AGIS Conference 2026 Potsdam: Full Schedule

Working Together To Support Learning

9:00am CEST

Growing Effective Student Leaders in Schools

Friday September 18, 2026 9:00am - 3:45pm CEST

The workshop is structured around the core skill sections presented in the book Leadership for Teens: 25 Key Life Skills Everyone Should Master, by Cox, translating leadership principles into practical strategies.
Part One: Common Leadership Themes
Part one introduces participants to foundational leadership skills that shape student self-leadership and growth. Attendees will engage in reflective activities that build student self-awareness, clarify values, strengthen responsibility, and develop a leadership mindset. The workshop explores emotional intelligence, managing reactions, and building resilience. Emphasis is placed on effective communication and overcoming leadership obstacles, where the focus is on helping students understand that leadership begins with managing themselves, their choices, and responses to challenges.
Part Two: Leveraging the Impacts of Leadership
Part two focuses on applying leadership skills to create positive outcomes. Teachers learn strategies to help students make thoughtful decisions, solve problems independently, and take initiative. The session will focus on how to help students create a team, manage time, handle criticism and resolve conflict. These are all skills needed to strengthen collaboration, responsibility, and contribution within the school community.

09:00-09:30: Welcome Coffee - Icebreaker
09:30-11:00 Part one: Common Leadership Themes

Identifying Core Beliefs
Emotional Intelligence
Confidence as a leader

11:00-11:30: Coffee break
11:30-12:45: Part one: Common Leadership Themes continued

Communication
Overcoming Leadership Obstacles

12:30-13:30 Lunch
13:30-15:00 Part two: Leveraging the Impacts of Leadership

How to create a team
Time management
How to handle criticism
Resolving conflict

15:00-15:30 Coffee Break
15:30-17:00 End of day wrap-up: Annual meeting Student Leadership and Agency Work Group

Creating a mission and value set for the Student Agency and Leadership working group.
Feedback on the Young Leaders Conference (gr4-5) and Aspiring Leaders Conference (gr6-8) 2026
Discussion: Future Leaders Conference (gr9-12)

Speakers

Leigh Krueger

Secondary School Assistant Principal - Academic, Metropolitan School Frankfurt

Secondary School Assistant Principal - Academic

Friday September 18, 2026 9:00am - 3:45pm CEST
0.231 Am Luftschiffhafen 1, 14471 Potsdam

Full-Day Workshop

9:45am CEST

AI Literacy: Transforming Student Learning Across the Curriculum Through Customized Tools

Saturday September 19, 2026 9:45am - 10:45am CEST

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This workshop is designed for Upper School educators eager to harness the power of artificial intelligence in their classrooms.

We will focus on crafting effective prompts that align with individual students' zones of proximal development, ensuring that AI tools serve their unique learning needs. Additionally, we will cover the basics of AI and explore its various types.

By the end, you'll be equipped to integrate AI effectively into your teaching, fostering an environment where all learners can thrive.

Speakers

Marta Luján

Upper School Identity Language Coordinator, Language and Humanities Teacher., Frankfurt International School

To be added later.

Saturday September 19, 2026 9:45am - 10:45am CEST
0.231 Am Luftschiffhafen 1, 14471 Potsdam

One-Hour Workshop

11:15am CEST

Direct and indirect assessment of practical skills in science

Saturday September 19, 2026 11:15am - 12:15pm CEST

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Too often we assess practical skills through an indirect assessment: the humble lab report. However, this is not an accurate reflection of student ability in this domain. When assessing practical skills from a lab report, we make inferences on their competence based on just a few sections of their report (e.g. methodology and recorded data). Understanding can be obscured by poor language production skills, while also being prone to plagiarism and AI use. This is not to mention the onerous task that the lab report places on teachers: grading them.
Abrahams and Reiss (2015) argue that competence in practical skills is best measured through direct assessment, while when assessing understanding, the more familiar indirect assessment may be appropriate. How then can we make direct assessments of a student’s competence in performing laboratory techniques without overburdening the teacher? What alternatives exist for indirect assessment of understanding? In this session, I present an evidence-backed approach to practical skills teaching and assessment that I have trialled in my grade 9 and 10 physics classroom to success.

