The World is an Open BoxSharing Culture through

Global Classroom Connections

Sharon CavinessKellie Garcia

October 29, 2013

Snack and Survey

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey on your table. This data will be used to measure staff and student growth as we complete this school-wide culture project this year.

The World is an Open Box

• Global Classroom Connections • Skype / Face Time / Google Hangout Sessions• Pen Pals – Letter Exchange- Emails• Culture Box Exchange• Professional Development in Skype and

Google Earth• Global Awareness Fair

ACS and GBT• ACS Strategic Plan- Each ACS student will be globally aware, independent,

responsible learners and citizens. Strategic Objective: All teachers will engage each student in meaningful, authentic and rigorous work through the use of innovative instructional practices and supportive technologies that will motivate students to be self-directed and inquisitive learners.

• GBT Continuous Improvement Plan- Teachey Elementary will improve STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education for all students during the 2013-2014 school year as measured by an improvement in the school’s overall performance composite from 71.1% proficient in 2011-2012 to 75% in 2013-2014. Action step: All grade levels will provide project-based learning through the adoption of another country so that students may develop and increase global awareness.

4 C’s of 21st Century Learning

The 21st century classroom – where the 3 R’s meet the 4 C’s!

Posted by Melinda Kolk on Wed, Mar 30, 2011 Tech4Learning Blog

Global Classroom Connections• http://www.epals.com• http://www.globalschoolnet.org• http://schoolsonline.britishcouncil.org/• http://aroundtheworldwith80schools.net/• https://education.skype.com

Please make your grade level connection and adopt your classroom/country by November 15.

K 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

Video Communication

• Skype• Face Time• Google Hangout

You will be expected to conduct at least two face-to-face video sessions with your adopted classroom . One session should be conducted before Christmas break and another session should be completed by the end of February. You are welcome to communicate more often, but these two are expected.

Pen Pals

• Snail Mail- Postal Letters• Emails

Students may enjoy communicating with their partner classroom through letter writing, holiday cards, picture exchanges, etc. These activities may be incorporated in your writing instruction and provide additional handwriting practice for upper grades.

Lower grades may consider this activity as one of their shared writing lessons.

Culture Box Exchange

Each grade will fill a culture box with items that represent key elements of our own culture. These may be represented through pictures,

writing, small objects, videos, photographs, etc.

“Their experience of putting together a box or package of things that represent themselves, their schools and their communities can be a good exercise in problem solving. Who are we? How do we represent that? What do we want our friends to know about us? For some students this may be the first time they have thought about these things.”

Quote from Diane Midness iEARN-USAInternational Education and Resource Network

Elements of Culture• Government• Language• Religion• Economy• Holidays• Technology• Entertainment – sports, etc.• Food• Way of Dress• School• The Arts- Music / Literature / Art*The school will provide one standard size box and postage for each grade level.

Deadline for Culture Box

ShippingJanuary 17th

Culture Box Exchange• Please arrange to have your adopted

classroom send a culture box from their country. Communicate this expectation early to allow enough time for the arrival of box and preparation for a cultural fair.

Other country boxes should arrive no later than February 28th.

“Once students have something tangible in their hands from somewhere they may not have known existed before they started a collaboration, the relationship with their partners becomes very real and they feel very connected.” Diane Midness iEARN-USA

Global Awareness Fairtentatively March 25, 2014

• Each grade level will be responsible for sharing the information learned about the culture of their country.

• Artifacts received from the country• Technology projects-Photo Story, PowerPoint,

Glogster, Voice Thread, Wiki, etc.

(We encourage the use of technology as a way to share final information learned to meet our STEM objective.)

What is Skype?

• Skype is a software program that allows users to make text, voice, and video calls through the Internet to share experiences with people wherever they are in the world.

Available for download on devices-Mobile phonesComputersTablets

Let’s Get Started…• Go to skype.com• Download the Skype application.• Follow the prompts to install the program.• Open a new account or sign in with an

existing. Follow steps.

Engaging Student Learners with Skype

Skype Roles from “Around the World in 80 Schools”

Practice a Skype

Learning Call

Today we will be using Skype to connect with Crystal Simpson, a former teacher and friend who now lives in Wiesbaden, Germany.

We will work through the roles, just as students in your classroom would follow roles in the Skype learning call.

Next Steps…• Familiarize yourself with Skype.• Practice with colleagues.• Practice with grade-level classes.• Begin thinking about ways you can incorporate this

in your classroom and engage students in global learning. Documents can be found in the public folder on the network.

• Discuss project expectations with partner teacher.• Set up appointment to Skype partner classrooms.• Next staff development- Google Earth Ideas