3 Easy Ways to "Go Global" in your Classroom

Communicating and collaborating both locally and globally using digital tools are two important 21st century skills as well as a part of the Technology Applications TEKS for ALL GCISD students.  

Here are 3 super easy ways that you can "Go Global" in your classroom:

100 Word Challenge 
http://100wc.net/about-100-word-challenge/
Each week students are given a prompt (sometimes a picture and sometimes a phrase). Students around the world under the age of 16 write 150 word stories based on the prompt and post to a class blog. Students can then read the blogs and comment on the stories written by other students (both older and younger). It's a great way for students to get blog comments from outside their classroom and also a great way to encourage high level writing from your students.

Global Read Aloud 

The Fall Global Read Aloud runs from September 30th to November 8th. There are four different books to read depending on your grade level: An Eric Carle Author Study for grades K and up, Marty McGuire by Kate Messner for grade 1 and up, Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper for grades 4 and up and Stupid Fast by Geoff Herback for grades 8 and up. Student read and discuss the book with classes around the world. Connect with teachers and students via the Global Read Aloud blog and wiki, Edmodo, Skype, Twitter, Facebook or any combination of them all. You decide how much you want to participate.  

For more info and to sign up, visit http://www.globalreadaloud.com/p/faq.html

Then go to the wiki page "So You've Joined - Now What" to get started. http://globalreadaloud.wikispaces.com/So+You%27ve+Joined+-+Now+What  

Mystery Skype
Mystery Skypes are a fun way to begin using Skype in your classroom. Two classes Skype, ask each other questions and use the answers to figure out where they are from. It's great for geography as well as research and critical thinking skills. Teachers can find classes to Skype with using the Skype for Education website (https://education.skype.com/collections/mystery-skype ) or via Twitter using the #mysteryskype hastag. Once a partner class is located, a list of questions is created (ideas here), students answer the questions for their community, student jobs are assigned (ideas here) and the Skype begins!

For more information about Mystery Skypes or other ideas for using Skype in the classroom, visit my Pinterest board http://www.pinterest.com/amypintx/school-skype/

Want even more ideas for "Going Global" in your classroom, visit my "Connecting Globally" Pinterest board: 
http://www.pinterest.com/amypintx/school-connecting-globally/