The benefits of exposing your students to their counterparts in another country are endless. Each year, teachers participating in PTPI’s School & Classroom Program are matched with a partner teacher in another country and then receive a Program Manual with tips for success, global collaboration best practices, and project ideas. We are happy to share our Tips for Success with this great forum of educators today!
• Communicate. Stay in touch with your partner teacher. This is the key to success. Be honest and clear about your intentions and expectations.
• Contact your partner teacher in a timely manner. When beginning a partnership, introduce yourself to your partner teacher as soon as possible.
• If you do not receive a response to an email message, resend your message. The reason is often that the message was not received. Often spam filters get in the way. Try again.
• Share school and holiday schedules. As a holiday nears, provide your departure and return dates. Learn the difference between your time zone and that of your partner.
• Guarantee positive representation of you and your country. Remember that you and your students represent your country. Students should neatly compose letters and projects using their best spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
• Ensure language is cross-cultural. Consider what needs explanation or description for an audience from another culture. Slang and colloquial language needs to be used carefully and meanings should be explained as needed.
• Learn about international mail and customs policies for your partner’s country. International mail requires different postage than domestic mail. Your post office can help you with postage rates for airmail, the preferred method to send letters and parcels.
• Ask questions. If you are unsure how to proceed on any matter, ask. Be honest with your partner teacher when you are confused about any communication discrepancies.
• Be a responsible partner. If for any reason you can no longer collaborate, please inform your partner so a new classroom can be assigned. When a partnership is ended without explanation, students tend to take this personally, questioning whether their partner disliked them. Most importantly, if you plan to continue working together, stay in touch with your partner teacher during the summer or winter breaks to assure them of your continued interest.
• Record your partnership. Take pictures of your students writing letters, opening letters, and working on projects with their partner.
For more information about this program or to register for the 2013-2014 school year, please contact me at classroom@ptpi.org or follow me on Twitter! Check out past posts from Paige here and here!
The May #globalclassroom chats were some of the liveliest and productive we’ve had in some time. With contributions from leading early childhood educators around the world, it is hard to sum up the true impact of these chats …
I highly recommend exploring the archives for great links, resources, and ideas for integrarating global perspectives into the early years.
To celebrate the publication of our first Global Classroom Project feature article, in the K-3 Class Ideas magazine here in Australia, this month’s #globalclassroom chat is dedicated to exploring the possibilities for global connections and collaboration in Early Childhood (K-3). (You can read the article here.)
Guiding Questions
We are lucky enough to have some amazing early childhood educators in the #globalclassroom community, and its time to give their stories and experiences centre stage. If you know of an early childhood educator, please let them know about these chats! We’d always enjoy meeting new faces!
What online communities and projects do early childhood teachers find useful for connecting and collaborating globally?
How do we ensure that our students have the skills and understanding necessary to participate in a global collaboration project?
What strategies and tools can we use to support very young children’s participation in global projects?
Can you share your stories and advice for K-3 teachers interested in exploring the possibilities of global connections?
What options are there for K-3 classrooms without reliable Internet connections to get involved in global projects?
Signing into Twitter earlier this morning, I was surprised to realise that today, May 5, marks two years since @Deb_Frazier sent the following tweet, ultimately leading to us co-founding The Global Classroom Project community.
So where have the past few years taken us?
2011
Our first ever project involved 6 teachers from 5 countries, and centred around one project – the “Global Classroom VoiceThread”. It was Deb’s first global project, and my second; and at the time, we had no idea what we’d started.
As I’ve blogged elsewhere, this was a time when I was about to teach a Grade 6 class for four weeks, and saw a ‘retweet’ of Deb’s request late on a Saturday night …
The project proved to be a great success, and you’re welcome to explore our students’ work (and the VoiceThread) at http://globalclassroom2011.wikispaces.com. I wrote about my experiences here, and you can read Deb’s side of the story here.
2011-12
When Deb Frazier suggested that we try our hand at running a second #globalclassroom project, I was keen to be involved in some way, even though I didn’t have my own class. With Deb thinking we’d try and involve more teachers, across 6 continents, we created a Google Doc and waited to see if anyone would be interested …
Well, with 50 signups in the space of a week, it seemed that a LOT of people were interested! So, a naive Australian relief teacher with time on his hands decided that he’d try and create a community like Flat Classroom Projects, run by teachers for teachers.
