Innovation in education knows no borders, no time and no limits

«τὰ πάντα ῥεῖ καὶ οὐδὲν μένει» * Heraclitus

After serving for more than two decades in a variety of Higher Education institutions in the United States and Greece, I have held the belief that the creation of “new knowledge” was not only the charge of higher educational institutions, but that research and creativity was also necessary in JK-12 institutions. I refused to accept that educators in Elementary and Secondary institutions are not capable of creating “new knowledge”, developing new

paradigms and establishing and implementing cutting edge methodologies. Thus, when I joined the American Community Schools of Athens (ACS Athens) in 2005, it was with the goal of putting this belief into practice.

In response to the global quest for educational reform, the ACS Athens educational community joins forces with the mission to synthesize, present, and share the components of a new educational paradigm that aspires to revolutionizing learning.

This Colloquium manifests extensively the theoretical framework of how an academic institution models a new pathway for meaningful learning, and also advances the sufficient and necessary conditions that must be in place for the successful implementation of such model. This is done by connecting the pieces outlined above, and creating the thread that runs between the larger educational arena and ACS Athens, with this “new knowledge” being communicated to all educational institutions at all levels.

As the purpose of education is to successfully prepare students for the future, we cannot, therefore, continue educating them in ways that address education and the market needs of the past. The world has changed exponentially in ways that are not always easy to understand. Therefore, to accurately prepare students for the future, a new trajectory of education is urgently needed. We call it the Global Morfosis Paradigm (gMp), which was organically developed by the ACS Athens community of learners and addresses this need through being an authentic, unbounded and exciting educational paradigm, educating students for complex and ambiguous future needs. Implementing the gMp provides students with the inspiration to develop the wisdom to transform their educational experience into social, economic, environmental, intellectual and ethical resources to improve their lives, but most importantly the lives of less privileged students across the globe.

The Middle State Association of Colleges and Schools observes and reflects on this authentic educational trajectory which ACS Athens is following and is the reason it selected ACS Athens to be one of the first K-12 academic Institutions in the world to have Action Research as part of the higher-level accreditation “Sustaining Excellence” protocol. This protocol, in addition to the requirements to meet and exceed the 12 standards of accreditation, required an Action Research component by the entire ACS Athens community and especially, our faculty. The ACS Athens Action Research question is the following: “With the characteristics of the current student body, what is the appropriate curriculum, faculty professional development and teaching and learning methodology needed to achieve 95% “best fit” college placement?”. The results of this Action Research will be shared in a variety of modalities, over the next two days, by our faculty and staff.

I hope you will find the “Sustaining Excellence” Colloquium meaningful, insightful and one which might inspire you to adopt, modify or create your own new pathway in learning.

Stefanos Gialamas, Ph.D. President

*there is nothing permanent except change

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Welcome to the ACS Athens Colloquium, a demonstration and celebration of best practices in student-centered, inqui-ry-based teaching and learning presented by the teachers, counselors, learning specialists and professional support staff of our school. Their work, shared with you during the two days of the colloquium is a testament to our collective belief in the power of practice rooted in research and reflection to create learning experiences for students that engage them in critical, independent and collaborative thinking and problem solving and invite them to become “architects of their own learning” who can “transform the world”.

For the past three years, as a function of ACS Athens’ par-ticipation in the MSA’s Sustaining Excellence Reaccreditation Protocol, all members of the school’s professional commu-nity have been engaged in an individual and collaborative Action Research project (modelling the kind of leaning they

want to foster in our students).

Our journey involved identifying best practices in: teaching mathematics conceptually, writing to learn, pro-grams to address English as a second language and Optimal Learning student needs, creating an educational model of instruction (12flex) and a methodology to share best practice (Collaborative Learning Communi-ties), as we prepare our students to apply and be accepted to their best fit institution.

