris has experienced. Yumeris says: “One of my trainings is a program called Heartfulness Program for Schools. It includes a set of ‘silence to tune into your heart’ practices that support students in building calmness from within. These practices are very powerful for proactively teaching students how to use tools for wellness. Some of the practices included are: meditation, journaling, breathing, affirmations. I participated in a research study on these tools which yielded some great results about how these tools can combat loneliness. I also did a video with a group of students sharing ‘peace intentions.’ I have been sharing these tools at Lafayette through a Peace Leaders program that is training students on how to use these tools and how to bring them into restorative circles.I have used these tools over the last decade in a variety of settings and in different ways for advisory or whole school programs and helps explore three different types of connections: to ourselves, to our bodies and to others. These types of connections as wellness tools are vital to building community.” Click here to check out the example video that Yumeris has shared!

Yumeris Morel, IHS @ Lafayette

Career Choices through Algebra

Bret Xu from Pan American International High School in Elmhurst has conducted an exploration of statistics by asking students to investigate career choices. Bret says: “Students choose two career choices after completing a survey that would recommend careers to them based on their interest. They would then dig deeper into the two careers they pick by looking at the descriptions, degree requirements, the working hours, the expected salary, the salary range etc. After students obtain the data, they conduct statistical analysis on these data and share with the class. This project is also a very good preparation for career fair. Students have plenty of opportunities to discuss with each other, share their ideas and interests, explore various careers together, build bonds, and open their mind to what their classmates are thinking and planning.” Check out the sample student work from this project!

Bret Xu, PAIHS Elmhurst

Collecting Community Air Polution Data

Vincent Koczurik of International High School at LaGuardia Community College has helped bring science to life through an interactive, exploratory, place-based project. Vince says: “My promising practice was having students collect air pollution data in their communities, connecting to the environmental justice issue here in NYC. Data was brought back to class and shared with the rest of the team. Particulate matter levels were compared to community demographics and proximity to heavily-trafficked roads. Students felt a greater connection to their communities and the issues facing their communities, specifically environmental racism in terms of air pollution, as well as investigating possible solutions to this problem.” Check out the example project packet and sample student work as well!

Vincent Koczurik, IHS @ LaGuardia Community College

Dialogues for Any Content Area

Elisa Bartoleschi of Pan American International High School in Elmhurst has provided guidance for how students can engage in dialogues in any content classroom. Elisa says: “The material provided explains different ways dialogues can be used across disciplines for a variety of reasons. It includes examples, as well as directions on how to use them as daily Do Now activities. Dialogues reinforce key concepts and allow students to communicate with each other on a daily basis. Dialogues can be personalized to allow for them to share their thoughts and feelings.” Check out the slide deck Elisa put together outlining the process and ways to think about this for your own classroom!

Elisa Bartoleschi, PAIHS Elmhurst

Impact Game Design: Leveraging Student Choice & Cultural Identity in CS Project Design

Melissa Nicolardi of International High School at Lafayette engaged students in designing video games to convey messages about topics that are meaningful to them. Melissa says: “One of the major projects in my media arts class last year tasked students with developing an Impact Video Game. An impact game intends to educate or deliver a message to the player. The lesson / message is referred to as the game designer’s impact goal.

The initial process included a discussion of issues important to our / their communities and collaborative brainstorming research questions to inform the impact goal of multiple topics. Students then chose their final topic, conducted research, brainstormed game ideas, chose one idea to storyboard & pursue. They worked through the iterative design project to create multiple drafts of their game, play-testing and receiving feedback from peers along the way. 10th graders presented their game as their Arts PBAT in June. Topics included: Anti-racism, environmental concerns, animal welfare, educating players about one’s culture or religion and promoting peace and compassion – to name a few.

This was a long project which required a challenging level of perseverance and sustained interest for some students. One thing that stood out, however, was that for many students, the connection they felt for their topic helped to sustain them. This was particularly true for students who chose to share their culture or religion, though not exclusively!

Students built community though the discussions of topics that they care about, collaborating on research and sharing their work in progress and final products. In general, the emphasis on student choice created a classroom culture where students were free to pursue / express ideas important to them and learn from each other’s different interests. The goal of this share is to highlight the process of creating space for student choice that is collective / collaborative.” Check out the links to learn more and play some of the games that her students designed!

