Bahasa Bahasa

Since learning to speak a language myself, I’ve valued the role of languages in schools. One of the most life-changing periods of my life was when I went to live in the city of Perugia as a part of my PhD studies in 2000-2001. Immersed in Italian language, I went from knowing a few words to becoming close to fluent in three months. It was an astonishing transformation, one that has enriched my life in so many ways. I fell deeply in love with the city and my experiences there, and it always has a place in my heart.

Fast forward 11 years. I’ve gone from research scientist to secondary teacher to primary teacher to eLearning coach. And the Writers’ Club continues to evolve and expand. But now, a new frontier has opened up. We recently welcomed a school from Indonesia to the site. This changes things, as Indonesian is the language taught at our school. Through our contact, we linked up via Skype this week.

So now this has me thinking – this has the potential to bring a whole new dimension to our language program. The Writers’ Club enables students to blog, but blogging in a foreign language (for both schools) could be asking a bit much. Do the students start a pen-pal relationship using the messaging function? Do they use forums? How does Skype fit in?

My head is spinning. I can see the tremendous value in this, but my lack of knowledge of how to teach languages is stifling my ideas. I am pleased though that this is yet another way for the Writers’ Club to facilitate connections around the world.

Advice?

Getting a global project started … Where do you begin, and how do you make it meaningful and sustainable?

The May #globalclassroom chats are upon us, and this month’s question and discussion post comes to us courtesy of Laurie Renton, a Grade Three teacher working in Alberta, Canada. (@RentonL)

In her own words … this is how her global inquiry began:

I have been blessed with the opportunity to work closely with a not-for-profit organization working in Peru.  Our Library Project was a global inquiry that essentially “fell into our lap” and took on a life of its own because we allowed our children to wonder, to clarify, and to ask further questions after participating in a Video Conference experience to “enhance” our understanding of the customs and culture in Peru.  What we thought would be a “one time only” has grown into an amazing partnership with our Grade Threes and this organization – working to build a library in a small rural weaving village – Q’enqo Peru.

This is our second year in the project.  This year, we’ve been given permission to pilot a classroom blog in order to connect with experts and to share our learning journey.  The blog has added another incredible layer to our global inquiry.  Although our inquiry is tied to our Social Studies curriculum, it is interwoven into all other curricula in ways we would have never predicted.

Thoughts:

• A global project is easiest and most meaningful when it is directly connected to your curriculum – not an add on that isn’t found within your grade SLOs (often the engagement and “buy in” is not there when it isn’t directly connected to the learning taking place within the classroom), especially if you want it to be long term and sustainable.
• It can occur naturally when you allow children the opportunity to extend their understanding of concepts and personalize meaning by asking questions.
• When you are able to connect with experts in the field and ask student questions, this often further extends the inquiry.
• Being able to weave the inquiry into all aspect of the curriculum enriches the exploration and deepen the connections.

What do you think?

• Finding an inquiry to take to the “next level” is challenging … what would you suggest for people who are interested and just not sure where to begin?
• Do you have examples of authentic global inquiry projects that you could share with us?
• How do you make these connections with “experts in the field”?
• How do you make your inquiry “manageable” so that you are able to get ALL curricular “responsibilities” addressed AND find time to pursue your global project?
• What tools are you using to share your global inquiry with others?  Blogging? Video? Skype? Wiki?
• How do you generate global interest in your inquiry? Twitter?

May Chat Details

Saturday, May 12 - USA, Europe, Africa (17:00 – 18:00 GMT)

• 1PM (13:00) New York, 6PM (18:00) London, 7PM (19:00) Cape Town, 8PM (20:00) Bucharest
• Or click here to find out when this chat runs in your timezone.

Sunday, May 13 - Asia / Europe ( 9:00 – 10:00 GMT)

• 10AM (10:00) London, 5PM (17:00) Singapore, 6PM (18:00) Tokyo, 7PM (19:00) Sydney, 9PM (21:00) Wellington
• Or click here to find out when this chat runs in your timezone.

Monday / Tuesday May 14 / 15 (22:00 – 23:00 GMT)

• 6PM (18:00) New York, 11PM (23:00) London – Monday
• 6AM (6:00) Hong Kong, 8AM (8:00) Sydney, 10AM (10:00) Auckland – Tuesday
• OR click here to find out when this chat runs in your timezone.

Can you help?

We are always keen to recruit new chat moderators, and would love suggestions for future chat topics. Please tweet @mgraffin if interested or access the online form on the #globalclassroom chat wiki. We sincerely appreciate your support!

