About Windows to the World
Welcome
Welcome to the Windows to the World global project, a Flat Connections project. This guide will provide information to help you determine the suitability of this online collaboration for your students.
The Windows to the World global project is an intercultural ‘penpals’ experience which aims to flatten classroom walls and to help build intercultural understanding. It encourages students to make connections between their own worlds and the worlds of others, to build on shared interests and commonalities, but also to identify and respect differences. Intercultural understanding is an essential part of living with others in the diverse world of the twenty-first century. It assists young people to become responsible local and global citizens.
The tools FlipGrid and Padlet among others are used for communication and collaboration. The focus of the project is on developing literacy, online communication skills and digital citizenship. The topics shared and discussed are real-world scenarios that aim to ignite interest and encourage students to connect and communicate with others beyond their immediate classroom.
About Flat Connections
Flat Connections was founded by Julie Lindsay, author of ‘The Global Educator: Leveraging technology for collaborative learning and teaching’ (ISTE, 2016) and ‘Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds: Move to Global Collaboration One Step at a Time’ (Pearson, 2012),
Flat Connections provides managed global collaborative projects for students in K-12 across the world with the following aims:
We invite teachers who believe global collaboration has a place in their classroom. We invite those who want to improve digital citizenship and cultural understanding, leading to global competency among students and teachers. We invite teachers who have some digital fluency and access to digital tools who want to use them in meaningful ways to connect with others and learn together.
Please note: Entry to this project is through teacher registration or school subscription via our Application Form on the Global Projects page.
If you have questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact project organisers for assistance at [email protected].
Project Overview and Purpose
Windows to the World is a global collaborative project that joins together students at the Grade/Year 3-6 levels (approximate ages 8-12). It is an exciting, challenging and unique experience that allows students (and their teachers) to connect and collaborate with those beyond the classroom and beyond the school. The project is run two times each year starting in February and October. See below for the full schedule, timeline and subscription details.
Project Objectives
Literacy:
Project Topics
Each week a new topic will be introduced and students will share their experiences and ideas on that topic with the other members of their team (10-12 students made up from 3-4 different schools/countries)
Examples of possible topics (input sought by teacher teams at beginning of project):
Project structure
Guiding Questions:
Our Challenge: To bring Grade/Year 3-6 classrooms around the world together for meaningful interactions and provide guided pathways for students to discuss ideas, work in teams and co-construct understandings.
Project Outcomes
The Windows to the World project has these mandatory components for students:
Project Spaces and Places
The Windows to the World project has important online locations. Teachers will be present and active in all of them as a guide to students and to promote and model global digital citizenship and online learning skills.
Current online locations are:
Windows to the World website - http://www.windowstoworld.net/
Web 2.0 tools for project outcomes
Some of the tools we may use……
Zoom (virtual classroom) - http://zoom.us
Prerequisites for Completing the Project
To participate in the Windows to the World project it is recommended that teachers have some classroom experience using Web 2.0 tools (wikis, blogs, educational networks) and multimedia (recording and sharing audio and video files) in the classroom. However, by joining a Flat Connections global project you become part of an online learning community that shares and supports its members - new global collaborators are always welcome! This project is a great way to hone in on digital skills and fluency in the classroom – for both teachers and students!
Hardware/Software Suggestions and Requirements
It is essential that schools joining the project have Web 2.0 tools needed to participate, unblocked. Regular access to hardware and suitable software to communicate and to create multimedia is needed.
Workflow / Timeline
The Windows to the World project typically runs for about 10 consecutive weeks. It is usual for schools to be on holiday for part of this time, so the project is designed for 8 weeks of collaboration.
Here are basic outlines for each of the TWO projects as they run each year:
Windows to the World 01 – February-May
Windows to the World 02 – October-December
Project Subscription Information
(Please note all prices are in Australian dollars, AUD)
There is a range of subscription options for teachers and schools that include access to one or more projects for each semester. Not sure what the best option is for you and your school? Contact Julie Lindsay to discuss possibilities now!
