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.
The one post that forever changed my perspective on life and teaching, I can never go back, nor do I want to.
On May 5, 2011 Wanted! A Global Classroom~.was published along with a simple tweet. These humble beginnings led to global connections that are far beyond what I could have ever dreamed possible!
In Awe of Twitter~
Shortly after sharing this post on twitter I was on my way to making connections and building a global PLN. I watched in awe as the connections became a reality. I was new to Twitter at the time and had no idea what to expect. Twitter has amazing people who are there just to support and learn from one another. One such tweep is @mgraffin from Perth, Australia. Michael saw my tweet and kept it alive on the other side of the globe! Michael retweeted my tweet as I slept, making it possible for me to reach the global audience I was seeking.
The Global Classroom Begins~
Quickly, teachers like @surreallyno (Romania), @claudiaru (Guatemala), @mgraffin (Australia) and @ICT_Integrator (Cape Town) were joining my first global project! This was an amazing experience and has forever changed the way I teach and my perspective on education and society.
A Whole New World~
The students in my class became familiar with countries around the world and saw themselves as part of a global community. Often kids referred to their friends in Romania or Mrs. Stadler in Cape Town as easily and as frequently as they referred to teachers in our building. As our global classroom continued to grow the students shared more about their daily lives and asked more questions to learn about others. It quickly became obvious (even to my first graders) there were far more similarities than differences in this global community.
There’s No Looking Back~
I knew I could not go back to teaching within my four walls. We had experienced the possibilities of expanding our community, of sharing with others and bringing others in. The students valued diversity and recognize similarities in other cultures. We learned to see people above all else, we experienced the value of collaborating in a global community. As 1st graders we came to expect to talk with people in Romania, Australia, Cape Town and other countries throughout the world.
Imagine yourself having global connections in first grade! Where would you be now?
Life Presses the Pause Button~
As lives events unfolded I found myself stepping out of this amazing project for a bit, not sure how I could manage my ever changing personal life, new curriculum and the Global Classroom. Fortunately, Michael and the entire Global Classroom community have continued to flourish. As I have begun to dip my toe back into the global waters I find my PLN still here, still willing to connect and learn as one!
You are amazing people!
A New Humble Beginning~
Last week my kids and I began a new global project, Lunches Around the World. We would love to have you join us! If you would like to join us you can tweet us @Frazier1st, tell us what you had for lunch yesterday and send a picture, we will upload your picture into the VoiceThread. We will then invite you to visit the VoiceThread and add your audio comment!
We hope you will dip your toes into our Global Waters! Click on the photo below to view our VoiceThread.
The Global Classroom has blossomed into a plethora of opportunities, taking on an even bigger reach thanks to the dedication and perseverance of Michael Graffin and the participants of this global community!
You are all amazing educators and are making a difference in our children, our communities and our world~ I can never express my THANKS adequately!
The author’s journey to Cape Town, South Africa in 2001 included this “first:” being stuck on Table Mountain, at night, in winter, with no mobile phone, having missed the final tram car off the summit. Good times.
In honor of Michael Graffin’s first international trip abroad to Doha, Qatar this July, it seemed timely to suggest that the April #GlobalClassroom Chat theme be, A Journey of Many Firsts.
My iEARN colleagues around the world have spent the past 25 years focusing on helping teachers and students begin their first journeys into global classroom collaboration. The iEARN annual conferences and youth summits are attended by many, like Michael, who have never traveled abroad or worked on global online projects. The impact of this journey can be profound. Here is a student who travelled to Cape Town, South Africa for the iEARN Youth Summit in 2001:
Last summer was a Journey of Many Firsts thanks to receiving the Debra Kurshan iEARN Scholarship. After winning half a scholarship to attend the IEARN Youth Summit Conference in Cape Town, South Africa, my life changed forever. It changed my life in a way that I never dreamed possible before. It’s hard to say, but it is like I have moved to a higher level in my life. I’ve worked so hard to accomplish so many goals in my life that this was a reward for all my efforts.I never realized that winning this scholarship would be so much fun and give me the opportunity to experience so many “firsts.”
