Dear Colleagues, Honorable Guests:

On behalf of the ACS Athens Board of Trustees, parents, students, faculty, staff and administration, it is with great excitement that we invite you to attend the ACS Athens Colloquium on April 21 - 22, 2016.

At the Colloquium we will 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 Excellence" 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.

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

(Four 12-minute TED-style talks, addressing four 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 Carlsson

• Talk #2 Instructional Methodology: i2Flex

Exemplars: i2Flex in Humanities and Fitness Training
Presenters: Kathy Jasonides and Angelos Dimitropoulos
Coach: Dr. Maria Avgerinou

• Talk #3 Teaching Mathematics Conceptually

Exemplars: JK-2 Number Sense Continuum and Complex Problems in HS Algebra 2 and Trigonometry
Presenters: Andreas Tsokos and Sophia Moros
Coach: MaryAnn Augoustatos

• Talk #4 Teaching Writing to Think and Learn

Exemplar: A Digital Creative Writing Project
Presenters: Amalia Zavacopoulou and Stavi Dimas
Coach: Steve Medeiros

• Talk #5 Best Practices in ESL/EFL

Exemplar: “Loving the Language: Creating an ESL/EFL Program to Meet Our Students’ Needs”
Presenters: Venie Gaki and Angela Zamanis
Coach: Steve Medeiros

• Talk #6 Providing Learning Support through Collaborative Professional Partnerships

Exemplar: Designing a Holistic and Collaborative Diagnostic Testing Center
Presenters: Anna Makris and Cynthia Ouijian
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

(Expanding on Innovation Talks/Discussion – Eight concurrent sessions: audience members attend the session of greatest interest to them. Locations TBA)

• Breakout #1: Constructivist Inquiry-Based teaching and Learning (Academy 201)

Leaders: Alex 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 ES Inquiry-based Science Learning Center (5-7 minutes)
Questions/Discussion – moderated by Alec Hoc (15 minutes)

• Breakout #2: i2Flex (Library 1st floor)

Leaders: Kathy Jasonides and Angelos Dimitropoulos present artifacts of studentlearning.
Other Voices:
Charles Berahas: Teaching Computer Science in a Blended Learning Environment (7-10 minutes)
Heike Arnold: i2Flex Approach to Teaching Foreign Language Learners 3 (7-10 minutes)
Questions/Discussion (15 minutes) – moderated by Kathy Jasonides

• Breakout #3: Teaching Mathematics Conceptually (MS Computer Lab)

Leaders: Andreas Tsokos and Sophia Moros presenting artifacts of student learning
Other voices: 
Aggeliki 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 (Writing Studio)

Leaders: Amalia Zavacopoulou and Stavi Dimas presenting artifacts of student Learning
Other voices: 
Maria Falidas: Writing in IB Mathematics (7-10 minutes)
Sophia Thanopoulou: Writing as Discovery in a Theater Classroom (7-10 minutes)
Questions/Discussions (15 minutes) – moderated by Amalia Zavacopoulou

• Breakout #5 Best Practices in ESL/EFL (5th grade red)

Leaders: Venie Gaki and Angela Zamanis presenting artifacts of student learning
Other voices:
Katerina Gleisburg: Making Content Material Accessible to ES ELL Students (7-10 minutes)
Hercules Lianos: Real-life Applications in HS ESL – Editorial Tables (7-10 minutes)
Questions/Discussion (15 minutes) – moderated by Venie Gaki

• Breakout #6 Providing Learning Support through Collaborative Partnerships

Leaders: Anna Makris and Cynthia Ouaijan presenting artifacts of practice (Room: 5th grade green)
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 Chourmouzis, Alexandra Katsiki, Jasmina Mohamedali: Creating and Implementing a Shadow Teacher Partnership Program (7-10 minutes)
Questions/Discussion (15 minutes) – moderated by Chryssoula Ploutou 

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

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

• Breakout #8 Collaborative Inquiry and Professional Development (Academy 203/4)

Leaders: Dave Nelson and Penny Kynigou presenting artifacts of practice
Other voices:
A discussion among CLC leaders – Amberdawn Moore, Christina Rocha, Hrisi Sandravelis, Irini Rovoli, Raphael Raphael, Marla Coklas, and Justin Kramer (15 minutes)
Questions/Discussion (15 minutes) – moderated by Penny Kynigou

MaryAnn Augoustatos/Peggy Pelonis/Steve Medeiros (Re-Accreditation Coordinators)

Dr. David Gleason, Clinical Psychologist, Member ACS Athens Advisory Council)

A reflective conversation (Dr. Stefanos Gialamas, President ACS Athens; Billy Sotiropoulos, Tommy Lynch, Maria Christodoulou and Kewei Li (Students); and Michelle Ballard…to be confirmed (Parents)

1. Marketplace of Ideas A (venue TBA) (Writing Studio)

Table 1: Yi-Nai Wang: Chinese MS and ESL/EFL Pair-Up Project
Table 2: Dr. Yulla Lamprou: School Partnerships (OLP support)
Table 3: Fay Safiris: Conceptual Mathematics the ES classroom
Table 4: Dr. Lykourgos Hristakos: i2Flex in Physics

