Among other things, global citizens are able to communicate ideas and recognize perspectives. These are competencies we expect our students to have, so we must provide ways for students to develop and refine them. One of the best opportunities that educators can offer students is the chance to collaborate with peers, which can include those across the district, the city, the state, the country, and -- especially -- the world.
While it may seem intimidating to communicate with someone halfway across the world, someone who speaks a different language, the benefits are insurmountable, and Connect All Schools has a great "cheat sheet" of tips and suggestions for international communication.
While it may seem intimidating to communicate with someone halfway across the world, someone who speaks a different language, the benefits are insurmountable, and Connect All Schools has a great "cheat sheet" of tips and suggestions for international communication.
iEARN is a non-profit organization that empowers teachers and connects students in meaningful, interactive, and collaborative projects, all while answering the question, "How will this make the world a better place?" More than 30,000 schools and youth organizations in 140 countries participate in over 150 projects in iEARN, all of which are designed by educators and students. When the class selects the project in which they want to participate, they enter the online platform and engage with groups from around the world who are also completing the same activity.
In addition to providing an online platform to connect students worldwide, iEARN also hosts excellent professional development opportunities that assist teachers with the technical, organizational, and collaborative skills needed to best globalize their classrooms. |
ePals is an online platform that allows for teachers to set up "connections" or "collaborations" with educators and students from around the world. With the "connections" option, teachers fill out information about their school and students and then enter a pool from which other global educators select classes with whom to connect. When a match is made, students communicate via the platform in a class-to-class pen pal exchange.
"Collaborations" are projects on which two or more classes communicate via a discussion board regarding an ePal experience (such as Fighting Poverty or Wild Robots) or a teacher-created experience centered on cultural exchange, language practice, or subject-based learning. |
Belouga invites educators to "tear down the walls of your classroom and invite the world in" by collaborating with others around the world. Currently in over 1800 classrooms and 76 countries, Belouga connects educators and students based on age, location, and subject matter, allowing students to open message and video chat each other. Students create personal profiles with text, images, and videos, which helps teach peers around the world about themselves, their culture, their classroom, and their community. Students earn points by interacting with each other and the Belouga newsfeed, which can then be "cashed in" to assist schools in need of support, such as providing Chromebooks to a school in Haiti, planting 2,000 trees in Tanzania, or sending solar lanterns to India.
With such powerful global connections, Belouga strives to "encourage intercultural communication to create a better tomorrow." |
With participants in over 140 countries, PenPal Schools connects students ages 8-18 to peers from across the world to learn about cultures and global challenges while practicing language, technology, and social-emotional skills. Each standards-aligned project (ranging from one to six weeks) is offered at three difficulty levels to differentiate as needed, and each consists of a text, a video, and a discussion question. Students complete weekly assignments and are matched to pen pals accordingly based on the quality of work they submit. Teachers can easily monitor and assess student writing via the online platform.
Projects are identified by age appropriateness, and students are always paired with peers who are within two years of their age. Topics include La Cultura Latina; Facts, Opinions, and Fake News; The World Through My Eyes; The Power of Art; and more. |
People to People International is present in over 160 countries and strives to "enhance international understanding and friendship through educational, cultural, and humanitarian activities," specifically by exchanging ideas and experiences among diverse individuals, cultures, and communities, with the ultimate goal to create and sustain a more peaceful world.
Accordingly, the organization facilitates a number of opportunities for such collaboration to occur, including international travel and cultural immersion programs; a school and classroom program that includes pen pal exchanges, projects, and global education resources; a global youth murals contest; a global book club; and more. |