Teaching Methods

 a) Integrated/Interdisciplinary
Teaching: Integrated teaching makes learning
come alive for students by generating interest,
curiosity, and motivation to make a difference.
Instead of teaching each discipline separately,
teachers at BIS will unite subjects by a common
theme of study. Each class will be studying a
certain topic and integrating this topic into all of
their subjects. Teachers will teach the required
standards, but through meaningful units of study.
Three main integrated units will be covered per
year, with the middle unit being a whole school
unit where all classes are studying about the same
issue. This will provide room for multi-age
collaboration between students, build school
community, and increase teacher collaboration.
The Council of Chief State School Officers
(CCSSO), via their sponsored studies, recognized
the effectiveness of Integrated Teaching (also
known as Interdisciplinary Teaching) to deliver
curriculum, resulting in higher levels of academic
achievement for all students (Jacobs, 2010).
 b) Project-Based Learning (PBL): Students will
synthesize their knowledge in multi-disciplinary
collaborative projects with local and global
significance. BIS projects allow students to
engage in real-world learning and gain valuable
 21st century skills. Students will participate in
various projects involving multi-disciplinary
studies for each unit. Within each unit of study,
students will be assessed based on their
performance (demonstrated skills or mastery of
content learned). Each project in PBL will have
goals, outcomes and measures that are aligned
with relevant academic standards. Teachers and
students together will design rubrics for the
evaluation of projects, based on BIS Academic
Standards.
o Projects will serve a purpose beyond being
just a class requirement and will involve real
world audiences such as experts from the field,
scientists, and professionals as well as parents,
friends, and school community members. This
allows students to present and share their work
and learning for a purpose beyond solely
presentation and evaluation. The value of PBL is
immeasurable in that it provides students with
mastery level real-world learning and a synthesis
of 21st century skills that will enable them to be
successful in their future careers (Bloom, 2010).

 c) Student-centered: Student–centered
classrooms involve the students as leaders in their
education. In a student-centered learning
environment, students are involved in creating the
class guidelines, designing the curricular
activities, and solving issues as they come up. It is
 the students who are coming up with the ideas.
This technique creates high levels of student
engagement, and empowers students to create the
educational environment they most desire. It
motivates students to strive to meet their goals
and promotes creativity, leadership, and
responsibility (Bloom, 2010).
o The BIS Program revolves around its
students, as they are the central point of the
program. Students have choices regarding their
learning environment, their work, and their
activities. Yes, they are going to learn the
standards, but there are many ways to do that.
Our Electives program provides for student
choice and interest as well as a promotion of
community as students form multi-age groups in
their classes of choice. This approach engages
all learners as active participants in their
education, and empowers them as leaders.

 d) Team planning time: Research supports that

teachers who plan together, teach better “Teach
less, teach more” is a common saying in the
International Schools Network meaning that
teachers who spend more time collaborating with
their peers and planning together are more likely
to be effective in their teaching (TELL Survey
results, 2014). BIS will utilize flexible and creative
scheduling to allow instructional planning time
(both team and individual time) daily. Teachers will
 have at least 75 minutes a day for planning when
students are in the electives, specials, or PBL
learning blocks. Whole school staff meetings will
be scheduled once a week on early release days
for school wide planning. The nature of our
program requires team teaching and collaboration
as we will create our units of study, designed with
our students’ needs in mind.
 e) Learning Blocks: BIS will divide the day into
“Learning Blocks” which are longer periods of
instruction (typically 75-90 minutes). This allows
teachers to provide students multi-disciplinary
studies, project-based learning, and most
important of all, deeper learning of skills and
content. Less time is lost in transition between
multiple short subject periods, and fragmented
compartmentalized schedules. Teachers and
students can focus on the theme of study and have
time for direct instruction and appropriate learning
activities. Differentiated instruction is only
possible when teachers have time to work with
individual students and small groups.
 f) International Education/ Global Competence
Based Education– Our staff will be trained through
the work of Dr. Veronica Boix Mansilla of Project
Zero, Harvard University. She is the author of
Preparing our Youth to Engage with the World,
2013. “Global Competence” is definted as the
ability to understand and act on issues of global
 significance. Not only do will we teach students
about the world and global issues, we also will
inspire them to make a difference through their
beliefs, action, and work. The goals of tolerance
and mutual respect of all people are inherent to all
international schools. We will also participate in
professional development opportunities with
Seattle Public International Schools. Teachers will
focus on global competence when planning units
of study.