 

Melissa Nicolardi, IHS @ Lafayette

Mastery-based Learning System for Math

Meredith Levine of ELLIS Preparatory Academy has established a competency-based “learning system for math which accommodates learners of different entry points, skills, and learning speeds.” Meredith says: “Basically, each unit is broken into a few key topics, and then each topic is divided three levels such that the easiest level contains problems that are easier to solve, the middle level contains more difficult problems, and the highest level contains the most difficult problems. All levels contain short readings or explanations that students can use as guides, so students who are ready to move on to the next level can do so independently without waiting for a verbal explanation from the teacher. As a class, we spend about a week on each topic, with introductory activities that we can discuss in groups, and students have time to progress through the levels at their own pace. At the end of the week, we have an ‘Independent Work Day’ in which students choose the level of problems that they complete independently, with harder problems earning higher scores. After the Independent Work Day, the entire class moves to a new topic together. This allows us to have class discussions about the topics without certain students being lost and others being bored, and group and independent work that is appropriate for each student.”

Meredith shares a bit about where this came from by adding: “I developed this system because I have some students who in another year might have gotten accelerated into a Precalculus class, but because of the pandemic are taking Algebra 2 as seniors. I was concerned that students who want to study math or engineering in college might struggle if they had not had any Precalculus before, so I was looking for a way to incorporate some Precalculus topics into my Algebra 2 class. At the same time (in the same class), I have some students who are missing a lot of Algebra 1 concepts, and I needed a way to reinforce some Algebra 1 concepts without wasting the time of students who already knew these concepts. This system has helped all of my students progress simultaneously. It allows math classes to be heterogeneous in terms of prior knowledge and skills, but still productive for all learners. Rather than getting tracked, or locked into groups that determine work difficulty for the entire unit, students with a variety of different skills can receive work at their level. Each topic, students have an opportunity to move fluidly through the levels, so taking a longer time on one topic will not necessarily mean they will be in a slower group in the next topic.” Check out the document Meredith prepared which contains further reflection, examples, and images to bring the system to life!

 

Meredith Levine, ELLIS

Mental Health and Healing practices for Teachers through Art Making

Ivonne Tejada of Crotona International High School has helped foster connection through art-making. Ivonne says: “Art-making for therapy and healing offers a powerful means to investigate and foster community building by promoting emotional connection, open communication, collaboration, trust, cultural exchange, shared learning, celebrating diversity, redefining identity, and conflict resolution. This promising practice can create a safe and supportive community where individuals feel valued, understood, and connected to one another through the transformative power of art.” Explore the process directions, slides, and photos that Ivonne has shared!

Ivonne Tejada, Crotona IHS

Parent Needs Assessment for Comprehensive Family Support

Karla Piña of Pan American International High School in Elmhurst has built extensive systems to foster parent and family engagement, and she reflects on the role of a needs assessment in that structure. Karla says: “In order to provide tailored support to families in our community, we propose conducting a comprehensive needs assessment for parents. This assessment aims to identify the resources that families can benefit from and the workshops they would be interested in during the school year. By conducting this parents’ needs assessment, our aim is to provide targeted support to our community, addressing their specific needs and interests. This assessment will help us improve the overall well-being and empowerment of families within our school, fostering an environment where children and families feel a sense of belonging and receive the necessary support.” Check out the flyer the school created for this ongoing work!

Karla Piña, PAIHS Elmhurst

Student Superheroes Project

Tim McCarthy of Flushing International High School has crafted a compelling way of helping students to engage in self-reflection, rehearse metacognition, build confidence, and explore their own sense of agency. Tim says: “The purpose of the Student Superheroes Project is to have students explore and analyze their strengths and challenges to empower them to take more ownership in their own learning and progress. This project helps students not only identify where they need to improve, but equally important, the project helps students see how their individual strengths can support their classmates and their team/groups. Additionally, the other metacognitive skills assessed in this project are: SMART goal setting, growth mindset vs. fixed mindset, overcoming challenges, tracking personal accountability. The Student Superheroes project provides students a creative outlet where they invent themselves as a Superhero character forged on their own strengths and challenges through deep reflection. Moreover, this project will also create multiple conversation spaces for empathy, building relationships, and celebrating progress. I would like to believe that the Superheroes Project unifies students together – for all students have something they would like to do a little better, so why not learn how to do it together?” Explore the numerous illustrative resources, including rubrics, handouts, overviews, and more!

