Once again we have a very special guest for our challenge this week. Your challenge comes from an amazing connected educator that I have had the privilege to meet in person. Say hello to Christina Luce. Christina is a 2nd grade teacher, blogger, technology turn key trainer and co-founder of edCampCNY.
Here is her challenge for you:
Summer Learning Challenge: Connecting Our Students Globally
It is important for for teachers to expose students to the world beyond their classrooms, and to actively engage them in global citizenship. One way that educators can positively promote global citizenship is to provide their students with opportunities to learn about how other people live, and to give them a means to dialog with students in other locales about common interests and shared concerns. This week’s challenge is all about connecting your students with others around the globe. There are numerous ways to go about doing this, but let me offer up a few suggestions.
Connecting Classrooms on Twitter
In previous challenges you learned about how being a connected educator could impact you both professionally, and personally. Now it is time to think about how you can harness this social media platform, and leverage it for student learning. How can you use Twitter to connect your classrooms with others in your region and with others around the globe?
I manage a few different Twitter accounts. For my professional learning, I tweet from @ChristinaMLuce, but I also manage a classroom account @LuceClassPage. My students and I collaborate to send Tweets from the latter account. We use this shared Twitter account as a tool to connect and to share with classes around the world. There is no limit to the ways that this tool can be used. In the past we have asked and answered questions of the classrooms we follow, reached out to the global community for research, and shared our research and expertise with others.
Mystery Google Hangouts
Are you teaching your students about the regions of the United States or perhaps studying another country? Why not consider connecting with a classroom in the region you’re studying via Google Hangouts. The premise of this social game is to guess the other class’ location based on the answers to some geographical questions and the clues that they may provide. The first class to guess the other’s location wins. But you don’t have to stop there. Our class has connected initially using the Mystery GHO (Google Hangout) but has then furthered our relationship by sharing reader’s theater, research projects, and cooperative math lessons. You are only limited here by the imagination of both you and your students. Some of the best ideas for collaborative projects have come from the students themselves!
Learn more about Mystery Google Hangouts by joining the Mystery Hangout Community in Google+.
NPHC Blog It Challenge
The NPHC Blog It Challenge is a global blogging challenge for students aged 6 -12. I originally became involved with the Not Perfect Hat Club project earlier this year. More than a club in the traditional sense, NPHC is an adoption of an attitude or way of thinking and being. It is something that assists both children and adults in focusing on the journey rather than the outcome and encourages them to recognize and value their talents and the talents of others. NPHC also helps students embrace the often uncomfortable feelings associated with facing challenges. Author and Critterkin co-founder, Jena Ball, has finished the book The Not Perfect Hat Club and is launching the NPHC Blog It Challenge as way to engage and promote greater reflection by students. Each week students will read a few chapters and then respond either by blogging or vlogging, and extend their thinking through virtual conversations with the other students involved in the challenge. Currently, classes from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, China, Ecuador, India, and the United States have registered to participate in this challenge - talk about a global perspective!
Learn more about the NPHC Blog It Project here.
Summer Learning Challenge: Connecting Our Students Globally
It is important for for teachers to expose students to the world beyond their classrooms, and to actively engage them in global citizenship. One way that educators can positively promote global citizenship is to provide their students with opportunities to learn about how other people live, and to give them a means to dialog with students in other locales about common interests and shared concerns. This week’s challenge is all about connecting your students with others around the globe. There are numerous ways to go about doing this, but let me offer up a few suggestions.
Connecting Classrooms on Twitter
In previous challenges you learned about how being a connected educator could impact you both professionally, and personally. Now it is time to think about how you can harness this social media platform, and leverage it for student learning. How can you use Twitter to connect your classrooms with others in your region and with others around the globe?
I manage a few different Twitter accounts. For my professional learning, I tweet from @ChristinaMLuce, but I also manage a classroom account @LuceClassPage. My students and I collaborate to send Tweets from the latter account. We use this shared Twitter account as a tool to connect and to share with classes around the world. There is no limit to the ways that this tool can be used. In the past we have asked and answered questions of the classrooms we follow, reached out to the global community for research, and shared our research and expertise with others.
Mystery Google Hangouts
Are you teaching your students about the regions of the United States or perhaps studying another country? Why not consider connecting with a classroom in the region you’re studying via Google Hangouts. The premise of this social game is to guess the other class’ location based on the answers to some geographical questions and the clues that they may provide. The first class to guess the other’s location wins. But you don’t have to stop there. Our class has connected initially using the Mystery GHO (Google Hangout) but has then furthered our relationship by sharing reader’s theater, research projects, and cooperative math lessons. You are only limited here by the imagination of both you and your students. Some of the best ideas for collaborative projects have come from the students themselves!
Learn more about Mystery Google Hangouts by joining the Mystery Hangout Community in Google+.
NPHC Blog It Challenge
The NPHC Blog It Challenge is a global blogging challenge for students aged 6 -12. I originally became involved with the Not Perfect Hat Club project earlier this year. More than a club in the traditional sense, NPHC is an adoption of an attitude or way of thinking and being. It is something that assists both children and adults in focusing on the journey rather than the outcome and encourages them to recognize and value their talents and the talents of others. NPHC also helps students embrace the often uncomfortable feelings associated with facing challenges. Author and Critterkin co-founder, Jena Ball, has finished the book The Not Perfect Hat Club and is launching the NPHC Blog It Challenge as way to engage and promote greater reflection by students. Each week students will read a few chapters and then respond either by blogging or vlogging, and extend their thinking through virtual conversations with the other students involved in the challenge. Currently, classes from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, China, Ecuador, India, and the United States have registered to participate in this challenge - talk about a global perspective!
Learn more about the NPHC Blog It Project here.