Speakers

Gregory Witcomb

Science Department Coordinator, Secondary Physics Teacher, Metropolitan School Frankfurt

Science Department Coordinator, Physics Teacher

Saturday September 19, 2026 11:15am - 12:15pm CEST
0.231 Am Luftschiffhafen 1, 14471 Potsdam

One-Hour Workshop

Audience Secondary / Middle learners aged 11-16; Secondary / Diploma learners aged 17-18 Science Early Years learners aged 3-6; Elementary/Primary Learners aged 6-11 Language Learning; Transdisciplinary (teaching pedagogy & Methodology)

1:15pm CEST

From Assessment to Action: Practical Strategies for Supporting Dyslexia (LRS)

Saturday September 19, 2026 1:15pm - 2:15pm CEST

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This session introduces an evidence-informed approach to identifying and supporting learners with
dyslexia (reading and spelling difficulties) within the language learning context. Participants will
explore key indicators, principles of assessment, and how to translate diagnostic findings into
targeted, structured intervention. Practical examples will demonstrate strategy-based reading and
spelling support, along with approaches that strengthen learner motivation and self-efficacy. This
session is based on a comprehensive full-day professional development program delivered in
Cologne, which focused on strengthening diagnostic competence, structured intervention planning,
and practical implementation strategies.

Speakers

Gitti Fourie

German and Learning Support, Bavarian International School

German and Learning Support

Gabriela Coenen-Hoffman

Head of German Language and Literature, Bavarian International School

Head of German Language and Literature

Saturday September 19, 2026 1:15pm - 2:15pm CEST
0.231 Am Luftschiffhafen 1, 14471 Potsdam

One-Hour Workshop

Audience Secondary / Middle learners aged 11-16; Secondary / Diploma learners aged 17-18
Subject Language Learning
None Groups of Tables

2:30pm CEST

Bringing Language to Life: Creating Authentic Communicative Experiences in the Target Language

Saturday September 19, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm CEST

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Designed for Language Acquisition / Language B teachers, this workshop provides practical ideas to help students communicate effectively in the target language, both inside and beyond the classroom. It explores ways to leverage native speakers within school communities as well as local cities to maximise students’ language production.

Speakers

Beatriz Palma

MYP / DP Language Acquisition Teacher and Mentoring Coordinator, International School of Stuttgart

From the private tutoring days in sunny Spain to the diverse classrooms of London state schools, and now the innovative environment of ISS, my journey in education has been shaped by a wide range of experiences. Along the way, I've learned an important lesson as an educator: the most... Read More →

Saturday September 19, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm CEST
0.231 Am Luftschiffhafen 1, 14471 Potsdam

One-Hour Workshop

Audience Secondary / Diploma learners aged 17-18; Secondary / Middle learners aged 11-16
Subject Language Learning

4:00pm CEST

The Conjecture Classroom: Building Mathematical Thinkers

Saturday September 19, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm CEST

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What if mathematics classrooms were designed so that thinking was unavoidable? This workshop introduces a practical framework that shifts students from procedure-followers to conjecture-makers. At its heart is a simple but powerful cycle: Conjecture → Test → Break → Repair → Generalise. Students begin with patterns, propose ideas, stress-test them with counterexamples, and refine their reasoning mirroring how real mathematics evolves, from exploring infinite limits to understanding symmetry or growth.

Participants will explore the Two-Path Solution Rule, where problems demand multiple representations, and Error-First Teaching, where carefully chosen mistakes spark deeper reasoning. Through Low Floor, High Ceiling, No Hint task design, every learner can enter, yet no artificial endpoint restricts exploration. Short, recurring Small Research Tasks cultivate independence, while intentional Math Talk Moves help students articulate, defend, and refine their thinking.
More than strategies, this session focuses on identity: helping students see themselves as mathematical thinkers.

