ECIS Conference Presentation 2013
Posted by chinazurfluh in Leadership on April 5, 2013
Technology Integration in Schools
Posted by chinazurfluh in Leadership, Teaching/Learning, Technology on March 25, 2013
At a session at International School of Prague as part of the Spring CEESA Conference. Discussion about the integration of technology and pushing the boundaries of our thinking on the topic. The SAMR model helps us to see the context of integration and the transformational aspects that we are all seeking:
 … Continue reading
TEDxAAS – My first one…
Posted by chinazurfluh in Evolution, Leadership, Teaching/Learning on January 23, 2013
The students in charge of this did a fabulous job!!… Continue reading
Chris Waddell Visits AAS
Posted by chinazurfluh in Leadership on November 9, 2012
ECIS Panel Discussion – April, 2012
Posted by chinazurfluh in Conferences/Training, Evolution, Leadership, Teaching/Learning, Technology on April 12, 2012
Initial thoughts:
The initial question posited to the conference panel that I’ve been asked to address:
Information Technology in school – Does it improve learning?
Gathered some resources to begin to address this question and related topics:
https://www.evernote.com/pub/chinazurfluh/technologyitems
The key issue associated with answering the question revolves first around how you define improving learning. The learning targets that are currently accepted often revolve around norm referenced test scores because of our reliance on these measures to show growth or… Continue reading
The Holiday Season Begins @ AAS
Posted by russiazurfluh in Family/Friends, Russia, Teaching/Learning, Technology on December 3, 2011
AAS 5th Grade from Jon Zurfluh on Vimeo.
Erin and her classmates entertain parents at recent gathering.
BTW – All video done with iPhone and edited with iMovie on the iPhone. Amazing… Continue reading
Wow…
Posted by russiazurfluh in Leadership on September 22, 2011
Hard to find words to describe this… Wonderful!!!
What a great capture of what goes on at AAS every day… Continue reading
Becoming a Lighthouse…
Posted by russiazurfluh in Leadership on August 18, 2011
The Future…
Posted by russiazurfluh in Evolution, Leadership, Teaching/Learning, Technology on July 28, 2011
I know this is just a gadget on one hand, but for those with a science fiction come reality sort of mind, what are the implications of this? Are we preparing kids for a world with stuff like this? I mean really – Do the classrooms of today bear any resemblance to the technology they will live with after graduation? Really???!?!?!?
This changes everything… Continue reading
Common Sense Thinking
Posted by russiazurfluh in Leadership, Teaching/Learning on July 20, 2011
These guys get it…
Look especially at 25:40 for the key question on individualizing… Powerful – listen for the shoe story.
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Musical Farewell to Mount Cross Lutheran
Posted by russiazurfluh in Evolution, Family/Friends on July 6, 2011
Mount Cross Lutheran – www.mountcrosslutheran.org
Candidates popping up in Russia – similar to U.S.
Posted by russiazurfluh in Leadership, Politics, Russia on June 29, 2011
An article in the New York Times this week named the billionaire owner of the New Jersey Nets as a potential candidate for Russian president, but his actual run is far from formal announcement until his party tests their merit in upcoming parliamentary elections in December. It’s interesting that this Billionaire Bachelor is a potential candidate in Russia while he would be unlikely for consideration in the current conservative atmosphere. His tendency to frequent the clubs with Russian models is well known and he does little to hide this reputation. Seems interesting that his party of record is… Continue reading
Michael McFaul possibly named new U. S. Ambassador to Russia
Posted by russiazurfluh in Leadership, Politics, Russia on June 7, 2011
It was recently announced with little fanfare that Michael McFaul will take the post as new Ambassador to Russia from the United States, pending Senate confirmation. Nice to know that a highly qualified and thoughtful individual will be entering the Russian environment on my heels and I look forward to greeting his family at the Anglo-American School.
I’ve been reading a bit of his most recent book (Advancing Democracy Abroad: Why We Should and How We Can) and looking to potentially incorporate some of his leadership thoughts in my own dissertation work. He has presented… Continue reading
The Poetry of Change
Posted by russiazurfluh in Farside, Leadership on May 31, 2011
Shift & Solitude
When seeking change,
The mind softens
And in solitude our thoughts pause.
Static becomes pliable;
We shape a perception,
And a new mold emerges from objectivity and innovation.
Embracing a new reality
Involves passionate argument,
Often with ourselves in equal measure to those around us.
We battle for our new beliefs.
But, we only win the war
When we live what we conceive.
– Jon P. Zurfluh… Continue reading
Parents – Time to Select Your Child’s Hardware
Posted by russiazurfluh in Evolution, Teaching/Learning, Technology on May 30, 2011
Schools are increasingly struggling with decisions on how to support the growing trends in technology adoption in a fast paced and constantly changing technology rich world. The number of schools moving toward greater access to technology is growing with exponential magnitude. The challenge is the cost associated with these adoptions and further compounded by the increasing pace of obsolescence. Often, we are buying equipment that has a usable lifespan of far less than three years making traditional depreciation schedules useless.
But, first we need to begin with the rationale for including technology in the learning process. Even after two decades of… Continue reading
The Middle Grades: Zits, Braces, and Hormones
Posted by russiazurfluh in Leadership on April 19, 2011
This piece from ASCD “The Whole Child” feed is worth a read:
The Whole Child Podcast « Whole Child Education.
The thing that impresses me the most is the attention to a key belief that I also hold. They accurately reflect on the complexity of the education experience and how this is especially true for the middle grades where “young people are grappling to figure out who they are.”
Altogether an inspired look at a wholistic and viable approach.
UPDATE:
Here’s the policy brief that supports this work:
http://www.nmsa.org/portals/0/pdf/research/Research_from_the_Field/Policy_Brief_Balfanz.pdf
Another look at the future…
Posted by russiazurfluh in Leadership, Teaching/Learning, Technology on February 25, 2011
I remember a similar video from Microsoft that takes a look at the future – not too distant – to conjecture on the state of the world associated with products already in the pipeline. I like to think of it as the nexus between StarTrek and reality. We’ve seen many crossover and successful products emerge this way. On the backs of Roddenberry style imagination, the future is crafted. Science fiction brought us cell phones and iPads. This video suggests what is next in interactive environments.
So the question that emerges is what do… Continue reading
Leadership and Learning
Posted by russiazurfluh in Evolution, Leadership, Teaching/Learning on February 15, 2011
Jay McTighe, one of the gurus behind Understanding by Design, has posted this video on his recent encounter with failure. It speaks to the issue of leaders who are often marked by age that is associated with their experience. Even Jay is showing his age despite the fact that he is only 7 years my senior. (This fact caused me to go peak in my mirror. Yikes!)
At the AAIE conference, this was apparent as I looked across a “wise” crowd of international school leaders. The focus of the weekend was technology and the overall content of… Continue reading
Egypt and Leadership
Posted by russiazurfluh in Leadership on February 9, 2011
Wael Ghonim has demonstrated something extremely special through his emergence as a face of leadership within the movement currently underway in Egypt. While the regular news pundits are trying to explain and simplify what they hear in the words of this man, the inescapable truth of this man is not his simplicity, but his complexity.
While watching his interview on CNN, I couldn’t help but feel tears welling up in my eyes as I felt the passion in his words:
Do you see what I see?
- Inspiration – the ability to share a
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