AERO brochure

AERO Common Core Plus:

English/Language Arts

• English Language Arts Framework (2015)
• English Language Arts and the Common Core

Mathematics

• AER0 Common Core Plus Math (2015)
• Progressions:
  • K-2
  • 3-5
  • 6-8
• High School Math Standards

Science

• AERO/NGSS Science Standards K-8 (2017)
• Secondary Standards within Model Course

Social Studies

• Social Studies Framework (2012)
  
• Literacy in History/Social Studies (2013)

World Languages

• AERO World Language Standards and Benchmarks (2007) Update in progress
• AERO World Language Standards-Based Model Units (2010-2015)

AERO+Standards:

• Music
• Visual Arts

AERO Consulting and Workshops

AERO SUMMER INSTITUTE FACULTY and STAFF:

David Chojnacki, Project Director: davidinathens@gmail.com

ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP:

Erma Anderson is a science and mathematics consultant working with several schools and organizations in the United States and abroad. She has served as the National Science Teacher’s Association Director of International Programs. Prior to her work with NSTA, she was an Einstein Fellow in the U.S. Senate and a Senior Program Officer with the National Research Council assisting with the development of the National Science Education Standards. She has been with the AERO Project for several years and led the recent work to develop the Mathematics Framework.

Christine Brown is a Regional Education Officer (REO) in the Office of Overseas Schools, U.S. Department of State. She covers the Western European and South American Regions at this time. Brown also serves as the DOS representative to the International Child Protection Task Force. Prior to joining the Department of State in July 2013, she served as an administrator in the Glastonbury Connecticut Public Schools for 28 years, first as the Director of K-12 Foreign Languages and ELL and later as Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction. Brown has served as a president of state, regional and national language teacher organizations including the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages over her career. She chaired the American Language Standards Task Force sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education as well as served as the consultant to the national Arabic and Korean language standards projects. She has testified before the United States Congress on behalf of language education, and initiated and co-chaired the Year of Languages Campaign in the United States.

Cindy Cummings is currently an instructor at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. Her responsibilities include writing and teaching online graduate level courses. Her career also includes teaching English language arts and reading at the elementary and high school levels. While a high school teacher, she developed an electronic portfolio which enabled students to showcase their writing. She has also served at the district level as a director of curriculum and instruction. She has presented at local, state, national and international conferences. In addition to her expertise in English/Language Arts, she is recognized for providing ways for students to integrate technology into the content areas. During this school year, she has worked to review, revise and expand the AERO English/Language Arts Standards and Benchmarks into the new Framework.

Faraday de la Camara is an international educator who has worked as an elementary school teacher, differentiation coach, and administrator since 1982, in Morocco, Spain, the United States, Belgium, Turkey, and Russia. Most recently, Faraday served as the Director of the Lower School at the American School of Madrid. She received the Distinguished Principals' Award from the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) for her work there. As a teacher, administrator and coach, Faraday has always been involved in the writing and implementation of mathematics curriculum and the mentoring of teachers of mathematics. Since 2001, Faraday has collaborated with the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Project Zero (PZ) as a study group leader and workshop presenter at summer institutes, and as an online coach for WIDE World focusing on Teaching for Understanding and Promoting Algebraic Thinking in the Elementary School. She currently lives in Brazil, working as an educational consultant with the American School in Brasilia, the American School of Madrid, the Mediterranean Association of International Schools (MAIS), AERO, and Harvard University.

Tifin Calcagni Tifin is a middle school math and science teacher who is interested in making math the favorite subject of every student in her class.  She has taught in Vermont in the States, and at international schools in Kazakhstan and Tunisia.  She currently teaches middle school math and science in Zurich, Switzerland at the Inter-Community School of Zurich, where she is working to implement a math program that focuses on conceptual understanding and problem solving, as well as integrating math and science in a project-based approach.  She has developed curriculum for LearnZillion, and has been an instructor for Harvards Math Circle program.  Currently, she is focusing on collectingdata about teaching practices associated with student motivation and performance.  

Fay Gore serves as the Lead Education Consultant for K-12 Social Studies at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI). In this role she helps to set the vision for social studies in the state, assists districts with developing their local curriculum frameworks, identifies and creates support tools for educators, and provides professional learning opportunities. Prior to NCDPI she worked as a high school social studies teacher and an assessment consultant for North Carolina State University. Fay also served as Co-chair of the Editorial Committee for the College, Career & Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards that was published by the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) in 2013. Fay is also the immediate past president of the Council for State Social Studies Specialists (CS4), an associated group of NCSS whose membership includes social studies specialists, consultants and supervisors who serve state departments of education across the United States. Her main area of interest is developing curriculum frameworks that result in hands-on, minds-on learning. As an independent consultant, she has experience working with schools and social studies educators both in the United States and abroad to transform social studies programs.

