Name: Chris Williams
Position and Organization. : International School Partnerships Specialist;
British Council Schools Ambassador
Basic title: WHAT MAKES A GOOD PARTNERSHIP?
More dynamic alternative:
“From cave paintings to eTwinning and beyond - forming stable and sustainable project partnerships & Ice breaking activities”
ABSTRACT
“From cave paintings to eTwinning and beyond - forming stable and sustainable project partnerships & Ice breaking activities”
Which came or comes first - History or Culture? Who created or creates them? Who decides when something is History? Individuals or groups?” Whatever your answer, you will probably say that there has a link between an Historian and his/her Culture. Successful outcomes almost invariably come through the formation of strong partnerships. What would Chopin have achieved without a piano, Maria Callas without a singing coach, Shakespeare without actors or an audience? Nothing is guaranteed. In this plenary session, punctuated with plenty of icebreakers, both social and based in the contact seminar themes of History and Culture, Chris will focus on the elements which make a good partnership.
BIOGRAPHY
Chris Williams worked in large secondary schools as a History teacher for 13 years and for 21 years as a senior leader including headship. He still works part-time at Lincoln Christ’s Hospital School as its post-1974 archivist and аn active supporter of its international programme. Since 2007 he has been a freelance consultant working for the British Council, the Global Learning Association and schools in the UK and abroad.
He specializes in supporting schools wishing to develop international links, Chris is very interested in the dynamics of sustainable partnerships, often being the keynote speaker. He is often invited to use his experience to play the role of ‘critical friend’. Working visits in the last two years have included Mozambique, South Africa, China, India, Bucharest, Prague, Syracuse, Montpellier, Amasya, Sopot, Warsaw and Kiev, the last three destinations for eTwinning.Chris is very active in hosting KA1 groups in Lincoln and sometimes London. Topics in week-long courses have included ‘Early Years’ (Polish groups); ‘Leadership’ (Germans, Italians, Poles, Romanians and Swedes); ‘Coaching’ and ‘Gifted and Talented’ (both Turkish) and ‘Classroom observation’ and ‘Teaching Science’ (both French)
In his spare time, Chris enjoys theatre visits, watching rugby and planting trees as Chairman of the Nettleham Woodland Trust.
