Jonathan Smith, Director of Technology, at the Overseas School of Colombo

In continuing its tradition of maintaining academic excellence the Overseas School of Colombo (OSC) has made arrangements for one of its teaching staff to attend a four day conference in Cairo, Egypt organized by NESA (Near East South Asia Council of Overseas Schools). The conference will be held during April 4-7, 2009 at the Conrad Cairo Hotel. There will be about 750 educators of all grades and disciplines in attendance and it would feature keynotes, half-day in-depth institutes, teacher-led and produced workshops, and opportunities to network with colleagues.

Jonathan Smith, Director of Technology, at the Overseas School of Colombo will attend the conference. In addition, he will also conduct a Teacher Workshop titled "Putting Yourself Online - Making Web 2.0 Work for You." His workshop is targeted towards educators who want to create an online presence for their class, department, or school. Any school faculty and staff from any subject/ department at any level of technology proficiency are welcome to attend.

This workshop will discuss the colloquialisms and history behind the current 'internet age' and show practical ways for educators to publish themselves online. It will involve using blogs, wikis, websites, and other useful Web 2.0 tools, and show the attendees how to work with their technology department to utilize the school's website.

According to Smith the presenters have to go through a rigorous evaluation process by presenting their topic on several instances in order to gain acceptance to present a workshop at a conference of this caliber. Smith has already had the opportunity of presenting this topic to the OSC faculty on a couple of occasions. Smith says although he has been to many workshops and made several presentations at the school's he has worked at previously, as part of the in-house professional development, this is the first time he is presenting at an international conference. "I think the topic of my workshop is very timely. I am expecting a very high turnout," Smith said. When asked about the availability of technological resources at OSC, Smith confirmed "we offer the resources, so the opportunity is there for teachers who want it."

Smith is in his seventh year of working in international education. He is a graduate of the University of Colorado and Oregon State University (USA). Smith has worked at the International School of Dakar in Senegal and Carol Morgan School in the Dominican Republic, and has taught Physics, Calculus, and Technology. Currently, he lives in Colombo with his wife Amy (grade five teacher) and their two year-old daughter Madeline. Smith says his plans for the future of technology at OSC include expanding the wireless network to allow senior level students wireless access on their laptops. Furthermore, Smith is excited about the new student information database the school plans to implement next academic year. "The school will be implementing a student information system where information on students, staff, and assessments will be done and stored on one program electronically," says Smith "It is meant to tie together all the different pieces of information in one centralized location."

The roster of speakers at the conference features the keynote speech titled "Pragmatism in Education" by William Durden, President of Dickinson College in Pennsylvania. Further addresses include, "Adolescent Development and Wellness" by Tim Burns, presenter, educator, consultant, and author of Brain Gain/Brain Drain: Teaching Students to Build a Better Brain, "Emotional Intelligence / Conflict & Change" by Henry (Hank) Nicols, Co-director, International Center for Talent Development and adjunct professor, SUNY-Buffalo State College and The College of New Rochelle and many more.

Smith will share the insight and information received from his experience at the conference with other members of the OSC faculty upon his return. OSC has sent many teachers to the same conference and other conferences held by NESA in previous years. The Overseas School of Colombo allocates two percent of its operational budget towards professional development of its academic staff.

For more information regarding the conference or Smith's workshop please visit
http://www.nesacenter.org/2009-spring-educators-conferen/ or http://www2.osc.lk/nesa2009/puttingyourselfonline.htm
Founded in 1957, The Overseas School of Colombo is Sri Lanka's oldest internationally accredited educational institution. It is the only school in Sri Lanka to offer the International Baccalaureate Programme from Pre-school to Grade 12.