Partnerships for learning; together we can grow

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Presenter at the IB Global Educators Conference, Vienna 2018
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Presenter at the Alliance for International Education, September 2025, The Hague
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Co-Presenter at the CBI Learning Labs Conference, Luxembourg 2025
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Co-Presenting at the BAWESS Symposium, University of Bath 2026
Inquiry-Based Learning within a Concept-Based Curriculum Instruction and a PYP Framework
  • How to take the initial steps for mapping out a year of inquiry - transdisciplinary or interdisciplinary
    • ​How can a team leverage the power of the Unit Web for curriculum mapping?
  • The identification of efficient systems for effective collaboration
    • What processes can be put into support ​vertical and horizontal alignment?
  • Ways to evidence learning and assess impact
    • ​How can we document learning for self-regulation and agency?
    • How can we use documentation for assessment of impact?
Language Learners and Inquiry-Based Learning for Conceptual Understanding (presented at IB Global Conference Vienna 2018)
  • An introduction to Systemic Function Linguistics: Ways to facilitate language development within an inquiry-based learning environment
    • How do I embed language development throughout the inquiry cycle?
    • What does the teaching & learning cycle look like within inquiry-based learning cycle?
    • What structure and practical strategies can be used?
    • In what ways, can conceptual understandings be harvested?
    • What tools are useful for drawing out conceptual understandings?​
    • How can I equip and empower language learners to share their learning with others?
    • How does the documentation of the learning journey produce a language rich classroom that supports communication?
Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction: Experiential Lesson Lab designed to make teaching conceptually come to life followed by an inquiry into the theory behind CBCI
  • Structures, strategies and best practices for planning, teaching and assessing through concept-based curriculum and instruction
    • What does assessment look like in CBCI?
    • ​How can we scaffold the thinking for the development of conceptual understandings?
    • What does the thinking classroom look and feel like?
    • What strategies can we use to draw out generalizations from students?
    • How can CBCI integrate seamlessly with other frameworks for teaching and learning?
Follow-up consultations and coaching:  Co-planning in action
  • Available to review CBCI and language planning documents for feedback and support for staff.
Language development in the Content-Based Inquiry Classroom: Strategies for Language Embeddedness through Systemic Functional Linguistics
  • Ways a functional approach to language development can deepen students understandings while improving academic language use and application in writing (genre-based pedagogies, disciplinary literacies)
    • How can we use a functional approach to language for learners to develop understandings about discourse and its features? 
    • What is the role of the disciplinary instructor in language development for disciplinary literacies?
    • What are some practical strategies to enable all learners to be inquirers while simultaneously building language to communicate conceptual understandings?
    • How can teachers embed language development into the cycle of inquiry/research?
    • What tools are useful for supporting language learners to aid in expressing their conceptual understandings or making them visible to others?

Related Resources

Inspiring Materials
Anyone interested in using this approach to teaching and learning, will benefit from taking the time to read several of these books before attending a workshop. Pre-reading before attending a face-to-face workshop will make implementation more effective and meaningful as you will build up your own knowledge about the pedagogical approach to come with questions that help you move towards the level of understanding needed for full implementation. Below you can find some of the titles I keep on my own bookshelf for reference. 
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Foundational resources for understanding concept-based curriculum and instruction.
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More than anything, I rely on their 6 facets of understanding to enrich my assessment practices.
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A must have resource for any inquiry-based teacher! Rachel French and Carla Marshall team up to make CBI accessible.
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Carla Marshall and Elizabeth Crawford tackle approaches to pedagogy to support action. This is a guide to tackling the SDGs in school.
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Cathryn Berger Kaye uncovers authentic action as service learning. Try out MISO!
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Dylan Wiliam makes it quite simple to understand the importance of ongoing assessment. Shifting from high stakes summative assessments encourages self-regulation.
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A encouraging Canadian voice, Trevor Mackenzie uses images and clear explanations to support building capacity for inquiry-based learning.
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Australia-based Kath Murdoch has been in the field for many years as an authentic advocate for empowering learners to inquire!
Since I began this personal inquiry, my library has expanded to over 900 books. Authors now include Trevor MacKenzie, Julie Stern, Jessica Vance, Pam Harris, Jo Boaler, Barbara Oakely, Diane Ullman, John Hattie...

And then there are the authors who are contributing to Systemic Functional Linguistics beginning with M.A.K. Halliday, Beverly Derewianka, Sally Humphrey, Meg Gebhard, David Polias, Brian Dare, ​...

Stay curious! Keeping researching!
Favorite blogs and websites to follow for inquiry-based learning and action:

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