Through a collaborative process involving a group of educators spread across the globe, we set up our collaborative spaces, and set out into the great unknown. Little did we know what http://globalclassroom2011-12.wikispaces.com would become.
By the end of the 2011-12 project, we’d grown to involve over 300 teachers from 41 countries; and hosted a wide range of K-12 projects. Some major project milestones included the launch of the #globalclassroom chats in November 2011, and our #globalclassroom lead teachers’ presentation at the Global Education Conference.
It was also a big year for me personally, as I made my first ‘live’ presentation at the Australian Computers in Education Conference in late 2012 (with the help of my my good friend Nigel Mitchell).
2012-13
Our 2012-13 project was launched in November 2012, and is set to conclude in late June 2013. It’s been a great and rewarding time for the #globalclassroom, and I look forward to learning more about what’s been happening when we organise our “Looking Forwards, Looking Back” webinars over the coming months. Who knows what the next few years will bring. (http://globalclassroom2012-13.wikispaces.com)
What’s your #globalclassroom story?
Two years ago, I was not a particularly happy teacher … yet, my #globalclassroom journey has taken me to places I’d never thought possible. I’m a better person, and a better teacher, because of the friendships and collaborative connections I’ve made through through The Global Classroom Project. And I’ve loved every minute.
But, this project isn’t about my story. It never has been.
The Global Classroom Project is a testament to the power of community, and as such, is home to a world of stories.
We’d like to take this opportunity to invite #globalclassroom teachers around the world to share their stories – on their blogs, Twitter, and in the comments below. If you’re interested in guest posting, please let us know via Twitter (@gcporganisers), or in the comments below.
It has taken me almost a month to get around to listening to the recording of the final session of Virtual Book Club. This opportunity to connect with educators around the world about a topic as important as #globalclassroom with a text as rich as Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds has been an unbelievably powerful growing experience. Listen to the last session yourself and hear the multi-layered, reflective conversation yourself!
We’ve come a long way baby.
Our first session was jammed with over 30 teachers from all around the world. We had loads of Blackboard Collaborate newbies that cruised up the multitasking learning curve and learned how to listen, type, read, and talk all at once. As the sessions rolled on, we all settled in and began to develop comfort with the mike and chat room and even tried out the breakout groups and learned a lot about how to enjoy the virtual side of a virtual book club.
The content of the conversation broached a number of different critical aspects of learning, technology, and global awareness. We challenged ourselves to find ways to connect our classrooms and to break down walls that prevent students from learning about the wider world. We wondered about how to find connections, feel valued by our administrators, and how to stay motivated and energized. We listened to success stories and shared the near misses and almost great moments. We supported each other, shared links and offered words of encouragement.
Our final session was probably our most probing and thoughtful and, interestingly, also concrete. We challenged ourselves to come up with creative ways to get more students access to educational technology (after-school tech clubs, blogging clubs and graphic novel book clubs). We explored what a digital divide might be: a lack of access to technology for educational and professional purposes. And we reflected on the idea that an education with out global connections is like a 2D world. Akram, Joanne, Elena all shared thoughts about why it is so important that we have our students working with and collaborating with students from other places.
And we really pushed ourselves to think about our
big three
This idea comes from a section in Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds called “If You Only Read One Thing, Read This.” Basically, it suggests to choose three things that you are going to work on. Just three things. So we put ourselves into breakout groups and committed to each other three things that we want to work on. It was a really nice way to begin to wrap up the group and begin to plan for the future. (My apologies if you are listening to the recording because there will be about 10 minutes of dead space while we do this.) To see what some folks committed to, check out Chapter 12: Rock the World.
And then, it was over! (I’m getting sad again just listening to the end of the recording.)
Vicki and Julie- thank you so much for writing such an important, powerful and practical book! And thank you for your professional generosity. You probably have no idea the impact your support had on me, let me just say, it was tremendous.
Lisa, Michael, Tina, Theresa- From that first tweet I saw from Michael about gathering interest in Global Classroom projects, I have thrived on the collaboration and connections that GlobalClassroomProject has created. Thank you so much for all your support, interest and ideas throughout this project and others.
Jim and Mara- For taking a risk to help me! You were both great co-moderators. Don’t worry, I’ll be contacting you again for our next book club!
All the ACPS teachers – it was so wonderful that you chose to join the Virtual Book Club, whether you came to one or all sessions, you learned more about what is out there, and tried something new. I hope you also got a little inspiration to make some global connections!
