2026 - Knowledge Exchange Conference on IB Teaching and Learning in Norway

08.30–09.00 Registration

09.00–09.30 Opening Session KECIBN, 2026. 

09:30 - 10:00 Join your Excursion!

10.00–16.00 

Experiential Education Themes:

• Outdoor Education Experience & Environmental Experience
• Inclusion and Experience 

Excursions A: (A1 - A2), B: (B1), C: (C1 - C2 - C3).

A: Outdoor Education Experience & Environmental Experience

Excursion A1: 

Bolærne, Packed lunch, bus and boat. Outdoor clothing suited for the current weather and a daypack.            

Professor Leif Inge Magnussen, USN. Representatives from UoT and USN

Exstruction-excursion to Bolærne

The Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training plan “General Section – Values and Principles of Basic Training” (2021/2022) states:

^{Creative and constructive capabilities help to enrich society. Collaboration inspires innovative thinking and entrepreneurship, so that new ideas can be transformed into action. Pupils who learn about, and who exercise, creative activity develop the ability to express themselves in different ways, to resolve problems and ask new questions.}  

In the general part of the curriculum, creativity is considered to be important for the enrichment of society. Working methods that engender collaboration and are capable of solving problems (the answer is not available beforehand) are key. The Ministry of Education and Research (2017) stated that (in the field of physical education), “The teacher shall make provision for pupil involvement and stimulate their desire to learn through a range of outdoor activities, and by means of the pupils themselves assessing their own work.” Pupil involvement and stimulating the wish to learn become essential.

With this as a backdrop the participants will explore various inductive learning strategies, “moods”, exstruction, didactic risk, and pedagogy of innovation using strategies and tools from outdoor development (ODD).

Excursion A2: Outdoor Education

Løvøya, Packed lunch, bus. weather related clothing, good hiking shoes,   

Associate professor Ann-Christin Ferrari Holme, USN, Representatives from UoT and/or USN.                       

Fieldwork and Experiential learning methods in Outdoor schooling facilitated by Ann-Christin. This Excursion allows attendees to go into outdoor school in depth. 

• The Outdoors may act as a student active learning arena. Do you want to know how?  

• In order to achieve curricula-based learning in the outdoors, it is an advantage for the teacher to have hands-on training in outdoor pedagogy, including methods and planning. The outdoors is a fundamental part of the Norwegian Culture as well as in the Curriculum.  
• This excursion gives you an introduction to outdoor schooling with geology as the exemplified subject and fieldwork as the exemplified method. You will get a “in the field” at Løvøya exploring and understanding what the possibilities for outdoor school in geology may look like in your school surroundings.  
• Outdoor school methods may be used in other subjects and settings. Outdoor school gives the students a wide “room” to practice important soft skills (ATL skills) as communication and collaboration, creativity and critical thinking. Student-active learning arenas may reflect how outdoor schools can act as a transformative learning arena for deep learning 

At Løvøya we will spend the day studying outdoor school geology. The island is a perfect spot to try out outdoor school training in groups.

An ordinary beach becomes an experiential learning book in geology. We work together and learn from each other.

Remember to bring a notebook and a pencil and maybe some crayons. A sitting pad is always good 

B: Inclusion and Experience 

Excursion B1: 

Byskogen, Byskogen, Paced lunch, bus. PYP/MYP relevant, vistit to a barne and ungdomsskole. 

Associate Professor Kenneth Larsen, USN, Representatves from UoT and/or USN.

Follow Professor Larsen on a field visit to a Norwegian primary and middle school.

During this excursion, participants will explore how a Norwegian schools work with inclusion, participation, and belonging in everyday practice. Facilitated by Kenneth Larsen, the visit includes meetings with school leadership, teachers, and students, offering insight into how inclusive education is organized and experienced in the school community.

During the walk through the school environment, Professor Larsen will provide short reflections and mini-lectures that connect what participants observe to key ideas such as social participation, expectations in inclusive education, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). The aim is to link theory and practice by examining how learning environments are designed to support diverse learners.

The school is a partnership school with the University of South-Eastern Norway (USN) and serves both primary and middle school students. It also includes a specialized department for special education, allowing participants to see how general and specialized support systems interact within the broader framework of inclusive schooling.

Participants will be encouraged to observe everyday interactions, learning structures, and opportunities for student participation, reflecting on questions such as: Who participates easily, and who might need additional support to belong?

The excursion will conclude with a structured debriefing session at the hotel, where participants can discuss observations and connect them to broader perspectives on inclusive education.

C: PYP/MYP/ Practices of Inclusion & Environmental Experiences at Skagerak International School - Tønsberg                                      

Excursion C1: 

Skagerak International School, Tønsberg ​​​​​​, Packed lunch is provided, short walk from the Hotel.

Cristina Almeida, principal, Representatives from NIBS Sofie Jørstad (PYP) and Marius Sommer Strand(MYP), USN Therese Solås. 

Practices of Inclusion and Environmental Experiences at Skagerak

The DNA of Skagerak Tønsberg:

The nature and identity of Skagerak Tønsberg are deeply rooted in the idea of being a school for all students—regardless of where each student is in their academic journey or social development. Over time we have established a school for students who choose a path that allows them to pursue their learning potential in a way that maximizes growth, mastery, and well-being.

