Collaborations Around the Planet

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Collaborations Around the Planet

• Janine Lim
• Berrien RESA
• janine.lim_at_berrienresa.org

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• Curriculum Videoconferencing

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If your principal or superintendent walked into
your classroom during a videoconference, give
five adjectives to describe what they would see
happening.
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Collaborations!

• classroom-to-classroom collaborations

school-to-school collaborations
professional development collaborations
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Why Collaborations?
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Whos Asking?
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Tech Coordinator

• We bought VC. How do we get teachers to use it?
• FREE
• Most closely matches curriculum
• Can be most powerful VCs

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Teacher

• Whats the value to my students? Owston 2007
• multicultural understanding and greater positive
  self-concept Cifuentes Murphy 2000
• greater understanding of time, distance, and
  other children Yost 2001
• learn from other viewpoints Martinez MacMillan,
  1998

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Curriculum Director

• How does VC meet state curriculum standards?
• tailored to curriculum goals
• adapted to curriculum goals
• created from/within curriculum goals

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Professor

• Did anyone think about the learning theory?
• social constructivism - we learn by talking to
  others Vygotsky
• constructivism - use of VC has a positive
  relationship with teachers preference for
  constructivism Sweeney 2007
• authentic audience Warschauer 1997

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Eco-Conversations
Carbon Dioxide Emissions Climate Change Warmer
Oceans Environmental Clean-Up Fresh Water
Water Bottles
Background science knowledge Analysis of
scientific method's use Environmental
perspectives Economic perspectives Local
perspectives Recommended actions / solutions

• Middle School Science
• International where possible
• www.remc11.k12.mi.us/dl/EcoConversations/

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• My students absolutely LOVED IT. You know they
  really liked it when they are telling other
  teachers and students about it!!! Talking to
  another country is by far the best VC out there!!
  When you have students like those here in
  Dowagiac who have maybe been as far away as
  Detroit or Chicago (many not that far) they are
  fascinated with the accents, language
  usage.very cool, I would talk to another
  country any time it was available!
• Eco-Conversations Carbon Emissions

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• Halloween and Diwali Exchange with India

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MysteryQuest Agenda

• Introductions
• Presentation of Clues
• Time to Research
• Clarifying Questions
• Sharing Guesses
• Revealing the Answer
• Sign-Off

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School-to-School

• Mars Elementary, Berrien Springs
• While trying to get my teachers interested in
  having VC Pals, I had to make a point to let them
  know I only wanted them to share things they
  already do. Many times when the students do their
  writings they share as a classroom but thats it.
  By sharing during a VC, maybe the work will
  become more meaningful because they are sharing
  it with another group of students.

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Monster Match

• Developed by ESC 12, Waco, TX
• Descriptive writing use of wiki
• RESA to ESC collaboration (125 classes)

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• A few of my reluctant writers shocked me with the
  quality of their writing and enthusiasm for the
  project. I think having an audience that goes
  beyond the buildings walls helps too. It makes
  the project seem more important.
• Gobbling Up Descriptive Writing

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What is TWICE?

• www.twice.cc
• K12 videoconferencing organization
• Volunteer board members, mostly from educational
  service agencies
• Read Around the Planet
• ASK Programs and Michigan Week
• Discounts with providers

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Read Around the Planet
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Read Around the Planet

• Verification Registration Opens Nov. 1
• Teacher Registration Opens Dec. 1
• Teacher Registration Closes (mid Jan)
• Matches Announced (end of Jan)
• English World Languages
• February 23 - March 6, 2009

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• A directory based on Read Around the Planet
• A way to add VC friends find new VC friends
• A way to create collaborations
• More tools to come
• projects.twice.cc or
• polycom.com/education/PCATP

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Designing Projects

• What is my required curriculum?
• What can my students learn from connecting to
  another class?
• How does it add value to the lesson?
• What benefit is gained in greater curriculum
  understanding because the students collaborated
  with another class?

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Designing Projects

• ISTE NETS Standards
• Technology communications tools
• Students use telecommunications to collaborate,
  publish, and interact with peers, experts, and
  other audiences.
• Students use a variety of media and formats to
  communicate information and ideas effectively to
  multiple audiences.

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Other Collaboration Tools

• CILC Collaboration Centerwww.cilc.org/c/community
  /collaboration_center.aspx
• Global Leap, UKwww.global-leap.com
• Internet2 K20 Musek20.internet2.edu
• Janet Collaborate, UKwww.global-leap.com
• K12 Videoconferencing in Ontariovideoconference.c
  ommun-it.org
• VC Albertavcalberta.ca/socialnetwork

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Planning Interactive Curriculum Connections

• www.remc11.k12.mi.us/dl/picc/
• Cost 150 (bulk discounts available)
• 1 graduate semester credit
• 1 week intro to VC 1 week on content providers
  1 week on preparation 1 week on projects
• "As a media specialist, I think this course
  would be extremely useful for my teachers and
  staff."

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Kid2Kid Videoconference Connections

• www.remc11.k12.mi.us/dl/k2k/
• Cost 200 (bulk discounts available)
• 2 graduate semester credits
• Collaborative community online
• Week 1 Developing a project idea
• Week 2 Planning and advertising
• Week 34 Preparing for a project
• Week 5 Participating in a project
• Week 6 Evaluating projects

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Challenges to Collaboration

• Snow Days / Rescheduling
• Blocked Emails
• Lack of Follow-Up
• Lack of School-Level VC Coordinators
• Project Definition

http//bcisdvcs.wordpress.com/2007/04/24/why-proje
cts-failed-this-year/
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Questions?

• Janine Lim, janine.lim_at_berrienresa.org
• TWICE www.twice.cc
• CAPspace projects.twice.cc
• Berrien RESA DL www.remc11.k12.mi.us/dl
• Blog bcisdvcs.wordpress.com
• Wiki collaborativeVCs.pbwiki.com
• Online Classes Planning Interactive Curriculum
  Connections www.remc11.k12.mi.us/dl/picc Kid2Kid
  Videoconference Connections www.remc11.k12.mi.us/d
  l/k2k

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Bibliography

• Cifuentes, L., Murphy, K. L. (2000). Promoting
  multicultural understanding and positive
  self-concept through a distance learning
  community cultural connections. Educational
  Technology Research and Development, 48(1),
  69-83.
• Martinez, M. D., MacMillan, G. (1998). A Joint
  Distance Learning Course in American Government
  (No. ED428005).
• Owston, R. (2007). Contextual factors that
  sustain innovative pedagogical practice using
  technology an international study. Journal of
  Educational Change, 8(1), 61-77.
• Sweeney, M. A. (2007). The use of
  videoconferencing techniques which support
  constructivism in K-12 education. Dissertation
  Abstracts International.
• Warschauer, M. (1997).Computer-mediated
  collaborative learning Theory and practice.
  Modern Language Journal, 81(3), p. 470-481. Also
  at http//www.gse.uci.edu/person/markw/cmcl.html
• Yost, N. (2001). Lights, Camera, Action
  Videoconferencing in Kindergarten. Paper
  presented at the Society for Information
  Technology and Teacher Education International
  Conference.