Finally, I never like to say something is really over. Please click here if you would like to add your name an Twitter handle to a list of participants in Virtual Book Club. And please click here if you would like to suggest titles and ideas for Virtual Book Club II.
Our final session of Virtual Book Club discussing Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds by Julie Lindsay and Vicki Davis is already this Monday,March 18th at 7:30pm EST (that’s Tuesday, March 19th at 12:30am GMT)! For your time zone, click here. We will be discussing Chapter Twelve – Rock the World!
I can’t believe it is our final session. This Virtual Book Club has been a wonderful space to connect with educators from all levels that are passionate about their work, are life-long learners, and are willing to share all they know as well as question what they are still learning about.
As I plan for the final session, I am looking for any remaining questions that we haven’t addressed yet. Please take a moment to leave a comment on this blog with topics you would like to see covered in the last session. Whether it is a question you have about how global projects work, ideas about how to set up rubrics for collaborative projects, challenges using wikis or blogs, or comments about the value of connected learning, let me know so that we can take some time on this last day to chat and reflect on the subjects that are important to you.
If you missed the session last week, listen to the most recent recording here: Virtual Book Club March 4th/5th and please share your thoughts on this blog: Virtual Book Club. Our focus was Chapter Nine – Celebration and Chapter Ten Designing and Managing a Global Collaborative Project.
I think the big themes of the session were these:
Find as many opportunities as possible to give students feedback about their work, whether it is an awards ceremony gala, a carefully written note or just pulling chairs into a circle to talk. Kids are starved for feedback – feed them!
Be creative when thinking about time and space – using Skype, VoiceThread or Blackboard Collaborate might allow experts, parents or other teachers to be a part of your celebration.
Take time to reflect and celebrate projects as a professional. Whether it is privately, publicly, online or face-to-face, take a breath and consider what worked well and what you want to repeat.
Start somewhere with a global project – join one that already exists, start with a teacher you know in another place, plan your own, but START.
And if you are just finding us in time for this last session, please feel free to drop in! We welcome all educators that want to learn more about global projects or share what they have already learned.
I can’t believe our 5th meeting of the Virtual Book Club discussing Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds by Julie Lindsay and Vicki Davis is already this Monday, March 4th at 7:30pm EST (that’s Tuesday, March 5th at 12:30am GMT)! For your time zone, click here. We will be discussing Chapters Nine and Ten – Celebrating, Designing, and Managing Global Collaborative Projects.
I am really looking forward to sharing ideas about how to best celebrate student projects. This is a weak point of mine so I’m excited to review the ideas in Chapter Nine with teachers. And I’m already thinking about how we can celebrate the closing of Virtual Book Club at the following meeting. Ideas welcome!
Chapter Ten also has so much rich material for discussion. This chapter really walks you through how to design and manage a global project. It will be so meaningful for our network of teachers to share what they have done that works, what new ideas they got from the book and what questions they still have.
Later this year, I will be presenting the Dinner Keynote at the Western Australian Science Teachers’ Conference, exploring the topic: “Science, ICT and the Global Classroom: Exploring the Possibilities”.
I”m looking for stories, examples, and classroom experiences of innovative science teaching around the world … which I can share during my conference presentation.
So, with this in mind, the March #globalclassroom chat will explore the key question:
“How can we transform Science education through the integration of ICT and real world connections?”
Some key topics for discussion:
How can we encourage teachers and students to connect – with scientists, science educators, and online communities around the world?
How can we engage, and capture our students’ interest in science?
What advice would you give to teachers starting to explore the potential uses of ICT in Science education?
How can you encourage students to communicate and share their learning in Science in new ways?
How do you facilitate meaningful student collaboration in Science?
The Companion Google Doc
This month, we are also experimenting with a companion Google Doc. If you can’t come to the chat, or have some ideas that you’d like us to raise / share during the Twitter discussions, we’d greatly appreciate it if you add your responses to the chat questions here. Thank you!
We are looking for innovative science teachers, both primary and secondary, to help co-moderate this month’s chats. If you’re interested, or know someone who might be, please contact @gcporganisers. Don’t worry! We will pair you up with an experienced moderator, and share our moderation guide
Chat Schedule
Chat 1 ~ Saturday, March 9th, 10:00 – 11:00 UTC
10:00 London, 12:00 Cape Town, 15:30 New Delhi, 18:00 Perth, 21:00 Sydney (AEDT), 23:00 Auckland
Click here to find out when this is in YOUR timezone.