2. Marketplace of Ideas B ( Library 1st floor)
Table 1: Sevasti Koniossis: Differentiation in Multi-level OLP Class
Table 2: Vassilis Mikros: Cooperative Games: How Physical Activity Can help ESL/EFL Students Enhance Social Skills
Table 3: Mackenzie Merrill: A Snapshot of Constructivism in Middle School Art Class
Table 4: Emilia Drogaris: Reflection on the Action Research/Reflection Process – How the Process Has Shaped My Practice

3. Marketplace of Ideas C (venue TBA) (MS Room 10)
Table 1: Julia Stefanidou: Romeo and Juliet: How Drama Motivates EFL Students
Table 2: Peggy Apostolou: Music and Multiple Intelligence Learning (Strategies for Differentiating Instruction)
Table 3: Carly Killum: Teaching Grammar Within the Writing Process
Table 4: Sophia Sosselios: Structured Collaborative Observation/Writing Activity to Develop Skills of Art Analysis
Table 5: Natasha Stratoglou: i2Flex in the multi-level foreign language classroom

4. Presentation Session A: Snapshots of i2Flex (Authors’ talks) (MS Computer Lab)
1. Labrini Rontogiannis: Flipping and Flexing in Science (12 minutes)
2. Tonia Firigou: Transforming Teaching and Learning in the Foreign Language Classroom (12 minutes)
3. Jenny Grigoropoulos: i2Flex in the EFL Classroom (12 minutes) Moderator: Dr. Alessandra Sax-Lane

5. Presentation Session B: Snapshots of Conceptual Mathematics (Academy 201)
1. Ioanna Lamprou, Korinna Kokkali and Eleftheria Ferentinos: Conceptual Strategies in the ES Math Classroom (a short demo) (15 minutes)
2. Nick Parakatis: SAT Mathematics; Collaboration and Problem-Solving Strategies (12 minutes)
3. Nicholas Romanos, Annie Fesl and Evelin Toubakari: Mathematics and Chemistry – an Interdisciplinary, Constructivist Approach (12-15 minutes) Moderator: Dr. Andreas Tsokos

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

Reflective Dialogue 2: Teacher as Scholar: How Engaging in the Process of Research and Reflection Shapes Practice (20 minutes)
Participants: Dr. Allesandra Sax-Lane* (discussion Leader), Jenny Grigoropoulos*, Dr. Elina Prodromidi*, Sophia Thanopoulou, Georgia Exintavelonis and Karla Stauffer
Coach: Dr. Maria Avgerinou

1. Poster Session (Exhibitions of Research): Theater LobbyAngie Spiliot: “Happy Hats” – getting the writing process going
Angela Chamosfakidis – Mapping out the IB Psychology Internal Assessment
Amberdawn Moore – Backward mapping
Georgia Mentes – Applying occupational therapy strategies in the JK classroom
Iliana Eleftheriou, Eirini Aliferi, Alexandra Katsiki – Shadow teacher partnerships
Stavroula Salouros – Writing to promote awareness of health issues
Dora Pantelli and Dimitri Pelidis – 10th grade Personal Project – research and inquiry
Sonia Kormaris – Writing to Think and Learn in Greek Language and Literature class
Jan Karvouniaris and Maria Avgerinou – The ACS Athens 6-12 Research
Framework: Developing Habits of the Mind for Life
Leigh Anderson – Developing library-based research skills
Valia Efstathiou – Mentoring students outside the classroom: visual communication and technology projects
Christina Marinou and Zoe Karatza – Co-teaching: how to change teaching and learning in classes with OLP students
Justin Cramer – CLC groups in support of action research
Alexia Grigoropoulou and Alexandros Hoc – “Approaches to Learning” in the IB
Diploma Program
Dr. Allesandra Sax-Lane – Meta-research on the action research process
Heike Arnold – i²Flex in foreign language
Dennisse Legoretta – Using multi-media to demonstrate communication skills in Spanish class

2. Demonstrations
Dogs in Learning: Calculating distance – Theo Koutsopoulos* and Xeni Vafopoulou and 5th grade students ( Atrium/Lobby area )
Interactive Gallery of Student Programming– Dr. Raphael Raphael and MS Students (MS Computer Lab)
Inquiry–based Student Investigations in Science (First demo session)
Sana Kassem and Dr. Maria Konstandoulaki and ES Students (Elementary School Science Lab)
 

1. Student workshops in the Math Studio: Matina Katsiyanni and Academy students
2. Student workshops in the Writing Studio: Bobby Zervas and Academy students
3. Inquiry-based student investigation in the ES Science Lab: Sana Kassem and Maria Konstandoulaki and 16 ES students
4.: Exploring Colonial America through research-based creative writing: a 5th grade project – Marla Coklas, Evi Evloyias, Ria Maratou and Helen Sarantes and 5th grade students (5th grade green)
5. Extending the Writing Process: The 3rd grade Wax Museum Project: Alex Hoc, Stavi Dimas, Ms. Martinez* and a group of 3rd grade students (3rd
6. A Socratic Seminar: Dave Nelson, Evelyn Pittas* and 10th grade Combo students
7. Model United Nations: An 8th grade research/action project – Derrick Ocampo, Patrick Dougherty, Rhodell Fields, Academy Student Leaders, 8th grade students. (MS Room 10)
8. Captain Chip – A Canine Literacy Partner: Demonstration of a novel early ES literacy project – Christina Birbil and ES students (First Grade Classroom)