Where do I begin? J
I know thinking about doing a Global Collaboration may feel overwhelming because it is a new idea for most of us in the education world. Let me help you take it step by step. The first thing you want to do is find a teacher in another country who teaches the same age children as you do…or close to the same age. You can do that through this blog by sending me an email, by asking friends and family who might have connections overseas to see if they know of a teacher who might be interested, or by visiting other websites that promote collaborations such as Kidlink, Global Schoolhouse and iEARN.
Once you have connected with someone, take time to get to know each other. Share your goals for this collaboration, learn about each other’s background, discuss your strategies, and make a timeline plan. Of course, as you know in education, any timeline is subject to change! Flexibility has to be the key word in a Global Collaboration!! J But you will find if you have a timeline that you both can follow, it will help keep the collaboration going and on schedule. I would suggest that you continue your collaboration for at least 4 months and longer if possible. I think collaborating for the entire school year would be wonderful! It would really give the children time to develop their relationships.
Suggested Time Line for Global Buddies
- Phase One – (Complete by _______)
1. The teachers will collect all permission slips from parents and students. I believe you will find that your administrator will insist that you get parent permission for your children to participate in an online collaboration. Feel free to use the Parent Permission Slip I included in my Resources and change it to fit your needs. You need to “sell” your parents on this wonderful idea! Be sure and tell them how this collaboration will fit with your social studies, reading and writing standards/goals.
2. Students will create individual concept maps of what they presently know about the other country. (See Concept Map under Resources for ideas.) The students can also develop questions to ask their Global Buddy class. (These questions can be addressed during the course of the collaboration.)
3. The teachers will share the first names, gender, and nationality of their children so one teacher can connect the Global Buddy partners for epals.
4. Each teacher will set up an account in ePals (see link to epals under Websites) so that Global Buddy partners may begin to write each other. Epals is a secure, educational website which will allow your children to communicate with each other in a safe environment. You may want to set it up where the emails go through the teachers’ mailboxes so they can be read first to make sure they are appropriate. If you choose not to do that, you need to be sure to tell your children to let you know if anything inappropriate is said in an email. You can set up some safety parameters for email through epals.
5. You may want to give each child a blank journal for them to write their thoughts, ideas and questions as they participate in Global Buddies. A great way to remember this journey! (See Writing Ideas under Resources.)
5. You may want to give each child a blank journal for them to write their thoughts, ideas and questions as they participate in Global Buddies. A great way to remember this journey! (See Writing Ideas under Resources.)
6. Choose a mutual connection for both classes – maybe a stuffed animal that each class sends to the other. Teachers also need to decide on mutual literature they will share with their classes for discussion. (See Mutual Connections under Resources.)
- Phase Two – (Complete by ________)
1. Each teacher/class will create a story about their class using the Photo Story website (See Photo Story Ideas under Resources and you can link to Photo Story under Websites). The teachers should give the students an opportunity to decide what pictures they want to use in order to share about their class and school with their Global Buddy partners. The teachers will send the completed story to the other class.
2. Students will write their Global Buddy a weekly email through ePals.
3. The teachers will connect the classes using Skype (see Skype link under Websites) to conduct a video call on ___________. Beware that because of time differences, one class may need to make an extra effort to come to school early or stay later in order to complete the video call. Send parent permission slips home to ask parents if they will make the adjustment to regular school time in order to accommodate the time difference.
- Phase Three – (Complete by _______ )
1. Each teacher will help their children complete their individual photo stories and will send the photo stories to their Global Buddy class. These stories will include photos provided by the student’s family about their home lives and recorded narration using the student’s voice. Teachers will send a letter to parents to explain this project. (See photo story resource.)
2. Each class will complete their Partner Poems to share with their Global Buddy.
3. The teachers will send home the parent/family questionnaires. (see Parent Questions under Resources.) Parent thoughts and concerns from both classes will be shared and discussed with both Global Buddy classes.
4. The teachers will share the chosen literature with each class and allow the children to discuss their thoughts about the literature through a secure wiki or blog that the teachers set up or through email. (See Mutual Connections under Resources.)
Phase Four – (Complete by ________)
1. The teachers will have students bring their three favorite things with them to class. The teachers will take pictures of the children with their three favorite things and the children will write about the significance of these items in their lives. Students should be encouraged to write stories about why these things are special to them and what memories they create in their minds. These can be shared through a Photo Story. (See Writing Ideas under Resources.)
2. Continue with some kind of literature discussion or writing using the same books.
3. Encourage writing skills by asking each child to write about a family memory or favorite family member to share with their Global Buddy. (See Writing Ideas under Resources.)
3. Encourage writing skills by asking each child to write about a family memory or favorite family member to share with their Global Buddy. (See Writing Ideas under Resources.)
3. Students will write their Global Buddy a weekly email through ePals.
- Phase Five – (Complete by _______)
1. At the end of your collaboration, each child will create an individual concept map of what they have learned through Global Buddies. This will give teachers insight into some of what their children have learned through participating in Global Buddies.
2. Students will write their Global Buddy a weekly email through ePals. Encourage them to share a personal email address (with parental permission) in order to continue to communicate after Global Buddies is over.
3. Each teacher could lead a class discussion and list on chart paper the similarities and differences the children have discovered about each other through Global Buddies. (A good way to share with parents and administrators about the project.)
4. The teachers will connect the classes using Skype to conduct a video call on ______________.