Chat 2 ~ Saturday, March 9th, 19:00 – 20:00 UTC
11:00 Los Angeles, 14:00 New York, 19:00 London, 21:00 Cape Town, 08:00 SUNDAY – Auckland
Click here to find out when this is in YOUR timezone.
Chat 3 ~ Sunday, March 10th, 02:00 – 03:00 UTC (Saturday in N & S America!)
Saturday night – 18:00 Los Angeles, 21:00 New York
Are you interested in creating and running your very own global collaborative project?
Do you have an idea, but are not sure where to start?
Are you struggling to find global collaboration partners?
Need a professional mentor?
Then why not explore the possibilities with Global Classroom 2012-13?
Over the past few years, we’ve “built the collaborative spaces, resources, and community to enable teachers and students to share, learn and collaborate globally” … and we’ve succeeded beyond our wildest dreams.
@Durff shared that she tells students on 1st day that they are all intelligent (Gardner), it is her job to find out how to make them shine
Jim shared that he believes teachers should be helping students learn, not giving them the answers
Laurel mentioned that some students need content delivered directly from teachers before they are able to make choices in the classroom (and shared an interesting book: Why Students Don’t Like School?)
Monica added that she likes to model how she learns so that students feel comfortable making mistakes in her classroom
We also struggled with considering how teachers can create choices in the classroom in a time of standardization and high-stakes testing (at least in the United States).
Paul shared that part of personalizing the classroom is establishing relationships with students – it isn’t just about content, it is about connecting
Michelle talked about the need to let teachers have choice as well – when something is working, having the freedom to pursue it, not have to stay lock-step with a scripted program
Elena introduced the idea “of individual teachers being ‘experts’ with specific tools and working collaboratively with their peers is a more manageable and realistic approach for interdisciplinary teams.”
We also shared our own struggles and challenges with creating and maintaining electronic spaces for learning with choice in mind. We all agreed that monitoring electronic spaces are difficult to maintain and that we would love to have ongoing eportfolios that follow students through their years of learning in a school (Google Sites, KidBlog, Evernote, Weebly and even PhotoStory were shared as ideas). We debated a bit about how to choose new tools – what is trendy, and what is trendy with a purpose? Paul raised a great point about involving students in planning electronic spaces and many shared stories about ways they’ve done this. As part of this, we also wondered how to make sure more students have access to technology beyond the classroom.
From there, we talked about how to structure learning experience that offer students ways to make meaning. Rocky shared the idea of students meeting with teachers to create useful materials for them and Robyn shared a bit about a project her students are doing to save rhinos! Interestingly, we found we have less experience offering students chances to invent or build. It would be fun to talk more about how we could build these concepts into our teaching more.
We ended by trying out the break-out room feature in Blackboard Collaborate. I guess I modeled the idea of the “teacher” not being perfect but willing to take risks since I had no idea how it would work! Thanks to everyone who was there for humoring me and experimenting along with me. I think we’ll try these small groups again next time with a focus question. Big virtual hugs to @Durff for telling me more about how to use this effectively at future sessions. And my apologies for those of you listening to the recording since there will be a long pause when you are listening (another important aspect of this tool for me to understand!).
Thank you again for everyone that participated. I’m reminded of the quote by C. S. Lewis cited on page 34 of this book:
The next best thing to being wise oneself is to live in a circle of those who are.
Thank you for being in my circle and adding to my wisdom! And to Mara for agreeing to co-moderate. If anyone is interested in co-moderating next time, please leave a comment or send me an email, I’d love your help!
Our next meeting will be Monday, March 4th at 7:30pm EST (that’s Tuesday, March 5th at 12:30am GMT). For your time zone, click here. We will be discussing Chapters Nine and Ten – Celebrating, Designing, and Managing Global Collaborative Projects. Hope to “see” you there!
Looking forward to our fourth meeting of the Virtual Book Club discussing Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds by Julie Lindsay and Vicki Davis Monday, February 18th at 7:30pm EST (that’s Tuesday, February 19th at 12:30am GMT). For your time zone, click here. We will be discussing Chapters Seven and Eight.
