This document discusses how connecting classrooms globally can enhance student learning. It provides examples of projects like cultural exchanges, collaborative worksheets, and mystery Skype calls that allow students to learn about other places and develop skills like communication, collaboration, and critical thinking. The document emphasizes that emotional connections are important for long-term learning and global projects can help students develop empathy. It also provides resources for setting up virtual field trips and finding partner classrooms for global projects.

1. Connected
Classrooms and
the New World of
Learning
ECET2PA
Lebanon Valley, PA
March 2017
Mike Soskil
@msoskil

4. The world has changed since we were kids.

6. Credit: Andreas Schleicher, GESF 2017

7. How can children learn global citizenship
when they often are not allowed to be citizens
of their own classrooms?
What are the qualities of a
good citizen?

8. What character trait is most important for you to be
successful in life?

9. Does the learning in classrooms matter to
students?
• Long-term learning cannot take
place without emotional connection
with content
• Extrinsic v. Intrinsic Motivation
• Empathy correlates with both
happiness and success in life

10. Why Global Learning?
• Cultural Understanding
• Emotional Experiences
• Communication,
Collaboration, Critical
Thinking, Creativity
• Student Empowerment

11. It’s hard to change the world when you
don’t know much about it.

12. South Elementary Global Connections
• Song/Cultural Exchanges
• Virtual Valentines
• Exchange Skype/YT Video
Messages
• Data Collection in
Collaborative Spreadsheets
• Quadblogging
• Slow Twitter Chat
• Collaborative PBL Projects
• Mystery Skype
• Skype Teacher Exchange
(guest teacher from another
location)
• Digital Post Cards

13. The Magic Words
“We should do something about that.”

14. Distance Teaching Project
distanceteaching.weebly.com

15. Fundraising, by itself, does not build empathy.
Students need relationships with others who are
different than they are.
Service projects should always be a two-way
street.

16. Project LINC
http://projectlinc.clubefl.gr/
Kansas Students – Microsoft Video

17. HIP Academy - Mukuyuni Bridge Project

20. The Malawi Collaboration
Problem: Drought and Famine. Students too hungry to learn, not attendi

22. That’s great for your students.
But, how do I do that?

23. Growth Mindset

24. Virtual Field Trips
• Skype in the Classroom: education.skype.com
• Discovery Education: discoveryeducation.com/featured-programs
• Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants: exploringbytheseat.com
• JASON Learning: jason.org
• LivingMaths: livingmaths.com

25. SANCCOB

26. Mystery Skype
• Similar to "20 Questions"
• Each class takes turns
asking Yes/No questions to
figure out location of the
other class.
• Variations: animals,
numbers, elements,
occupations, etc. instead
of locations.
• Builds critical thinking
skills and content
knowledge.
• Creates opportunities to
connect with other
locations to have Q&A
sessions about culture.
Resource to get started:
MysterySkypeOneNote.com

27. Mystery Skype w/ Ms. H

28. Skype in the Classroom:
Education.Skype.com

29. Overcoming Time Zone Issues

30. The 5 Clue
Challenge
• Use Skype Video Message or
YouTube to leave 5 clues for
partner class to guess
location, animal, etc.
• After each clue, students will
pause video, do research, and
take a guess.
• 5cluechallenge.weebly.com

31. 5 Clue Challenge – Mystery Location #1

32. 5 Clue Challenge – Mystery Location #2

33. 5 Clue Challenge – Mystery Animal #1

34. Global Teacher Leaders Projects
Curriculum based global projects where we make the
connections easy for you
• World Read Aloud Skypeathon
• Awesome Squiggles
• Virtual Valentines Project
• Global Kidwish Project
• Global Video Exchange
GlobalTeacherLeaders.com

35. TheGlobalReadAloud.com

37. How do I make connections?

38. Twitter
Not Just for Donald Trump Anymore!
• As of a year ago, over 4.2 million tweets per day were
related to education, most by educators
• Hashtags allow you to curate and organize what you
see
• There is an educational hashtag for almost every
content area, grade level, and educational interest
area

39. Tweetdeck.com

40. Finding Global Connections
• Twitter/Tweetdeck
• Have students contact
experts
• Facebook
• Friends/Family
Twitter for Global Connections
#GlobalEd
#TeachersLeading
@SkypeClassroom
#GlobalClassroom
#MysterySkype
#Skype2Learn
#MIEExpert
#TeachersMatter
#SkypeMT

44. Every problem in the world has a solution
trapped inside our students’ passions.
Helping them see the connection
is our job as teachers.

45. Connect with Me
Twitter: @msoskil
Website: michaelsoskil.com
Email: mrsoskil@gmail.com
Link to this presentation: bit.ly/SFK2017