REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN FOR THIS FREE SEMINAR AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE OPEN UNTIL JUNE 4, 2012. TO REGISTER, CLICK HERE.

Course creator and Facilitator:

Anna Batchelder, Chief Education Officer and Co-Founder Bon Education (United Arab Emirates)

Course description: 

This 1-month virtual seminar is for educators, learners and parents who are keen to discuss and compare education systems from around the world. 

The course is divided into 4 modules each containing 2-3 online short videos (3-20 minutes each), optional reading, asynchronous discussions and an optional synchronous discussion (via Skype) around the following topics:

• Global definitions of learning and education (June 4-10, 2012)
• Cross-country education borrowing and lending (June 11-17, 2012)
• Educating the whole person (June 18-24, 2012)
• Creating sustainable education systems (June 25-July 1, 2012)

Learning objectives:

Participants will:

• Build a personal definition of learning and education after viewing a number of education case studies from around the globe.
• Discuss the merits and drawbacks of borrowing and lending education policies, procedures and curriculum across countries, relating what is learned to their personal education contexts.
• Define what it means to educate the "whole person" and discuss how to integrate more holistic teaching and learning practices into their own lives.
• Think about how to create and promote more "sustainable" learning ecosystems around the world.
• Share their own personal education experiences, ideas and questions related to international and comparative education.

Pre-requisites:

None.

This course welcomes any and all people excited to share their ideas, experiences and questions in a global and comparative context. 

Format:

The emphasis of this seminar is on dialog and exchange between participants (written and via Skype).

Assignments will be light (watching videos and reading blogs/articles from key thinkers and doers in a variety of education contexts around the globe). 

The videos and readings in this seminar do not necesarily represent the views of the course facilitator, but are rather meant to encourage the exchange of ideas and discussion. Participants are welcome to suggest additional videos, readings and resources to each other.

The goal of this seminar is to provide a forum where key issues in international and comparative education can be raised, discussed and explored openly and with respect.

Timing: 

June 4-July 1, 2012

Participants are requested to participate in weekly online discussions at their own pace. Optional Skype discussions will be on the following dates:

• June 10th (Sunday): 11:30am Eastern Standard Time
• June 17th (Sunday): 12:30pm Eastern Standard Time
• June 24th (Sunday): 1:30pm Eastern Standard Time
• July 1st (Sunday): 11:30am Eastern Standard Time

Above image available under CC license by joone4u via Flickr Creative Commons. Course image images available under CC license by brianglanz, sanjoselibrary and jcrojas.