Your journey through the colloquium for the next two days will allow you to hear and see a series of “Morfosis Talks” (TED-style presentations of exemplars of practice), view academic posters, study artifacts of student learning, join our marketplace of educational ideas and listen in on reflective dialogues, which manifest the educational experience of students within the institution. Faculty, students, parents, specialists and professional support staff demonstrate what collaboration looks like in a community of life-long learn-ers.We hope you enjoy the experience

Mary-Ann Augoustatos Steve Medeiros Peggy Pelonis Re-Accreditation Internal Coordinators

I would like to welcome you to this historical moment for ACS Athens. These are the final two days of a long process that celebrate several years of hard work and commitment by our faculty, as they bring the outcomes of their Action Re-search work to this Colloquium in the many presentations scheduled.

ACS Athens was selected as one of the first international schools in the world to be granted re-accreditation with the “Sustaining Excellence” protocol. Being given the opportunity for re-accreditation by MSA through this protocol attests to the innovation in teaching and learning at ACS Athens which has been evident and constant over the years.

As Chairman of the Board, I am delighted that we are able to experience and celebrate such an accomplishment during my tenure. I am proud of our students,

parents, faculty, staff, administration as well as the entire community, for their dedication and hard work in arriving at the moment of acknowledgement of our efforts for educational excellence. Again, congratulations to everyone!

Sincerely, Suheil Sabbagh Chairman, Board of Trustees

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ACS Colloquium 2016It is with great excitement that we welcome you to the ACS Athens Colloquium 2016.

At the Colloquium we share new educational knowledge with school teachers, administrators, policymakers and parents from around the globe, celebrating the culmination of a two-year process completed by the entire ACS Athens professional staff as part of the Middle States Association’s (MSA) “Sustaining Excel-lence” protocol for re-accreditation.

ACS Athens is proud to have been selected as one of the first schools in the world to participate in this new accreditation protocol.

A continually changing student body mandates that teaching and learning are dynamic processes open to change:

“Sustaining Excellence,” says Dr. Stefanos Gialamas, President of ACS Athens, “is a dynamic approach, at the heart of which lies improving student learning. Our challenge is finding the optimal way for students to acquire 21st century skills and ways of learning while we continue attaining excellence.”

For the past two years, working to create the best learning environment for their stu-dents, the teachers of ACS Athens have expanded the definition of their professional responsibilities to include being reflective practitioners, engaged researchers and active members of collaborative professional learning teams. The desired outcome has been to improve student learning and create engaged and caring global citizens who can contribute to the greater good of families, schools, communities, countries, and the world.

The areas of focus identified for school-wide research are:

1. Best fit; programs within the school as well as higher education institutions

2. Writing to think and learn across disciplines

3. Teaching mathematics conceptually

4. Teaching ESL/EFL holistically

5. i2Flex methodology: the ACS Athens model of blended learning

6. Delivering Learning Support Programs through professional partnerships

7. Collaborative Learning Communities (CLC) to support research and profes-sional development

Accreditation in pursuit of ExcellenceSince the turn of the 20th century, accreditation has had a major impact on American education, with Middle States Association among the pioneers in the field. Today it is a concept that few people understand and yet one from which many could benefit.

At its inception, accreditation responded to the public demand for improved quality and greater accountability for schools serving society’s needs. The U.S. Department

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of Education – describes approved accrediting organizations such as Middle States as a “reliable authority as to the quality of education.” Accreditation is an external, objective validation of school quality and student achievement that fosters continuous school improvement.

Profile of Middle States – Accredited Institution• Adheres to the Middle States Standards for Accreditation

• Uses its mission, beliefs, and goals as the basis for easily decision-making

• Operates in the public interest and in accordance with ethical practice

• Accepts responsibility for the level of performance of its students

• Remains committed to continuous improvement in student learning and to its capacity to produce the levels of learning desired and expected by its commu-nity

• Operates in a collegial and collaborative way with all of its stakeholders

• Sustains its focus on implementing recommendations, addressing monitor-ing issues and correcting stipulations that may be part of its notification of accreditations and

• Fulfills its maintenance requirements to the Commission.

