The Gift of Understanding in a Flattened World

International Education Week is November 12-16, 2007.

Giving students an awareness of the wider world in which they live and giving them a sense of their own role within it—while developing a respect and value for diversity—is a gift of understanding we cannot afford to withhold.

Have you ever stopped to think how doable this gift of understanding is because we have videoconference technology in so many schools today?

I did a quick search in the Collaboration Center on CILC’s Web site.  There are teachers searching for other teachers whose classes could connect to theirs for international-themed discussions.  

Here is what I found… and please click on any of the links to drill down to details.

Searched for international in Collaborations
International   I am looking for a classroom in Egypt, China, Greece, or Rome to collaborate with for a Social Studies class. I have a 6th grade classroom and would love to set up a pen pal type collaboration or just a cultural exchange of info.
Audience: Education: K-12 Educator

international videoconferances  I teach gifted and talented k-2nd grade in a tiny cotton farming community in Taft, Texas.  I do a unit on multicultural studies. I am looking for international classrooms to do videoconferances with. Please contact me at cguajardo1@taftisd.net or…
Audience: Education: Pre-K Students, Kindergarten, Grade(s): 1, 2, 3, 4

International Face-to-Face Spanish and Medical Spanish tutoring using real-time internet video  We are very excited to introduce the only service making educated and experienced Spanish tutors, who live in Central America, available to any school in the US with a broadband internet connection. There is no need for new hardware…
Audience: Education: Grade(s): 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, K-12 Educator, Business/Community: Business Member, Community Member, Government Agency

Debate  Our debate class would like to debate the war in Iraq with an international class (we would be interested in classes across the US). We would also be interested in discussing other debate topics of interest. Our class meets from 9:34-10:25 EST. Thank you!
Audience: Education: Grade(s): 10, 11, 12

Read Around the Planet VC Celebration  TWICE invites you to participate in a celebration of reading using video conference technology!  TWICE provides a matching service for point-to-point videoconferences between schools. Teacher matching is done based on your registration information.  Part…
Audience: Education: Kindergarten, Grade(s): 1- 12

Here are additional ways you can give your students the gift of understanding of the world around them:

 Free CILC Webinar
International Education Week is the week of November 12-16, and CILC will offer a panel of International based speakers who will explain his or her program and the various levels of involvement. Teachers are
welcome who are looking for their first step into an international experience, and teachers are welcome who are looking into their next, more involved international experience. Panelists will field teacher questions and share resources.