Individual contributors (IB Asia-Pacific)

The following PYP educators from the IB Asia-Pacific region have contributed to this blog:

•  Andy Vasily who has been teaching internationally at authorized IB World Schools for the past 11 years. He is currently teaching Physical Education at Nanjing International School in China. Andy writes about his experiences teaching PE in a PYP school in his blog “PYP PE with Andy“.
• Christopher Frost who is the PYP Coordinator at the United Nations International School of Hanoi, Vietnam. Chris has worked with the PYP since 1999 in schools in Italy, Kenya, Thailand, Japan and Vietnam. He is a workshop leader for the PYP with a great interest in teaching for understanding and making thinking visible.
• Colin Gallagher who is the technology facilitator at International School in Singapore (ISS). He has worked in education since 2003 and in the years since has worked in Germany, Hong Kong and now Singapore. He became an Apple Distinguished Educator in 2011 and spoke at the TEDx Conference in Bangkok on Kindergarten students using Ipod Touch devices . You can follow his adventures in educational technology at http://www.edutechniques.com and on twitter  @colingally.
• Craig Dwyer who is a grade 5/6 teacher at Tohoku International School in Sendai, Japan.  He is inspired by inquiry, wondering, and thinking of all kinds.  He blogs and shares his thoughts at Teaching Paradox. He is co-administrator of the collaborative inquiry blog, Inquire Within, which is home to a range of perspectives from inquiry teachers around the world.
• Craig Eldred who is the Curriculum Support Coordinator and Year 4 teacher at the Australian International School in Saigon, Vietnam. He has recently completed his MEd in International Schooling, Education and Development, and is a PYP Workshop Leader. Craig is interested in the use of technology in the classroom. He reflects from time to time on his personal blog, Saigon Eldred, Sharing My Thoughts
• Derek Pinchbeck who is Head of Primary Years at Nanjing International School in China. He began his teaching career at an inner city school in the UK. For the last 20 years he has been teaching in International Schools around the World and began his involvement with the PYP when he moved to Milan, Italy in 2001. Derek is a PYP workshop leader and visitor. He blogs at Thirst For Thinking.
• Edna Sackson who is the Teaching and Learning Coordinator in the primary school at Mount Scopus College in Melbourne, Australia. She is a teacher, a learner, an inquirer and a workshop presenter. She shares her reflections at her personal blog, What Ed Said. She is co-administrator of the collaborative inquiry blog, Inquire Within, which is home to a range of perspectives from inquiry teachers around the world.
• Gareth Jacobson who is currently working as PYP coordinator/ IT Facilitator at the American International School Dhaka, Bangladesh. He has been a classroom teacher in the PYP for the past 7 years, previously in Thailand, Sri Lanka and the UK. He has been sharing his passion for learning by leading IB workshops for the past 4 years. Gareth’s professional interests lie in the areas of conceptual inquiry, assessment, reflection and visible thinking. You may find a little more about these by visiting his Making thinking visible blog.
• Jason Graham who is the Learning Technologies Coordinator and Grade 1 homeroom Teacher at Bandung International School, West Java, Indonesia. He is also an IB online and face-to-face workshop leader. He is from Vancouver, lived in Indonesia for ten years, but calls Melbourne, Australia home now. He likes to use technology in his classroom integrated with his units of inquiry. He blogs at The Learning Journey.
• Kristen Blum who is a PYP teacher, currently teaching grade 5 at Yokohama International School (YIS), Japan. She has taught in IB world schools in Asia and is passionate about inquiry, visible thinking and allowing students to have a voice in their education. She has been a literacy coordinator and is currently the elementary reading project coordinator at YIS. Kristen blogs about education and her family at: http://kdceci.wordpress.com/ and keeps an active class blog, so everyone can join in on the students’ journeys: http://blogs.yis.ac.jp/blumk/.
• Maggie Hos-McGrane who has been teaching for 30 years, 24 of which have been in international schools in Europe and Asia. She works at the American School of Bombay in India. Her blog titled Tech Transformation reflects her thoughts and wonderings as a technology coordinator and a R&D core team member.
• Mark Exton who is Principal of Hiroshima International School, Japan. Initially trained as an early childhood teacher he has taught technology in the IB PYP and MYP, and ToK in the Diploma Program, and many moons ago was an MYP Workshop Leader. He has worked in IB World Schools in Egypt, Vietnam, Sudan and Peru before heading to Japan.
• Michelle Twining who is currently working at Mount Scopus Memorial College in Melbourne, Australia.  She has been enjoying teaching, learning and traveling in the US, Czech Republic, Sweden and Australia over the past 12 years. Michelle is new to the PYP programme this year. She greatly enjoys not only teaching from a global-minded, inquiry-based approach, but also creating a culture of thinking within her classroom. She reflects on her teaching experiences at http://smwhreinbetween.wordpress.com/.
• Pooja Dubey who worked at the Oberoi International School, Mumbai, India as the Grade-level leader for nursery (three- and four-year olds. Her passion lies in early childhood education. She is in the process of relocating to Canada to pursue higher education.
• Rebeca (Bec) Clements who works for the English Schools Foundation (ESF) in Hong Kong as the Primary Learning and Teaching Advisor. Prior to this she spent 5 years working as Vice Principal and Primary Years Programme coordinator for Discovery College in Hong Kong and Immanuel Primary School in Adelaide, Australia. Bec supports the IB community through her role as IBAP Field Representative, Workshop Leader, Consultant, School Visitor and Curriculum Developer. She tweets @becclements.
• Sam Sherratt who is currently teaching Year 6/Grade 5 at the New International School of Thailand in Bangkok He has previously taught in China, Bangladesh and the UK. Having worked in schools implementing the IB Primary Years Programme, he is fascinated by the philosophies of constructivism, inquiry and powerful learning that is connected to life. Sam is an IB workshop leader and has recently started running independent workshops using the same name as his primary education blog, Time, Space, Education.
• Sharyn Skrtic who is an international primary school teacher, whose career started in Cleveland, Ohio, teaching grade 2. She has taught in Düsseldorf, Germany, Hong Kong, and she is currently teaching grade 3 in Singapore at  International School in Singapore (ISS). Sharyn enjoys teaching and she is passionate about differentiation, assessment, and technology. She blogs at sharynideas.com and tweets @Shaza33.
• Steve Box who is the team leader 4-6 and the Grade 5 teacher at Moreton Bay Boys’ College in Brisbane, Australia. With making global connections a major focus for Steve, he co-founded the twitter-drive #PYPchat in early 2012. After many years in the State education system, the IB Primary Years Program was a major reason for his movement to MBBC, where he looks to model the love of inquiry and reflective practices for his students and two young sons. He blogs at Feeding My ED-diction.
• Tanja Galetti who is Primary School Librarian at Hong Kong Academy, an IB School in Hong Kong. This is her first year there after almost 19 years in Ghana. She is a bookworm with a passion for inquiry and the use of technology to enhance learning. Tanja shares thoughts about her learning journey, ideas, resources and reading recommendations through her school blog (at the moment password-protected), personal blog, her Facebook page and tweets (@tgaletti).