Flat Connections Global News

Hello everyone!
February across the world means the southern hemisphere school year is starting, while the northern hemisphere is well into the second half of the year. Those observing Chinese New Year are taking a break.....and everyone should be thinking about how to implement global connections and collaborations into the curriculum.

Professional learning - This newsletter shares an exciting update for global educators. A new opportunity, the Online Global Collaborative Learning Playbooks, will start on March 1 - less than a month away. If you want to be part of the very first cohort (highly recommended!), consider subscribing soon. Alternatively, the OGCL Playbooks will always be available and online for whenever you wish to access it in your own time. Read more below.

Global projects - Our successful information webinar last week shared lots of global project details and highlights of global learning - access the recording and slides below. Don't forget some projects start in February, check the list again and subscribe before the deadline.

As always let me know if you have any questions or school-based needs - we customise learning to suit your online global collaborative objectives - just ask me how!

Happy collaborating everyone!
Julie Lindsay

Educators,

• Are you looking for professional learning that ensures understanding of online global collaborative learning?
  
• Is your school wanting to embed global projects into the curriculum but does not know how, or where to start?
• Are you an education leader with responsibility for visionary change in approaches to learning?
• Are you wanting to learn how to connect your students with others in the world to enable global competency, intercultural understanding, and collaborative exchange - but do not know how?

If you answered YES to any of the questions above, then professional learning provided by the Online Global Collaborative Learning Playbooks is a perfect way forward.

WHAT IS A PLAYBOOK?

• A set of commonly employed tactics and strategies

WHAT ARE THE ONLINE GLOBAL COLLABORATIVE LEARNING PLAYBOOKS?

• Resources to help educators and education leaders understand how to implement global education, online global projects and collaborative learning into the curriculum

HOW CAN I ACCESS THE PLAYBOOKS FOR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING?

• The OGCL Playbooks will be available online starting March 1, 2018, for asynchronous access. You can learn when and where you want
  
• Subscribe to one or more Playbooks - or all 4! Your choice!
  

WHAT WILL THE OGCL PLAYBOOKS INCLUDE?

• On-demand, always available modules with relevant strategies and current resources
• Each Playbook has FOUR modules - 16 modules in total
  
• Suggested activities and further ways to explore and learn more
• Strategic pathways for taking your learning and your student's learning global
• Interaction with others, and access to unique opportunities to meet and learn from established global educators
  

WHAT ABOUT LEARNING WITH OTHERS IN A COHORT?

• The OGCL Playbooks provides opportunities to work as a cohort or independently
  
• Cohort-based sessions will be advertised with set starting dates, and participation in these is encouraged, but not mandatory
• All materials are made available to subscribers

THERE ARE SO MANY ONLINE COURSES AND MATERIALS AVAILABLE NOW, WHY SHOULD I BOTHER WITH THIS ONE?

Good question! Subscribing to the OGCL Playbooks (one or more) provides:

• A unique professional learning experience focused on global collaborative learning and global project design
  
• An opportunity to be part of a growing movement in online learning and pathways and to connect with like-minded educators
• A unique opportunity to learn with Julie Lindsay who, as an internationally recognised global leader and author, has 20+ years experience in designing, implementing, and writing about online global collaboration, as well as vast experience in online learning design and teaching for K-12 and higher education
  

READ more below for a 'sneak preview' of what is coming.......

By completing Playbook 1 you will learn about:

• How to make the case for online connected and collaborative learning and why it matters
• Approaches to and tools for online collaborative learning and how to apply in your classroom
• Online global collaborative learning synchronous and asynchronous modes and how to connect beyond the immediate classroom
• How to engage school stakeholders and overcome barriers to implement online global collaboration

By completing Playbook 2 you will learn about:

• The many types and structures of online global collaborative projects in order to understand what is best for your learning objectives
• How to select and use digital tools that support online global collaborative learning
• Where to find global partners, foster successful collaborations, and select global projects
  
• The global project 'lifecycle' and how to successfully survive with positive outcomes for all learners

By completing Playbook 3 you will learn about:

• Essential design protocols of online global collaborative projects in order to structure, plan and manage
• Design thinking strategies and how to apply these to global project learning design
• How the different levels and modes of local to global online learning enables project design to support curriculum objectives
• How to design learning to go from online interactions to learning collaboratives using the 5 levels of the online global collaboration taxonomy
  

