Learning globally can be achieved through the following web 2.0 tools plus more.
The following inventory captures the current trends and technology that can be used for global education and that are available at South Philadelphia High School.
1. Share and collaborate on all kinds of documents. Work on projects synchronously from different places.
Google.docs has had the largest impact on learning in my classroom. It allows the students to share and store files that can be accessed anywhere. I use google.docs in every class for everything from storing research, creating and sharing word documents to collaborative presentations. The fact that it is in real time is invaluable.
A new initiative is being launched for the 2014-2015 school year using Google Apps for Education. Among the suite of apps that will be available to staff the following three will be very useful for collaboration.
a. Google Drive for cloud-based storage for creating, sharing, editing and collaborating.
b. Google Sites which is an online collaborative web sites for classrooms, clubs, projects and portfolios.
c. Google Hangouts for video conferencing, voice communication with chat functions for 1 to 1 and small groups.
These apps will allow students and teachers the ability to communicate and collaborate with students and educators from as close as another classroom to a classroom in a different country, working together on group projects.
Google.docs has had the largest impact on learning in my classroom. It allows the students to share and store files that can be accessed anywhere. I use google.docs in every class for everything from storing research, creating and sharing word documents to collaborative presentations. The fact that it is in real time is invaluable.
A new initiative is being launched for the 2014-2015 school year using Google Apps for Education. Among the suite of apps that will be available to staff the following three will be very useful for collaboration.
a. Google Drive for cloud-based storage for creating, sharing, editing and collaborating.
b. Google Sites which is an online collaborative web sites for classrooms, clubs, projects and portfolios.
c. Google Hangouts for video conferencing, voice communication with chat functions for 1 to 1 and small groups.
These apps will allow students and teachers the ability to communicate and collaborate with students and educators from as close as another classroom to a classroom in a different country, working together on group projects.
2. Edmodo is a private social platform for teachers and students to share ideas, files, events and assignments. Edomo allows teachers to develop a website where students can work online. From their website they state, "From the Bay Area to Bangladesh, we believe in the power of connections; ones that make your life easier by understanding where you’ve been and where you’re going. The largest K-12 network, Edmodo empowers you to build relationships with your students in an environment they know and love, collaborate with other teachers to improve learning outcomes, and discover new resources that unlock the full potential of your classroom and your own professional development.
Edmodo is free for teachers and students—and always will be. Available online and for Android, iOS, and Windows, Edmodo is trusted by educators." This is the best free online collaborative tool today that starts in the classroom. I have used it in the past, however, it is largely contingent on the availability of student access to technology outside the classroom.
Edmodo is free for teachers and students—and always will be. Available online and for Android, iOS, and Windows, Edmodo is trusted by educators." This is the best free online collaborative tool today that starts in the classroom. I have used it in the past, however, it is largely contingent on the availability of student access to technology outside the classroom.
3. Remind101 has been renamed Remind and has been used by various staff members for non-academic purposes. I see this tool as being incredibly useful to send reminders to students for everything from home to bringing back signed documents. It texts a reminder to the group and keeps the teacher's phone number private.
4. Weebly.com is used and taught by other teachers at my school. In addition to google.docs, I can see students using Weebly.com to build a portfolio to showcase their work and reflect on their learning over time. In addition to Weebly, Wordpress also creates elegant websites. Many of the students at South Philadelphia High School have been introduced to these sites in either a technology or content area classroom. In addition to blogging, students would be able to build websites that could be used collaboratively with many of the resources found on the International Resource-Based Projects tab.
5. Skype is a web 2.0 tool I have used for years in my personal life. It is not blocked by the School District of Philadelphia and once again it is a resource to be used to connect teachers and classrooms. Many of the immigrant students already use Skype to stay in touch with their families in other countries. Skype in the classroom offers many ideas for teachers including lesson plans, ways to collaborate, bringing in guest speakers or taking a virtual world tour.
6. iEarn's tag line is to learn with the world, not just about it. Teachers can join curriculum based groups and connect their classrooms. iEarn is currently not blocked by a firewall. Their website states that "iEARN (International Education and Resource Network) is the world's largest non-profit global network that enables teachers and youth to use the Internet and other technologies to collaborate on projects that enhance learning and make a difference in the world." They boast an impressive 140 countries, 30 languages, 50,000 educators and 2 million youth. When incorporating global competencies into the classroom, iEARN offers the caveat of making a difference and taking action.