Understanding the Values and Perspectives of Different Groups
Learning Circles
Global Learning Circles What Are Learning Circles?
Cross-Classroom Collaboration To Create A Circle Publication
Group Investigations within Classrooms
Group Investigations across Classrooms
One of the best ways to learn something is to agree to teach it to someone else!
Global Learning Circles What Are Teachers’ Expecting?
Teachers are looking for a global education experience for their students
Teachers are looking for theme-based project work they can integrate with their classroom curriculum
Teachers want students to develop important interpersonal skills by working with other students from around the world
Teachers want to professionally learn through interactions with other teachers
Global Learning Circles Misconceptions
We are not a social network
Most of our student and teacher interaction is asynchronous
We cannot guarantee that the other members of your Learning Circle will complete their commitment to the project
We cannot make other schools communicate, participate, and interact
Learning Circles are only as strong as the commitment of the participants. We count on participating teachers to be professional, trustworthy, and honest. We also expect educators who enroll to honer their commitment.
Global Learning Circles Support for Learning Circles
Overview
The Learning Circle Teacher Guide provides a structural approach to promoting cross-classroom collaboration with telecommunications. The first chapter provides an overview. If you want to understand this model of online teaching and learning, it is a good place to begin
Each Class as a team organizes or "sponsors" a project for the group
Every class is responsible to send at least one response to the projects in their Learning Circle
Global Learning Circles Project Idea Template
Learning Circle Group: Computer Chronicles
Sponsoring Teacher: Barry S. Kramer
Sponsor School: Franklin Township School
City: Quakertown
Country: USA
Name of Project:
Goal Of The Project:
Type Of Writing Requested:
Description Of What You Are Looking For From Other Schools:
Example: (Questions, Story Prompts)
Detailed Instructions For Collecting Information:
Ideal Number Of Submissions From Each School:
Preferred Length Of Articles:
Deadline For Receiving Information (Circle deadline is November 20, 2010):
Global Learning Circles Sample Project Idea
Holidays and Celebrations
In the United States we enjoy celebrating holidays throughout the year. For our project idea we would like to know about some of your holidays, celebrations, customs, and traditions.
We would like you to choose one of the following topics and write a paragraph (or two) about the topic.
Choose a holiday and describe to us how you celebrate the holiday.
Is there a holiday that is unique to your country? Tell us about it.
Tell us about some of your minor holidays and how they are celebrated. When do they occur? How did they start?
Describe how your family celebrates a specific holiday. Do you have any family traditions that you practice every year?
If you could create a new holiday, which holiday would you choose? When would it be celebrated? How would it be celebrated?
If you could create a holiday that the entire world celebrated on one day, which holiday would you create? Why? When would it be celebrated?
The United Nations is starting a new museum dedicated to honoring heroes throughout the world in different areas such as angels, animals, artists, business, community, earthkeepers, explorers, faith, freedom, hero’s hero, lifesavers, literary, peacemakers, poets, scientists, sports, teachers, and writers. As a noteworthy and admired citizen, you have been asked to be on the nominating committee and have been requested to personally nominate two people. One person should be someone that you know personally and other person should be someone who you have not met personally, but admire because of his/her accomplishments and public image.
From your two choices you are asked to narrow your choice to one person and submit a convincing argument for your choice in the form of a written essay (that can include photographs), an original illustration, or a short media clip.
Global Learning Circles My Hero: Authentic Performance Task
Global Learning Circles Examples of Learning Circle Projects
Integrates Computer and Telecommunications Technology
Global Learning Circles Future: 2011-2012
Online Collaboration Tools
Skype
Eluminate
Increased Use of Multimedia
New Circle Theme - My City and Me
Global Issues: 8 - Week Circles for High School Classes
Global Learning Circles How To Become a Participant
To join iEARN Learning Circles, you must first be a member of iEARN and complete an iEARN Learning Circle placement form two weeks before the beginning of the session. Once you complete the placement form you will be placed in a circle for the next session.
http://media.iearn.org/coursereglc
Global Learning Circles Teacher Testimonials
150 to 200 teachers participate in Learning Circles each year. Some teachers participate for one session, others participate for both sessions.
Global Learning Circles The Learning Circles Course
In this online course, you go through all six phases of a Learning Circle and have assignments that correspond to the work you would normally do during a Learning Circle experience.
Most of the work and assignments during this course and a Learning circle are student centered.
Sign up in August/September or January/February
Global Learning Circles The Learning Circles Course
As part of this course:
You and your students will join a small group (a Circle), share cultural information
Choose a collaborative civic education project in which to participate
You will develop this topic for your students and make plans to research and share student work via the Internet
You will also develop ways to teach your students to gather and organize information for publication in print and on the Internet
