Global Education Initiatives

It's gratifying to realize that I have been blogging for exactly one year. David Warlick cajoled me (and others) into starting a blog during his keynote at last year's AIMS Technology retreat. And here I am, a year later, still blogging. Yesterday, I led a directed session on Global Educational Initiatives at the 2008 AIMS Technology retreat I have been attending since Sunday. I think it was well received and I promised that I'd post the slideshow on my blog. So, here we go:

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Google Earth Pro for Educators

Last night at the AIMS Technology Retreat, Hall Davidson, of Discovery Education was our keynote speaker. While he didn't teach me many new things, I did learn that Educators can download Google Earth Pro for FREE (usually a $400 license). Kevin Jarrett over at Northfield Community School blogged about it, and I'm reposting his info on how to get it for your school here:
"Download the PRO trial version at http://earth.google.com and then forward the answers to these questions to GEEC [at] google.com
1. The e-mail address (log in) that will be used in connection with the Google Earth Education Account.
2. A brief description of the institution where Google Earth will be installed (URL included). The license may be installed on two computers.
3. Name, title and contact information of the principle faculty member or administrator in charge of the license.
4. A brief description of the intended applications of Google Earth, including grade level(s), discipline(s) and subject matter."

John Stanford School--International School

Although I tried to embed this video here, the link didn't work. Try viewing this video about the John Stanford School's Global curriculum.

A Vision of Students Today

Although I do not often embed videos, I find myself posting TWO this week alone. I've seen this before, but it just returned to me via email, so I'm thinking it holds something of value for us all. It's from a Spring 2007 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology Class at Kansas State University.

Everything Is Miscellaneous

AIMS Technology Retreat 2007: Global Initiatives

The Association for Maryland Independent Schools has a very active technology network. Each year, technology teachers, directors, librarians and coordinators from across the state all gather in St. Michael's, Maryland for two and a half days of technology talking and learning. This year, I'm presenting a session on Global Initiatives. Below are the resources we'll be using to frame our discussions:

Books:
The World Is Flat by Thomas Friedman (of course, the gimme)
A Whole New Mind by Dan Pink
Everything is Miscellaneous by David Weinberger
Understanding Media by Marshall McLuhan (an oldie but goodie for perspective)

Magazine Articles:
Global Education on A Dime Edutopia, Alexander Russo, November 2007
"Can American Students Compete..." New York Times November 14, 2007
The Entire November 2007 Issue of Learning and Leading with Technology
"Flat Classrooms" by Julie Lindsay and Vickie Davis, August 2007 Learning and Leading
The November/December 2007 Issue of Ed Tech Magazine
As the World Learns: Education as a Vital Global Marketplace Represents the Future Edutopia

Websites and Blogs:
Global Education Collaborative Ning
NAIS Global Initiatives Resources and Statistics
Global Awareness for Teachers and Sister Schools Project
Lucy Gray's Delicious Links of Global Learning (Lucy founded the Global Ed Ning)
Epals
GlobalSchoolNet
Learning Now Blog (specifically about Global Challenge Podcasts)

ISTE's NETS for Students:
2. Communication and CollaborationStudents use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Students:a. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.b. communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.c. develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures.
d. contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.

Poetry Slam and An Unexpected Axis Experience

This year, our seventh grade English students will be participating in an online poetry project from the Literacy Workshop. Steve Bergen, the CIO and Computer Teacher at The Children's Storefront in Harlem, New York, posted to the ISED list serv about this project. He has already had his class "meet" other poets online and they've shared their work with one another. So, our English teachers Charlotte Stice and Andy Puente have agreed to take part. We've just received notices about how to set up our class blogs and are looking forward to reading poetry by other students. We'll also have a class conversation or two with Steve's classes.

When I first began chatting with Steve, he was quite insistent that we chat via phone before any Skyping or Im'ing. I admit, at first, I was perplexed. I've chatted with quite a few people online before actually speaking to them realtime and I wasn't quite sure why he wanted to approach our conversation in this manner. It seemed kind of old-fashioned, frankly. During that talk, however, he explained that the connections you make when you share an actual conversation are different than those you have with someone you have no real-world connection with. Well, duh, why didn't I make that connection myself? I've spent hours reading and learning about how online communications are distinctly different from those that occur both online and offline. So, thanks to Steve, I put two and two together. I, in fact, melded that educational axis for which this blog is named. Thanks for that, Steve.