Category Archives: Global Education

HISD announces partnership with Taipei Department of Education

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The Houston Independent School District joined Thursday with the Department of Education in Taipei to celebrate the formalization of an international partnership between the two organizations.

The Partnerships in Education agreement formally solidifies the friendship between the two entities, allowing the pair to become “sister” organizations. It includes opportunities for the sharing of educational information, coursework and teaching methods between HISD and educators in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, a world leader in information technologies. Continue reading →

Hour of Code keeps HISD students globally competitive

Hour of Code is a global initiative that calls for students to do at least one hour of coding during Computer Science Education Week, which runs from Dec. 7 to 13. Basically, coding is typing step-by-step commands into the computer that tell it what you want it to do. When coding, also known as programming, students will use language that computers understand to create computer games, applications, web content, and much more.

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HISD students take on the Bebras computational thinking challenge

Critical thinking is a key part of HISD’s Global Graduate profile. That’s why students from 59 HISD schools are taking part in a worldwide challenge that introduces computational thinking through online challenges.

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The Bebras Computing Challenge is open to 5th- through 12th-grade students from Nov. 9-21. The goal is to get kids excited about computing and improve their problem-solving skills. The challenge comes just a few weeks before Computer Science Education Week (December 7-13) and the worldwide Hour of Code. Continue reading →

‘Caught in the Act’ spotlights HAIS

World history teacher featured in November 2015 C.I.A. video

Emily Neale, a second-year teacher at the Houston Academy for International Studies, was “Caught in the Act” of delivering great instruction during a recent visit to her world history class. An HISD video crew, along with Secondary Curriculum and Development Officer Annie Wolfe, surprised Neale and her students in the middle of a lesson on the rise and fall of different world empires.

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“When planning lessons for my students, I want to make sure the instruction allows them to develop the skills they are going to need to compete globally with their peers,” said Neale. They need to be able to work in groups and collaborate with each other, and they need to be able to think critically and communicate effectively.”

The “Caught in the Act” video campaign recognizes highly effective HISD teachers who are delivering instruction that will lead to students becoming Global Graduates — young men and women who possess the skills necessary to succeed in college and compete in today’s global workforce.

Throughout the 2015–2016 school year, the HISD video team, along with Wolfe or Chief Elementary Curriculum and Development Officer Lance Menster, will be dropping in on classrooms to observe and point out examples of effective instruction based on the six qualities of the Global Graduate profile: adaptable and productive, a leader, a responsible decision-maker, a skilled communicator, a critical thinker, and a college-ready learner.

Teachers can be nominated for the video series by school offices, chiefs, principals, and teacher development specialists. To nominate someone, please send an email to HISDcia@HoustonISD.org.

DiscoverU expands the number of educational travel opportunities for HISD students

DiscoverU has increased the number of partnerships it has with HISD schools to seven for the current school year, allowing even more students to expand their horizons through foreign travel, college campus residencies, business internships, and more.

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HISD Chamber of Commerce and schools partnering to create ‘global graduates’

Members honored for their commitment to prepare students for the workforce

Ever wonder what qualities employers are looking for in today’s workforce? High school principals got a chance to hear that first-hand from local industry and business leaders during a recent HISD Chamber of Commerce meeting. The chamber, which is made up of members from Houston’s key industries, provides the district with guidance on how to improve school-based career programming in order to better meet our area’s workforce needs.

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Oak Forest ES named ‘Rainforest Hero’ for protecting Sumatran wildlife

The island of Sumatra may be half a world away, but that didn’t stop Oak Forest Elementary School students from caring about its wildlife.

Children in the school’s kindergarten classes raised more than $2,170 before school let out last year and donated it to the Rainforest Trust after learning how man’s activities can threaten the natural world. And for that, the organization named the campus a “Rainforest Hero.”

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HISD kicks off 2015-2016 school year with emphasis on producing global graduates

The Houston Independent School District will begin the 2015-2016 academic year on Monday with the opening of the nation’s first public Arabic language immersion school, significantly expanded dual language opportunities and a continued shift to digital learning.

The Arabic Immersion Magnet School (AIMS) is among 283 HISD campuses that will throw open their doors on Monday and welcome back nearly 215,000 students from across the district. Bus drivers will begin transporting nearly 34,000 students to and from school, and cafeteria workers will begin cooking the 288,000 meals that they serve each day. Continue reading →

DiscoverU providing HISD students with global education opportunities

Turning out global graduates is the mission of HISD, and Houston-based nonprofit organization DiscoverU is helping the district achieve that goal. Forty-four HISD students completed college and career preparatory programs worldwide during the 2014–2015 school year, and more than 200 more are taking advantage of programs this summer.

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Students win study abroad opportunities

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Two HISD high school juniors are well on their way to an education that straddles continents. On June 15, the Institute of International Education (IIE) bestowed Passport Awards on Luz De Leon of Davis High School and Karen Ortiz of Sharpstown International School. The Passport Awards were given to 13 students across the country in an effort to encourage these students to go abroad in college.

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