We invite you to review ALL subscription opportunities ie Teacherpreneur, Bronze, Silver and Gold on this page.
READ THE BOOK!
This project is featured in the book 'The Global Educator: Leveraging technology for collaborative learning and teaching' by project founder, Julie Lindsay, published by the International Society for Technology in Education (available from ISTE and Amazon - Book and eBook versions).
Contact Flat Connections
Dr Julie Lindsay, Australia
Founder and CEO, Flat Connections
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +61 449260590
Flat Connections is registered to Learning Confluence Pty Ltd, Australia. ABN 20138788155
Welcome to the Windows to the World global project, a Flat Connections project. This guide will provide information to help you determine the suitability of this online collaboration for your students.
The Windows to the World global project is an intercultural ‘penpals’ experience which aims to flatten classroom walls and to help build intercultural understanding. It encourages students to make connections between their own worlds and the worlds of others, to build on shared interests and commonalities, but also to identify and respect differences. Intercultural understanding is an essential part of living with others in the diverse world of the twenty-first century. It assists young people to become responsible local and global citizens.
The tools FlipGrid and Padlet among others are used for communication and collaboration. The focus of the project is on developing literacy, online communication skills and digital citizenship. The topics shared and discussed are real-world scenarios that aim to ignite interest and encourage students to connect and communicate with others beyond their immediate classroom.
About Flat Connections
Flat Connections was founded by Julie Lindsay, author of ‘The Global Educator: Leveraging technology for collaborative learning and teaching’ (ISTE, 2016) and ‘Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds: Move to Global Collaboration One Step at a Time’ (Pearson, 2012),
Flat Connections provides managed global collaborative projects for students in K-12 across the world with the following aims:
- Core content objectives united between classrooms,
- Unique, individual, personalized learning experiences for each student,
- The ‘merging’ and ‘flattening’ of classrooms for learners to get to know each other and work online together in groups or teams,
- Innovative implementation of modern learning skills supported by Web 2.0 tools,
- Customisable components based upon the unique situation of each classroom’s curricular objectives,
- Supportive Project Managers who support all teachers and ensure the project is successful
We invite teachers who believe global collaboration has a place in their classroom. We invite those who want to improve digital citizenship and cultural understanding, leading to global competency among students and teachers. We invite teachers who have some digital fluency and access to digital tools who want to use them in meaningful ways to connect with others and learn together.
Please note: Entry to this project is through teacher registration or school subscription via our Application Form on the Global Projects page.
If you have questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact project organisers for assistance at [email protected].
Project Overview and Purpose
Windows to the World is a global collaborative project that joins together students at the Grade/Year 3-6 levels (approximate ages 8-12). It is an exciting, challenging and unique experience that allows students (and their teachers) to connect and collaborate with those beyond the classroom and beyond the school. The project is run two times each year starting in February and October. See below for the full schedule, timeline and subscription details.
Project Objectives
Literacy:
- To share own experiences and interact with peers in an online environment
- To use a range of software with fluency to construct, edit and publish written text, and select, edit and place visual, print and/or audio elements
- To stimulate students’ interest in the lives of others and to help them to connect and communicate with diverse groups of fellow students
- To develop students’ abilities to recognise commonalities and differences between people and to develop empathy, respect and responsibility in actions
- To use online programs and web2.0 tools to share ideas and information and to collaboratively construct knowledge and digital solutions.
- To apply social and ethical protocols and practices when using ICT
Project Topics
Each week a new topic will be introduced and students will share their experiences and ideas on that topic with the other members of their team (10-12 students made up from 3-4 different schools/countries)
Examples of possible topics (input sought by teacher teams at beginning of project):
- Me, Family, Pets
- Location
- Special interests, sports, hobbies
- School
- Food
- Holidays
- Celebrations
- Music
- Technology Use - TV, computers, Video games etc.
Project structure
Guiding Questions:
- Can young students effectively connect, communicate, and collaborate in an online global project?
- Can literacy and digital citizenship skills be taught and developed when using online tools and connecting with a genuine audience?
- What activities and structure can we design and implement to scaffold this collaboration?
