|
If you have international education initiatives or
opportunities that are of interest to leaders and
educators throughout the country, please send them
to: hsingmaster@asiasociety.org
| International Education Week |
 |
November 13-17, was International Education Week
and across the country schools at all levels, from
kindergarden to college, were celebrating the world.
The official International Education Week website lists
proclamations from 37 Governors and hundreds of
events across the country and the world.
In conjunction with International Education Week,
Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings and
Assistant Secretary of State Dina Habib Powell, led a
high-profile delegation of twelve U.S. college and
university presidents to Japan, Korea and China. The
delegation met with various student, university,
government, and business leaders. Commenting on the
trip, Secretary Spellings said, "We can learn a lot from
each other to better prepare our students....Companies
today want graduates skilled in the fields of math,
science, and foreign languages, the new currencies of
our global economy." For more information:
www.ed.gov/about/inits/ed/internationaled/asia-tour/
International Education Week »
|
| State Spotlight: Massachusetts |
|
|
In Massachusetts, Commissioner of Education, David
Driscoll used International Education Week to issue a
paper stating the case for urgency in global education,
a list of global studies professional development
opportunities and a menu of International Education
Week activities. [Papers available at:
internationaled.org/directory.htm#ma]
This is just the most recent event in Massachusetts, a
state where momentum for International Education has
been steadily rising. The Massachusetts Initiative for
International Studies (MIIS) has convened three
statewide conferences over the past three years, each
followed by the release of a report outlining progress
and goals. A fourth conference is planned for April 25,
2007.
Earlier this year, legislation was passed in the
Massachusetts House and Senate to establish an
international education advisory committee. The
Global Education Advisory Council advises the Board of
Education on matters relating to the instruction,
curriculum, and assessment of global studies in
Massachusetts K-12 public schools. It is comprised of
educators from public and private educational
institutions and others interested in global education in
the state. For more information on the Council visit:
www.doe.mass.edu/boe/sac/councils/global.html
The new MIIS-AIG WorldSource Award for Excellence in
International Education, will award two prizes of $1000
each to the MA school district and individual teacher or
team of teachers that has shown the most progress
and sustained effort in developing an international
focus in its schools/curriculum since September 2004.
This award is one of the concrete results of the MIIS
partnership among business leaders, policy makers, and
educators to extend and improve international
education across Massachusetts. For more information
on the award:
www.primarysource.org/miis/miisconf_5.php
MIIS »
|
| Education News Parents Can Use |
|
|
On Tuesday, November 21st, the U.S.
Department of Education aired the latest edition of
their TV series, Education News Parents Can
Use. Entitled, "Teaching Foreign Languages:
Understanding the World and Helping Our Students
Compete," the show featured a conversation with
experts from school districts, associations, and others
about what is being done in our nation's schools and
communities to ensure that students graduate with the
ability to communicate in critical languages. The
broadcast explored ways to provide students with the
language skills to engage foreign governments and
peoples, especially in critical regions; to encourage
reform and promote understanding; convey respect for
other cultures; and provide an opportunity for others to
learn more about America and its citizens.
To watch an archived version, click on the link below.
US Dept. of Education TV program »
|
| Grants and Opportunities |
|
|
Goldman Sachs Foundation Prizes for Excellence in
International Education: We are now accepting
applications online for the 2006-07 Goldman Sachs
Foundation Prizes for Excellence in International
Education in the elementary/middle, high school,
media/technology, and state categories. The prize
program was created in 2003 to raise awareness of the
growing importance of international knowledge and skills
for U.S. students and annually awards prizes totaling
$25,000 in each category. The deadline for
submissions for the four categories listed above is
January 12, 2007. For more information, please visit:
www.internationaled.org/prizes.
STARTALK project will provide funding for
programs to offer Arabic and Chinese language study
for high school students and professional development
opportunities for teachers of Arabic and Chinese. The
goal of this pilot program is to reach a total of 400
teachers and 400 students, in order to increase the
number and expertise of students and teachers in
Arabic and/or Chinese language. STARTALK is a project
of the National Security Language Initiative being
administered by the National Foreign Language Center
at the University of Maryland. Please note the
application deadline is December 15, 2006. For more
information:
www.nflc.org/projects/current_projects/startalk/
Elgin Heinz Outstanding Teacher Awards 2007:
Sponsored by the United States-Japan Foundation, the
awards are presented annually to two K-12 teachers in
two categories, humanities and Japanese language
who further mutual understanding between Americans
and Japanese. Applications are due February 1, 2007.
For more information:
www.us-jf.org/heinz.html
Advanced Placement (AP) Test Fee Program:
The U.S. Department of Education is calling for
applications from State Educational Agencies for
funding to pay for all or a portion of advanced
placement test fees on behalf of eligible low-income
students enrolled in AP courses or planning to take the
AP exam. This could be useful for internationally
focused AP courses and exams such as World History or
languages. Applications are due by January 5, 2007. For
more information:
www.ed.gov/programs/apfee/index.html
India Study Tour: The South Asia Center
at University of Pennsylvania invites applications from
social science, humanities, and South Asian language
teachers who are employed full-time in the states of
Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania to participate
in a four-week study tour of India in Summer 2007.
Applications are due January 26, 2007. For more
information: www.southasiacenter.upenn.edu
|
|
| Asia Pacific Forum |
|
|
The rapid pace of globalization and the growth of the
knowledge economy present enormous challenges and
opportunities for education systems in the Asia-Pacific
region. Asian countries need to make fundamental
education reforms to prepare their students for the
more entrepreneurial, creative, and
knowledge-intensive jobs of the global economy. The
United States, a leader in scientific research and
innovation for 50 years, now confronts rising
competition from around the world with consistently low
student achievement levels in math and science
compared with many Asian countries.
Committed to analyzing these challenges, Asia Society
and the China Education Association for International
Exchange convened "New Strategies for a Global Age:
The Asia-Pacific Forum on Education" in Beijing from
November 14-17. Participants were drawn from multiple
sectors, including government, business, education,
philanthropy, media, and technology. Asia Society
President Vishakha N. Desai opened the forum with Vice
Minister Wu Qidi, Ministry of Education, People's
Republic of China, making keynote remarks. Thomas
Friedman, Columnist for The New York Times and
author of The World Is Flat also participated in the
Forum. He said, "Everywhere I go, education is the
subject people most want to talk about. In the flat
world, anything is possible. And the society that finds a
way to maximize its talent will be successful."
The sessions focused on:
*How to achieve world-class performance,
especially in math, science, and technology;
*How to build education systems that foster
creativity, innovation, and global competence;
*How to expand access and raise quality in primary
and secondary education; and
*How technology, the private sector, and
international education can dramatically expand access
to higher education.
A full report will be written by Ted Fiske, former
Education Editor of the New York Times.
For information, visit
www.internationaled.org/apforum
Asia Pacific Forum
|
|