 g) Global Community Service Based

Learning/Sister Schools Project: Students will be
involved in real world projects that benefit their
local and global community and reinforce content
and skills learned in the classroom. BIS has a
sister school in Tlaquepaque, Mexico. All students
and teachers will be paired up with a
classmate/teacher in Mexico to collaborate and
communicate with throughout the year. The Middle
School participates in an exchange program with
our sister school. To increase their cultural and
language competencies, our students will spend
one week in Mexico and participate with students
in various service-based learning projects tied to
our curricular goals and objectives. The following
year, students from Tlaquepaque, Mexico will visit
BIS as part of this cultural exchange. They will do
 homestays with our students and families and
participate in service based-learning projects in
Bend, together with BIS students. The school is
securing private funding for this part of the
project.
o Since 1992, we have seen a 110% increase in
jobs tied to international trade. This means that
more than one out of every five jobs requires
international skills (Source American Community
Survey, 2007-2011). How are we preparing our
students to meet the needs of our ever-changing
global economy? Twenty-one of the top twenty-
five industrialized countries begin language
instruction in elementary school. BIS plans to
join this successful educational approach.
Unfortunately, less than 2% of Oregon students
take part in study abroad programs. Please refer
to this Global Oregon Data to see the current
need for international education and cultural
exchange.
 h) Differentiated Instruction– With small classes
and a focus on student achievement and progress,
teachers will differentiate instruction and learning
activities to meet individual student needs. For
example: Our Singapore Math curriculum allows
students, after completing a lesson, to advance
and apply the concepts, or receive additional
review and support, depending on student need.
Students can also advance to the next level, if they
demonstrate appropriate skill through leveled
 assessments. Teachers will plan projects and
activities for the levels of ALL students in their
classes.
 i) Spanish Immersion Program– Students will
benefit from having part of their day taught in
Spanish. This is the World Languages piece of the
international curriculum and it will benefit both
English and Spanish speakers.
 j) Community Involvement: Our school will have a
strong sense of community and belonging among
students, staff, parents, and our local and global
community. We will have numerous school wide
activities and studies that promote unity and
cooperation.

 k) STEAM: There will be a curricular focus

on science, technology, engineering, the arts,
and mathematics. Through the connection of the
above subjects, the common element of problem
solving is emphasized, allowing students to
discover, explore and apply critical thinking skills
as they learn. STEAM learning is service- based,
involving local research, non-profit, and
environmental organizations. Community experts
are involved in the curriculum, and students
participate in meaningful projects and hands-on
experiments that benefit our local and global
community. Environmental studies and
 sustainability are an important part of our school
as we plan on being a Green Ribbon School! Being
an international school allows us to focus on the
fact that all people around the world inhabit and
must share our Earth, and build awareness on
strategies to preserve our planet.

 l) Inquiry Based Approach: All teachers will use

the inquiry approach to teaching by using essential
questions to generate student interest and help
guide students to develop their own important
questions regarding units of study. The Inquiry
Based Approach incorporates the following steps
in teaching: questioning, planning, researching,
creating, improving (reflection), presenting. The
teacher guides students through these steps
during unit studies. Successful proven
international education programs utilize this
teaching method (i.e.: International Baccalaureate
Program).
Bend International School will provide training and
professional development on all teaching
techniques and methods. Start-up charter school
funds solicited from the U.S. Department of
Education will be used for this purpose. The
Director will serve as a mentor and guide for all
staff, to facilitate and ensure the proper use of BIS
teaching methodologies. Bend International School
has done extensive research regarding
international and national curriculum and teaching
methods. Studies have been reviewed from the
Asia Society, Project Zero at Harvard University
(2014), and the International Strategy from the U.S.
Department of Education, (2012). There are many
similarities between the higher achieving
countries, including Singapore, Finland, Australia,
Canada, and Hong Kong. Being an international
school, we have selected to use similar curriculum
and teaching methods as these internationally
benchmarked countries. In conclusion, listed
below is a brief summary of similarities of these
successful educational techniques, which will be
implemented in BIS.
o Teachers have planning time to collaborate
together and design lessons
o High standards (less quantity, more quality;
deeper learning , i.e.: CCSS)
o Self- initiated work (student choice and
student-centered education)
o Project Based Learning (PBL)- Projects are
multi-disciplinary with a global focus
o Students use higher level thinking skills
(compare, analyze, explain)
o Inquiry in every field (Inquiry Based
Learning)
o Reflection (students reflect on what they’ve
done and how to improve it on their own)
o Science is a process of inquiry and
investigation- Students do experiments and
know how to carry out the scientific process
o Integrated Studies- Subjects are linked
together through a common theme