world but iEARN bought all those far away people close to me! Not only did I become a
Exchange 2.0 technology-Enabled international Education guide
This resource lists many tools used in international collaborative projects.
http://www.connectallschools.org/ node/132301#Tools
prOjEct snapshOt
Video:
Students of the New York City Planning Committee for the YouthCaN project created an informative video on e-waste recycling to use for their presentation at the 2012 iEARN Virtual Conference and Youth Summit. They used iMovie to edit their video and posted it on YouTube.
Woices:
The Public Art Project uses Woices, a free internet tool that allows people to create and share audio records linked to a specific place, located on the map, to describe public art in their communities.
GoAnimate:
Students in the Finding Solutions to Hunger project used GoAnimate, a program that allows you to make animated videos, to share what they learned about the reasons for hunger.
nExt stEps
Technology tools can strengthen your students’ work at each phase of project planning. For collaborative projects, these tools support teachers and students to make project plans with peers in other countries and present their work to the world. As you are developing your project plan, consider which tools you and your students will use and when you will use them.
1. What technology tools are important for your students to know how to use?
2. What technology tools will best enhance your students project work and presentation of the results?
Module SeVen:
CoMMUnITY oUTReaCh &
enGaGeMenT
1. How does community outreach and engagement benefit students? 2. How can my students engage with
community members and find resources for their global project? 3. How can my class collaborate on
service activities with their peers around the world?
In preceding modules you have learned how to plan and begin a project, as well as how to work collaboratively online and utilize technology tools. In this module you will learn how students can access, utilize, and collaborate with community resources, at the local and global level, to enhance their online global project work and make a meaningful contribution to the community.
hOW dOEs cOMMunity OutrEach and EngagEMEnt bEnEFit studEnts?
Once students have discovered what motivates them and identified their final products, reaching out to the community is a great way for them to achieve their goals and apply their understanding of subject matter in a real world context.
Using community members and resources outside the classroom provides students with an opportunity to learn of additional perspectives and increase their knowledge about an issue.By engaging with various community members and representatives, students may discover that a
proposed solution they developed in the classroom may not be feasible in the community or that it is supported by one group but rejected by another. This allows students to evaluate the practical applications of a proposed solution to determine if they need to revisit a previous stage of their work and reconsider factors such as
cost, benefits, implementation and sustainability. This helps ensure that their final products make a meaningful contribution to the community.
Community engagement also allows students to develop critical skills that help them become more aware and empowered to be agents of change in their communities. Some of the skills students learn and practice include: • Communication with various
community officials and residents;
• Investigation and Analysis of facts/records/data sets/ interviews;
• Compromise on strategies/ solutions among peers and stakeholders;
• Creativity and Innovation to devise the most effective solutions ;
• Management/responsibility of ongoing work tasks and commitments to community members.
Engaging With cOMMunity MEMbErs and rEsOurcEs
There are many ways that students can engage with their community throughout their project and bring real world experience into the classroom. Students can use community resources to obtain necessary information for project
glObal cOMpEtEnciEs FOr studEnts
• identify and create opportunities for personal or collaborative action to address situations, events, issues in ways that improve conditions;
• assess options and plan actions based on evidence and the
potential for impact, taking into account previous approaches, varied perspectives, and potential consequences;
• act, personally or collaboratively, in creative and ethical ways to contribute to improvement locally, regionally, or globally and assess the impact of the actions taken.
From Global Competency Matrix: Take Action
ResearchAt the beginning of a project, community resources can help students conduct research, gather information, and develop a plan for their project. For example, students may decide to contact members of their local government or an area business in order to conduct research, collect data, and identify various perspectives and competing priorities within a community.
Four Ways to Engage The Community in Global Projects:
1. Conduct class research by using primary sources in the community and interviewing local experts. 2. Invite local experts to give
guidance and feedback during the project.
3. Present final products to local and global community members. 4. Plan service learning activities for
students to apply knowledge and skills gained in class to contribute to the community.
research, to seek guidance and feedback during project work, and to achieve and share final products. A global project can also include service activities to connect student learning to directly benefit the community.
ExaMplEs OF cOMMunity rEsOurcEs
Members sites primary sources Experiences
• Business Owners • Non-profit Workers • Government Workers • Professors/ Researchers • Elected officials • Community Activists • Educators/students from other schools • TV/Radio stations • Rotary/Social Clubs • Museums/Historical Societies • Colleges/universities • Corporations • Factories • Hospitals • Recreation Centers • Nature Centers/Zoos • Monument/Landmark • News Articles • Public Records • Data sets
• Local Business Plans • Legislation/Policies • Census Results • Maps • Field Trips • Service Activities • Mentorships • Internships • Job Shadowing • Surveys • Guest Lecturer
Guidance and FeedbackDuring the project, students can share their work with community members to get guidance and feedback to revise their projects. Community members and global peers can give input on the project and connect it with the community. For example, students working on a public awareness project to prevent malaria can share their plans with local doctors or nurses to incorporate their expertise into their final product. In a literature project, students can share their essays or poems with their global peers for feedback and make changes to their work.
Presenting Final ProductsSharing final products with community members gives students an opportunity to celebrate the completion of their project. Presenting also serves as a time for reflection on their work. After presenting the project, ask students what they learned and how it benefited the community.
Parents, community members, and other classes at school are all potential audiences for presenting project work. Students can also share their work with local newspapers, radio, or TV stations to reach a wider audience. Of course, students should also present their final projects to the global peers that they collaborated with during the process. In the next module, we will look at various ways that students can present their work to diverse audiences.
Service Learning ActivitiesService learning combines an organized service activity with instruction and purposeful reflection as a means to achieve positive change. Service learning involves more than just completing a volunteer activity that benefits the community. Service learning involves students as active players in identifying and understanding community needs and planning an activity that will make a meaningful contribution and lasting impact on the community.
Make use of students and teachers in the iEARN network as resources for project research. At the beginning of the project, have students share their project ideas for feedback, interview their global peers, and collect data and information from other countries.
idEas FOr lOcal & glObal cOMMunity EngagEMEnt
local community Engagement ideas global community collaboration
project research
• Meet with public/private officials to conduct interviews, request records/ data sets
• Contact local businesses to conduct research, learn about best practices, or request support
• Interview students in other countries to collect information
• Ask youth in other countries to share information or resources from their local experts
guidance & Feedback • Ask local experts to critique project plans and drafts of final products
• Post drafts of student work in online forums for feedback from youth in other countries
presenting Final products
• Broadcast public service announcements
• Provide educational workshops • Create campaigns to raise
awareness, funds, etc.
• Submit articles or other pieces to news/media outlets
• Hold science exhibitions with live demonstrations
• Present projects virtually using videoconferencing tools (Skype,
AdobeConnect, Blackboard Collaborate) • Present at a virtual conference such as the
Global Education Conference, YouthCaN Conference, or National Disaster Youth Summit • Hold virtual photo or art exhibits
service learning
• Participate in a local clean up, tree planting, park/green space improvement
• Hold an international dinner or car wash to raise money for a project- related cause
• Plan and conduct service activities on the same day for events/days such as Global Youth Service Day or Earth Day