On the heels of chaperoning this year’s ninth grade trip to Shanghai, Matt Moran flew from there to Singapore for the 2018 IB Global Conference where he played a special role.

Earlier this school year, Mr. Moran, Director of Technology and Innovation, was selected by the conference committee to be an “Educator Shaping the Future” — one of only four selected from hundreds of nominations worldwide! With this honor came the opportunity to speak in several sessions at the conference, which drew 1,800 IB heads of school and educators from across the globe.

The 2018 conference was especially notable, as it celebrated the IB’s 50^th anniversary and its power to educate global leaders who can help make our world a better place.

In a TED talk-style presentation and in a separate break-out session, Mr. Moran shared his perspective as a teacher and as the leading faculty mentor in our Spark Tank incubator. He drew upon insights gained from teaching design thinking in the classroom, examples of innovative student projects, and the learning gained over the last three years of the Spark Tank program.

Among the key messages to attendees was that students need to know that they can have an impact on the world and have opportunities to work on meaningful projects that might not fit into the curriculum. IB educators heard about Dwight’s approach and leadership in teaching entrepreneurship skills such as creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving, opening the door for them to bring home new ideas and methods for the benefit of their own students.

“It was a truly great honor to be able to represent Dwight School and share the innovative work we are doing to support students in pursuing their spark of genius and learning about entrepreneurship, innovation, and leadership,” said Mr. Moran. I had an amazing experience connecting with IB educators from around the world and exchanging ideas about how to improve upon the education that our students receive.”

Mr. Moran and Dwight were featured in a conference publication spotlighting some of the most inspiring work being done by IB schools. Check it out here!