23. Feel free to connect with me:
thiessen_robyn@surreyschools.ca
@robynthiessen
Take a few minutes to share any Global
Connections that you and your students have
made.
What benefits have you observed?
What are you willing to try to make a difference for
your learners?
Did you observe any projects might work in your
classroom?
Editor's Notes
Hi Everyone, I am thrilled to be here tonight to share one of my passions with you! I am going to tell you how connecting globally has impacted my learning and teaching. Some of you may be wondering How do I fit THIS in? Or Wow, another thing I am suppose to do!
In our room connecting globally is not an extra it is Not another thing to do, it is how we do business.
This is our world map. It is prominently displayed and eagerly shared with all visitors that enter our room because each one of these red threads is a link to a person that has had an impact on us. Connecting globally builds relationships
Some of my strongest connections and relationships have been made through the Global Classroom Project. This is an amazing group of truly global educators that share, connect, collaborate and learn with each other It was through this amazing group that I have had an opportunity to introduce Compassion based learning into my classroom.
Compassion based learning through authentic, real time projects is one of the most powerful benefits of global connections. The ISTE 2014 ON Line Learning award winner: Karen Stadler, and her creation The Travelling Rhino Project , was my first Global Classroom project.
During the Travelling Rhino project work, students investigated, researched, shared, and fund raised all in an effort to raise awareness about the plight of the rhinos in Africa. Through this project I have gained a life long friend in Karen!
We have participated in is a Flatclass Project called A Week in the Life. Students are placed into groups with children from all over the globe and together they work to create a project about aspects of their cultures. The students and I loved this project because we developed understandings about each other built on our commonalities and not on our differences.
We used several on line learning to tools to connect and collaborate. Throughout this project we were also participating in Skype calls which further solidified our connections.
Global projects allow us to connect and share our learning as well as to develop an understanding about others’ opinions, likes and dislikes.
During Mystery Skypes we connect to build our capacity with Geography, to develop our Questioning skills as well improve our critical thinking skills
Mystery Skyping also allows student to practice their skills with in real time… with collaborative, relevant learning tasks and then students’ self assess their success and analyze areas for improvement.
We connect to learn from experts. We have with Dr. Jean Pennycook, who is studying penguins in Antarctica! The students were thrilled when she explained that she spent most of her time examining penguin poo! We were also connected with SharkyJillian. who shared her passion for sharks and underwater photography.
The next few slides are images that were taken on World Read Aloud day 2013. Sonya is an educator in New Zealand she replied to a tweet that I sent out, looking for guest readers on this special day. Her students wrote a cultural story and she shared that story with my students
While my students followed along on the iPads. they developed an appreciation for another culture and learned the value of read alouds in all cultures.
We connect to build our relationship with our Classroom Champions mentor, Brittany Schussler. Our Classroom Champions connections have taken us all the way to Sochi. We didn’t just watch the Sochi Games-we lived and breathed the Games!
We connect to become mentors!. Students in my room have also been able to be leaders. This image was taken when we connected with a small school in Mexico that had never connected with a class outside of their town. They had never used Skype before! We connect to appreciate what we have!
Our most powerful connection has been with SAV School in Nepal and 2 AMAZING young men:’ Garrett and Aaron who founded the non-profit ; Project Purus… their passion is to provide safe drinking water to the students and families of SAV school
My students were so empowered by their connection to Garrett, Aaron and Govinda, that they created works of art and held an Art Auction, they sold hockey cards , rolled coins and returned bottles. Students from a lower middle class community in Surrey raised over $1250 for someone else! Global connections empower learners
My students were so empowered by their connection to Garrett, Aaron and Govinda, that they created works of art and held an Art Auction, they sold hockey cards , rolled coins and returned bottles. Students from a lower middle class community in Surrey raised over $1250 for someone else! Global connections empower learners
This past summer I was able to meet many of my Global Friends in Atlanta at the ISTE conference, connecting changes everything you do and quite possibly who you are! These are my friends from New York, Texas, Illinois, Colorado, Australia and South Africa!
I was also given an amazing opportunity to connect with Discovery Educators from all over North America and the UK during DENSI14 in Nashville Tennesee! Connecting builds Networks!
I connect in attempt to make an impact on all of my students and to become a better educator for my students. Ultimately this is my WHY! This young lady is a non traditional learner and is is the inspiration behind why I chose to connect globally! What are you willing to do to make a difference for your students? Thanks.
Thanks for listening and feel free to connect with me any time!