Some of the first experiences for me are the following:
first plane ride
first time I knew there was cold weather in Africa
first time seeing wild animals including the cheetah, penguins, and seals
first time seeing a modern mall in Africa, I always thought people lived in huts
first time seeing a Township and the poverty that went along with living under those conditions
first time seeing two oceans meet and mountains covered with clouds
first time meeting and talking with a boy who was a “Child Soldier”
first time meeting and sharing time with kids from 23 different countries
first boat ride and trip to Robyn Island the prison where Nelson Mandela stayed
first time working with a group of kids from around the world on an Environmental Project
first time attending a Global Conference with teachers and students from 70 different countries and making a presentation at the closing ceremony
first time raising funds to cover expenses for a trip
first time getting a passport
When school started I encouraged my classmates to get involved with the IEARN Learning Circles Computer Chronicles project. We communicated with other kids from Belarus, Kuwait, Netherlands, New Jersey, Miami, and Botswana. These projects connect us to the world by the Internet…I think this trip made me a better person and I am able to connect with people better from a variety of different cultures. I realize that I am one person but I can make an important difference in the lives of others.
Can groups of kids work together on environmental projects for the first time without ever being in the same room?
We understand that travel is impossible for 99.99% of the iEARN network (and the vast majority of teachers and students worldwide), and each conference participant represents thousands of others who will need to rely upon virtual, rather than face-to-face, interaction to begin their journeys of firsts. But is this possible? Can activities like #MysterySkype and monthly chats like #GlobalClassroom help educators and students begin their journeys towards greater global awareness? Are profound international experiences only possible for a small percentage of travelers? Are groups of kids able to work together on environmental projects for the first time without ever being in the same place?
I like Anne Mirtschin’s eloquent thoughts in this post last January:
There was a time … I thought that:
Christmas was celebrated by Christians across the world on the same day – 25th December
New Year occurred for all on the 1st January each year
All countries experience four seasons
School years started and finished on the same dates globally
Education was a right that all should and do experience
Now, through an amazing global professional network that spans countries across the world from developed to developing countries, across hemispheres, time zones, geographical barriers, language difficulties, ideologies, etc that my knowledge, understanding, perception and experience of the world is through the ‘eyes’, experiences, feelings and passions of those who live there. Empathy, tolerance, compassion and a deeper appreciation of what the world is about, why it is what it is and an ever increasing acceptance that the majority of global citizens want peace, happiness, a healthy world – a world featuring tolerance, empathy and generosity to those who have less.
Some questions for Twitter chat participants this April:
What global awareness “firsts” have you had as part of a global classroom collaboration – either as a participant, or leader?
Have you had a global awareness “first” as part of this Twitter chat?
Are virtual exchanges able to result in, “empathy, tolerance, compassion and a deeper appreciation of what the world is about”?
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.
We had fun exploring different social media tools that we each use to broaden our PLNs. Some of the tools that were highlighted were: Google Reader, Flipboard, Zite, Diigo, Twitter, LiveBinders, Scoop.It, Storify and two that were new to me: Paper.li and Feedly. We all agreed that these tools helped us curate the web and share what we are learning with others. However, we also discussed the feeling that as we reach out to take a drink from these nourishing waters, we are sometimes met with a firehose blasting back at us with an overload of information!
Suggestions for dealing with this “River of Information”
from Michael in Australia – “Follow Quality, Get Quality, Quality Beats Quantity.” That might mean only following 4-5 blogs in your Google Reader or using hashtags to search in Twitter instead of following 1,000 people. (#globalclassroom, #flatclass, #sschat, #2ndchat were all mentioned)
from Sharon in Mumbai – don’t suffer from FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). You can’t read everything. It is okay.
from Theresa in IL – sometimes you need to “Mark as Read” and move on. See above point about FOMO.