Benefits of AccreditationInvolvement in an on-going accreditation protocol recognizes achievement and fos-ters and facilitates on-going school improvement.

Accreditation provides a means for public accountability by:• Validating the integrity of a school’s program and student transcripts. Assuring

that the school’s purposes are appropriate and accomplished through a viable educational program.

• Assuring that the school’s purposes are appropriate and accomplished through a viable educational program.

• Justifying the faith and resources others place in the school.

Accreditation:• Provides a systematic process that requires a school to justify its existence,

establish a vision of its future, and determine specific objectives to realize that vision.

• Reveals information that serves as a sound basis for school or district im-provement, strategic planning, restructuring, and staff development.

• Takes a holistic approach, examining the entire school philosophy and goals, its community, programs and services, facilities and financial stability.

• Provides the means to manage change through regular assessment, planning, implementation, and reassessment.

• Helps schools/districts establish priorities for improvement by using compre-hensive, research-based needs assessments, rather than faddish approaches to improvement.

• Requires the establishment and implementation of a multi-year improvement plan based upon the school’s vision of the future.

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• Provides an excellent growth experience for staff, who participates on volun-teer visiting teams to evaluate other schools.

Accreditation builds positive community and stakeholder relations by:

• Providing opportunities to emphasize the positive and demonstrate the strength and effectiveness of the school.

• Broadening the staff view of community expectations and fostering closer school and community collaboration.

• Articulating and communicating opportunities between school levels and among stakeholder groups.

Sustaining Excellence Accreditation ProtocolAccording to the Middle School Association of Colleges and Schools, the Sustaining Excellence Protocol provides an accreditation protocol option for schools that can demonstrate:

• Their efficacy, over time, in producing the levels of student performance that are desired and expected by their community of stake holders;

• Are recognized as what Doug Reeves calls “leading schools are those schools that are achieving high levels of student performance, have an excellent understand-ing of the necessary and antecedents for those results, and are likely to continue achieving those high results over time.”

This Protocol has a two-stage process:

Stage One: Accreditation Standards Review• Philosophy & Mission

• Governance & Leadership

• School Improvement Planning

• Finances

• Facilities

• School Climate & Organization

• Health & Safety

• Educational Programs

• Assessment and Evidence of Student Learning

• Student Services

• Student Life & Activities

• Information Technology

This process was completed and re-accreditation was granted in Spring, 2015.

Stage Two: Action ResearchThe second phase of The Sustaining Excellence Protocol was to have the ACS Athens Planning Team, comprised of representatives of all school contingencies meet to identify an Action Research Main Question to serve as focus of school-wide research into best practice and action research projects conducted by all faculty members.

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The Main Question:Given:

1. Our current student body (demographics, abilities, talents, skills, learning needs, language fluency, family background, etc...)

2. Our curriculum with options (American Philosophy of Education and HMH)

3. Our teaching and learning philosophy (student centered)

4. Our faculty (US, local, 2/3 year, long-term)

Can we continue to accomplish our mission and assure that every student graduates and enters the “best-fit” post-secondary institution of learning?

Based on collaborative analysis and review, the Planning Team identified seven areas of focus for school-wide research:

They are:

1. Best fit

2. Writing to think and learn across disciplines

3. Teaching mathematics conceptually

4. ESL/EFL

5. i2Flex methodology

6. Learning Support Program

7. CLC - Professional Development

What Have our Educators Been Doing? • Individual and Collaborative Practice

• Literature Review (Constructivist/Inquiry-based learning theory, best practic-es, current theory – in each of the focus areas)

• Classroom Action Research

• Data Collection and Documentation

• Reflection and Drawing Conclusions

• Performance Evaluations/Goal Setting/Defining new Actions Research Focus

• Continuing Classroom Action Research

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April 21, 201614:00 – 14:30 WELCOME: (Venue: Theater)

Captain Robert Palm (Defense Attaché, U.S. Embassy, Athens & ACS Athens Board of Trustees Member)

Dr. Jane Pruitt (Accreditation Officer, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools)

