Two Years. A World of Global Classroom Stories.

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.

Offering Choices – for Students and Teachers

Ways to offer students choices was the theme of Session #4 of the Virtual Book Club! If you weren’t able to join us, listen to the recording here: Virtual Book Club Feb 18th/19th and please share your thoughts on this blog: Virtual Book Club. We have been reading and discussing Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds by Julie Lindsay and Vicki Davis  and our focus this time was Chapter Seven (Choice) and Chapter Eight (Creation).

We began with some great comments:

• @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.”

https://saveourrhinos.wikispaces.com/

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!

Meeting #4 of Virtual Book Club – Add Your Voice!

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.

Add your voice to our group! Use this link (
https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?sid=2007066&password=M.065891D192F8072208BF5756999CE0
) to log onto the live session or watch this space for a posting of the recording afterwards.

We have had some powerful conversations so far about digital citizenship (see The Making of Digital Citizens), building and maintaining a Personal Learning Network (see Launching into a River of Information), and starting and joining global project (see The Virtual Book Club Has Launched).

This is a community of teachers sharing with teachers: reflecting, listening, sharing, questioning. Join us!

The Making of Digital Citizens

What a rich discussion we had during Session #3 of the Virtual Book Club! If you weren’t able to join us, listen to the recording here: Virtual Book Club Feb 4th/5th and please share your thoughts on this blog: Virtual Book Club. We have been reading and discussing Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds by Julie Lindsay and Vicki Davis  and our focus this time was Chapter Five (Digital Citizenship) and Chapter Six (Contributing and Collaborating).

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:

• For images: Creative Commons, Pic4Learning, MorgueFile
• For music: Royalty Free Music, Free Play Music, Sound Bible
• For teaching about Digital Citizenship: Common Sense Media, Digital ID, Read. Write. Think.

Some tips given about getting students to care about digital citizenship:

• Use real-life examples (read Chris’ story here) and facts (thanks to Laurel for sharing that 70% of employers look at digital footprints)
• Have students create Digital Citizenship materials (Digiteen and Digital ID are examples)
• Provide an authentic audience (when students see that others are actually reading/listening/watching their work, they care more)
• Make it easy for students – provide them with music and images that they can use
• Model by adding the URL for photos within classroom presentations
• Use your librarians! They often have lessons ready to go on this topic
• Start with a private wiki or an Edmodo class where you can monitor and give feedback to students before collaborating with another classroom.
• As Rocky has done, actually contact authors and artists to request permission to use their materials. (Read more about what Rocky has done here)

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).

Sharing My Misadventures in Connected Learning … But That’s Not All!

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?“

cc licensed ( BY NC SA ) flickr photo shared by dennisar

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 connections and 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 connection with 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.

Related articles

• Connected Learning in the Elementary Classroom: Skype (prairieinspiration.wordpress.com)

Launching a Virtual Book Club

Since I first responded to a tweet from @mgraffin about joining a global project, I have become a vocal advocate of connecting teachers and classrooms. Thank you so much to Global Classroom Project for inspiration and a place to connect and contribute.

I am giddy with excitement about a new opportunity to connect educators and get more inspiration for expanding global projects. I will be hosting a Virtual Book Club discussing the fantastic book Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds: Move to Global Collaboration One Step at a Time by Julie Lindsay and Vicki A. Davis. The book club was announced last Sunday night in my school division and I am thrilled that we already have thirteen teachers signed up! Even better, we have teachers from across our school division and from all different grade levels. It is a wonderful thing when already busy teachers find time in their lives to discuss powerful educational ideas with their peers. 

Now, I am ready to get some global participation in this book club. I can’t think of a better way to brainstorm about global projects than to have teachers from across the globe in the session together. So, we are inviting all teachers, parents, students, thinkers and learners out there to join us for six live meetings to share what they think about the projects, resources, and research discussed in Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds.

We will be meeting on Tuesdays at 00:30GMT (Mondays at 7:30pm EST)

(find the time in your country/time zone here)

on the following dates:

January 7th – Meet the Flat Classroom, Chapters 1 & 2

January 21st – Connection and Communication, Chapters 3 & 4

February 4th – Citizenship, Contribution and Collaboration, Chapters 5 & 6

February 18th – Choice and Creation, Chapters 7 & 8

March 4th – Celebrating, Designing, Managing a Global Project, Chapters 9 & 10

March 18th – Rock the World

Meetings will be live using Blackboard Collaborate and will last one hour. We will spend the time sharing thoughts about ideas raised in the book. It will also be a great opportunity to connect with other educators that share similar passions and beliefs about flattening our classrooms walls. We will share strategies and resources for building those 21st century skills like collaboration, communication and creativity in authentic ways.