By completing Playbook 4 you will learn about:

• How to prepare for global leadership and adopt new digital learning synergies for flat, connected learning
• How to develop and leverage digital technologies in your school environment for global learning
• How to create and communicate a vision for global and collaborative learning and how best to influence stakeholders within the school
• New pedagogical frameworks influencing a shift in teaching and learning and how you can affect change within your learning environment

Lynn Koresh is a Computer Science/Information Technology teacher at Edgewood Campus School in Madison, Wisconsin. Currently, she teaches grades 4-8 Computer Science/Information Technology. Each class meets twice in a six-day cycle for 35-45 minutes. She is also the Technology Director for her school.

Lynn works to solve real-world problems and make worldwide connections through technology. She incorporates cutting-edge lessons into her daily teaching. Notable projects include an interdisciplinary 3-D car STEM project, global collaborations, app creation, augmented reality, and video game design. As a Flat Connections Project Manager, she works with students and teachers both asynchronously and synchronously to develop empathy for people in other cultures while working collaboratively to learn to be good digital citizens. Lynn managed the Digiteen Project last semester and is looking forward to more exciting interactions this year.

Note: ALL Flat Connections global projects are managed by a global educator like Lynn - this is one of the ways we provide a unique and personalised learning experience for you and your students.

Did you miss the online information meeting about Flat Connections global projects?
Here are details to review:

• Download PDF slides with hyperlinks
• Listen to the meeting recording
  

Have you decided which global projects to join in 2018?
Below is a summary of both semesters this calendar year. Flat Connections is offering an expanded list of global collaborative opportunities!
READ MORE on the Flat Connections website and SUBSCRIBE today.

The following global projects are offered this semester - note grade levels, start/end dates:

• Windows to the World - Grades 3-6, Feb 19-April 27
• Flat Connections Global Project - Grades 9-12, Feb 19-May 25
• 'Digiteen' - Grades 6-9, Feb 26-May 18
• Global Youth Debates - Grades 5-12, Feb 26-May 18
• Friends for Sustainability - Grades 5-8, March 5-May 25
• Building Bridges to Tomorrow - Grades K-2, March 5-May 18
• Poetry with Passion and Performance - Grades 4-6, April 23-June 15
  

The following global projects are offered from August onwards - note grade levels, start/end dates:

• Endangered Animals #1 - Grades 3-6, Aug 6-Sept 21
• Friends for Sustainability - Grades 5-8, Sept 10-Nov 30
  
• Flat Connections Global Project - Grades 9-12, Sept 10-Dec 7
  
• 'Digiteen' - Grades 6-9, Sept 17-Dec 7
  
• Global Youth Debates - Grades 5-12, Sept 17-Dec 7
• Building Bridges to Tomorrow - Grades K-2, Oct 8-Dec 7
  
• Windows to the World - Grades 3-6, Oct 15-Dec 7
  
• Endangered Animals #2 - Grades 3-6, Oct 22-Dec 7
  

Barbara Bray, Creative Learning Strategist, connector, futurist and visionary is producing an inspiring podcast series. All episodes are available via her Rethinking Learning website. This recent episode shares Julie's experiences and thoughts on global collaboration and how to 'Learn about the World with the World' approach. Make sure you explore the other episodes as well - an impressive collection of thought leaders in education.

The NEW Teaching for Global Competence in a Rapidly Changing World is now
is available for download. It shares implications for educators and for education systems. It identifies four key components of global competence.
Globally competent youth:

1. investigate the world beyond their immediate environment by examining issues of local, global, and cultural significance;
2. recognize, understand, and appreciate the perspectives and worldviews of others;
3. communicate ideas with diverse audiences by engaging in open, appropriate, and effective interactions across cultures; and
4. take action for collective well-being and sustainable development both locally and globally.

Connect with us to discuss possibilities for you, your school and your students today!
Email Julie - julie@flatconnections.com to talk about how your school can embed online global collaborative learning into the curriculum.

Ask me how to embed online global collaboration into your curriculum.

Email: julie@flatconnections.com
Website: http://flatconnections.com
Phone: +61 449260590
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flatconnections/
Twitter: @flatconnections