Dr. Panos Kanellis (President, American Farm School of Thessaloniki and Perrotis College)

Mercedes Z. Sheppard (Head of School, Morgan Park Academy, Chicago, IL)

Dr. Stefanos Gialamas* (President, ACS Athens)

14:30 – 14:50 Presentation of the Research Problem/Process: (Venue: Theater)

MaryAnn Augoustatos*, Steve Medeiros*, Peggy Pelonis* (Re-Accreditation Internal Coordinators)

14:50 Round 1 “Morfosis Talks” Introduction (Venue: Theater)

Dr. Dimitrios Sampson (Research Professor of Learning Technologies, Curtin Uni-versity, Australia; Parent, Re-Accreditation Planning Team Member)

14:55 – 15:50 “Morfosis Talks” (Round 1) (Venue: Theater)

(Four 12-minute talks, addressing areas of research focus)

Talk #1 Guiding Theory: Constructivist/ Inquiry-Based Teaching and Learning

Exemplar: Elementary School Design Time Initiative • Presenters: Alexandros Hoc and Christina Birbil Coach: Ginger Carlson

Talk #2 Instructional Methodology: i²Flex

Exemplar: i²Flex in Humanities and Fitness Training • Presenters: Kathy Jason-ides* and Angelos Dimitropoulos* • Coach: Dr. Maria Avgerinou*

Talk #3 Teaching Mathematics Conceptually

Exemplar: JK-2 Mathematical Competency and Out of the Box Problem Solving • Presenters: Dr. Andreas Tsokos and Sophia Moros • Coach: MaryAnn Augoustatos

Talk #4 Teaching Writing to Think and Learn Exemplar: A Digital Creative Writing Project • Presenters: Amalia Zavacopou-lou* and Stavi Dimas • Coach: Steve Medeiros

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15:50 – 16:05 Break

16:05 Round 2 “Morfosis Talks” Introduction (Venue: Theater) Dr. Abour H. Cherif* (Dean Emeritus, DeVry University, USA)

16:10 – 17:10 Morfosis Talks (Round 2) (Venue: Theater)

Talk #5 Best Practices in ESL/EFL

Exemplar: Loving the Language: Creating an ESL/EFL Program to Meet Our Stu-dents’ Needs • Presenters: Venie Gaki and Angela Zamanis • Coach: Steve Medeiros

Talk #6 Providing Learning Support through Collaborative Profes-sional Partnerships

Exemplar: Designing a Holistic and Collaborative Diagnostic Testing Center • Presenters: Anna Makris* and Cynthia Ouaijan • Coach: Chris Perakis

Talk #7 Helping Students to Find the “Best Fit”

Exemplar: The ACS Academy College Advisory Inquiry Process • Presenters: Mandy Dragatakis* and Stelios Kalogridakis • Coach: Peggy Pelonis

Talk #8 Collaborative Inquiry and Professional Development

Exemplar: Establishing Professional Collaborative Learning Communities as One Element of a Teacher-Centered Professional Development Program • Presenters: Dave Nelson* and Penny Kynigou* • Coach: Steve Medeiros

17:15 Introduction to Breakout Sessions (Venue: Theater)

Dr. Margaret Grogan (Dean, College of Educational Studies, Chapman University, Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A.)

17:15 – 17:50 Breakout Sessions (Venues: Theater Lobby / Atrium / Sabbagh Library) (Expanding on Innovation Talks/Discussion – Eight concurrent sessions: audience members attend the session of greatest interest to them).

Breakout #1: Constructivist Inquiry-Based Teaching and Learning (Venue: Academy Room 201) Leaders: Alexandros Hoc and Christina Birbil present artifacts of student learning Other voices: Keren O’Connor and Lyndi Henderson: Choice within the content areas (5-7 minutes) • Sana Kassem: Creating an Elementary School inquiry-based science learning center (5-7 minutes) Questions/Discussion – moderated by Alexandros Hoc (15 minutes)

Breakout #2: i²Flex Teaching and Learning Methodology (Venue: Library 1st

floor)

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Leaders: Kathy Jasonides and Angelos Dimitropoulos present artifacts of student learning.

