You know that 'buzz' you hear when you walk into a high-functioning classroom, with students moving and working seamlessly from task to task in project groups? In Kristin Damburger's classroom, you hear that buzz a lot.

In this short interview, with Kristin Damberger, Learning Coach at the International School Nido de Aguilas in Santiago, Chile, we explore how to create that 'buzz' and...

Use simple collaborative processes and protocols to help students manage their own teams
Remove 'the subject teacher hat' and replace it for a 'designer of learning experiences'
Make students accountable to their peers within project teams
Create a culture where learning is a continual conversation, not an assessment
Teach less and have students DO more
Collaborate and seamlessly across subject areas with fellow teachers through a simple 5 minute conversation

Connect with Kristin on Twitter @MsDamberger or on LinkedIn.

Kristin's Bio:

Kristin Damberger is a Learning Coach at the International School Nido de Aguilas in Santiago, Chile. She has spent the last 12 years of her 15 year career in education working overseas in international schools in China, Brazil, and now Chile. She started her career teaching 6th grade English and Social Studies at a Title I school in California, where she began her experimentation with inquiry and PBL. Soon after starting a masters degree in global studies in education, she wanted to pursue a life overseas and moved to Beijing. Over the course of her international career Kristin has served in many roles, including teacher, facilitator, curriculum coordinator, Associate Division Head, and now Learning Coach. In all of these roles Kristin has had the opportunity to continue in her pursuit to redefine the traditional structures of "school" and continue to deepen and expand her work in inquiry, PBL, and design thinking.

Fostering Collaboration and Managing Student Teams

The Student-Centered Shift: Empowered International Schools and Classrooms Through Project-Based Learning