Thinking Globally

Today's link for the agenda is:  goo.gl/2kLjG.

When thinking globally it is important to begin reaching outside of your classroom and teaming up with other students and professional around the world.  I was introduced to this last year as I was attending the ITSC conference and Silivia Rosenthal Tolisano's work session!  She started a quad-blogging project in which you sign up and are assigned three other schools in which you rotate whose blog you read for the week and reply to.  What this does is ensure that your blog is read and replied to.  I have blogged about this in the past...such ideas as skyping with authors, other classrooms, and professional or using edmodo/collaborize/blogging/etc. in the classroom to connect with others!

When thinking about how I will use this in my situation I struggle with this.  I would love to work with a teacher who is interested in exploring this.  I can see some great collaboration projects even for the science classroom--everything from talking to "real" scientist, taking virtual fieldtrips, blogging, to gathering data for various topics (weather).  One area I think we could really build this into the curriculum is in language arts.  It seems like every teacher has a book they love to read with their classes...why not explore the author's blog, twitter feed, and facebook to gather background knowledge.  After research skyping with the author might be a possibility if there are additional questions your students would like to know.  In addition, if a book is set in a particular location why not try to find another classroom that either reads the same book or is located in that location.  Some ways I would try to find a classroom would be through Edmodo Communities, ePals, Twitter, Skyping, emailing local teachers, etc....

On ePals I tried typing in the title of a book I know LA teachers use and got some results.  For example, here is a teacher who would like students to be able to discuss books like Huckleberry Flinn, The Great Gabsey, to Kill a Mockingbird, Macbeth, etc...  http://www.epals.com/show-profile.php?id=69405692-96ac-462f-915f-bc93bc0604ba and here is another one:  http://www.epals.com/show-profile.php?id=be300297-cc87-40c4-a32e-3e91d06b9dcd and one on Huckleberry: http://www.epals.com/show-profile.php?id=51f83dec-a061-4734-a510-252af7a77d7d.

When getting other classes or students to create something for you such as a videos have them send it to DropItToMe so you can pick them up.  Check out Joe's Project we got as HW!

Notes:  Check out Edmodo Community for global projects revolving around the election.
Screencastomatic, screenr, camstudio (get avi file), Jing, Camtasha (paid)
Reflection App ($15):
Check out equipment....are there any projects PRSD would like to try with iPads?