What and How to Do Everything Related to Presenting at International Conferences (A guide for secondary school teachers with a plan for MS Teams workshops). Stojan Jovan Rendevski

esenting at International Conferences (A guide for secondary school teachers with a plan for MS Teams workshops)

      Preface

      This guide is not definite and best reading on the theme of “What and how to do everything related to presenting on international conferences”. That is why the reader should take it as a motivational reading, and partly as an instructional text on how to work effectively in teams on research for the purpose of presenting at an international conference.

      The motivational aspect of the guide can be found in the chapters of the first part of this booklet, while the instructions are given in the second part. The instructional part goes with planned workshops explained in the third part of the guide.

      PART ONE: Concepts and Terms

      Participation of teachers from secondary schools and colleges at international conferences can be for the purpose of presenting or just attending.

      The purpose of only attending is to get acquainted with the new trends in teaching and learning, classroom and educational processes management, newest changes in education, and getting new knowledge and skills needed for their use in the future or for the purpose of personal growth. Also, attending an international conference brings knowing other teachers and professionals throughout the world that enlarges one’s own network of people that help and support.

      While attending is simple and requires only registration, payment of fees and possible travel to the conference venue site, presenting on the other hand, for many teachers, looks like hard work to do that requires thorough preparation and developed skills, own research conducted already, solid English knowledge to write the abstract, having ready conference paper and presentation slides, as well as to decide which conference to register to. The aim of this guide is to treat these issues and help teachers to present research at an international conference. This guide should not be considered as a formula, a receipt, or words-of-completeness instructional material that one can use it as given, but rather to be viewed as an attempt for clearing the fog from the view on what and how to do everything if one wants to present on an international conference.

      Let’s start.

      “Innovation and best practices can be sown throughout an organization –

      but only when they fall on fertile ground.”Marcus Buckingham

      1.Schools and the culture of learning organization

      OECD states: Today’s schools must equip students with the knowledge and skills they’ll need to succeed in an uncertain, constantly changing tomorrow. But many schools look much the same today as they did a generation ago, and too many teachers are not developing the pedagogies and practices required to meet the diverse needs of 21st-century learners. In response, a growing body of scholars, educators and policy makers is making the case that schools should be reconceptualised as “learning organisations” that can react more quickly to changing external environments, embrace innovations in internal organisation, and ultimately improve student outcomes. The concept of the learning organisation began to gain popularity in the late 1980s. While the literature is disparate, it is generally agreed that the learning organisation is a necessity, is suitable for any organisation and that an organisation’s learning capability will be the only sustainable competitive advantage in the future. Most scholars see the learning organisation as a multi-level concept involving individual behaviour, teamwork, and organisation-wide practices and culture. A learning organisation is a place where the beliefs, values and norms of employees are brought to bear in support of sustained learning; where a “learning atmosphere”, “learning culture” or “learning climate” is nurtured; and where “learning to learn” is essential for everyone involved.

      The so-called “teacher research” contributes to recognizing the school as a learning organization. Teacher research stems from questioning and seeking theoretical or practical solutions to issues in the teacher’s professional life. Teacher research is intentional and systematic inquiry conducted by the teachers with the goals of learning, gaining insights, coping with the changes, and gaining improvements in the lives of children. Teacher research is a higher form of professional development, maybe the highest. Why teacher research is needed?

      Scholarly research in education, conducted by university researchers or independent scholars, can have a limited impact on the educational practice. On many occasions, scholars investigate problems that teachers in schools perceive as irrelevant. Teachers see scholar work only for the purpose of publishing in peer-reviewed journals instead of disseminating their findings in schools. Teachers see scholars as impractical, that they only generalize things rather than improving school practices. And the teachers are right.

      Teachers who cannot, or do not share their knowledge and transfer skills to other colleagues, limit the development of the school’s culture of learning. One form of sharing knowledge is doing teacher research and presenting at international conferences.

      Teacher research needs help from other experienced teachers (mentors) and their work is based on teamwork. Students are always in focus of teacher research.

      1.1.Students’ participation in research

      “Give participation in the inquiry the highest priority.” Andy Card

      In the research you would conduct for the purpose of a conference presentation, students’ participation is necessary, except if you are doing a review of a theory. We are teachers and our work is centered on the students. There lays your target population. Shoot gently and don’t hurt them.

      Students should be well informed about what has been planned for them to do – filling a questionnaire, do some new lab, give anonymous feedback on the use of new methods or technologies in teaching and learning, etc. Put the most crucial information on a paper or e-mail and share it with them. Honesty, dedication and being focused is all that you need from them. Explain how much extra time their involvement will take and how to respond to tasks given by the teacher. Whatever you share with the students, you must get approval from the Head of Department because students can get easily upset from some questions or might feel unconformable participating at all. Show the questions from the questionnaire or the plan for work to the Head. Give some time to the Head of Department for his/her review and reflections.

      1.2. Mentoring

      “Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.” John Crosby

      Having a mentor while working on research and preparing a presentation for an international conference in English, is a crucial partner for success. The mentoring experiences teachers have got it since the beginning of university studies and teacher-in-training period. They are giving it also to the current students in the school. That is why we will not explain what mentorship is but will talk about how you may find the good mentor you need. It is crucial to have a mentor, especially when it is your first or second conference, and it is in English.

      Mentors could be found in many places and in many ways:

      –a colleague from the school who have been presenting on a conference;

      –a friend who is a teacher in another school and you know that he/she has the experience;

      –a professor from the university where you have been studying;

      –a teacher you never met but you may send an invitation to become your conference mentor for the benefit of being a co-author of your presentation;

      –a researcher from abroad that you met at some event (training workshop, competition, lecture, etc.) and to whom you may send an invitation for mentoring; and many more.

      One interesting concept that has been introduced since the beginning of the year 2000 is the virtual mentor by using internet blogs, forums, and online collaboration platforms like MS Teams. You don’t have to collaborate directly during face-to-face meetings. You just put a question, an idea, or an issue you are confronting, and the virtual world will give feedback, opinion, or directions to follow. Amazing progress has been made since the beginning of the century and many teachers are using these platforms. Even you can create a blog or a forum and invite, for example, all secondary school teachers in your subject in the region and around to participate,