What makes great professional development? We spoke with Justin Hardman, the founder and Director of 21st Century Learning, about professional development for international educators.

Since 2012, 21st Century Learning has connected more than 20,000 K-12 educators with a wide variety of face-to-face and online professional learning opportunities. Beyond professional learning, Justin has a passion for supporting schools in better-integrating technology into school programs with a focus on strategy, leadership, and planning for systemic change. He was Director of Technology at Hong Kong International School and has led EdTech consultancy projects with many of the leading international schools in the Asia Pacific region.

Our Guiding Questions were, “What does the landscape of professional learning opportunities look like? What is the menu of offerings for educators to design personalized learning plans?”

Here are some of the topics covered:

• The mission of the 21st Century Learning company
• The learning pathways it provides for international educators
• Ways that educators can become PD providers
• A menu of professional learning offerings
• The role of Generative AI in professional development
• Some thoughts on how school leaders can design and implement professional learning opportunities for their communities
• Ways that schools can design PD programs that connect to student learning while working to gather data on their implementation, thus building in feedback loops for PD.

Justin’s Contact Information: 21st Century Contact Page | X: jahardman

Resources Mentioned in the Episode:Breathing Fire Into Web 2.0

The show was recorded on September 3, 2024.

Categories: PD | School Life | Wellness

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Music: YouTube. (2022). Acoustic Guitar | Folk | No copyright | 2022❤️. YouTube. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOEmg_6i7jA.

Transitions are a given when you are an international educator.

We did a different style show here with David asking all the questions as he interviewed Audrey and Mark Forgeron about their recent return and transition to international teaching.

Audrey Forgeron is a 30-year, nine-country international teaching veteran. She has taught Health and PE, French, Information Technology, and Film. She has recently transitioned from teaching to life coaching.

Mark Forgeron has spent 40 years as a teacher, with 38 years teaching internationally. Nepal is now his 10th country, and he has always been a middle-level math teacher. Mark has enjoyed teaching in all regions of the world, always looking for a new and non-lateral location. He has served as a math teacher and math coordinator, a middle school coordinator, and a coach of middle school, high school, and community sports, including soccer, volleyball, basketball, baseball, and track & field.

Our Guiding Question was, “What are some tried-and-true ways to prepare to transition to a new school and country?”

Here are some of the topics covered:

• Finances both in one’s home country and new country
• Documentation to do’s
• Packing - what goes and what stays
• Social Factors
• Emotional Experiences
• Orientation - School provided and doing one’s own

Audrey’s Contact Information: educatorsgoingglobal@gmail.com, LinkedIn.com/in/aforgeron


The show was recorded on October 18, 2024.

Categories: Transitions | School Life | Wellness

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Music: YouTube. (2022). Acoustic Guitar | Folk | No copyright | 2022❤️. YouTube. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOEmg_6i7jA.

We so enjoyed our first chat with Michael Nachbar, Executive Director of the Global Online Academy (GOA) that we asked him to come back for a second interview! Just as before, Michael tackled our questions with vigor and showed an incredible depth of knowledge.

We are curious about the concept of “future-proofing” education, so it made sense to consider Michael’s take as a future-focused thinker. With that in mind, our guiding question was: “What does online learning look like going forward, especially given the rapid growth of AI?”

Here are some of the topics covered:

• How GOA has adapted to recent changes in the education sector.
• Preparing for the possibility of school closure.
• Getting buy-in from stakeholders for virtual learning.
• The efforts of the GOA community to harness AI for education.
• Advice from author Daniel Pink on innovation in schools and his daughter Sophia’s version of hybrid learning at HKIS.
• Strategies to support teachers and students in learning to use AI for education.
• Michael reflected on his GOA Insights Blog post, “Seven Predictions for Education in 2024.”
• A few future-proofing strategies and guiding principles for schools.

Michael spearheads a global network of schools and educators dedicated to transforming education. His expertise lies in integrating foundational teaching principles with cutting-edge technologies and innovative pedagogies.

Michael regularly presents at conferences on topics including leadership and innovation trends. His thought leadership is widely recognized and respected across the educational community. He is also a Lakeside School trustee and has served on the boards of the NAIS, the Mastery Transcript Consortium, Summer Search, the ISAnet, and JUMP! Foundation.

Michael holds an M.A. in Education Leadership from Columbia. He began with Teach For America, laying a strong foundation for his ongoing commitment to educational excellence, innovation, and equity.

Resources Mentioned:

Michael’s Blog Post “Seven Predictions for Education in 2024.”
Sophia Pink interviews on the Ed Tech Co-Op Podcast: Interviews 1 and 2

Michael’s Contact Information: LinkedIn | Global Online Academy (scroll down for contact info)

The show was recorded on July 10th, 2024.

