The International Education and Resource Network

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• The International Education and Resource Network
• 1998-2009
• Learning with the world, not just about it

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What Is Telecollaboration?

• Telecollaboration is a structured activity in
  which students use Internet tools such as e-mail,
  chat, Web pages, blogs, podcasts, etc. to access,
  process and share data and to communicate,
  cooperate and collaborate.

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What Is Telecollaborative Project Work?

• Telecollaborative project work is a term that has
  developed to describe online student project work
  that combines the use of telecollaboration and
  some form of a project-based activity.

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Agenda

• What is iEARN?
• iEARN Program Goals
• Online Project-Based Learning Benefits
• Methodology

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iEARN

• What is iEARN?
• The International Education and Resource Network
• 20th Anniversary Video
• Started 1988
• A Network of educators and students from
• over 25,000 schools and youth organizations
• 2,000,000 Students, aged 5-19
• 26,000 Educators
• 125 Countries
• 300 Projects
• 30 Languages

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iEARN Secure Environment

• iEARN has searchable databases
• on the Web to help you to find easily
  international students and teachers within the
  iEARN Community worldwide to collaborate on
  projects.
• iEARN provides its community
• with the supportive framework to
• collaborate in projects.
• The vision and purpose of iEARN is that
• ALL PROJECTS
• have to enhance the
• QUALITY OF LIFE ON THE PLANET

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iEARN Program Goals

• To facilitate teacher student-directed
  collaborative project work
• Enhance students
• expression, language skills and
• understanding of the world.
• Engage students
• in discussions and dialogue
• to discuss common issues and
• those related to ones culture.
• Develop an appreciation
• for cultural diversity and tolerance.

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iEARN Program Goals

• To create global, national and local support
  structures to sustain project work
• To demonstrate that online education can enhance
  learning and improve the quality of life on the
  planet.

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iEARN Program Goals
Stimulate students engagement and service in
their community. Develop civil awareness and
responsibility. Improve learning and teaching
practices. Build a supportive community of
educators that share the latest teaching
methodologies. Integrate technology in the
curriculum in meaningful projects.
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History

• Since its start, iEARN has adhered to four
  underlying principles
• iEARN project and program initiatives are
  grassroots
• iEARN honors a diversity of teaching and
  learning styles
• iEARN recognizes that learning also happens
  outside of the classroom, and classroom
  learning must be shared with broader
  community, locally and globally
• iEARN builds partnerships

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iEARN Provides
A known audience Writing and reading for a
purpose

• "Children develop language through
  interaction...they learn to talk by talking to
  someone who respondsThey must therefore learn to
  write by writing to someone who responds. It will
  perhaps be possible for us to create classroom
  communities within school communities...in which
  writing matters because
• it's done for real reasons by real writers who
  ache with caring for real response.
• Reflections by Mem Fox, 1993

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iEARN is ..

• Projects in all curriculum areas
• Arts Literature
• Social Studies
• Math Science
• Languages ESL
• Adaptable to meet national (state) standards

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iEARN is ..

• Sustained Collaboration
• Ongoing projects
• Some projects more than decade old
• Long-term partnerships among teachers and schools

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iEARN is ..
Accessible, regardless of a schools level of
technology or experience.
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iEARN is ..
Decentralized, with local control group
decision-making
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iEARN is ..

• Partnerships
• Global, national, regional, local
• NGOS, educational agencies, youth groups,
  foundations
• Ministries, Departments of Education

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iEARN is ..

• Professional Development
• Face-to-face
• Online Courses
• Train-the-Trainer
• Annual Conference

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iEARN is ..
Student educator exchanges
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iEARN is ..

• Annual Conferences
• Canada (2010)
• Morocco (2009)
• Egypt (2007)
• Netherlands (2006)
• Senegal (2005)
• Slovakia (2004)
• Japan (2003)
• Russia (2002)
• South Africa (2001)
• China (2000)
• Puerto Rico (1999)
• USA (1998)
• Spain (1997)

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iEARN is ..
The largest project-based K-12 network in the
world! 25,000 schools and youth organizations in
over 125 countries. www.iearn.org
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Active Learning and Teaching
All iEARN projects are teacher and student
driven Learning beyond the 4 walls
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Active Learning and Teaching

• Students engage in complex real world issues.
• Use problem solving critical thinking skills.
• Learn to apply knowledge in a variety of
  contexts.
• Learn and apply interpersonal skills as they work
  cooperatively.

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Accomplishment!
Tangible results

• Activities incorporate reflection critical
  thinking.
• Projects end with a presentation or product that
  demonstrates learning.
• Increase technical ability.
• Students with various strengths and inclinations
  have opportunities to explore their talents in a
  variety of ways.

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Accomplishment!
Empowerment Engagement Responsibility Production

• Practice using career skills allocation of time
  and resources.
• Practice projecting learning outcomes.
• End with a product that is assessed in a variety
  of ways.