Carey Johnson has taught Middle School Science for over 20 years. Originally from Wisconsin, Ms. Johnson has taught in Arizona, Kuwait, Wisconsin and Oman. Currently, she is in her 11th year at The American International School of Muscat (TAISM) in Oman where she teaches sixth and eighth grade science and serves as the Elementary Science Coordinator. She has a passion for teaching adolescents, teacher leadership and working collaboratively on curriculum and other school issues. Ms. Johnson has co-facilitated the NGSS Introduction for Educators at the AERO Summer Institute in Virginia for several years, the AERO NGSS Preconference at the SEC for the past two years and has presented at other conferences on various topics throughout her career. johnsonc@taism.com

Michelle Kuhns is an educational consultant working with schools interested in transformative change in both student and professional learning. She has been an international educator for over twenty years and has led curriculum and professional development in overseas schools for the past ten, serving most recently as the Director of Learning at the American School of Dubai. As a curriculum director, she has been deeply involved in school-based curriculum design across all disciplines, with a special interest in social studies teaching and learning since 2007. In addition, Michelle has served as a member of regional curriculum, assessment and professional development committees in Europe (ECIS) and the Middle East (NESA), and teaches assessment literacy for educators at the graduate level.

Lori Langer de Ramirez Lori is the author of several books, including Empower English Language Learners with Tools from the Web and Take Action: Lesson Plans for the Multicultural Classroom and Voices of Diversity , as well as several Spanish language books and texts. She has contributed to many textbooks and written numerous articles about second language pedagogy and methodology. Her website (www.miscositas.com) offers virtual picture books, videos, thematic units and other curricular materials for teaching Chinese, English, French, and, Spanish. Lori has presented workshops at local, regional and national conferences and consulted with teachers in schools throughout the United States and around the world.

Kathy Morabet taught Spanish, French, ESOL and core homeroom subjects in US, Moroccan, and international schools to students from grades 2 to 12, and to adults.  She served as elementary principal at the Rabat American School from 1994 to 2011 where a major focus was supporting the school's World Languages program. She participated in the development of the original AERO World Language Standards and is currently joining her AERO colleagues to produce a comprehensive update.  Kathy has been an AERO Summer Institute World Language faculty member since the program's inception in 2002; over the years she has loved working and growing with AERO participants as they use the standards to focus and enrich their teaching.

Gail Seay is currently the Director of Curriculum and Professional Learning at the American School of Doha, Qatar. She has worked for over thirty years in international schools in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, as well as the United States and her home country, Australia. Gail has written curriculum on the state and school level and piloted assessments written at the state level. She holds degrees from universities in the United States and Australia. Her teaching experience has included classrooms in elementary grades, special needs, reading and K-12 art. She currently serves as the Chairperson of the Near East South Asia Council of Overseas Schools Professional Development Advisory Committee and assists in conference planning. Gail has worked with the AERO Project since 2004 and has taught courses in English/Language Arts and Curriculum Mapping.

Marty Settle has been with the AERO Summer Institute since its inception 17 years ago. Marty is the organizer who makes the week work so well. Marty retired from teaching after many years experience in the U.S. When not keeping things moving at Marymount, Marty now enjoys traveling the world.  He would love to visit you at your school.

Katrina Theilmann is currently the ES Literacy Coordinator at the American School of Doha, Qatar.  She worked with Dr. Cummings to present the updated AERO Framework at the recent NESA Conference in Athens, and she is leading the change in the elementary school at ASD.  Katrina has extensive training in language arts, and she was part of the NESA Literacy Coaches Cohort led by Carrie Ekey. She has also worked closely with Pete Bowers regarding structured word inquiry. Originally from Canada, Katrina has worked for over fifteen years as an international educator in both Bahrain and Qatar.  She earned her degrees from Queen's University, Canada. Her teaching experience incorporates a focus on the primary and junior elementary grades, English language learners, and students with special needs.

Naomi Woolsey served as AERO Project Director from 2006-2017. She is delighted to continue her affiliation with AERO as a facilitator for the Academic Leaders strand for the Summer Institute 2018. Naomi’s experience as an educational leader spans three continents: she served as a school principal at the American Community School of Athens, the International School of Bangkok, the International School of Luxembourg, and Washington International School. Her work with AERO assisted schools striving to develop, implement, and sustain standards based curricula, grades K-12. She brings the specific knowledge and skills she developed from each of her experiences to share with school leaders dealing with the complex and often confounding issues of educational reform.

Naomi earned her BA and MA from the State University of New York at Albany, and her Ed.D. from Teachers College, Columbia University, New York.