ISTE workshop on Global Collaboration using ePals, still a few open seats

This workshop session will inspire and encourage teachers and others to engage their students in global collaborative projects through free, safe and protected websites and communications tools. Examples of collaborations, projects, interactions, cultural objects and digital storytelling among students from countries around the world will demonstrate how instructionally beneficial and engaging it is to add global collaboration to the classroom.
Teachers will also see the steps of starting a simple project, finding partner classrooms, using translation tools, and more. Students take an active role in learning. If their partner students are learning English as a Second (or Third) Language, they will want to do their best to communicate clearly to a peer. Students can ask questions that go beyond the textbook. For example, what does a textbook in the UK say about the American Revolution or the Civil War? What do people in another country say about American politicans or actions in their country? How much of American culture is familiar outside US borders, and where are there misunderstandings because of language or culture? By participating in global collaborative projects, students explore many social and cultural issues. By learning about and with students from all over the world, students develop empathy, caring, compassion and a deeper understanding of youth from elsewhere and in a variety of living and educational situations.
Teachers can integrate a variety of subjects and levels to create authentic learning and increased student engagement, student achievement, and character development. All learners can display their understanding of concepts and curriculum.
More structured curricula, such as a language course (Spanish, English as a Second Language) and also courses part of programs such as International Baccalaureate have found power in using a new ePals platform called LearningSpace. This combines multiple web 2.0 features and allows other programs to be plugged in, maximizing opportunities for powerful and safe student learning. Examples of these "next generation" tools will be demonstrated.
Research clearly shows that students who participate in global collaborative projects do use higher order and critical thinking skills and do more work than required. The students might not otherwise have the opportunity to communicate with people in these other places or circumstances. Students and teachers use technology in a safe, secure and meaningful way while increasing their understanding of similiarities and differences. Their "ethnocentrism" decreases and their "cultural relativism" increases. As our societies across the globe have become increasingly diverse, this is an important lesson for 21st century citizens of the world.

More info: http://center.uoregon.edu/ISTE/2010/program/search_results_details....=