Categories: Online Learning | Pedagogy | School Life

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Music: YouTube. (2022). Acoustic Guitar | Folk | No copyright | 2022❤️. YouTube. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOEmg_6i7jA.

Who is growing a media empire based on international teaching? Who loves going to recruiting conferences? And who writes entire books in a weekend? The answer, of course, is our fellow podcasting buddy Greg Lemoine.

Greg wrote a follow-up to his award-winning (we awarded it a gold star) first book, “Finding the Right Fit: Your Professional Guide for International Educator Recruiting Fairs and Amazing Stories of a Teacher Living Overseas.” His second book is “International Teaching: The Best-kept Secret in Education”. In this episode, we took a peek at some of those secrets. Greg also publishes the International Teacher Podcast with his partners, rounding out the offerings of his content creation empire.

The Guiding Question for this episode was: What tips, strategies, and takeaways can you share from your new book, International Teaching: The Best-kept Secret in Education?

Here are a few of the topics Greg addressed in this episode:

• Choosing the title of the book
• What going digital means for international educators
• Partnering with recruiting agencies and attending their fairs
• Making connections
• Dodging pitfalls and dragon fire in international classrooms with grace and good humor

Greg’s Contact Information: The International Teacher podcast is available on all podcasting platforms. Contact Greg and his podcasting partners at internationalteacherpodcast@gmail.com.

Resources Mentioned in the Episode:

• Greg's Personal-Professional Website
• International Teacher Podcast
• Finding the Right Fit: Your Professional Guide for International Educator Recruiting Fairs and Amazing Stories of a Teacher Living Overseas
• International Teaching: The Best-kept Secret in Education

The show was recorded on August 15, 2024.

Category: Recruiting

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Music: YouTube. (2022). Acoustic Guitar | Folk | No copyright | 2022❤️. YouTube. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOEmg_6i7jA.

We always say, "Do your research!"

In this show, David and Audrey share some fabulous resources from our Library, adding their own insights.

Here are links to the resources:

International School Community Blog - New Teacher Orientation Is Now Underway: 14 Must Haves

AIELOC Resource page

Wall Street Journal - Teachers Are Burning Out on the Job: Student Behavior and Mediocre Pay Are Taking Their Toll

GOA summer playlist 2024 and insights blog

The Economist - The Rich World’s Teachers Are Increasingly Morose (Pay Walled)

Safe Passages - Doug Ota’s work (counseling and consulting) and book

We would love to hear from you about an interesting blog post, article, podcast episode, or other resource that expanded your thinking about international education. Please email us at educatorsgoingglobal@gmail.com with your suggested resource or if you are a member of our Facebook group, please add your resource there.

Remember to access our Educators Going Global website for more information or to subscribe to our newsletter!

Email us with comments or suggestions at educatorsgoingglobal@gmail.com

Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube.

Listen on your favorite podcast app: connect from our share page.

Music: YouTube. (2022). Acoustic Guitar | Folk | No copyright | 2022❤️. YouTube. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOEmg_6i7jA.

Fellow podcaster and big-time travel blogger Caroline Makepeace joined us to share tips and insights when traveling with children. Caroline and her husband Craig usually report their travel wisdom through platforms like Lonely Planet, Travel + Leisure, Forbes, and the Today Show. Hence, we count ourselves fortunate to be able to tap into Caroline’s wisdom, as family travel is a significant part of being an international educator!

Caroline Makepeace is the co-founder of two successful online publications: This is Raleigh, a platform for anyone looking to explore the best of Wake County, North Carolina, and YTravelBlog, one of the world's most influential travel blogs. An avid traveler, she has lived in five countries (and taught in them), has traveled to over 50, and has traveled full-time for seven years with her two daughters. It's her mission to inspire and empower others to travel more and create a life they love.

Our Guiding Question was, “What can parents do to optimize traveling with their children?”

Here are a few of the topics Caroline addressed in this episode:

• What parents should be thinking about as they begin to plan their next family adventure
• Tips for approaching multiple modes of transportation
• Safety concerns and planning
• Age-specific guidelines for toddlers to teenagers
• Controlling costs while having rich experiences
• Tips for traveling with friends and visiting relatives
• Showing family and friends around your adopted city and country
• How parents can design experiential travel learning opportunities for children to interact with culture, including the arts, athletics, food, language, etc.

Caroline’s Contact Information: YTravel Blog

The show was recorded on August 15, 2024.

Categories: Travel | Parenting

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Music: YouTube. (2022). Acoustic Guitar | Folk | No copyright | 2022❤️. YouTube. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOEmg_6i7jA.

