Tradition, growth, innovation
Chiswick House School's two-day conference
"What we want for your children... we should want for their teachers; that schools be places of learning for both of them, and that such learning be suffused with excitement, engagement, passion, challenge, creativity and joy" - Andy Hargreaves.
As part of the programme of activities marking Chiswick House School's centenary, an educational conference entitled "Tradition, Growth, Innovation" will be held on March 14 and 15 at the Radisson SAS Bay Point Resort, St Julian's.
Maltese educators will have the opportunity to listen to world-class speaker Professor Andy Hargreaves deliver the keynote paper. Professor Hargreaves needs very little introduction among educators. Apart from holding the Thomas More Brennen Chair of Education in the Lynch School of Education at Boston College, he has written extensively and creatively on a host of different areas in education.
"Changing Teachers, Changing Times" sheds interesting light upon how teachers can cope with the ever-changing environment within which they work. He received outstanding writing awards from the American Educational Research Association for his work in "Teaching in the Knowledge Society: Education in the Age of Insecurity".
Professor Hargreaves is also an animated and tremendously fascinating speaker who manages to engage his audience in the gripping content he delivers.
The conference has drawn in many other international and Maltese educators who have published widely on various educational issues.
Dr Carmel Borg, Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Malta, heads the team of Maltese lecturers/educators who are presenting very interesting papers and discussions on pertinent issues that our educational system needs to focus upon. Dr Valerie Sollars, Dr Yosanne Vella and Marie-Therese Farrugia will tackle various issues: their vast range covers mathematical language, children's historical thinking, early childhood education and an interesting analysis of current educational provisions.
Professor David Halpin from the School of Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment, at the Institute of Education, University of London, will be exploring "The romantic conception of education and its place in schools today". Patricia Clark, senior consultant at the London Centre for Leadership in Learning, will give a lively presentation on "Shared leadership in schools". Dr Jeni Riley, from the School of Early Childhood and Primary Education, also at the Institute of Education, will give a paper on children's thinking.
The workshops in the afternoon will be led by Professor Charles Farrugia, Dr Joseph Grima, Dr Grace Grima, Anthony De Giovanni, Kevin Gatt, Dr Suzanne Gatt, Professor Mark Borg and Dr Joseph Giordmaina - all distinguished educators/administrators from the University of Malta and the Education Division. The workshops will also cover a variety of topics which will actively involve the participants in discussion.
The conference has been planned in such a way as to ensure that educators working at all educational levels (kindergarten, primary and secondary) will find something there that will interest them. Heads, principals, directors of education and staff in administration will find the reflective and well-researched papers illuminating and stimulating.
For further information contact Marica Portelli, conference co-ordinator, tel: 2137-4396/7, e-mail: mportelli@chsmck.com. Heads of state schools are asked to contact the Education Division.