We confessed, bragged, questioned, shared tips and traded resources on the topic of Digital Citizenship. It seems there is always more to consider from using images in our presentations to setting our privacy settings but we all agreed that we need to model strong digital citizenship for our students and explicitly teach them how to be a thoughtful contributor in the digital world.
Connie shared “Just as we model and teach ways to effectively present and collaborate in face to face groups, digital citizenship is just another layer.“
Joseph agreed and asked, “Students need to understand that there are differences in communicating on facebook, twitter with friends versus using this type of media in school…but how to teach?“
Elena commented, “It[digital communications] also provides an opportunity to evaluate how we interact with each other face to face. Sometimes in the middle school environment, speaking to others with a certain tone or attitude can become the norm.“
Amy agreed, “Not only do we need to relate to our students using technology but we need to teach them how to communicate in positive ways using technology“
Some of the great resources that were shared to help with teaching digital citizenship were:
We wrapped up by sharing a bit of advice about getting started with global projects and we all got really excited about trying Mystery Skype. And, as usual, the time flew by. I never knew an hour could pass so quickly!
A huge thank you to Vicki Davis for joining us in between prom planning and Flat Certified teacher training. Your professional generosity is unending. Another thank you to Jim for picking up as co-moderator. It is so helpful to know someone else is listening, reading, typing and talking as fast as I am! And a thank you to all the busy educators who took time out to share, question, and connect.
I’m looking forward to our next meeting on Monday, February 18th at 7:30pm EST (that’s Tuesday, February 19th at 3:30am GMT). For your time zone, click here. We will be discussing Chapters Six (Choice) and Seven (Creation).
WAIT a minute … before you take that TOO seriously, PLEASE continue reading. Put that sledge hammer down … we’re not talking demolition … we’re talking global connections! That’s right … you can’t BUILD global connections without FLATTENING those CLASSROOM walls!
There is something SO empowering when students feel personally invested in their learning journey!
This month, our #globalclassroom chat will focus on the POWER of blogging with your students. We are SO fortunate to be teaching in an age when the SKY is the LIMIT with technology. Skype has become a staple in MANY classrooms. No longer are BOOKS our sole way of learning about the world … and, while relying on Google to enrich our inquiries is STILL important, we are NOW able to connect in REAL time with others around the world. This ability to connect synchronously and asynchronously, collaborating with other classes on the other side of the WORLD, has changed our learning FOREVER. We are NO longer just learning ABOUT the world. We are in an age where we are learning WITH the world.
Writing for authentic reasons creates MAGIC moments when your students chant “We should BLOG about this!”
Some things to think about PRIOR to our February chat:
Why is blogging a valuable tool for connecting and sharing global inquiries with a global audience?
What skills can students develop by sharing their learning with a global audience?
If you don’t have access to an NGO, (Non-Government Organization), where do you find collaboration opportunities? How can you find projects to join?
How can you create you OWN inquiry to share?
How do you fit it into EVERYTHING else you need to accomplish in a day?
How do you come up with “post” ideas for your blog?
What are some resources you use? Books? Sources of inspiration?
How do you address digital citizenship? Global citizenship? Online safety?
How do you attract readers to your classroom blog?
If you are interested in learning more about flattening YOUR walls and creating a global classroom for your students, you should DEFINITELY check out the Global Classroom Wiki and the Global Classroom Blog! This learning community is ALL about sharing and mentoring, and there are projects already on the go to help you get your feet wet or to continue to enrich you and your students’ learning journeys! TRUST me … once you START blogging with you students, connecting and learning WITH the world and no longer just ABOUT the world, you will NEVER look back!
After you’re done checking out THOSE awesome resources, mark the February #globalclassroom chat on your CALENDAR! See the times below … we’re looking forward to CONNECTING with you!
Chat 1 – Saturday – February 9th (10:00 GMT)
10AM London, 3.30PM New Delhi, 6PM Perth, 9PM Sydney (AEDT), 11PM Auckland
The post below is something I originally posted on my personal blog, where I share my thoughts, explorations, and reflections on technology integration in early childhood education, particularly as a means for global collaboration. One of the core ways I feel connected to to the global education community is through the Global Classroom Project and the monthly #GlobalClassroom chats so I was excited to have an opportunity to share my experiences directly with this community. I am currently engaging in a massive online open course on educational technology (#ETMOOC), which is what inspired me to write this post about my (mis)adventures in connected learning and trying to form relationships between my school and other classes and teachers around the world. I hope it might have an inspiring or intriguing idea that will spark your own collaboration and if you have tips or ideas for working through these misadventures, I would love to hear them!
