What CIES 2018 Taught Me About Breaking-Out of Silos

Working in an industry with a very focused niche, in my case childhood literacy development, can make it very easy to work in silos!

However, it is essential to resist the urge of working in isolation.

Last month, I traveled to the beautiful Mexico City to attend the 62nd Annual Comparative International Education Society (CIES) conference.

CIES is the first and now the largest international education society in the world. Every year their conference attracts education experts, practitioners, and students from around the world who share their research on education topics ranging from early childhood to higher education to non-formal and lifelong learning to ICT!

The most exciting part of the conference was the global perspectives of its participants.

I attended presentations on early grade reading, inclusive education, assessment, teacher mobility and retention, and teacher coaching.

It was incredible to hear about the innovative approaches to education taking place in Haiti, Japan, Senegal and Laos to name a few! The sessions inspired me and gave me a new lens to consider my everyday work! There is nothing better than sharing and learning from others!

What are my tips for breaking the silos in your work:

• Network with those who work in other sectors! The best conversations I had were with those who work in a completely different area of the education sector.
• Attend conferences!
• Sign-Up for a class to learn a new skill.
• Visit a shared work-space and work outside your office and outside your home