The Global Projects Initiative in the Primary Schools

Project rationale Due to growing trend of globalization it’s important to inculcate a life-long responsible attitude towards global citizenship in BSS students. It’s a need to produce digitally and globally aware students so they can serve as catalyst for change and centres of innovation and community development. Rooted in BSS’ belief freedom to learn, this initiative will extend the classroom boundaries to real action community and the wider world. It will involve students, teachers, head teachers and parents thereby forming a community.

Benefits of Global Projects for learners Raise global awareness Create relationships Make content meaningful Engage with real world contexts Promote creativity Empower students to make a difference Engage and motivate students Develop 21 st century skills.

Objectives By the end of this session the participants will have: begun to understand the importance of the global dimensions to teaching and learning; discussed the potential benefits of electronic communities in promoting global learning partnerships; registered themselves with an online community to start a Global Partnership Project involving digital age communication and collaboration tools; prepared an action plan for their Global Partnership Project.

What is an Online Community? Online Community is a web that provides it’s user with the variety of services to communicate with other users. Examples: Wikispace Facebook Twitter Youtube Voice thread, et c

Role of good project facilitator Facilitation skills include:  engaging and motivating the learner in the learning process throughout the project  appropriate questioning, listening and feedback skills  the ability to provide direction and support to learners  skills in managing online discussions  ability to build online teams  a capacity for relationship building.

Issues involved in managing online collaborative projects time constrains syllabus completion unavailability of ICT room and other resources access to partner school within available time frame unexpected holidays or other factors leading to discontinuity of project for unknown period of time e.g. disrupted communication with the partner school teacher’s lack of competence in facilitating online projects and monitoring skills

Why use online communities in education? Students who learn in an environment where multiple and diverse perspectives are fostered and appreciated, become better critical thinkers, communicators, problem-solvers and team players. Sugar & Bonk 1998