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Global

• A culturally diverse community of supportive
  educators.
• Build sensitivity and compassion for others.
• Opportunities to meet in person.

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Sample Projects Themes

• Our Footprints, Our Future (Carbon Footprinting)
• Water Habitat Project
• Kindred Family History Project
• The Role of Women in Family and Society
• YouthCaN
• Moving Voices Digital Video Documentaries
• Laws of Life Essay Project
• What My Country Is to Me
• Connecting Math to Our Lives
• A Vision Creative Writing Anthology
• Global Art A Sense of Caring

Child Labor, Childrens rights, Environment and
Ecology, Gender equity, Globalization, Human
rights, Peace, Poverty, Prejudice and
discrimination, Racism, Refugees, Conflicts and
wars, Tolerance, Womens rights and role in
society.
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iEARN Projects

• Learning Circles
• My Hero
• Talking Kites
• New York City
• Jerusalem
• Russia
• Early Peoples Symbols Project

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iEARN Projects

• Adriane Barton
• Tara Collins
• Brittany Powers
• Melissa Rich
• Richard Rosenblum
• Carrie Sasso
• Ashley Scavo
• Amy Sherman
• Meghan Tranter
• Miguel Zambrano
• Allison Schwartz
• Judy Duffield

Password Lehigh
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• Planningand
• Implementing
• An
• iEARN Project

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Select a Project Plan Your Curriculum

• 1 - Ask yourself
• What do I want my students to get out of this
  years work with me?
• What content or base knowledge will I cover?

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Select a Project Plan Your Curriculum

• 2 - The project you select should address a real
  life question or problem that
• Is interesting exciting to you AND your
  students.
• Has accessible age appropriate resources to
  investigate the topic.
• Provide opportunities to make connections to
  other classes as well as in and out of school and
  enhances critical thinking and problem solving
  skills.
• Will involve your students in team work.
• Can be addressed through a variety of strategies
  activities.
• Will help students with various strengths and
  inclinations.

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Select a Project Plan Your Curriculum

• 3 - Plan learning activities that
• Give you the chance to see their understanding
  develop in new challenging situations
• Require them to show their understanding in an
  observable way.
• Involve students in publicly demonstrating their
  understanding

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Select a Project Plan Your Curriculum

• 4 - Plan ongoing assessment What criteria will
  help my students and me figure out what they
  understand?
• Instructor Informal checks observations,
  dialogue feedback
• Peer assessment
• Self assessment
• Quiz / test
• Academic prompts
• Instructor/students dialogue
• Performance tasks/projects Oral Presentations,
  reports and other tasks.

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Before You Begin

• Safety on the NET
• How to Use Search Engines
• Get your students ready for online collaboration
  sensitivity exercises
• Netiquette, E-mail and Newsgroup basics

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Netiquette

• Be sensitive to others.
• Be explicit and clear.
• Learn as much as you can about the other cultures
  you are working with to avoid cultural and
  language misunderstanding.
• Avoid sending capitalized messages.
• Avoid writing messages when you are angry.
• Avoid hurting peoples feelings.
• Always be courteous and polite.
• Be responsible online.
• Avoid using slang and abbreviations.
• Always acknowledge receipt of messages.

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Sensitivity Exercises

• To raise the level of awareness and understanding
• Get to know the students you are working with
• Interests Surveys team creates, sends, collates
  and reports results
• In parallel prepare your classroom bulletin board
• Post your students buddy contract
• Difference in time zones
• Something special about your peers
• Pictures
• Messages to be sent / received

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Steps to Follow

• Articulate your goals, select the project, and
  set your leading question.
• Compile resources.
• Set your objectives and plan your lesson
  progression, project activities and timeline.
• Distribute the project objectives.
• Discuss project expectations and the frequency of
  communication.
• Discuss the project in depth with your students.
• Create teams, discuss what is expected from them
  and agree on due dates.
• Clarify your evaluation method.

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Steps to Follow

• Send a note to the project coordinator
  introducing yourself and your students
• Introduce iEARNs mission and vision to your
  students and visit the web site.
• Prepare your students for online collaboration
  and have them prepare their introductions.
• Go to the FORUMS, have them post their
  introductions.
• Have students respond to other students writing
  using the writing process.

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Steps to Follow

• Have students write and publish their own
  contributions within the project
• Create a tracking system grid and discuss it
  frequently with the students
• Generate weekly project reminders
• BE PROUD OF YOUR WORK! SHARE IT WITH OTHERS AT
  SCHOOL

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Stay Connected!

• Use iEARN resources.
• Check the iEARN Teachers forum regularly.
• Read iEARN in Action Newsflash.
• Share your story with iEARN teachers!

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• The International Education and Resource Network
• http//www.iearn.org
• iearn_at_iearn.org