1. Sharing Culture through Global Classroom Connections
The World is an Open Box
Sharing Culture through Global Classroom Connections
Sharon Caviness
Kellie Garcia
October 29, 2013

2. 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.

3. The World is an Open Box Global Classroom Connections
Skype / Face Time / Google Hangout Sessions
Pen Pals – Letter Exchange- s
Culture Box Exchange
Professional Development in Skype and Google Earth
Global Awareness Fair

4. 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 school year as measured by an improvement in the school’s overall performance composite from 71.1% proficient in to 75% in 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.

5. 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, Tech4Learning Blog

6. Global Classroom Connections
Please make your grade level connection and adopt your classroom/country by November 15. K
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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-USA International Education and Resource Network

10. Deadline for Culture Box Shipping
Elements of Culture
Government
Language
Religion
Economy
Holidays
Technology
Entertainment – sports, etc.
Food
Way of Dress
School
The Arts- Music / Literature / Art
Deadline for Culture Box Shipping
January 17th
*The school will provide one standard size box and postage for each grade level.

11. 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

12. Global Awareness Fair tentatively 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.)

13. 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 phones
Computers
Tablets

14. 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.

15. Engaging Student Learners with Skype

16. Skype Roles from “Around the World in 80 Schools”

17. 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.

18. 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