Tim McCarthy, Flushing IHS

Using Printed Slides as an Aid to Help Develop Discussions within Groups.

Leonard Melzer of Manhattan International High School has been using printed slides to anchor discussion and group exchange in class. Lenny says: “As a teacher of MLL’s for many years, I learned pretty quickly that using pictures in your lessons are the way to go! In this promising practice, I like to place printed (or laminated) full page images that are relevant to a particular topic that I’m teaching (which can apply to anything the teacher is wanting to cover for that lesson). For non-SLIFE students, the images can be coupled with a series of tasks related to the picture (placed either on the other side of the image, or on a separate page). Some of the tasks that I like to ask students to complete are to: draw an emoji representing how you feel about the image, explain what is happening in the image, explain why they think that particular process is happening, or to explain what may happen next (in the future). For SLIFE students, the same can be applied, but on a simpler scale. As far as getting a conversation started for emerging students of English (true beginners), I like to have each image coupled with some relevant sentence starter words (including both content and non-content specific vocabulary). This promising practice idea can be useful for a wide variety of students, regardless of their language or academic ability. Pictures can serve as excellent ice-breakers for difficult conversations (specifically for non-academic topics), or assist others when words are difficult to come-by.” Explore the examples of images and prompts!

Leonard Melzer, Manhattan IHS

3D Printing and Trigonometry

Jana Rupchina of Pan American International High School at Monroe designed a year-long project for her Algebra 2/Trigonometry students that culminates in students 3D printing their own speakers. Jana shares, “Do you know you can build 3D-printed speakers and investigate sound while also learning about trigonometric functions? This project starts with an activity that asks the students to construct a paper speaker in preparation for them to assemble a 3D-printed speaker driver and then design and 3D print their own speaker enclosure. From there on the students investigate how speakers work, how sound travels, and how it is perceived by a human being. We talk about soundwaves and we think about ways to represent them with mathematics. Students discover trigonometric functions and their use in modeling periodic phenomena. Concurrently, they design and assemble their 3D-printed speakers. The project culminates with the students modeling a piano note, played through their own speaker, using a trigonometric function. And yes, we do have a keyboard in our math classroom! Once the speakers are ready, the students love to use them to play background music in class while doing work!” Click here to learn more and to connect the activity guide that accompanies this project!

Jana Rupchina, PAIHS Monroe

Building Paper Bridges: A Collaborative Project

Amany Esa of International High School at Prospect Heights engaged students in a hands-on experience to bring algebra to life. Amany describes it as “a collaborative project where students build paper bridges and count pennies to determine the different relationships (thickness and length of a bridge). Students work together collecting data and graphing their results; they use the language of algebra to classify if the relationship is linear or non-linear (exponential). It is interactive and everyone in the group has assigned roles. Even students with limited language can participate and engage in the learning.” Click here to take a look at the files that Amany has shared, including example handouts and slides.

Amany Esa, IHS @ Prospect Heights

Circles: Community Building and Conflict Resolution

Jessica Tolentino of International High School at LaGuardia Community College reflects on the power of community circles to strengthen relationships in the classroom, and the role that it has played in her content team. Jessica says: “As a discipline we have found it extremely useful to conduct Tier 1 and 2 circles within our school community to establish community building and resolve conflicts in a supportive manner. A peace circle is an environment that is supportive, nonjudgmental, a safe space, and promotes equality within the participants. It is a space where the focus is not on discipline or punitive measures, but more so the focus is on healing and communication. So far, we have used peace circles for conflict resolution between students. When a teacher identifies that there may be negative interactions between two or more students, we reach out to the students individually in preparation for the circle. If the students agree to participate in the circle, we create an agenda. The circle is conducted with the circle keeper (facilitator), those harmed, and a member of the community who has witnessed the conflict and/or can provide an objective perspective on how they were impacted. At the end of the circle, participants come to an agreement on what they need to move forward in a place of healing. A check in is conducted by the circle keeper after to reflect with the participants.” Check out the template that Jessica has provided!

