As I look
into my crystal ball, I foresee that when historians look back at the late 20th
century and early 21st century they will marvel at the advances we
made in two areas: transportation of goods and people globally and the exchange
of information. As international educators, we are quite familiar with
transportation of people around the world as we move from country to country
(whether to work or for those generous holidays). The transportation of goods
might feel a bit less impressive for us though as we wait yet another week for
our shipping to arrive.
In the
classroom, we have been most impacted by the readiness and exchange of
information. Our students are connected to a wealth of knowledge, people, and
resources the likes of which education has never experienced. It has become an
expectation that we prepare students for this globalized information exchange
while also meeting the requirements of exams and university admissions. This
can be a challenge, but also a huge opportunity. Imagine breaking down the
walls of the classroom to share global connections that build their 21st
century learning knowledge through hands-on experiences. This is best done with
learning activities that connect students across geographies where they engage
in authentic exchanges. And there are a number of ways to do this using
technology.
So, I
thought I would offer some practical ideas for educators to open those global
connections to their classrooms:
Traveling Tales
Traveling
Tales is a program where classes collaborate to create a shared book. Five classes
sign up to create a story and each class develops a portion of the story. The
program is designed to fit into exist language and literacy lessons, rather
than being used as an add-on. The stories are done with visuals and text
delivered through an interactive video format. Traveling Tales books are being
written all the time amongst schools around the world. The power of this type
of collaboration is that it does not require any alignment of time zones for
shared work.
Learn more:
The Global Read Aloud
Every year,
starting in October for a 6 weeks period, classes will read the same the book
aloud with or to their classes. Thousands of schools participate at varying
levels of involvement with the simple goal of making as many global connections
as possible. Schools share their read-alouds and connections on a variety of
platforms including Twitter, Skype, Padlet, Flipgrid, and other similar
avenues. Again, this is powerful form of collaboration because it does not
require time zone alignment, but synchronous discussions can be used to create
a more meaningful experience for the students.
This
Twitter-based mathematics challenge connects classrooms through tasks and
problem solving. Each week a group of “Task Tweeters” will share grade specific
math problems over Twitter and classes around the world will post solutions to
Twitter using the hashtag #GMTTC. The experience connects classes completing similar
problems and it opens dialogue for students around mathematics and
problem-solving.
Empatico is
a free tool that connects classrooms around the world. Their mission is to create
empathy between students and schools by putting them together through collaborations
and share experiences. Empatico will make a virtual introduction between two
classrooms using tools to connect via video, share files, partner, and share
tasks. Empatico is one of the largest networks of global connections in the
world with representation in nearly every country worldwide.
Mystery
Skype is a program where classes connect with other schools, experts, and
individuals around the world using Skype. Though listed as a “Mystery,” there
is very little mystery about it. Participants volunteer to join the online
collaborative and they make themselves available via Skype during specific
times. Classes that connect with them know in advance what they have to offer
and what they will discuss. These connections can last 10 minutes or be repeated
for months.
iEARN is an
NGO that works to connect students around the world through shared learning
activities. Designed to create authentic experiences, iEARN facilitates
connections between schools and students through a global community-based
approach. They facilitate connections, offer resources, and run programs for
global collaboration. At present iEARN is being used in 140 countries with over
2,000,000 students.
Learn More:
https://edtch.co/iearn
Regardless which of these tools educators find
useful, the biggest challenge is always the first connection. I recommend that
teachers select a tool and just jump in to make a connection. The avenues for
learning that will come into their classrooms will be boundless.
I work as an Educational Technology consultant at International EdTech committed to helping schools use technology successfully. I frequently present at conferences on Educational Leadership, Learning Technology, IT, and Data Systems. I am also a a published author focusing on Educational Technology, International Education, and Leadership.
