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Questions/ideas for further exploration: YackPack has been down for some time. Is there a similar site that children can use? My students may be too young for a Ning, but Yack Pack would have been ideal for them. I know that the collaborators on this project found one another on a Ning. Are there any sites for teachers who are specifically looking for a global collaboration such as this one?
Summary Two classes from NZ and Thailand participated in collaborative projects together. They began with a wiki (Project Feel Good), and the project evolved into using YackPack, Skype, and creating movies, hosted on a wiki, as a final product. In order to form authentic partnerships, the students were given the choice of the tools they would use to communicate. The teachers went on to share tips on creating global collaboration of your own. It is important to define your project goals, predict outcomes, develop standards, and create authentic assessment tools before beginning. These ideas can evolve as you go, but they suggest having common understandings before you begin. Both teachers should be equally dedicated to the project, and they should share their explicit expectations for the project.
Connecting Classrooms Across Continents
Personal PD Gains This session bolstered my drive to begin a project like the one that was presented. I have been eager to take my students’ collaboration with people from other countries to a new level. While we have blogged and Skyped, I would like to develop an in-depth project with another classroom. It would be wonderful to start a long term friendship with a teacher in another school and expand upon projects each year. This session provided me with amazing tips, and it gave me quite a bit to think about. I really need to refine my ideas as far as how involved the project will be, and I need to set goals. Once I have a more organized approach to my ideas, I’ll feel more confident approaching another teacher to begin a long-term project. The ideas and goals can grow or change from there. One idea that I found particularly helpful was to create a home base listing an introduction to your project, assignment sheets, deadlines, communication tools, links, a calendar, and any other information that is helpful to parents and students.
Application Ideas Collaborate on a wiki or blog where students from several different countries may post “Day in the Life” videos or photo essays they have created. The children could comment on each others posts and ask each other questions. Skype with children in other countries. Once we have a better understanding about how our friends live, we can meet up to talk about our lives. I really want this to be a conversation, rather than a question and answer format. Collaborative wiki about favorite foods, food traditions and recipes. This would be a great cultural exchange.
