Connections and Inspiration Deepen at 2024 CBL in Practice:

IES Global 2024年11月11日 21:00

Guiding Conceptual Understandings to Grow Minds

The two-day Concept-Based Learning (CBL) Conference brought together over 150 educators in an inspiring weekend of connection, exploration, and collaboration. Hosted at the scenic Shekou International School campus, the conference offered both structured learning sessions and opportunities for informal exchanges, where participants had meaningful discussions that transformed the venue into a learning hub.

Day One: Foundations and Friendships

The day began with a warm welcome from our Managing Director, who emphasized the event’s mission to explore and deepen our understanding of Concept-Based Learning (CBL) as a way to positively impact the future of education and communities at large. On her home turf, Principal Leda Cedo of SIS then briefly took the stage to help us learn about our lovely venue for the weekend.

Next came a highlight of the event: Rachel French’s keynote, "Unlocking the Power of Concept-Based Learning." This 90-minute session focused on dispelling myths about CBL and revealed how this approach promotes independent thinking, higher-order cognition, and transferable skills. With clear examples and engaging visuals, Rachel illuminated how CBL makes learning more meaningful and enduring for students.

The day continued with a series of impressive speakers, including Daniel Rubenstein and Mathias Boyer from ISB, who gave an interesting keynote on China’s growing appeal as an international education destination. Their session generated thoughts on the evolution of international education and China’s potential to attract a larger number of students from around the world.

Afterward, Jessica Humble-Crofts shared a virtual math lesson and teamed up with Rachel French to break down the strategies she used and take questions from the audience.

Beyond the keynotes, our 14 breakout sessions allowed participants to take a deep dive into how CBL can be adapted across various disciplines.

The energy and learning weren’t confined to the formal sessions, however. In the hallways and between sessions, educators engaged in animated discussions, sharing their perspectives and strategizing about how to bring CBL principles to life in their own schools. Many teachers expressed excitement but also the need for time to process everything they were learning. “It’s almost too much to digest in one day!” one participant noted.

Social connections were another highlight of the day, with new and old colleagues mingling freely. Participants greeted one another with warm hugs as friendships between former colleagues were rekindled. Our speakers, too, extended their presence beyond the podium, joining attendees in the foyer and other gathering spaces chat with participants about specific teaching strategies they were eager to try. Rachel French was particularly in demand, fielding numerous questions from inspired educators, taking photos with her fans and signing many copies of her book.

Leda Cedo’s closing keynote urged attendees to consider how CBL could “future-proof” education, encouraging reflection on how conceptual thinking could support students’ growth in a rapidly changing world.

Afterward, participants were invited to relax and reflect over an assortment of appetizers and refreshments. Laughter, exclamations of, “it was so nice to meet you!”, and plans for the night ahead could be heard among small groups. It was clear that the day culminated in a sense of professional fulfillment and evidence of friendship.

Day Two: Deepening Understanding through Concept Formation and Questions

The second day maintained the enthusiasm of the first, with a focus on honing the practical skills of Concept-Based Learning. Rachel French returned to the stage as the day’s first keynote speaker, sharing her insights about the power of questions in guiding students to deeper understanding. She emphasized how intentional, precise questions can encourage students to make connections, foster critical thinking, and retain concepts more effectively.

Rachel’s presentation highlighted various question types that help students navigate and form their understanding and tips on how to develop intentional, precise questions to help students reach understandings. She encouraged educators to consider questions as essential to unit planning, finding ways to ensure alignment between questions and generalizations.

Rachel and Jessica then added an interactive aspect to the morning by fielding a lively Q&A session, with educators asking how they can adapt CBL techniques to the specific needs of their students and schools.

Jessica Humble-Crofts followed with a compelling keynote on the importance of concept formation. She explained that while vocabulary is essential, lasting understanding only happens when students internalize the concepts underlying new terms. Her discussion clarified how concepts function as mental categories, reducing the need for re-learning and promoting higher-order thinking. Educators practiced various methods for developing students’ conceptual knowledge. The session wrapped with a challenge to educators to find a way to use at least one of the strategies she shared in their classrooms during the coming week.

The morning concluded with a brief presentation from Kitty Zhang of National Geographic Learning, who showcased programs that combine language learning with global perspectives, highlighting how these resources can encourage students to understand their role in the world as global citizens.

As the rain sprinkled outside, participants enjoyed a brunch that offered a relaxed setting for reflection and conversation. Teachers could be overheard eagerly exchanging insights and strategies for implementing Concept-Based Learning (CBL) as they prepared for the afternoon's breakout sessions. These focused workshops invited educators to dive deeper into topics like integrating concepts in writer’s workshop, fostering school-wide collaboration, enhancing Mandarin classrooms, and effectively transitioning to a concept-based approach in various subjects.

Lili Jia closed the conference with a keynote highlighting the concept-driven reforms to the Chinese National Curriculum. Jia’s speech was particularly relevant as many students in international schools have transitioned from Chinese schools, where they were taught under the Chinese National Curriculum, making the discussion of these reforms crucial for understanding their educational backgrounds and current learning needs.

IES and Rachel French expressed heartfelt gratitude for everyone’s contributions, acknowledging the collective effort that made the event a success. With warm farewells and words of encouragement, participants took final group photos, exchanged contact information and headed off to their homes throughout China and beyond.

This inaugural CBL conference reinforced a powerful insight: learning doesn’t only happen in planned sessions or through direct instruction. It thrives in every corner of a gathering place where dedicated educators share, discuss, and challenge each other. From lively hallway exchanges to reflective brunch conversations, learning permeated every moment. We hope participants left with a shared vision for using CBL to shape meaningful, impactful classroom experiences that add significantly to the knowledge students will build upon for the duration of their academic careers and beyond.

Based on the success of this conference, we have already started planning the 2025 CBL conference. Please keep an eye on our website or join us on social media for updates on this exciting event.

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