Speakers

Sophie Hawker

Head of Mathematics, International School of Hamburg

I am an MYP and DP mathematics teacher currently working at the International School of Hamburg, where I lead the maths department. Fostering deep conceptual understanding and building classrooms in which all students actively engage in mathematical thinking is at the core of my teaching... Read More →

Manoj Eswara

MYP & DP Maths Teacher, International School of Hamburg

I am an MYP and DP Mathematics teacher who believes learning should be student-centered and experiential. I like to create dynamic, thinking classrooms where students take ownership, collaborate, and learn through exploration and reflection. My approach is structured yet energetic... Read More →

Saturday September 19, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm CEST
0.231 Am Luftschiffhafen 1, 14471 Potsdam

One-Hour Workshop

Audience Secondary / Middle learners aged 11-16; Secondary / Diploma learners aged 17-18
Subject Mathematics

5:15pm CEST

From Debate to Competition: Building a Culture of Mathematical Reasoning in MYP & DP

Saturday September 19, 2026 5:15pm - 6:15pm CEST

0.231

This interactive workshop explores how structured mathematical debate and thoughtfully designed competitions can strengthen reasoning, communication, and confidence in MYP and DP mathematics classrooms. Rather than viewing debate and competitions as enrichment for a small group of high achievers, this session reframes them as powerful pedagogical tools that support all learners while maintaining high cognitive demand.
Participants will experience a short mathematical debate and examine practical classroom structures such as “Always/Sometimes/Never,” error-analysis debates, and claim–counterclaim formats. The session will then connect these strategies to internal and external competitions, including Kangaroo-style challenges, school-based reasoning events, and interschool initiatives. Emphasis will be placed on how competition problems can be repurposed to promote discussion, justification, and deeper conceptual understanding.
The workshop also addresses alignment with MYP criteria and DP assessment objectives, highlighting how debate and competition strengthen justification, precision of language, and mathematical argumentation—skills directly linked to examination success and internal assessments.

Speakers

Dr.Pallavi Agarwal

DP and MYP Maths teacher, International School of Hamburg

I am an MYP and DP Mathematics teacher at the International School of Hamburg, with a doctorate in Mathematics and prior university teaching experience in Singapore and India. I use structured mathematical debate and competition-style problem solving to develop students reasoning... Read More →

Sophie Hawker

Head of Mathematics, International School of Hamburg

Saturday September 19, 2026 5:15pm - 6:15pm CEST
0.231 Am Luftschiffhafen 1, 14471 Potsdam

One-Hour Workshop

Audience Secondary / Middle learners aged 11-16; Secondary / Diploma learners aged 17-18
Subject Mathematics

9:00am CEST

School - University Collaboration in the Area of Science, Art, Engineering, Design and Architecture

Sunday September 20, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am CEST

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Munich International School (MIS) and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) introduced students to the intersection of robotics, architecture, and engineering through hands-on exploration of digital fabrication techniques. With a focus on additive manufacturing in clay, the program supports students in designing and 3D printing their own clay projects, offering an engaging way to experience how robotics and materials can enhance sustainable construction practices, linking students with people, places, and resources beyond the school.

Speakers

Armin Martin

PYP Coordinator, Munich International School

Armin Martin is an IBEN Workshop Leader and Primary Years Programme (PYP) Coordinator in addition to PYP Maker Lead Educator in the areas of making and technology at Munich International School (MIS) in Starnberg, Germany. He has presented workshops on mathematics, language, making... Read More →

Sunday September 20, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am CEST
0.231 Am Luftschiffhafen 1, 14471 Potsdam

One-Hour Workshop

Audience Whole school for educators
Subject Transdisciplinary (teaching pedagogy & Methodology)

10:30am CEST

Material Migration: A Vertical Approach from MYP 4 & 5 to DP Visual Arts.

Sunday September 20, 2026 10:30am - 11:30am CEST

0.231

This presentation proposes developing ideas through materials as a new pedagogical approach in IB Visual Arts that introduces a new conceptual lens in art making that reframes how media is intentionally approached across media to deepen conceptual thinking. The session will discuss the conceptual growth that provides students with achievable and applicable understanding skill strengths in an IB continuum that is best understood not through skill escalation, but through how meaning behaves as moves between digital and three-dimensional forms. This approach of migrating from media to media is a way to reframe artistic media not as separate units, but as cognitive environments that support the IB emphasis on conceptual understanding and reflective practice across the continuum. Especially applicable to the new DP curriculum that asks students to understand how to situate their BOW.

Speakers