Other Voices: Charles Berahas: Teaching computer science in a blended learning environment (7-10 minutes) • Heike Arnold*: i²Flex approach to teaching foreign language learners (7-10 minutes) Questions/Discussion (15 minutes) – moderated by Julia Tokatlidou

Breakout #3: Teaching Mathematics Conceptually (Venue: Middle School Com-puter Lab) Leaders: Dr. Andreas Tsokos and Sophia Moros presenting artifacts of student learning Other voices: Dr. Angeliki Stamati: Peer teaching and assessing mathematics (7-10 minutes) • Dora Andrikopoulos*: Student-designed culminating assessment projects in Mathematics (7-10 minutes) Questions/Discussion (15 minutes) – moderated by Sophia Moros

Breakout #4: Teaching Writing to Think and Learn (Venue: Writing Studio) Leaders: Amalia Zavacopoulou* and Stavi Dimas presenting artifacts of student learn-ing

Other voices: Maria Falidas: Writing in IB Mathematics (7-10 minutes) • Sophia Thanopoulou: Writ-ing as discovery in a theater classroom (7-10 minutes) Questions/Discussion (15 minutes) – moderated by Amalia Zavacopoulou

Breakout #5 Best Practices in ESL/EFL (Venue: 5th grade RED Room)

Leaders: Venie Gaki and Angela Zamanis presenting artifacts of student learning Other voices: Katarina Gleisberg: Making content material accessible to ESL/EFL students (7-10 min-utes) • Hercules Lianos: Real-life applications in Academy (High School) ESL- Editorial tables (7-10 minutes) Questions/Discussion (15 minutes) – moderated by Venie Gaki

Breakout #6 Providing Learning Support through Collaborative Partnerships (Venue: Room: 5

th grade GREEN Room) Leaders: Anna Makris and Cynthia Ouaijan presenting artifacts of practice Other voices: Sarah Kaldelli and Lia Sinouris: Creating a successful classroom teacher/specialist co-teaching partnership to help all students learn (7- 10 minutes) • Dimitris Chour-mouzis, Alexandra Katsiki, Jasmina Mohamedali: Creating and implementing a shadow teacher partnership program (7-10 minutes) Questions/Discussion (15 minutes) – moderated by Dr. Yulla Lamprou

Breakout #7 Helping Students to Find the “Best Fit” (Venue: Room: 5th grade

BLUE Room) Leaders: Mandy Dragatakis and Stelios Kalogridakis presenting artifacts of practice and of student learning Other voices: Stelios Kalogridakis: “Best Fit” for Student Athletes (7-10 minutes) • Katerina Pisanias: A Teacher’s Discoveries about “Best Fit” (7-10 minutes)

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Questions/Discussion (15 minutes) – moderated by Mandy Dragatakis

Breakout #8 Collaborative Inquiry and Professional Development (Venue: Academy Room 203/204) Leaders: Dave Nelson and Penny Kynigou presenting artifacts of practice Other voices: A discussion among CLC leaders – Marla Coklas, Justin Cramer, Amberdawn Moore, Dr. Raphael Raphael, Christina Rocha, Irini Rovoli and Hrisi Sandravelis (15 minutes) Questions/Discussion (15 minutes) – moderated by Penny Kynigou

17:50 – 18:00 Break

18:00 Reflecting on the Colloquium (Venue: Theater) Dr. Kevin Ruth (Executive Director, European Council of International Schools)

Introduction of Keynote Speaker (Venue: Theater) Thanassis Sitinas (Middle School Student)

18:05 – 18:40 Keynote Address (Venue: Theater) Dr. Ioannis Miaoulis, President (Museum of Science, Boston, MA, U.S.A.)