After sharing what the term “teacherpreneur” meant to us, we engaged in some thoughtful conversation about how to work with Standards, Administrators, Colleagues and Hardware limitations. There was definite collective agreement on the following:
“teacherpreneurs” can and should embrace state or national standards for their curriculum and expertly weave these in with innovative, collaborative projects.
reaching out to administration and colleagues is important and necessary for long-term sustainability of projects but it is hard and takes resilience
hardware might not be exactly what you want, but make it what you need
connecting with other “teacherpreneurs” keeps you motivated and inspired. As Michael said:
when you are part of a community, you will surprise yourself. this is not something you need to do alone
Finally we talked about getting started with global projects. Here are some of the resources and projects mentioned. We will definitely talk more about these as the weeks go on. And remember to check out the numerous projects mentioned in the book!
Thank you to everyone who joined us or who has been posting on the blog. It is wonderful to hear and read the insights, doubts, mantras and beliefs of teachers who care about the work they do with students. Your students are lucky to have you!
Our next meeting with be Monday, February 4th at 7:30pm EST (that’s Tuesday, February 5th at 3:30am GMT). For your time zone, click here. We will be discussing Chapters Five and Six. Hope to “see” you there!
Hi all. We’ve been a little slack in posting the archives for the #globalclassroom chats – partly due to the arrival of Summer holidays here in Australia. We’ll all be back on deck in early 2013; however, here are the links to the archives from our last few chats:
November 2012: How can we support students to inquire into global issues that help develop empathy and compassion?
This month’s #globalclassroom chats are a spin-off from my presentation at the Australian Computers in Education Conference, held last week right here in Perth, Western Australia.
As the co-founder & leader of The Global Classroom Project, I have learnt a great deal about the challenges, opportunities, and steep learning curve faced by teachers making their first connections beyond their classroom walls.
Issues faced range from finding collaboration partners, integrating global perspectives across the curriculum, and providing ongoing informal professional development for teachers involved in projects.
In this presentation, we will present a compelling rationale for global collaboration in education, and explore ways teachers can overcome the challenges they face as they begin to flatten their classroom walls.
In an effort to continue the discussions we started during the presentation, this month’s #globalclassroom chat topic is simplly:
How can we enable teachers and students to connect, share, learn, and collaborate globally?
Specifically;
WHY should teachers and students explore ways to share, connect, and collaborate globally?
WHAT does global collaboration look like?
HOW can we help teachers overcome the challengesand obstacles faced by teachers interested in flattening their classroom walls?
WHERE can teachers find international partners, and access professional development to support their integration of global perspectives / collaboration across the curriculum?
What do you think?
Please join us for our October chats this coming weekend. Please check out the times below – please note that these times have changed due to due to the start of DST in some countries.
Chat 1 - Saturday, October 13, 17:00 – 18:00 UTC – N America, S America, Europe, Africa
This month’s #globalclassroom chats were a fascinating affair, enabling many people to make new global connections, and explore tools and strategies for global collaborative projects.
These chats were personally very significant, as I discovered a fellow West Australian educator participating in the chats for the very first time. Trust me, this was cause for celebration!
As Mark Otter was unable to participate in the chats due to other commitments, we asked our moderators to share their thoughts and reflections on the chats:
Laurie Renton (@RentonL), who managed to attend two chats, was struck by the diversity of the #globalclassroom conversations ….
This time around, I saw SUCH value in visiting the archives of these discussions. The links shared are invaluable. The varied experiences shared by each of the participants brought such a richness to each of the discussions. Both hours went by SO quickly, and people were SO engaged, than many of us continued to share long after the hour was up!
Donna Roman (@DonnaRoman) and Maggie Powers (@mpowers3) teamed up to moderate the Tuesday night chat, and did an amazing job as first-time moderators.
Their chat explored many of the lessons we’ve learn the hard way, and reflect the considerable experience of some amazing global educators. As Maggie writes;
I’d say the key take-away message was the idea that regardless of the tools, you need passion and authenticity for global projects to happen and work well, this means connecting with “real people” and focusing on a meaningful topic that is directly related to kids’ interests/wonderings.
