As you start to plan for the new school year in September there are a few opportunities for connections-based learning you may want to consider! Information about these opportunities, along with links to more information are included below. If you have any questions or would like support please leave a comment below or contact me by email!
NOTE: Information about Blogging in AMDSB 2016-2017 will be posted next week! Stay tuned…
#AMDSBKidsChat September – June 2016
Are you interested in connecting with other students across AMDSB to share your ideas, collaborate and network with others, and build relationships with new learning partners of all ages using a new digital platform for learning?!
Each month K-8 classes across AMDSB connect for an hour during the #AMDSBkidschat. We discuss topics related to character education, social justice, and citizenship. Each #AMDSBkidschat begins with a provocation in the form of a video. The video and questions used during the Twitter chat are posted here on the TLC blog, and on Twitter @AMDSBkidschat at the beginning of every month. Common practice for classes is to answer the questions for the chat ahead of time, with a focus on learning a new form of writing, in consideration of a new, more global audience. Time during the chat is spent reading tweets, responding to others, and asking questions to further the conversation. Our goal is to build character, develop citizenship, and create community throughout #AMDSBLearns.
Everything you need to get started with #AMDSBkidschat is linked here, including a New Twitter Information Letter for Families! The topic for September’s #AMDSBkidschat is Respect.
EDUBLOGS STUDENT BLOGGING CHALLENGE September – December 2016
The aim of the student blogging challenge is to connect student bloggers with a global audience while supporting teachers with their classroom blogging. It runs twice yearly, starting in September and again in March, and guides the participants through blogging and commenting over 10 weeks.
Each week participants are given weekly tasks to increase their skills. There is a wide range of ways you can participate in the Student Blogging Challenge series:
- Class blog – teachers and students can participate as a class. Teachers, or students, can publish their weekly tasks on their class blog or students can participate through leaving comments on posts.
- Student blogs – individual students can participate in the challenge by publishing posts on their own student blogs and leaving comments on other students.
Learn more about the Student Blogging Challenge here:
GLOBAL READ ALOUD October – November 2016
Global Read Aloud (GRA) is a project that encourages students to pick a book to read aloud to students during a set 6-week period while trying to make as many global connections as possible. Each teacher decides how much time they would like to dedicate and how involved they would like to be. Some people choose to connect with just one class, while others go for as many as possible. The scope and depth of the project is up to you. While there are official tools you can use such as Skype, Twitter, Digital Human Library or Edublogs, you choose the tools that will make the most sense for you. Teachers create a community of other educators connect with, and hopefully inspire them to continue these connections through the year.
Looking for other connections-based learning opportunities? Visit Global Connections for Teachers and Students on the Digital Human Library and get connected!
Is there a project you participate in with your students that begins in September or October? Please share your ideas below. Happy connecting!
Leigh Cassell Consulting 