Article in The Australian (Jan 22 2014) on International Education as Big Business (

Phil Honeywood's article describes the $15 billion (yes, Billion -- with a b) international education industry as searching for a more effective and wefficient form of management than the one presently existing, which appears fragmented among agencies, governmental groups and others. Honeywood does a good job of describing the situation in Australia and presenting some of the conversations underway about the solutions for improvement. Read the whole article at: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/international-students/a-big-business-in-search-of-a-strategy/story-fnahn4sk-1226807012260#

24/7 Support in Language Instruction from Barcelona, Spain School (PIE News, Feb 6, 2014)

"A unique service has opened in Barcelona offering students Spanish classes by day and a local “host” to show them around the city in the evenings. Barcelona Host also has a unique 24/7 service allowing students to send questions via Whatsapp or email at any time of the day or night and receive a prompt reply," according to The PIE News.  With all of the conversations in education, whether virtual or face-to-face (F2F), about student engagement and interaction, the role of technology has to be examined. In this case, the interactivity of the technology and the use of mobile tools reflect a very real and current trend. The idea that 'education' is defined by a time and place has to be called into question.

What issues do you see if you wanted to implement some kind of interactivity via mobile technology for time outside the traditional 'school day' (a concept that is also being called into question)?

The 70-year wait for primary school (BBC Report, Jan 28 2014) by Sean Coughlan

This article is powerful in terms of the numbers shared but also in the ability of Coughlan to put a face on the numbers describing the state of primary education around the world.According to the report, the world will fall far short of the UNESCO goal of providing access to primary schools for all children by 2015. Coughlan quotes the report in saying that at the present rate of growth in access to primary schools, it will be 2086 before the goal is achieved, leaving 57 million youngsters without access. Among other things, Coughlan says "In poor countries, one in four young people is unable to read a single sentence." The article, found at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25811704, is worth the time you would spend reading it. It will raise a long list of issues that all cultures and societies should consider as implications from this situation.  All of these are interesting, but one particular issue cited stands in strong relief: Wasted Funds and Resources. That one alone should attract each of you as readers of the whole article.  (I owe a big thanks to one of my graduate students for sharing this with me: thanks, Heather Joann).

What would you say, from the list provided by the report, would you say will present the greatest challenges to parents? society? teachers? schools?

International School of Louisiana (USA) Receives State Certification

On Feb 8, 2014, Jessica Taylor posted this announcement on the UpTown Messenger (http://uptownmessenger.com/2014/02/international-school-of-louisiana-receives-state-certification/) and thereby announced that this school, International School of Louisiana (ISL) became one of that state's first World Language Immersion Schools. The posting continues:
"ISL was also commended as a school that consistently adheres to guidelines governing time of daily instruction in the immersion language, protects the written and oral forms of the immersion language, employs teachers who possess native-like fluency, offers professional development on best practices for immersion language, and creates written policies that enhance the immersion learning and teaching."  

Are any readers of this blog employed in such an immersion school? Have any of the readers had any experience with such an immersion school, regardless of its location?