In terms of specific tools, Twitter came up throughout the chat as a tool to create a global network (for class partnerships) and as a stepping stone for future collaboration / projects.
Storybird was also named as a tool to use with young learners, as well as Google Docs, Skype, Facetime, (quad)blogging, wikis, and projects like Flat Class and Global Classroom Projects. These two projects, in conjunction with iEARN were the main ways people seemed to find classroom partners.
There was a discussion about how some tools (e.g., asynchronous ones) may be better than others when dealing with practical concerns like time zones, such as Voicethread.
The idea was also raised that there’s a need for teachers to have a certain amount of global awareness before asking their students to cultivate that awareness and use these tools.
Finally, we briefly discussed the fact that some schools have a school-wide approach to #globaled (e.g., it’s part of school improvement plan) while other teachers are working independently to get involved in projects and connect their schools. Some teachers are doing this by linking global projects to PBL or Common Core.
Finally, we’d like to warmly thank Julia Skinner (@TheHeadsOffice), who returned to moderate her second #globalclassroom chat, and who has done such an amazing job in growing these chats.
And thanks also go to @clivesir, who quietly and expertly archives the chats each month. You will find the archives for the August #globalclassroom chats here.
Please take a moment to explore, and share your thoughts. We look forward to seeing you for our next chats!
The August #globalclassroom chats are upon us, and this month’s question and discussion post comes to us courtesy of Mark Otter, Chief Academic Officer at VIF International Education. (@markjotter).
Global Communication Tools: the importance of, and sources for, connecting beyond your classroom.
Life in the global village creates exciting opportunities for teaching and learning. Instead of reading about the daily lives of young people in Bogotá, Colombia, today’s learners can learn this information firsthand through direct communication with experts and peers living in the country.
Technology available today eliminates the walls of the classroom. The classroom becomes the entire world. Teachers choose how and when to expand their classroom for their students and maximize their learning.
What do you think?
Why you think global collaboration is important?
How does connecting beyond your classroom spark student engagement and increase student learning of curricular concepts?
How have you collaborated globally or locally beyond the classroom?
How do you as educators guarantee that as your students connect with others they do so responsibly and efficiently?
Often, the first step in taking on such a project is to find a classroom to partner with. How have you found partners?
How have you created a social space for students to get to know each other on an informal level?
How do you find the time to set up a global collaboration project?
How do you deal with issues, such as time zone differences, in your projects?
What are some tips and suggestions you have for running a successful global collaboration project with your students?
Please join us for our August chat. The sharing and learning that comes from these discussions enriches our practice and the learning experiences of our students!
Check below for the time that best fits with your zone:
Chat Details – August 2012 *
Chat 1 – Saturday, August 18, 17:00 – 18:00 GMT – N America, S America, Europe, Africa
It is hard to believe that the #globalclassroom chat is over for July. This month, I had the incredible opportunity to moderate a discussion around the power of “Blogging as a Vehicle for Global Inquiry”. This was a BONUS month for me, though. Since I am currently on summer break, I actually had the privilege of taking part in TWO of the three chats that are offered monthly in order to include as many time zones and people around the globe.
It was interesting for me to see how diverse these two chats were. Diverse as a result of the participants. Diverse because of the personal experiences and interests that each of these chat participants brought to the conversation. This is a GOOD thing. We learn not because of our similarities but because of our differences. Together we truly ARE stronger.
While the topic was intended to explore blogging as a form of enriching and deepening one’s Global Citizenship Inquiries within the classroom, rich conversations arose through the participants’ varied uses of classroom blogging. Some used blogging as a way of enhancing the writing process, much like electronic journal entries. Others used it as a way of sharing learning discoveries after Skype experiences. Some used their blogs as a way of communicating various learning experiences through a wide array of curricular areas. Blogging, for others, was a way of sharing a very specific inquiry journey with their global audience.