Inspiration for this Virtual Book Club came from Julie Lindsay and Vicki Davis themselves. I was lucky enough to participate in a Virtual Book Club hosted by Engaging Educators last spring. It was great because I

• actually read the book (instead of the book just staring at me from my book shelf, desperate to be read but collecting dust instead)
• met educators from across the United States and around the world
• learned about global projects that already exist that I could participate in
• was inspired to do more to help students and teachers connect and collaborate

I hope that you can take some time to read the book and join us for our discussions. If you are interested, please complete this quick form so that I know you are interested and I’ll get back to you with information about our first meeting. And, please, spread the word!

If you aren’t familiar with the idea of a virtual book club or with this text, here’s more!

What is a Virtual Book Club?

A virtual book club is one in which readers come together to discuss a text using a web-based platform. Readers connect by logging onto a website in which they can be active learners and collaborators. The virtual room allows readers to speak, listen, chat and read about what others think about the text. All participants need is a web link, a computer with access to the Internet (and preferably a working microphone) and thoughts and ideas about the reading. It is like a book club but you can stay home and be in your pajamas!

What book will we be reading?

We will be reading the text Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds by Julie Lindsay and Vicki Davis. This book is co-written by classroom teachers that have transformed learning in their classrooms by communicating and collaborating with other classrooms around the world. Learn more about how global learning provides authentic literacy experiences, gets students engaged in their learning and opens up numerous opportunities for differentiation.

Global Perspectives in Inquiry – #globalclassroom Chat (November 2012)

This month marks the ONE YEAR anniversary of the #globalclassroom chats. From humble beginnings, these chats have become a major monthly event on the global education calendar, and truly taken on a life of their own.

This month’s chat sees a slew of time changes in response to the start / end of daylight saving in various parts of the world, and an adjustment to the start time of Chat #3 in response to poor attendance over the past few months. We have tried to bring it into a more friendly time for our growing #globalclassroom community in the United Kingdom.

cc licensed ( BY SA ) flickr photo shared by quinn.anya

This month’s topic comes to us courtesy of Aimee Gale (@aimee_gale) in Australia. 

When I was asked by Michael Graffin to submit a question for the next global classroom chat, my thoughts went straight to inquiry. I am very passionate about creating authentic inquiries that help develop the whole student.

I believe it is important that inquiries are developed around rich concepts and essential questions that can inspire a child or an adult. Often one of the hardest elements in developing rich inquiries is making sure that they go further than just a theme. When planning for inquiry units I want them to involve students developing empathy and compassion and a deeper understanding of the world.

To further explore this idea this months #globalclassroom chat topic is:

How can we support students to inquire into global issues that help develop empathy and compassion?

Some of the specific questions we will be exploring include:

• Why is it important to use inquiry to help develop the whole child?
• What are some global issues that could be explored through a rich inquiry?
• How can making global connections help students develop empathy and compassion?
• Where could teachers find connections that can help their students explore global perspectives?
• How do you convince your planning team that exploring global perspectives is essential?

Chat Schedule – November 2012

Chat 1 - Saturday, November 10, 17:00 – 18:00 UTC – N America, S America, Europe, Africa

•  New York: 12pm (noon), London: 5pm (17:00), Cape Town: 7pm (19:00), Bucharest: 7pm (20:00)
• Or click here to find out when this chat runs in your time-zone.

Chat 2 - Sunday, November 11, 09:00 – 10:00 UTC – Europe, Asia, Australia

•  London: 9am (9:00), Singapore: 5pm (17:00), Perth: 5pm (17:00), Tokyo: 6pm (18:00), Sydney: 8pm (20:00), Auckland: 10pm (22:00)
• Or click here to find out when this chat runs in your time-zone.

Chat 3 - Monday November 12, 21:00 – 22:00 UTC – N America, S America / United Kingdom / Tuesday November 13 in Australia & Asia)

• MONDAY New York: 4pm (16:00), London: 9pm (21:00)
• TUESDAY Sydney: 8am (08:00), Auckland: 10am (10:00)
• OR click here to find out when this chat runs in your timezone.