Announcing the Global Classroom Memento Project

We believe our global connections are changing education and our lives.

As we commemorate the first anniversary of the Global Classroom Project, we are realising that our rich and diverse global connections are having an incredible impact on our classrooms, and our very lives.

We come from different countries, cultures, and economic situations, yet we are learning with the world beyond our classroom walls; building respect, understanding, and a sense of our common humanity.

We are making new friends, and building a true global community.

cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by Vajrasattva

It is time to share our stories with the world, celebrating our learning and achievements in Global Classroom 2011-12

From a remote village in Nepal to inner city New York, the Global Classroom Memento Project will connect and celebrate global classrooms across 6 continents, from very diverse linguistic, cultural, and economic backgrounds.

What makes this project a little different from anything we’ve ever done before is the focus on creating digital and physical artefacts of global collaboration.

We have our official memento wiki, and three Global Classroom Scrapbooks which are travelling around the world. These scrapbooks will visit at least 15 countries over the next nine months, visiting diverse places including Brasil, Romania, Guatemala, United States, Canada, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Nepal, India, United Kingdom, South Africa, New Zealand … and hopefully many more.

How can you get involved?

The Wiki – A Digital Celebration of Global Classroom 2011-12

Teachers, and students are invited to join the official Global Classroom Mementos Wiki, and establish a “Class Page” in a similar style to what we did in Global Classroom 2011.

We’d love to learn a little about your class, your country, and community. We particularly want to encourage your students to share their favourite stories, learning, art, photos, and digital artefacts, created through their involvement in The Global Classroom Project over the past year.

The Travelling Memento Scrapbooks

Two #globalclassroom scrapbooks are on the road, currently embarking on their second journey legs through South America and Europe. The third will leave Australia in a few months time, to coincide with the beginning of the Northern Hemisphere 2012-13 school year. You can follow their journey here.

This part of the project is invitation-only at this stage, as postage and materials proved to be more expensive than anticipated. I have recently launched a PayPal fundraiser to help cover the costs of this inaugural project, and I would sincerely appreciate a small donation to help ensure the long-term viability of this unique educational opportunity.

Your support will go a long way to making the memento scrapbooks a permanent, special celebration of our work in The Global Classroom Project over the years to come.

Thankyou.

Michael Graffin

Global Classroom Co-Founder
Perth, Western Australia

mgraffin.edublogs.org

A Family Connection

When our Year 6 kids first Skyped with Raj in Chennai, India, for an inquiry into our Asian neighbours, it was a something out of the ordinary. Raj dressed in a special shirt for the occasion and the children sat politely in their seats, venturing to the microphone when it was their turn to speak.

A couple of years later, this is nothing unusual any more. Various classes have communicated via Skype with individuals and classes in other countries. Students and teachers alike have learned a great deal about different people, countries and cultures through these personal connections.

From 4G’s room in Melbourne to the living-room in Chennai.

Today Year 4G is interacting with Raj for an inquiry into cultural beliefs and traditions. It’s completely relaxed. There are groups of Aussie kids moving around, chatting about what Raj is saying, a core group is on the floor at the front lapping up every word and some serious inquirers sit at their tables taking notes. It doesn’t matter that some kids drift in and out of out of the conversation… so does Raj. It’s a holiday and he’s talking from home, with his son Aditya chiming in from time to time. It’s not the first time Adi has joined a session, but this time Raj is in the living-room and we can see the rest of the family going about their business in the background.

This is the week of Raj’s father’s Sadhabhishekam, a Hindu commemoration of the 80th birthday. The Year 4s explored photos from the occasion, before the session, and have loads of questions about the clothing, the food, the rituals… and about the values and beliefs underlying these. They are familiar with the iceberg model of culture and know that there’s much more to explore than what you can see above the surface. They have even classified their questions in this way, and one class has a paper model of an iceberg, with sand at the bottom, where they place their ‘very deep’ questions!

The engaging thing is that Raj draws in whichever family member the question relates to. The children meet his father, in traditional Brahmin dress. He demonstrates the application of the holy ash on his forehead and shows them the thread he has worn since his coming of age. His mother brings the box of vermillion, used to apply her bindee and she opens her hands to reveal the henna patterns applied for the birthday celebration. Raj’s wife Radha, demonstrates how she draws the kolam, a welcome pattern symbolizing ‘no end no beginning’, usually drawn on the floor outside the house.

They show the children ritual items and artefacts and almost share some traditional Indian sweets… It’s a shame we’re more than 8000 Km away! I have to say… it feels as if we are in the living-room in Chennai.

