Friday, June 27, 2008
Sharing Learning Across Time-zones
Global Learning Communities has come from a long way from it's origins as a pilot scheme helping schools in Bedfordshire to share learning with schools in other time-zones. It now helps learners and communities all over the world connect in a range of projects.
In 2003, most schools in the UK did not have creating international links on their agenda, certainly not at the top of it. It was at this time that a large group teachers and educationalists in Bedfordshire were setting up Global Learning Communities - their vision was to use the emerging technologies to enable schools and learners across the world to meaningfully support each other's learning and development as global citizens.
What started as a connections project has grown and grown and now there are schools from all over the world registered with GLC and working and learning together. The website is the hub of the community, registered schools can post adverts for other schools to help with their projects or surveys as well as find contact details of members all over the world. GLC supports schools through the process of setting up an international link and offers one-to-one advice on how to gain the most out of a link with a school in a different part of the world. The emphasis is clearly on student empowerment with learners asking for advice from other members of the community and writing their own published newspaper. (There is also a regular newsletter for teachers and parents.)
The site also has a wide range of resources and project ideas for how schools can develop global understanding through partnerships with schools in other time-zones.
Unlike most of the sites featured in the newsletter, Global Learning Communities is not a free resource and requires a nominal charge of 50p per pupil annually (this rate is for all UK registered schools) but this site represents a good place to start exploring further possibilities. Click here to visit the site.