Regardless of how blogging is handled, from one classroom to another, a classroom blog can have the great potential to flatten the walls of a classroom:
@RentonL @iEARNUSAA blog can do this so long as the power of pull is in play.How do you attract readers is an impt ?. #globalclassroom
A blog can be as INTERACTIVE with a global audience as you choose to allow it to become. Depending on the purpose of one’s class blog, a rich learning potential arises when you begin to interact meaningfully with the global audience through comments left on your blog. As Mary Ann Reilly so succinctly puts this in the tweet above, a blog can only truly flatten the classroom walls, can only TRULY create meaningful global connections when there is a “push and a pull in play”. Attracting readers, “reeling them in” so that a relationship is cultivated, is achieved by responding thoughtfully to each and every comment left behind by your readers.
@RentonL @iEARNUSA I never know when an encounter will set me off on long comments. Something clicks & my mind races. #globalclassroom
One thing is certain: the harder you work to include your global readers, by asking questions, responding to their comments and reeling them in by asking MORE questions, deeper learning will occur for you, your students AND your readers. Ross Mannell has certainly reinforced this for me on SO many levels.
A global inquiry shared through blogging has the ability to be woven into many curricular areas. Again, it is a matter of looking for opportunities to pull in math, science, social studies and literacy potential:
@markjotter Woo HOO so fun to watch “how do we get from 1367 to 1575″ and see them doing in their heads (Gr 3) #globalclassroom
This is one very powerful way of helping to deal with the many student learner outcomes which must be addressed with your students during the course of the year as well as with the time constraints we all feel daily.
I feel blessed to be a part of the #globalclassroom community. This PLN pushes me, inspires me and helps to enrich my practice. I love that these chats are archived because so many amazing resources are shared during these discussions. Global connections are made:
What a lovely way of staying current, connected and inspired. What a beautiful way to deepen meaningful learning for our students. The #globalclassroom chat schedule is written in indelible ink upon my calendar …it has become a necessary part of my learning journey.
The question for this month’s #globalclassroom chat comes to us courtesy of Laurie Renton, who teaches Grade Three in Alberta, Canada. (@RentonL)
Global Citizenship opportunities are abundant in our connected world. Our mandated curricula contains countless valuable citizenship “learner outcomes” woven in and through various subject areas. Rich with potential for meaningful global connections and inquiry … they are ripe and waiting for development.
Skype is a wonderful way of getting global connections started. There is something magical about connecting students with other classrooms and experts beyond their “classroom walls”. This experience can offer our students the chance to learn more about the communities and concepts they are required to learn about in a far more robust and personalized manner than simply exploring a textbook or conducting google searches.
So … how can we FURTHER engage our students in this work? What is the next logical step? Blogging can be a natural extension of your inquiry.
Blogging is a valuable tool because it allows students to:
reflect upon and share their discoveries with a global audience
explore and wonder about questions and big ideas
write authentically and publish to a global audience
create dialogue with a global audience
connect in a meaningful and personalized way with the curriculum
educate others and spread awareness
enhance their communication skills
further develop digital citizenship and online safety skills in an authentic context
explore multiple modes of expression
What do you think?
How can a classroom blog deepen your global citizenship inquiry?
How will students write? Large group, small group, individually?
How do you keep up with all the comments left on your blog?
How do you develop a “voice” as bloggers?
How do you find the time to post regularly?
What other skills can students discover, beyond writing, while they blog?
What tools do students enjoy and follow closely on their blog?
How do you fit everything else into your day in order to meet other curricular demands?
Please join us for our July chat. The sharing and learning that comes from these discussions enriches our practice and the learning experiences of our students!
Check below for the time that best fits with your time zone:
Schedule
Saturday, July 14 – USA, Europe, Africa (17:00 – 18:00 GMT)
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.
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)
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)
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!
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.
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.
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.
![By Dr Julius Neubronner [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dr_Julius_Neubronner_patented_a_miniature_pigeon_camera_activated_by_a_timing_mechanism,_1903.jpg){kind=link}