Teacher/Writer/Coach/Consultant/Student

Guest Lecturer @ Thomas More International Days

 

Greetings,
As a native of Turnhout, Belgium, I am incredibly honored to be invited back as a lecturer for the International Days at Thomas More Kempen. I wrote about my previous experience at the conference in this article, titled, "Digital Mobility: A Journey of a Thousand Miles Can Now Begin With a Single Click." 

Since leaving Belgium in 1980, I have actively pursued an educational path. First by learning English and then studying at universities in Virginia (Longwood University), Louisiana (Southeastern Louisiana University) and Colorado (University of Colorado). I also returned to Europe in 1992 to study at the University of Salzburg in Austria. Upon graduating from university, I joined a national teaching corps called Teach For America. With the support of this organization, I started my teaching career at East St. John High School outside of New Orleans, Louisiana. Since 1997 I have taught at Denver Academy, an independent school in Denver, CO that specializes in teaching students with learning differences. During the last decade, I have also traveled around the country and presented at a number of conferences, consulted with school districts and maintained a strong partnership with Teach For America. 

Below please find brief descriptions of my three lectures at International Days. Publications and presentation vitae can be found here.  Please feel free to contact me with any questions. Email, listed under contact information .

Thanks.
Best,
Philippe

 

Terug in Belgie: Reflections on Teaching and Learning From a Belgian-American Educator 

As a native of Turnhout, Belgium, it has long been my dream to find an opportunity to return and share my story of both learning and teaching from being a non-English speaker at age eight to teaching English, Algebra and Literature in American schools.  Some of this story has been captured in writing and can be found here. This lecture will focus on my first months learning English and my first months of teaching in an American High School. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best Practices For Reaching & Teaching All Students
Since long before the term DI (Differentiated Instruction) was popularized, differentiating instruction for students has been a core value and everyday practice at Denver Academy. Combining the work of Atul Gawande's Checklist Manifesto and Carol Ann Tomlinson's publications on differentiated instruction, this presentation provides clear examples, simple applications and a solid rationale for teachers to start taking steps toward purposefully differentiating instruction in their classrooms.

-Link to presentation here. 

 

 

 

Digital Dialogues: Creating Meaningful Learning For Students & Powerful Partnerships For Teachers
There seems to be no shortage of technological advances in our 21st century. The options and opportunities these advances have presented to educators are unprecedented. Without direction or checklists for evaluation, understanding and incorporating news terms and concepts like New Digital Media and 21st Century Skills can often feel overwhelming to the teacher. This lecture combines elements of a recently published article and the role that Bloom's Taxonomy plays in the Digital Age.