2011 ANNUAL SGIS CONFERENCE

11-12 March 2011

Hosted by The American School in Switzerland (TASIS), Lugano

Transitions

"Nothing endures but change." HERACLITUS, from Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers

It has become a cliché that the one constant in schools is continuous change. Teachers, administrators and students are therefore permanently confronted with TRANSITIONS. These can take a range of forms. Teachers may be working with curriculum transitions or shifts in pedagogical methods, working with new groups of students while ensuring that previous students are supported as they make changes and cope with the constant changes allied to growing up. Students must transition between schools, curriculum models, countries, cultures and languages; ultimately, they must leap into further education, employment and the world outside school. Growing schools may have to cope with transitions to new facilities or locations, adapting and responding to new technological opportunities.

The 2011 conference provided a chance to hear and work with some outstanding speakers who can help define and review strategies that help teachers, students and administrators respond positively to change as an exciting opportunity rather than a threat to be feared.