Preparing Students for International Collaboration

Ideas for Globalizing the Classroom Put up a world bulletin board related to the subject you are teaching. If you are giving a lesson on food habits, for instance, have a section of your board for food around the world. If you are doing a section on sports, keep your bulletin board updated with what is happening in sports around the world. Keep a world map in your classroom. Ask students to talk about the people and places they know about or have visited, either virtually or physically. Mark those spots on the map. Create an international illustrated class diary in which students can write about the different places they know about and the people they have met online and in-person. Encourage them to express their feelings and impressions. Add a section for the places they would like to discover. Consider adding a clock or clocks set to the time in the country being studied. Give a purpose to your communication/partnership and share it with others. Add a global component to your lesson by asking students questions that would require a cross-cultural comparison. "What would happen if we applied the same experiment in …?" Get them curious to know others by using international writing or artwork as a class resource. Make sure students know what is expected, establish clear objectives, an agreed upon time frame and expected outcomes. It is very important to keep students motivated. Engage them in every step of the project, constantly update your project bulletin board and post the messages that they have sent and received. Keep one section of your bulletin board for time zones, facts about that country and pictures of their partners. Upon completion of the project, have your students present their work to others in the school. Keep cultural packages exchanged for future classes. - Eliane Metni, Coordinator, iEARN-Lebanon

Tips on Global Online Communication for Your Students

1. Do not assume that students will know if their peers are male or female by their first name. If you want them to know that they are male or female, tell them.
2. Almost all countries use the metric system for measurement. A temperature of 30 degrees may seem cold to some, but it may be warm for others. (30 degrees Celsius is 86 degrees Fahrenheit.) Convert measurements to the metric system. Science Made Simple has a metric converter that is easy to use (http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/conversions.html).
3. Most often students in different countries will have to translate the rest of your students' communication into their first language. If your students use slang expressions, be sure to ask them to explain what these mean.
4. Remember how tedious it is to look up words in a dictionary. Ask your students to use simple English words. Consider how phrases are translated literally. Can you imagine what someone would think if your student wrote that he/she has "dirty blond hair?"
5. Explain abbreviations when your students use them.
6. Remember that most of the world uses a 24-hour clock. Three in the afternoon would be written as 15:00. (You add 12 to the number for P.M. hours.)
7. Most countries will write dates with the day, month, year or even year, day, month rather than writing month, day, year. Write out the name of the month to avoid confusion.
8. Remember the reader cannot see your students' faces in communication. Humor may often be interpreted literally and misunderstood. Ask your students to use emoticons (smiley faces and other symbols) and punctuations such as asterisks to emphasize. Be certain that your students state their emotions, do not assume they are known.
9. Most of the world learns British English rather than U.S. English. Words such as centre or colour may look misspelled to your students, but are correct for their peers.
   

- Diane Midness, Former Program Coordinator, International School Partnerships through Technology

Working Internationally? With the World at Your Fingertips, Review this Top Ten List!

1. Manner. When doing a project, it is not just business as usual. Manners are a big part of the way things are done. Don't just plow ahead with the work. Take time to get to know the people in the project you are working on. Read a little about the culture. Be polite. Test your politeness IQ.

2. Language. In many countries, people take the time to learn a language and can, therefore, converse in one of several languages. Learn a language or become familiar with phrases you may want to know. It is a courtesy to the other participants.

3. Where is this place. Go to http://www.nationalgeographic.comand look at the interactive map of the country you are working with. Learn the absolute and relative location, resources of the region, the landmarks and icons, and the movement of ideas across the region. A little knowlegde of the history and culture will help a lot.

4. Cultural map. If you are working with one country, take time to learn a little about its culture. Even though it is just an online project, if you understand the country a little more, differences will not be such a daunting problem. Cultural differences will prove to be quite interesting.

5. High tech to low tech. There are many levels of technology all over the world. Usually a project has a certain level of technology that is required, but be aware of the rules for the project. Some people pay for the time they are online. Keep with the rules. Don't do extra e-mails unless it is called for.

6. Politics. It is a good idea to read the newspapers of the country you are working with. You get windows of information, information about holidays and special events, and unusual news and tragedy. There are lots of sites that give this information.You might also peruse the Embassy website for information.

7. Time. Choose a world time site or set of sites, like http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/meeting.html.

8. Region. What is the region like in the country that you are working with? How does this affect the country? What are the resources of the region? The industries? Who are the people who live there? What is the historical culture? Indigenous resources? Natural features? What would be on their disaster map?

9. Religion. Religion is a part of the culture of a country. What are the prevailing religion/s, and what are the ways in which this might be reflected in your project?

10. Culture. There is pop culture and there is culture. We have media culture and fast food culture and some icons of our country that are a part of world culture based on the media. As we are a young country, there are elements of culture and history of other countries that may not be so important to us. But in other countries, as you work or travel, you will find that culture with a capital "C" is really important. It is more than Mickey Mouse, McDonald's and Mattell. Be aware that there may be a lot of misrepresentation of countries from a cultural perspective in the U.S. We may also have only a small knowledge of the history as well. The cultural map may be the most important of all.

- Bonnie Bracey Sutton, Technology Consultant based in Washington, D.C.

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