“Working in the Global Classroom” – #ACEC2012 Presentation

In several hours time, on October 3, at 10.15AM local time, Michael Graffin (@mgraffin) & Nigel Mitchell (@1nbm) will be presenting on ‘Working in the Global Classroom‘ at the Australian Computers in Education Conference in Perth, Western Australia.

This is late evening of October 2 for teachers in the Americas, morning of October 3 for teachers in Asia. Please click here to find out when this is in your time-zone.

Featuring a skype link-up with Julie Lindsay, from Flat Classroom Projects, the broad goals of the session are to: 

• Present our rationale for integrating global perspectives across the curriculum
• Showcase our stories and reflections as connected “global educators”
• Interact with global educators in real time to discuss the possibilities, challenges, and learning opportunities afforded by global interactions.

You can read the full outline here.

How can you get involved?

A key goal of this presentation is to involve our national and international audience through streaming the session LIVE via UStream & inviting global educators around the world to help us write our presentation notes.

Tweet

Please feel free to comment using the #globalclassroom hashtag, and chat with our session participants. This will be our official backchannel to the live / UStream presentation.

Watch

If all goes to plan, you can follow us LIVE on UStream here: 
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/the-mgraffin-channel#events

Please click here to check when this is in your time-zone.

Share

We’d also sincerely appreciate it if you’d take some time to share your advice, resources, links, and suggestions for teachers new to connecting and collaborating globally.

We are crowd-sourcing our presentation notes in Google Docs, seeking to showcase the power of international collaboration in action.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1STb-xPK29WEGLBgegzxHZIOraQjlMrm2yetajXTgpec/edit#heading=h.727hoxhx6f7c

Please tweet this widely – we’d like to make this a truly global resource.

Anyone recognise these little characters?

June #globalclassroom Chat Archives.

The June #globalclassroom chats were a lively affair this month, with some wonderful discussions about ways teachers and schools can “Build Partnerships with Schools in Developing Countries“.

As Clive Elsmore (@clivesir), who suggested this month’s topic, comments:

I attended the first two of the chats and have read through the transcript of the third. I’m heartened to witness the considerable efforts educators are going to to connect with their global family.

Interesting ideas on how to make those connections and examples of collaborative low-tech projects were shared and it’s well worth reading the archives for a spot of inspiration.

And also read them to find good people to follow!

We were also pretty happy to see the #globalclassroom chats trending in our wider Australian networks for the very first time! It seems these chats are finally becoming of age.

The archives are now available on the official chats wiki: 
http://theglobalclassroomchats.wikispaces.com
.

We hope you will take the time to read through, and share your thoughts in the comments below!

May 2012 – #globalclassroom Chat Archives

The seventh monthly #globalclassroom chat hosted several incredibly lively conversations about inquiry learning and global collaboration.

As Laurie Renton (@RentonL) so succinctly writes;

The process of choosing a topic, selecting questions to ask, participating in and moderating the #globalclassroom chat, was an eye opening and rewarding experience.

This chat reinforced, for me, the POWER of my online PLN, and the inspiration that Twitter connections provide for my professional growth as an educator.  It was exciting to discover the number of people who are also interested in global inquiry projects and their openness and eagerness to share their discoveries with others.

Creating a meaningful and sustainable global inquiry project is no easy feat.  Fostering buy in and personalisation for students, fitting it meaningfully into your daily curricular student learner outcomes is tricky, although it IS possible. This occurs when you are able to connect with experts who are willing to continue a meaningful relationship to enhance your journey, through Skype, blogging, and other such communication tools.

Finding the PERFECT global project to fit your needs IS possible when you nurture it, connect with others, inquire through your PLN and allow your students to ask questions to further enrich the journey and learning experiences.  It IS worthy work.

The Archives are now available

Thankyou to Laurie Renton and Jennifer Fenton for helping to organise this month’s #globalclassroom chats. A special mention goes to @WorldVUSE, who although relatively new to Twitter, successfully took on the challenge of moderating their first Twitter chat!

This month’s archives have been saved using Storify, and you can find the links here, or follow the direct links below.

• Chat #1 – May 1
• Chat #2 – May 13
• Chat #3 – May 15

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!

“Ways to Bridge the Technological Divide” – April Chat Archives

The April #globalclassroom chats were an interesting affair, with our Sunday Asia / Europe chat being by far the liveliest. I was particularly interested in how the question was interpreted, as teachers shared the challenges they face in using & sharing technology – both in developing and developed countries.

