The Global Classroom Initiative

One of the major goals I have for Teachers Without Borders - Canada is for teachers to connect globally through information technology. For those developing areas that do have the capabilities to connect to the Internet, we will coordinate teachers working together through an online environment in an effort to bring students from across the globe closer together. With their teachers’ assistance, students can work together on issues of global importance and relevance. It is hoped that through these connections a greater knowledge and appreciation of the world and its citizens will develop. These projects will look very similar to: the Global Classroom Initiative (www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/gci) and ePals (www.epalscorp.com/). One of our members, Sharon Peters, is presently working on such a project with her students and students in New Zealand (www.learnquebec.ca/en/content/pedagogy/cil/lead/fromfield/leadpod.html). Ideally, Canadian teachers and their peers from various countries will collaborate on lessons that would allow their students to work together on topics of global importance and relevance and ultimately they will learn more about their new friends and their respective countries. For example, students in a senior social studies class in Canada would pair up with students in South Africa to work together on a project exploring the realities of affirmative action in the other’s country then would present to their respective classrooms. Another example would be students in a grade 8 science class pairing up to be lab partners to test how altitude effects the boiling point of water. One student at sea level in Vancouver another in the mountains in Quito, Ecuador. I presently involving IT teachers in Canada exploring various models to see how we can make this initiative a reality with the various levels of connectivity available in developing areas. Want to help? Would love to hear your successes or ideas on this topic so join my forum...

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Permalink Reply by Carolyn Foote on April 9, 2007 at 6:33am

Our student council teacher is looking to connect some of our student leaders with students in other schools. I think he would be very interested!

We are interested as a campus in expanding our global perspective--so I'd be interested in knowing more that I can share with our teachers.

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Permalink Reply by Noble Kelly on April 9, 2007 at 11:08am

Thanks, Carolyn. Check out our web site: www.twb-canada.org for more info.

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Permalink Reply by Noble Kelly on April 9, 2007 at 11:07am

Thanks for the information, Diane. I will explore it more. Our main interest is to connect teachers and students to peers worldwide (especially in developing areas) to have them learn directly from and with each other, to form mentorships and to create relationships that make us all less ignorant about our global neighbour--to make us global citizens.

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Permalink Reply by Sue R. on April 9, 2007 at 2:27pm

Diane, the Weddel seal project looked tremendous. I found out about it because of a middle school level student here who had found one of the scientist's stunningly beautiful blog, just about two weeks ago. I would love to find out about the new project, and share it with my middle school science teacher, in a more timely manner. Where would I head to for more information?

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Permalink Reply by Carolyn Foote on April 9, 2007 at 3:25pm

I also would like more information--our astronomy classes may be interested.

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Permalink Reply by Andrew Pass on April 9, 2007 at 1:59pm

Noble, This looks like a very interesting project. I would imagine the hardest part of this will be to develop innovative ideas worthy of investigation. One suggestion with this regard, encourage students to develop the questions that they'd like to explore with their foreign peers. In fact, there's no reason that two students in different countries can't collaboratively develop a question that they would like to explore together. Asking the right question is sometimes more important than answering it. Obviously, teachers can give them some constraints.

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Permalink Reply by Noble Kelly on April 9, 2007 at 2:13pm

As educators, all we have to do sometimes is give a little nudge in the right direction and the students will take it from there. I believe if we were to facilitate this sort of exchange between students (even teachers) in different countries, they/we will find it easy, refreshing and enlightening and would want to do it more and more on our own without provacation!