Manifesto

== In early 2011, we asked our teachers to share their #globalclassroom goals - for themselves and for their students. Their responses informed the //Global Classroom Manifesto//. ==



Project Goals for Teachers
As teachers, we:
 * Are working to improve our classroom practice, and build understandings of effective teaching and learning practices through collaborating and sharing expertise with teachers around the world.
 * Are working together to build an authentic, global learning community; showcasing how teachers can share resources, expertise, and support through global collaborative projects and personal learning networks (PLNs).
 * Want to become more comfortable in integrating technology & web 2.0 tools to collaborate and make global connections with teachers around the world.
 * Are interested in exploring ways to create global dialogue and discussion amongst teachers and students; enabling them to learn together and build cross-cultural understandings and respect
 * Hope to “meet new people and make new friends”, demonstrating the benefits of global educational relationships, networks, and collaboration in our local school communities.

Project Goals for our Students
We want our students to:
 * Have regular, authentic opportunities to talk, share, learn and collaborate with their classmates and other students around the world.
 * Share a little about their lives, interests, culture, school, and learning with children around the world; exploring what we have in common and what makes us different.
 * Develop a stronger sense of identity - as individuals, and as global citizens.
 * Be inspired and motivated to practice their English language skills in authentic, natural, and spontaneous ways.
 * Learn and practice new communication, literacy, collaborative, and ICT skills through their direct involvement in global projects as participants and experts.

To achieve these goals in #globalclassroom, we will:

 * Create online spaces and link-ups to facilitate educational collaborations & enable “kids to talk to kids”.
 * Showcase our students’ work on the official wiki and blog
 * Develop wiki resource pages for teachers interested in learning new ICT tools
 * Provide a range of non-ICT dependent projects which can enable teachers, unfamiliar with ICT, to participate in global projects for the very first time
 * Establish a global, multi-disciplinary organising team, building on various teachers’ expertise with global projects, ICT, and establishing authentic learning opportunities