Jessica Tolentino, IHS @ LaGuardia Community College

Developing a "News Network"

Tim Ross of Claremont International High School has supported students building their own media team and “news network.” Tim says: “Developing a ‘News Network’ can help strengthen school culture and expand opportunities for students to use authentic language in new situations. There are countless stories to tell in our schools every day – from exciting classroom projects to sports team successes to special events. Creating a media team can allow these stories to be told. With modest training, students can become adept at developing news stories that incorporate interviews, on-scene reporting, and diverse perspectives. A news team can develop out of humanities classes, elective classes, or afterschool clubs. Students can start with creating audio-only podcasts to practice their interviewing skills in a lower-stakes environment and then expand as their confidence and skills grow. Students will receive feedback as their stories ‘hit the market’ and they will take ownership of the responsibility.” Check out the example newscast episode!

Tim Ross, Claremont IHS

Differentiation in a Career-focused Math Project

Ruby Chang of Flushing International High School has created a differentiated, student-choice driven approach to exploring career paths in her math classroom. Ruby says: “I believe that differentiation is a key to ensuring students have the access to the Common Core State Standards at a variety of entry points despite having different education backgrounds, strengths, weaknesses, interests, and approaches to learning. So, I created an authentic project that incorporates students’ interest and voices to meet a wide range of students’ needs and learning styles. Through the project, students choose two careers that they are interested in and see which suits them better by collecting data and analyzing them. This project covers many topics, such as different types of data representations, linear and exponential equations.” Check out the slide that outlines her thinking, along with links to example materials!

Ruby Chang, Flushing IHS

Introducing Undefined Terms (and other Geometric Elements) via Rectangular Prisms

Arifur R. (Arif) Choudhury of International High School at LaGuardia Community College helped bring abstract geometric concepts to life for students by using familiar spaces in the world around us. Arif says: “In an introductory geometry class, students are first taught the undefined terms (point, line, plane, etc.). However, for many students the undefined terms can seem theoretical–not things to which they can relate. They can struggle to see them in their daily lives. To address this, I thought that I might teach my geometry students about rectangular prisms first, instead of starting with the undefined terms. They see rectangular prisms everyday. Their Amazon deliveries are boxed in a rectangular prism. Their breakfast cereal is packaged in a rectangular prism. A box of M&Ms is a rectangular prism. Students live in a 3-D world, so let’s let them explore a 3-D rectangular prism and then decompose the rectangular prism into its component parts to introduce the undefined terms. This lesson/activity promotes inclusion because it addresses multiple modalities and supports different types of learners. This activity especially helped students who need manipulatives and/or respond well to tactile and experiential learning. It made the geometry come alive for my students. They had fun while learning. Bringing fun and joy into math classrooms while supporting different types of learners promotes inclusion which helps foster community building.” Explore the example lesson plans that Arif has shared from this experiential geometry work!

Arifur R. (Arif) Choudhury, IHS @ LaGuardia Community College

Math in Interior Design: Calculating Perimeters and Areas to Shape Your Ideal Living

Sandra Flores of Pan American High School in Elmhurst has designed a project in which all her 9th and 10th grade math students take on the role of interior designers tasked with designing the interior of an apartment that is under construction near school. Students use polynomials and expressions to calculate the perimeter and area of each room. Sandra says, “As a major final individual product, students create a comprehensive worksheet that includes calculations of the perimeter and area for each room. The project adds relevance and practicality to the student’s learning experience. The use of a real-world scenario of a building being constructed near the school enables them to apply their mathematical skills in a context that is relatable and applicable to their everyday lives. To further enhance the project, students can also delve into additional aspects such as estimating costs, considering different room layouts, or incorporating design elements while adhering to mathematical constraints. These extensions can encourage creativity, problem-solving, and deeper exploration of mathematical concepts within the context of interior design. Check out her project overview, student facing materials, and suggestions for how to design a project like this in your class.