18:40 Wine and Cheese Reception (Venue: Theater Lobby / Atrium)

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April 22, 20169:30 – 9:40 WELCOME (Venue: Theater) MaryAnn Augoustatos / Peggy Pelonis / Steve Medeiros (Re-Accreditation Internal Coordinators) Dr. David Gleason (Clinical Psychologist, Member ACS Athens Advisory Council)

9:40 – 10:00 A reflective conversation (Venue: Theater) Learning at ACS Athens – Student and Parent Perspectives • Dr. Stefanos Gi-alamas (President ACS Athens); Sofia Trifonopoulos, Billy Sotiropoulos, Maria Christ-odoulou and Kewei Li (Students); Tammy Ben-Haim and Michelle Ballard (Parents)

10:05 – 10:50 Conference Session #1 (5 concurrent venues) Marketplace of Ideas A (Venue: Writing Studio)

Table 1: Yi-Nai Wang: Middle School Chinese and ESL/EFL Pair-Up Project Table 2: Dr. Yulla Lamprou: School Partnerships - OLP support Table 3: Fay Safaris: How can constructivist learning help students close the learn ing gaps in Mathematics for ESL students? Table 4: Dr. Likourgos Hristakos: i²Flex in Physics • Moderator: Eirini Antoniadou

Marketplace of Ideas B (Venue: Library 1st Floor)

Table 1: Sevasti Koniossis: Differentiation in a diverse classroom Table 2: Mackenzie Merrill: A snapshot of constructivism in Middle school art class Table 3: Emilia Drogaris: Reflecting on the Action Research/Reflection process -how the process has shaped my practice Table 4: Irini Rovoli: Motivating strategies in the Elementary School Greek class Moderator: Danai Papaioannou

Marketplace of Ideas C (Venue: Middle School Room 10)

Table 1: Julia Stephanidou: Romeo and Juliet: How Drama motivates EFL students Table 2: Peggy Apostolou: Music and Multiple Intelligence Learning - Strategies for differentiating instruction Table 3: Carly Killam: Teaching grammar within the writing process Table 4: Sophia Soseilos: Structured collaborative observation/writing activity to develop skills of Art analysis – an analytical process applicable to all disciplines Table 5: Natasha Stratoglou: i²Flex in the multi-level foreign language classroom • Moderator: Paul Davis

Presentation Session A: Snapshots of i²Flex (Venue: Middle School Com-puter Lab)

1. Labrini Rontogiannis*: Flipping and flexing in Science (12 minutes)

2. Dr. Tonia Firigou*: Transforming teaching and learning in the foreign lan-guage classroom (12 minutes)

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3. Jenny Grigoropoulos: i²Flex in the EFL classroom (12 minutes) • Moderator: Jan Karvouniaris*

Presentation Session B: Snapshots of Conceptual Mathematics (Venue: Academy Room 201)

1. Ioanna Lamprou, Korinna Kokkali and Eleftheria Ferentinos: Conceptual strategies in the Elementary School Math classroom - a short demo (15 minutes)

2. Nick Parakatis: SAT Mathematics; Collaboration and problem-solving strategies (12 minutes)

3. Dr. Nikolaos Romanos, Ann Fesl and Dr. Evelin Toumpakari: Mathematics and Chemistry - an Interdisciplinary, Constructivist Approach (12-15 minutes) • Moderator: Dora Andrikopoulos

10:50 – 11:00 Break

11:00 – 11:45 Conference Session #2 Reflective Learning/Reflective Teaching: Two Reflective Conversa-tions (Venue: Theater)

Reflective Dialogue 1: The Middle School Migrant/Refugee Project: Inquiry, Research, Writing, Collaborative, Best-fit Project – Building Un-derstanding, Empathy and Action • Christina Bakoyannis and Hrisi Sandravelis reflect on the project with several Middle School Students (20 minutes) • Coaches: Steve Me-deiros and Peggy Pelonis