- Can intercultural understanding be strengthened by identifying the similarities and differences of students participating in this project?
- Can teams consolidate knowledge gained about others, reflect on this and produce artifacts that can be shared online with project participants?
Our Challenge: To bring Grade/Year 3-6 classrooms around the world together for meaningful interactions and provide guided pathways for students to discuss ideas, work in teams and co-construct understandings.
Project Outcomes
The Windows to the World project has these mandatory components for students:
- All students use online collaborative tools in their groups to communicate on the agreed topics per week.
- Students to respond to team members posts.
- New topics are posted for 5 consecutive weeks
- Students from same school in a team are allocated one specific topic each, from those already shared
- Students review contributions on that topic by fellow team members
- Students decide on multimedia to be used and create an artifact to share based on their given topic.
- Celebration of learning through shared outcomes and reflections
Project Spaces and Places
The Windows to the World project has important online locations. Teachers will be present and active in all of them as a guide to students and to promote and model global digital citizenship and online learning skills.
Current online locations are:
Windows to the World website - http://www.windowstoworld.net/
- This is the project portal where aims, structure and workflow are shared publicly
- This is also where past project outcomes are showcased
- Browse the Windows to the World website
Web 2.0 tools for project outcomes
Some of the tools we may use……
- FlipGrid - students record video and practice verbal communication online
- Padlet, Photostory, iMovie, MovieMaker, Adobe Spark Video, Powtoon, etc – sharing images, videos and text
- Google slides - for final collaborative team outcomes
Zoom (virtual classroom) - http://zoom.us
- This is a real-time virtual classroom where teachers will meet regularly to monitor project developments
- All meetings are recorded for playback to cater for time-zone differences
Prerequisites for Completing the Project
To participate in the Windows to the World project it is recommended that teachers have some classroom experience using Web 2.0 tools (wikis, blogs, educational networks) and multimedia (recording and sharing audio and video files) in the classroom. However, by joining a Flat Connections global project you become part of an online learning community that shares and supports its members - new global collaborators are always welcome! This project is a great way to hone in on digital skills and fluency in the classroom – for both teachers and students!
Hardware/Software Suggestions and Requirements
It is essential that schools joining the project have Web 2.0 tools needed to participate, unblocked. Regular access to hardware and suitable software to communicate and to create multimedia is needed.
Workflow / Timeline
The Windows to the World project typically runs for about 10 consecutive weeks. It is usual for schools to be on holiday for part of this time, so the project is designed for 8 weeks of collaboration.
Here are basic outlines for each of the TWO projects as they run each year:
Windows to the World 01 – February-May
- Application Deadline: February
- Online Teacher Information Meeting: before March
- Project Kick-off: March 1
- Team Formation and Project Discussions: February-March
- Team Collaborative Projects to be started: by mid-March
- Collaboration and Sharing: March-April
- Celebration, Summits and Reflections: April-May
Windows to the World 02 – October-December
- Application Deadline: October
- Online Teacher Information Meeting: before October
- Classroom Kick-off: mid-October
- Team Formation and Project Discussions: October-November
- Team Collaborative Projects to be started by: November
- Collaboration and Sharing: November
- Celebration, Summits and Reflections: November-December
Project Subscription Information
(Please note all prices are in Australian dollars, AUD)
There is a range of subscription options for teachers and schools that include access to one or more projects for each semester. Not sure what the best option is for you and your school? Contact Julie Lindsay to discuss possibilities now!
We invite you to review ALL subscription opportunities ie Teacherpreneur, Bronze, Silver and Gold on this page.
READ THE BOOK!
This project is featured in the book 'The Global Educator: Leveraging technology for collaborative learning and teaching' by project founder, Julie Lindsay, published by the International Society for Technology in Education (available from ISTE and Amazon - Book and eBook versions).
Contact Flat Connections
Dr Julie Lindsay, Australia
Founder and CEO, Flat Connections
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +61 449260590
Flat Connections is registered to Learning Confluence Pty Ltd, Australia. ABN 20138788155