Cross-posted at What Ed Said.

Running Reflections

“You don’t want to be the runner who is ahead, just keep the pace and finish well”

Thank you Dean for coaching the long distance runs on Sundays. Coach Dean runs with us and keeps us in pace with brief feedbacks every few kilometers. We know our destination; we have a map for directions, the GPS for pacing time and the distance.  This experience of training impacted my practices within my classroom.

 The teacher, as a coach is running along with the students in class. The teacher talks less, Keeps pace with the students and coaches with brief feedback along the way.  The curriculum has been the main guide for our destination. The learning skills and the strategies are the GPS to get us there.  The criteria are like the map which vary on the distance and change along the way.

We are coaches than teachers who learn along with our students and keep pace with them. We let the students explore, learn from each other by facilitating the thinking and reflecting on the next steps.

We excel with our students through the use of strategies, learning skills and technology to guide and connect our learning.  As a coach in class I think at how best to apply the “If then” statements. If I am clear of the learning destinations then my students understand the learning destinations.  If I am co-constructing success criteria, then my students should be challenged by the success criteria, if I am aware of the range of learning strategies then my students should be able to develop a range of learning strategies. If I provide feedback then my students should acquire feedback.

As teachers we should continue pacing the learning with our students to become better coaches and celebrate the success as a team. Just like running, you increase your training and your distance though out the year. We have to provide ourselves with that learning path and make it clear to the team where we are heading.  Learning and listening to all of the voices in the classroom that guide us to take steps and actions and gives us a better purpose for the learning.  I look forward to participating in the race, pacing myself and celebrating the end with thousands of runners as I celebrate my learning in class with my students. 

Cinco de Mayo Presentation May 4th!

We’re going LIVE! 

After much preparation the time is almost near for our Cinco de Mayo presentation! Due to the high interest in our project, we will be presenting LIVE on UStream Friday May 4th at 9:30am CST. Don’t worry if this time doesn’t work for you, it will be recorded so your class can watch it at a time that is convenient. I have created a Google Document where your class can leave feedback and ask questions. 

We look forward to your participation!

Flattening your classroom, flattening your own world

I have been having a great time reading Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds by Vicki Davis and Julie Lindsay. This book is an excellent resource for anyone considering global projects or for any teacher who is just interested in expanding their own classroom view. The book itself models a collaborative global project in every way imaginable. Here are some of the ways it does this:

Photo by Clive Darr

• Whenever a classroom project example is given, or a powerful quote from a teacher or expert is provided, the authors encourage the reader to follow that person on Twitter. I have loved this. There is really no better example of how flat our world is than just clicking the “Follow” button under someone’s name. You now can follow their thoughts, find out who they are following, and even mention them in your own Tweets.
• Along with the book are 15 Flat Classroom Challenges. These challenges encourage you to set up RSS like Google Reader (check!), start a blog(check!), join a collaborative network like Google Teacher Academy or Apple Distinguished Educators (check!), from there the challenges get more, well, um, challenging. But I love this idea. To encourage readers to take on the challenge, the authors suggest tweeting as you complete the challenges or posting on the Flat Classroom Ning. This helps make it all feel more like a fun scavenger hunt instead of homework. I love this idea so much I am considering how to make it a part of some of the local professional development I do.
• There is a virtual book group! I was so glad I checked Twitter at the moment an announcement about the book club came across my stream. The book club meets once a week for an hour via Blackboard Collaborate. Ben and Neil fromEngaging Educators moderate and either Vicki or Julie (the authors) are always there. This is a great opportunity to share your own reflections while reading the book as well as to ask questions of amazing teachers that have been living and breathing global collaboration for years now.
• More! QR codes that link to student projects, Flat Classroom Diaries that give you glimpses into the personal stories behind different global projects, and a professional development toolkit that I haven’t checked out yet.

There are many, many aspects of this book that I am finding inspiring, stimulating and thought-provoking and I hope to blog more about these in the future. For now I’d like to say that I am so thrilled to see a professional learning tool that really models what it values. If we want teachers to start to use technology in transforming ways, we need to do more to model professional learning experiences that mirror what teachers can be doing with students. That is what is knocking me out about this book. By encouraging teachers to tweet, blog, connect, comment and engage with this book, the authors are really showing what learning in the 21st century looks like. To quote Vicki Davis during our last book club, “Learning is not about consuming, it is about contributing and creating.” Kudos to Julie and her for writing a book that doesn’t just talk about that idea, but lives it.