Before the second week of #etmooc “Connected Learning” slips away, I wanted to write a post reflecting a bit on the prompt: ”Is it possible for our classrooms to support this kind of (connected) learning? If so, how?“
I definitely think that our classrooms can support connected learning and that technology can make the “how” much easier and more feasible to facilitate that learning. To me, connected learning involves engaging students in real-world applications of skills and knowledge. One way to do this is by asking students to try and solve problems that people face everyday, such as concerns with the environment (Inspiration from GOOD.is) or building prototypes to help the elderly more easily navigate outdoors (see the FIRST Jr. Robotics Challenge).
I also view connected learning as a motivation to teach my students tools that can empower and enable them to be change agents. With these tools, students can build meaningful connections across different mediums, connections that not only facilitate learning but establish relationships. This means introducing ideas of digital citizenship and cyber safety at very young ages so students can begin using tools that they will likely continue to use as they grow older instead of tools that they will quickly grow out of (e.g., teaching 2nd graders how to conduct safe and effective Google searches versus restricting them to KidRex and allowing kindergarten students to tweet with other kindergarten students in class).
But most importantly, in my opinion, connected learning translates into global connectionsand collaborations for all students and teachers.
With modern technologies like Skype, Voicethread, Google Translate, Twitter and other (a)synchronous tools, it can be simple and free to connect students, even if their time zones never overlap or they speak different languages. There is no longer a need for expensive web conferencing technologies and with web 2.0 tools, students don’t have to wait weeks for a reply from students in another country. Therefore, it seems to me that we should be scaffolding and encouraging global connections in every classroom, starting with our youngest students. These connections can blossom into meaningful relationships where students can share experiences and learn together about the cultures, perspectives, and knowledge of each community. That feels like true connected learning.
The Global Classroom Project Logo
So what does that look like in the classroom? At my school, I have slowly been working to build some of these local and global connections so students can engage in more connected learning. While we have had some success, we have definitely had a few misadventures as well.
We tried signing up for an Elementary Mystery Skype project created by some educators who had seen it done with older grades. Three of my teachers signed up, willing to take the risk and do something they had never done before, but although all three were paired with another teacher, none of them heard a response back about setting a date to actually Skype. After following many inspiring #kinderchat teachers, I talked with a kindergarten teacher at my school about having her class join Twitter. We sat down and discussed how it could work, we wrote up a detailed letter to parents, we planned how to introduce it to the students but since their initial Twitter “launch” the class hasn’t been able to get other classes to tweet back. I think the kids are beginning to feel like tweeting means sending a message on the computer and never hearing back. Whether it’s been via Skype, Twitter, or even email, we have found that making that connectionwith another teacher and class can be much harder than getting the technology or other preparations in order.
1st Graders Excited to Skype with a class in Canada
Luckily, we also have some success stories to share. Thanks to the Global Classroom Project database, I was able to connect our Spanish teacher with a class in Spain so her students could Skype in English and Spanish. While moderating a #globalclassroom chat, I connected with another educator who wanted her students to be able to share their experiences of a Quaker meeting. This led to two of our fourth grade classes Skyping with their fourth grade and discussing their religious practices, as well as the similarities and differences in their schools. Comparing lunches and “specials” was a big highlight. Through Twitter, I was also able to set up a Skype session between a Canadian class and one of our first grade classes – our students were shocked to see all of their snow! And in a few weeks, we have a session scheduled with NASA for our youngest students, who are studying space, to hear about “Humans in Space,” one of the offerings in their Digital Learning Network.
So, while the actual “how” of connected learning can certainly be a challenge, I think it is doable. My students have been able to use a range of web 2.0 tools that have enabled them to develop deeper relationships within their individual classes, between their class and other classes at the school, and between our school and other schools. They are becoming more comfortable with the idea of leaving messages through various platforms and receiving comments and messages back from parents or other students after a pause (which can be tough to understand when you’re only 5 or 6). Teachers are beginning to consider ways we can connect with other students and classes in other parts of the world to enrich their units of study and make different topics and concepts more concrete while also more making them more complex. I hope that with time, patience, and perseverance our connections will continue to grow and with it, the connected learning that we are all able to share.