Reflective Dialogue 2: Teacher as Scholar: How Engaging in the Process of Research and Reflection Shapes Practice (20 minutes) • Participants: Dr. Alessandra Sax* (Discussion Leader), Georgia Exintavelonis, Jenny Grigoropou-los*, Dr. Evangelia Prodromidi*, Karla Stauffer and Sophia Thanopoulou • Coach: Dr. Maria Avgerinou

11:45 – 12:45 Poster Session (Exhibitions of Research) (Venue: Theater Lobby)

“Happy Hats” – getting the writing process going by Angie Spiliot

Mapping out the IB Psychology Internal Assessment by Angela Chamosfakidis

Backward mapping by Amberdawn Moore

Applying occupational therapy strategies in the JK classroom by Georgia Mentes

Shadow Teacher partnerships by Iliana Eleftheriou, Eirini Aliferi, Alexandra Katsiki

Writing to promote awareness on health issues by Stavroula Salouros

ACS Athens Advisory 9-12 – “Best Fit” by Theodora Panteli and Demetri Pelidis

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Writing to Think and Learn in the Greek Language and Literature class by Sonia Kormaris

The ACS Athens 6-12 Research Framework: Developing habits of the mind for life by Jan Karvouniaris and Maria Avgerinou

Developing library-based research skills by Leigh Anderson

Mentoring students outside the classroom: visual communication and tech-nology projects by Valia Efstathiou

Co-teaching: how to change teaching and learning in classes with OLP stu-dents by Christina Marinou and Zoi Karatza

CLC groups in support of action research by Justin Cramer

i²Flex in foreign language and ESL by Heike Arnold and Jenny Grigoropoulos

Using multi-media to demonstrate communication skills in Spanish class by Dennisse Legoretta

DemonstrationsDogs in Learning: Calculating distance (Venue: Atrium / Theater Lobby) Theo Koutsopoulos* and Xenia Vafopoulou with 5

th grade students

Interactive Gallery of Student Programming (Venue: Middle School Computer Lab) Dr. Raphael Raphael with Middle School students

Inquiry–based Student Investigations in Science - 1st session (Venue: Elementa-ry School Science Lab) Sana Kassem and Dr. Maria Konstantoulaki with Elementary School students

Cafeteria will be open for lunch during this period

12:45 – 13:30 Demonstrations of Student Learning

1. Student workshops (Venue: Math Studio) Matina Katsiyianni* with Academy students

2. Student workshops (Venue: Writing Studio) Bobby Zervas with Academy students

3. Inquiry-based student investigation (Venue: Elementary School Science Lab) Sana Kassem and Dr. Maria Konstantoulaki and 16 ElementarySchool stu-dents

4. Exploring Colonial America through research-based creative writing (Venue: 5

th grade BLUE Room) A 5

th grade project • Marla Coklas, Evi Evloyias, Ria Maratou and Helen Sarantes* with 5

th grade students

5. Extending the Writing Process: The 3rd grade Wax Museum Project (Venue: Elementary School Cafeteria)

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Alexandros Hoc, Stavi Dimas, Ashley Martinez with 3rd grade students

6. A Socratic Seminar (Venue: Academy Room 203-204) Dave Nelson, Evelyn Pittas with10

th grade Combo students

7. Model United Nations (Venue: Middle School Room 10) An 8

th grade research/action project • Derick Ocampo, Patrick Dougherty, Rhodell Fields, Academy Student Leaders, 8

th grade students.

8. Captain Chip – A Canine Literacy Partner (Venue: 1st Grade Classroom) • Demonstration of a novel literacy project for early Elementary School • Christina Birbil with Elementary School students

13:35 – 14:00 MSA reflection on the Colloquium (Venue: Theater) Dr. Jane Pruitt (Accreditation Officer, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools)

14:00 – 14:05 Closing remarks (Venue: Theater) Suheil Sabbagh, (Chairman, ACS Athens Board of Trustees)

14:05 Colloquium adjourns

14:05 – 14:30 Refreshments (Venue: Theater Lobby)

* An asterisk next to an individual’s name denotes a co-author of the book “Revolutionizing K-12 blended learning through the i²Flex classroom model”