Reflections of the IB Regional Workshop #ibapbk
I just came back from presenting with @jennysfen at IBO Regional Conference in Bangkok #ibapbk. It’s always fun to present with such a knowledgeable and professional person such as Jen. The participants this time around were wonderful. Such enthusiastic professionals. We talked a lot about International Mindedness and how technology impacts teaching and learning. So many great ideas and links to the Learner Profile here. We also discussed Digital Citizenship using @achurches resources which I recommend highly. 
Collaborative Planning. A hot topic. How do tech coaches plan? With whom and how? Burning questions about tech integration were abound. Many models and experiences and suggestions. We loved Kim Cofino’s Collaboration Cycle. A few of us were using Kim’s model in our approach. See below.
Planning was a concern for all tech coaches, teachers and librarians at the workshop and many ways of tech support and implementation were discussed. One that I liked was the notion that teachers need to be their own tech facilitator. Essentially ‘we are working ourselves out of a job’ noted one participant. I couldn’t agree more. We are all tech facilitators.
The Connected Learner. One of the highlights of the workshop was when Edna SACKSON from Melbourne skyped in to tell us not only about #pypchat, a meeting place for PYP teachers on Twitter, but also about becoming a connected learner. If you don’t know who @whatedsaid is, check out her blog and the collaborative blog she started Inquire Within. If you’re new to Twitter and if you are not following @whatedsaid, do it now. If you are in an educator. Follow her.
Action Plans and ICT Policies. We finally created out own action plans into how and why we will integrate technology into our school or class. I’m always interested in knowing whether action plans are the best way to go forth. I personally am not an ‘action plan’ person. Food for thought next time when I run the workshop. Differentiate.
It was a great workshop. I learned so much from others. Thank you!
Peace!
The Learning Journey 
Sounds like a great workshop. Thanks for the opportunity to Skype in!
Yet to facilitate my first IB workshop. I have to admit to having lost enthusiasm and commitment since so long has gone past since the training.
Laughed at ‘not an action plan person’ Seems to me like you are so full of energy and always acting on something new … Or do you just do it, not plan it?!
Thanks Edna, the pleasure was all ours! I find that I sometimes have a tendency to over plan. When I do this I lose some of the enthusiasm. Plans are good but need to be flexible. Ive come to think that sometimes we (me) over-analyze things. Sometimes I feel ‘paralyzed’ by it. Go with the flow 🙂