The International Schools Review Forum

If you work in a European school which currently uses, or plans to use, this method of reading and writing workshop, could you please let me know. I am looking to recruit for the 2014-2015 school year, and I am very interested in continuing to work at a school with this program. If you could give a few details about your program, I would appreciate this as well. For example, do you use the Units of Study for Reading and Writing, design your own units, and a combination of both. Any other supplemental language arts materials being used would be of great help as well.

Thanks for your help!

As a TC grad, where Caulkins is nothing short of a goddess, I would say the R/W Workshop is extremely rare in i-schools. Some teachers may practice it individually, but I have never seen it part of the formal curriculum.

A number of schools in Asia use the readers & writers workshop model, some are even associated with Teacher's College (Taipei American School and Concordia Shanghai). We use the units of study here at Saigon South International School. Hong Kong International School is also using the model.

I know of many international schools using it as the formal curriculum (many of these teachers attend TC summer institutes), but I am always trying to add on to the list. I currently work at a school in Asia who uses it. Just trying to gather more information.

Thanks!

The American International School of Chennai, India is doing the TC Readers-Writers Workshop Model. They have also sent teachers to TC to do the summer institutes, as well as bring TC educators to the school for PD. The workshop model seems to be the 'hot' model in many Asian schools, and several schools at the most recent job fair I went to asked me if I was trained or used the model.

I know you wanted European schools, but Riffa Views International School in Bahrain uses it and we have a wonderful literacy coach.

No offense but EU schools dont use the forums on this site to fill vacancies, and most ITs dont just "walk" into a position in the EU.

Very few EU schools use RWW, and of the few that do they are mostly municipal schools. Many schools though would be flexible enough for you to incorporate RWW in your curriculum management.

A number of Asian schools (2nd tier mostly, though there are exceptions) do use RWW and have expanded the concept across their curriculum.

I am not necessarily trying to get a job via this forum, just trying to get a bit more information. I worked in Europe for 6 years, so I understand that it is a popular destination for many "ITs".

I attended summer institutes for RW/WW at TCRWP, and met many international school teachers from Europe whose schools are using this method. I am just looking to add to the list.

Also Taipai American School, Hong Kong International School, International School of Bangkok, Concordia Shanghai all are using RW/WW as well as many other fantastic schools in Asia, which are not necessarily considered 2nd tier. My friend works at TAS, and I visited HKIS a few months ago for a literacy conference.

Just presenting some facts here for anyone else interested in this topic.

I interviewed with the American INternational School of Bucharest in Romania. RW and WW is something they are working towards. In the interview I chatted a lot to the Elem Prin about Lucy Calkins etc.

@christyn2

I imagine you did meet many educators who use RWW at TCRWP, where else would you meet them? You didnt think youd meet a lot of IB or AP teachers did you?
When you compare the total number of schools to those that use RWW as their formal curriculum its a very small number. I use RWW, but my school doesnt formally support it as part of the curriculum. I also know other teachers (many) that use at least partially, RWW in their individual lessons.

Your list of 4 schools is very accurate, and they mostly arent 2nd tier schools (Concordia Shanghai isnt an elite tier school), but thats 3/4 schools, compared to the VAST number of 2nd tier and lower schools, and its pretty small even among first tier schools. Their isnt any reasonable classification of schools where your going to find 51% of them officially and formally using RWW in its curriculum.

Singapore American School (is that top tier enough for you?) uses it and has even brought Columbia TC reps to run workshops there. It's a big emphasis. Not sure offhand of any schools in Europe using it but I'm not familiar with most European schools.

[quote="Lagringa"]Singapore American School (is that top tier enough for you?) uses it and has even brought Columbia TC reps to run workshops there. It's a big emphasis. Not sure offhand of any schools in Europe using it but I'm not familiar with most European schools.[/quote]

Yes, that is definitely top tier enough for me! :-) I know many amazing schools are going the way of RR/RW, and I am looking to add to the list. Thanks!