I remember going on vacation to Disney World in Florida with my family when I was 9 years old. While it was a magical trip that will always be remembered, I have one distinct memory of going through an exhibit in Epcot that showed "what the future would be like". It showed a man talking on the phone- BUT it was a video phone so they could actually see each other on a large screen and not hold anything! That made a huge impression on me and I was astounded to think that one day it would be possible to talk on the phone and actually see the person. Well, the future is here! With tools like Facetime and Skype, it is now possible to see who you are talking to. My children have the opportunity to actually SEE their cousin in Massachusetts anytime they want! Tools like these allow people to get and stay connected like never before. Tools like these also create many educational opportunities by allowing students across the globe to interact with each other, collaborate on projects and engage them to experience the world from their own classrooms! What better way to learn about different cultures than to interact with someone from the culture you are learning about?
There are many ways to connect your classroom and students with the global community. Using the Internet, there are many sites available for educators to connect with other educators looking for interaction. These sites offer email opportunities for pen pals and collaboration projects for students to work together on a particular area of study, allowing them to interact with the subject material as well as explore a variety of perspectives. Check out epals.com or globalschool.net , both on my teacher resource page. These sites offer excellent opportunities to use in the classroom and are presented in a user friendly fashion. These sites also offer discussion forums for teachers to interact, get new ideas, and discuss lessons and projects. Another fantastic site to check out is Skype in the classroom : There are so many resources to use including Skype lessons where students can take a virtual field trip and interact with scientists, museum curators, historians, biologists and more. It also offers guest speakers available to speak with your classroom on a variety of topics, offering question and answer sessions. It is an excellent opportunity to allow students to connect what they are learning with real world applications and inspire them for their future careers.
I am really excited about these educational opportunities that are available to us and truly believe that they can enhance what we are teaching and how we teach it. These connections can help engage our students and inspire them in their journey to learn. Challenge yourself to connect your classroom with the global community ONCE during this school year and share your thoughts on your experience with your colleagues! It won't hurt to give it a try and see what it can do for your classroom and students!
There are many ways to connect your classroom and students with the global community. Using the Internet, there are many sites available for educators to connect with other educators looking for interaction. These sites offer email opportunities for pen pals and collaboration projects for students to work together on a particular area of study, allowing them to interact with the subject material as well as explore a variety of perspectives. Check out epals.com or globalschool.net , both on my teacher resource page. These sites offer excellent opportunities to use in the classroom and are presented in a user friendly fashion. These sites also offer discussion forums for teachers to interact, get new ideas, and discuss lessons and projects. Another fantastic site to check out is Skype in the classroom : There are so many resources to use including Skype lessons where students can take a virtual field trip and interact with scientists, museum curators, historians, biologists and more. It also offers guest speakers available to speak with your classroom on a variety of topics, offering question and answer sessions. It is an excellent opportunity to allow students to connect what they are learning with real world applications and inspire them for their future careers.
I am really excited about these educational opportunities that are available to us and truly believe that they can enhance what we are teaching and how we teach it. These connections can help engage our students and inspire them in their journey to learn. Challenge yourself to connect your classroom with the global community ONCE during this school year and share your thoughts on your experience with your colleagues! It won't hurt to give it a try and see what it can do for your classroom and students!