Sandra Flores, PAIHS Elmhurst

One Minute Process Videos

Sybil Patten of Manhattan International High School has helped students collaboratively document the processes students and their community engage in. Sybil says: “In groups students film and edit a one minute process video. Students are assigned groups and given all the materials needed for filming. For example, students who make coffee are given all the materials, so they can both make the coffee in class AND document each step of the process. For example, the coffee team films the steam of the hot water, the plunging of the filter in french press, and the pouring of the hot liquid into the mug. Next, students upload their footage in an editing program, so they can edit their clips into a one minute video. Lastly, groups share their videos, so classmates can practice identifying film shots and editing choices. The one minute video allows students to work in heterogeneous groups, to converse as they each play a role in the collaborative video project, and to use their own creativity/ideas as they produce their own video documentation of this everyday process. Also, since filmmaking is largely visual art, students can contribute regardless of their English proficiency. In addition, students can use subtitles and add a multilingual element to their video. Finally, during the group share, students can enjoy each other’s video and learn from their student projects.”

Sybil goes on to reflect that: “This promising practice comes from a documentary class where students can find extraordinary ordinary stories in their own communities. There are three parts to this class. First, watching a variety of short documentaries, so students are introduced to basic vocabulary and elements of nonfiction filmmaking. Second, during class groups of students create a one minute process video using their smartphone. This fun activity allows students to practice shooting and editing a video. Third, for the final project (either in groups or individually) students choose a person to interview for their 1-5 minute profile video. For equipment students use their smartphones and borrow a lavalier microphone to conduct their interview. Students can profile someone from their family, their community or even themself. At the end of the class, students celebrate their work by sharing their final projects.” Check out the sample videos and photos that Sybil has shared!

This promising practice comes from a documentary class where students can find extraordinary ordinary stories in their own communities. There are three parts to this class. First, watching a variety of short documentaries, so students are introduced to basic vocabulary and elements of nonfiction filmmaking. Second, during class groups of students create a one minute process video using their smartphone. This fun activity allows students to practice shooting and editing a video. Third, for the final project (either in groups or individually) students choose a person to interview for their 1-5 minute profile video. For equipment students use their smartphones and borrow a lavalier microphone to conduct their interview. Students can profile someone from their family, their community or even themself. At the end of the class, students celebrate their work by sharing their final projects.”

Check out the example videos and images from this class!

Sybil Paten, Manhattan IHS

Protest Posters and Shoe Design Pitches

Rachel Cabrera of Pan American International High School in Elmhurst has supported students in taking on the role of designers in her visual arts classroom. Rachel says: “Students studied protest poster prints of the labor rights and Chicano movements. They then researched different topics related to food justice and migrant labor rights , with the option to also research any social justice movement of their choice. The students engaged in block printing to create their designs and organize an exhibition in the school, learning how art can be used to educate and advocate and uplift voices.

In another design focused project, students took on “the role of graphic designers, developing shoe designs to fit a variety of different creative briefs. Students created video pitches of their designs to present to their clients and to practice the oral presentation skills they will need for their portfolios. A group of students were also able to participate in a design challenge with a local shoe boutique and were featured in a video campaign for the Nike rebellion shoe. They answered the brief “what does rebellion mean to you?“ Their art was featured at the launch party at the store and some students were even able to sell their artwork and won pairs of the collectible sneakers. These projects are models for incorporating principles of design, the artistic practice, student literacy, exhibition and community engagement. They are based around student voice and choice, and elevating their vision within the community and sharing their voice with others.” Check out the slides for the shoe design project!

Rachel Cabrera, PAIHS Elmhurst

Teaching Onomatopoeia through the Brazilian Social Dance Ziriguididum

Megan Minturn of Brooklyn International High School shares how she has used dance to teach language, with a focus on how the Brazilian social dance, Ziriguididum, can illuminate the concept of onomatopoeia. Megan says: “This promising practice will help others to consider how to integrate arts and movement in a collaborative environment into any discipline classroom.” Check out the explanatory slides, example handout, and jigsaw materials!

Megan Minturn, Brooklyn IHS

School Visits

Preceding the conference, on Monday, November 6, visitors from outside NYC will be able to visit another network school. These visits are tailored to the interests of visitors, highlighting foundational practices of the Internationals approach and nurturing the exchange of expertise and experience across regions, with visitors joining from peer schools all over the country.