A few favourite tweets

Brenda Hallowes ‏ (@bhallowes) -  We need to build relationships. If a colleague is technophobic all the more reason to build a trust relationships. #globalclassroom

Tasha Cowdy ‏ @tashacowdy - 3 yrs ago i hadnt heard of PLNs. I now cant imagine not flattening walls in my Kindergarten class. Change is afoot. #globalclassroom

Tibshirani ‏ (@rolat) – Technology is connecting us and enriching our learning as long as we are reflecting on learning #globalclassroom

Anne Mirtschin ‏(@murcha) – Small steps with technology often lead 2 best uptake. Flexibility / passion/using teachable moments lead to success #globalclassroom

Kelda Richards (@ElKel99) – #globalclassroom it’s a shame some educated 1st world teachers won’t embrace tech – wasting a privileged position

And, in his own words, Jason Graham’s thoughts on his first #globalclassroom chat

In my first #globalclassroom experience, I was honoured to moderate such an interesting chat with such passionate educators from around the globe. I learned a lot and came away with some new ideas, different perspectives and new inquiries.

My big takeaway: If technology divides, what can be done to ensure technology connects?

How can we use technology to bridge the gap and lessen the divide between not only our colleagues next to us, but between those who have less access and opportunities to share and connect?

I look forward to the next #globalclassroom chat. Thanks to everyone for making me a better educator.

The Archives are Online

While we will be establishing an official #globalclassroom chat wiki in the next few weeks, the April 2012 archives are now available on our project wiki -

April 2012 Chat Archives

Please read, share and comment. Thanks!

Is technology connecting or dividing us? – April #globalclassroom chats

The April #globalclassroom chats are upon us, and this month’s question and discussion post comes to us courtesy of Jason Graham, an international teacher working in Indonesia.

In his own words, ….

Technology only empowers those who have access to it.

I’ve been struggling with this idea for some time now. It is an obvious statement.

I live in Indonesia, and work at a school and in community that values technology as a means to create and share knowledge. Has our technical world been taken for granted? I saw someone at the airport a few months ago upset that their wifi was too slow. The world seemed to be coming to an end for this individual.

First world problems indeed.

So is there really such a thing as a ‘Digital Native’?  Prensky thinks so. I am struggling with these questions:

• Isn’t this just a term for the wealthiest of the world’s minority who have access to such technology? If so, are we are becoming more and more dependent on technology to seek and share information, are we alienating and widening the divide between those who have access to technology and those who do not?
• Do we need to focus on those nations and peoples who lack means to share their knowledge, thoughts and ideas?
• If we place such value on knowledge and the connections we make online, the question needs to be asked ‘Who aren’t we communicating with?’ and ‘Whose ideas are not being recognized and celebrated due to lack of opportunity reach a global audience?’.

This concerns me: ‘Who aren’t we communicating with’ and ‘Whose ideas are not being recognized and celebrated due to lack of opportunity reach a global audience?

Why?

Because I really value the connections I have made, cultivated from Twitter, blogs and other social networks. I enjoy learning from them, challenging them and being challenged.

I often wonder who am I NOT following that might make a significant impact on my thinking, my life? I wonder if those who lack means to technology can say the same? Or do they even think about this when wondering when and where your next meal is coming from trumps everything.

What do you think?

We hope you will join us as we discuss this issue during the April #globalclassroom Twitter chats, which begin this weekend. Please see the schedule to find out when they run in your timezone!

 

Chat Details – April 2012

Saturday, April 14 - USA, Europe, Africa  (6PM GMT)

** We hope that this time change will help teachers in Europe & Africa participate in the #globalclassroom chats. 

• 2PM EDT (New York), 7PM London, 8PM Cape Town, 9PM Bucharest. 
• Or click here to find out when this chat runs in your timezone.

Sunday, April 15 - Asia / Europe ( 9AM GMT)

• 10AM London, 5PM Singapore, 6PM Tokyo, 7PM Sydney, 9PM Wellington– Sunday
• Or click here to find out when this chat runs in your timezone

Monday / Tuesday April 16 / 17 (10PM GMT)

• 5PM New York, 11PM London – Monday
• 6AM Hong Kong, 9AM Sydney, 11AM 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.

We sincerely appreciate your support!