How do you tame your curiosity and limit your questions when talking to a man who sings opera, speaks five languages, and consults with hundreds of organizations ranging among the fields of education, financial services, beauty and fashion, non-profits, and the arts? This was our task when interviewing Dr. Derrick Gay on the topic of helping school communities flourish.

Dr. Gay is a globally recognized intercultural competency strategist dedicated to fostering cultures of dignity and respect. With multifaceted expertise as an international speaker, author, researcher, educator, and university lecturer, Dr. Gay empowers individuals and organizations to deepen belonging and empathy by cultivating shared language, raising awareness, and fostering inclusive personal behaviors and organizational practices and policies.

Drawing from his extensive international experience, Dr. Gay designs meaningful strategies that resonate across various industries and cultures. His approach, informed by research and practitioner experiences in over 50 countries, facilitates meaningful connections and promotes belonging on a global scale.

Fluent in five languages, Dr. Gay has supported a broad clientele spanning the globe, including over 800 organizations in education, financial services, beauty and fashion, non-profits, and the arts. Beyond international schools, his clients range from Yale to Oberlin Conservatory, Phantom of the Opera to Tom Ford, The Guggenheim Museum to Barilla — and Sesame Street.

Dr. Gay has served as adjunct faculty/lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, International Fashion Academy, Parsons Paris, and Teachers College at Columbia University. He has also served on several education-related boards.

Our guiding question was, “What pathways should school communities follow as they seek to flourish in terms of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging?”

Dr. Gay unpacked several topics, including

• Current trends in international schools in terms of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging
• (Re) defining the terms “diversity,” “inclusion,” and “belonging”
• Approaches to use in order to encourage buy-in and minimize pushback within school communities
• Action steps that schools can take around the interconnection between Dignity, Respect, Inclusion, and Belonging, including restorative justice practices
• Building a culture of belonging in international schools
• Thoughts about how Schools of Education can offer DIB learning opportunities

Dr. Gay’s Contact Information: Website | LinkedIn | IG

The show was recorded on July 18, 2024.

Remember to access our Educators Going Global website for more information or to subscribe to our newsletter!

Email us with comments or suggestions at educatorsgoingglobal@gmail.com

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Listen on your favorite podcast app: connect from our share page.

Music: YouTube. (2022). Acoustic Guitar | Folk | No copyright | 2022❤️. YouTube. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOEmg_6i7jA.

Are you a small school wishing you could expand your course offerings? A student who has always wanted to explore a new area of study? Or maybe a teacher longing to teach about a passion topic area that is not offered at your school? Well, look no further!

The Global Online Academy, in operation since 2011, addresses all of these issues. The Academy partners with schools around the world to offer over 60 courses, many of which introduce students to areas of study to which they may not otherwise have access.

This is one of two interviews with Michael Nachbar, Executive Director of GOA. This one focuses on GOA and its approach to teaching and learning. We will soon post the second interview with Michael on his ideas for “future-proofing” education.

Our Guiding Question for this first show was, “What is the Global Online Academy (GOA), and how does it approach online learning from a humanistic perspective?”

Here are some of the topics covered:

• The history and mission of GOA
• The lab-school nature of GOA
• The people aspect of GOA - students, teachers, and administrators
• A holistic, inquiry, design-focused approach to teaching and learning
• How the GOA courses supplement the core classes students take at their home school

Michael spearheads a global network of schools and educators dedicated to transforming education. His expertise lies in integrating foundational teaching principles with cutting-edge technologies and innovative pedagogies.

A sought-after speaker, Michael regularly presents at national and international conferences on topics including non-profit leadership and educational innovation trends. His thought leadership is widely recognized and respected across the educational community.

In addition to his role at GOA, Michael serves as a Lakeside School trustee. He has served on the boards of many other organizations, including the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), as a founding board member of the Mastery Transcript Consortium, Summer Search, the Independent School Association Network (ISAnet), and JUMP! Foundation.

Michael holds a B.A. in English and Psychology from Indiana University and earned an M.A. in Education Leadership from the Klingenstein Center at Columbia University’s Teachers College. His career in education began as a Teach For America corps member, laying a strong foundation for his ongoing commitment to educational excellence, innovation, and equity.

Michael’s Contact Information: LinkedIn | Global Online Academy (scroll down for contact info)

Categories: Online Learning | Pedagogy | School Life
The show was recorded on June 27th, 2024.

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Listen on your favorite podcast app: connect from our share page.

Music: YouTube. (2022). Acoustic Guitar | Folk | No copyright | 2022❤️. YouTube. Retrieved October 11, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOEmg_6i7jA.