The excursion to Skagerak provides insight into how we organise, prepare, and implement practices of inclusion, and how environmental experiences are woven into the life of the school.

Facilitators: Cristina Almeida, principal; Marita Bjønnes Learning Support Coordinator, Tracie Redfern Counsellor

Parallel Section 1: Inclusion – Seen, Heard, and Safe

1. Good Starts: The Power of Beginning the School Day Well

• Establishing predictable, warm, and relationally strong entry rituals.
• How morning structure influences regulation, engagement, and readiness to learn.

2. All Behaviour Is Communication: A practical workshop

• Understanding behaviour as a form of expression rather than defiance.
• How adult language shapes student responses, dignity, and emotional safety.
• Strategies for reframing challenges and building trust.

3. Learning Support Journals: Communication with Dignity

• Purpose and use of journals in collaborative support work.
• Ensuring documentation strengthens relationships and shared understanding.
• Maintaining dignity through precise, respectful professional language.

4. Inclusion of Supporting Staff: Aligning for Student Mastery

• Bringing learning assistants and support staff into the pedagogical core.
• Shared vocabulary, aligned expectations, consistent approaches.
• The value of a multi-professional team that "speaks the same language."

5. Seeing Through Different Lenses

Short meetings with:

• Students
• Teachers
• Support staff
• Parents

These conversations highlight how inclusion is experienced from multiple viewpoints and how these perspectives can be integrated into daily practice.

Parallel Section 2: Environmental Experiences

Facilitators: Suzanne Dukker, Science teacher; Katherine Tester, MS coordinator, Sarah Watson, PS coordinator

Environmental experiences at Skagerak are based on the belief that learning is strengthened through connection with place, practice, and sustainability. Students develop responsibility, collaboration, and ecological awareness through structured experiences embedded in daily school life.

1. The School Garden (PS/MS): Process and Practice

• Gardening as interdisciplinary learning and long-term project work.
• Responsibility, caretaking, seasonal cycles, and hands-on ecological literacy.

2. Environmental Activities - MS/PS

• Middle School practices are linked to outdoor learning, stewardship, and exploration.
• Activities are designed to build identity, cooperation, and connection to nature.

3. Eco Council

• Student representation and decision-making around environmental priorities.
• Sustainability initiatives driven by student voice and democratic processes.

4. Student-Led Clubs

• Clubs that foster autonomy, leadership, and community connection.
• A platform for student agency across interests and grade levels.

5. Clubs and Sustainability

• Integrating environmental thinking into club activities.
• Encouraging students to build long-term, meaningful contributions to school culture.

Excursion C2: 

Melsom videregående skole DP Packed lunch, bus. Diploma Programme relevant, Representatives from NIBS Guillan Boniface (DP). Kristine Haugen Rubliar, USN. 

The excursion offers insight into how the school uses outdoor spaces, environmental learning, and experiential teaching to create inclusive and practice‑oriented learning experiences. During the visit, you will meet school leaders, teachers, and students, and get a sense of what a “different kind of school day” can look like in practice.

Excursion C3:

Visit an USN Partner School PYP and/or PYP relevant school. Paced lunch, bus. 

Choose between visiting a grades 1 – 7 PYP relevant, or a 5 – 10 MYP relevant, Norwegian class/school. Meet leadership, coordinators, teachers and students, it is a unique possibility to explore a Norwegian primary and/or middle school. These two schools are situated across the road from each other. Both schools are outdoors and inclusively friendly as well as giving you an opportunity to gain knowledge while also discussing and sharing any other topics. The middle school has had a lot of publicity regarding mark free schooling and in this focus experienced a shift in results in national exams. The same school does research on student active learning processes. The primary school has a special play – program in the lower grades to explore.   

Representative from USN: Anne Cath. H. Asplin. Assistant Professor, Representatives from UoT 

Excursion A: 1, 2 are full day (bus or bus/boat)

Excursion B & C: are full day but can contain an add on session at the hotel.  (bus to school/walk down hill back) 

18.00 Informal Networking: “Top Floor with a View”

19.00 Welcome

19.30 KECIBN 2026 Conference Dinner

08:30–09:00 Preparation for Knowledge Exchange 

09:00–09:30 IB, NIBS, University of Toronto, OISE and USN. 

09:30–10:30 Follow-up Excursions sessions

• Bolærne - Outdoor
• Løvøya - Outdoor
• Byskogen barne og ungdomsskole - Inclusive USN Partner School 
• Skagerak International School - Inclusive/Outdoor and more PYP / MYP USN Partner School 
• Melsom videregående - Inclusive/Outdoor - DP USN Partner school 
• Ringshaug barne og ungdomsskole- Inclusive and Outdoor USN Partner School PYP / MYP 

10:30 - 10:45 Break

10:45 - 11:30 Breakout Sessions: Knowledge Exchange with KEDS (4)

11:30–12:30 Lunch

12:30–13:00 IB schools meeting the Norwegian school Arena.
Guest speaker IB and or OISE

13:00–14:15 Break

14:15–15:00 Breakout Sessions: Knowledge Exchange with KEDS (4)

15:00–15:30 KECIBN Dialog Sessions with evaluation.

15:30–15:45 Closing Session

Thanks to all attendees!!!

Have a nice summer!