**This School Visit is FULL** IHS at LaGuardia Community College

Visit Focus: Collaborative Structures that Support LCI & PBL

How do teachers at IHS @ LaGuardia structure their classrooms collaboratively to support MLL’s in their development of language and content knowledge? In this visit at the International High School @ LaGuardia Community College, visiting educators will see elements of student collaboration, language and content integration and project-based learning in classroom instruction. Visitors will examine artifacts from the school, hear from students and staff, and visit classrooms. Visitors will then debrief and reflect on the visit as to what they can take back with them to their own respective schools.

9a-3p,45-35 Van Dam St, Long Island City, NY 11101. Map

Pan American International High School at Monroe

Visit Focus: Project Design Infrastructure

How can we develop experiential, project based learning that supports students mastery of content standards while allowing them to apply the language they have learned? In this visit to Pan American International High School at Monroe, where every student’s linguistic background intersects with Spanish, visitors will have the opportunity to hear from educators about how they plan and build curriculum that allows students to apply their knowledge in a meaningful way. Visitors will observe classes and explore artifacts that surface key elements of the school’s approach to building authentic, experiential learning environments. Debriefing together, visitors will have ample time to make sense of what they have seen and to begin considering what they can apply or share in their own contexts.

9a-3p,1300 Boynton Ave, Bronx, NY 10472. Map

International High School at Prospect Heights

Visit Focus: Supporting Students’ Non-Academic and Socio-Emotional Needs

How do we support students’ non-academic and socio-emotional needs? How does intentional SEL support classroom instruction? In this visit to IHS@Prospect Heights, visiting educators will experience advisory classes, and learn how these classes build community across students and staff as well as support students’ socioemotional learning. Visitors will learn about additional ways the school fosters emotional well-being such as affinity clubs and the Restorative Justice program. Visitors will examine artifacts from the school, hear from students and staff, and visit classrooms. Visitors will then debrief and reflect on the visit as to what they can take back with them to their own respective schools.

9a-3p,883 Classon Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11225. Map

International High School for Health Sciences

Visit Focus:Using Questioning and Discussion Questions to Engage All Students

How do schools with a career and technical program promote student questioning and discussion? The International HS for Health Sciences is one of a small number of International schools that has a Career and Technical program focused on Healthcare. This visit will feature classroom observations (with a choice of Humanities or STEM classrooms) highlighting the school’s instructional focus on questioning and discussion. This visit will also include student/adult panels on their Restorative Justice Practices and their College and Career work. There will also be an opportunity to see a team meeting in action. Participants will have the chance to review curricular resources through the lens of the instructional focus as well as additional resources that contextualize the school’s structures, instructional programming, and student support offerings.

9a-3p, 48-01 90th St, Queens, NY 11373. Map

International Community High School

Visit Focus: Leadership in the Internationals School Community

How can leaders of Internationals Network learning communities create the circumstances to sustain strong systems while also innovating for improvement? In this visit to International Community High School, intended for school and academy leaders as well as district partners, participants will come together to discuss what leadership looks like in an ever-evolving Internationals Network learning community. Visitors will have the opportunity to hear from the school’s principal as well as other staff who help lead the work at this school in the Bronx, not only to support educators in their work serving multilingual learners but also to spur innovation and growth. Visitors will discuss how these systems sustain strong instruction and comprehensive student support, explore artifacts that surface key structures and ideas, observe classes, and have ample time to consider the implications for their own work and context. Facilitated by Nancy Rosas, Director of School Support for the DC Region.

9a-3p, 345 Brook Ave, Bronx, NY 10454. Map

Flushing International High School

Visit Focus: Cultivating Student Agency and Rigor through the HELLO Principles

How does our school help develop student agency through project-based instruction that cultivates the principles of the Internationals Approach? Our goal is that the culture of Flushing IHS grows to be student-led, reflective, and authentic, guided by high expectations and rigor. In this visit, you will observe how we provide project-based instruction and experiences to our students to develop agency and cognitively demanding instruction in a model of learning that cultivates the Internationals Core Principles (HELLO). Visitors will examine artifacts from the school, hear from students and staff, and visit classrooms. Visitors will then debrief and reflect on the visit as to what they can take back with them to their own respective schools.

9a-3p,144-80 Barclay Ave, Queens, NY 11355. Map