One of the most powerful ways in which the Internet and technology have transformed education is by allowing students from around the world to connect and collaborate with one another. Try these fantastic tools for productive, enlightening school-to-school collaboration and interaction…
School-to-School Collaboration
1. Skype Classroom
This wonderful website uses the brilliantly simple tool of Skype to allow classrooms and educators from around the globe to connect and collaborate. Teachers can arrange collaborative lessons by suggesting Skype lessons on a particular topic and inviting other schools and classes from around the world to join them, or use the platform to find an expert to educate their class from afar. To give a tiny taste of the potential for collaboration, the fantastic ‘connect and collaborate’ section currently includes proposed Skype lessons on “global collaboration” and “middle school chess”, to name but two!
2. The Global Schools Blog
This great blog aims to provide a platform where schools can connect, collaborate and build global partnerships, with the aim of giving students the benefit of a “global perspective”. The fantastic tool allows students from different schools to learn from each other about their countries and culture, to collaborate on different projects and even to pose particular questions to one another in a vibrant exchange of information.
3. Flockdraw
This fantastic, simple website allows users from anywhere in the world to collaborate on a piece of virtual artwork. Completely free and easy to use, ten students from different schools can arrange a time to draw at once, contributing to a single, collaborative picture, whilst an unlimited number of users can take part by watching. Artistic collaboration is a lovely way for schools to interact across culture and language barriers and the bonus is a beautiful final piece of art to keep as a memento of the occasion!
4. Ekoloko
A wonderful virtual environmental world inhabited by kids from around the world, Ekoloko is a fantastic way for children from different schools to collaborate and learn at the same time in a safe, educational environment. After creating their own character, students can meet new friends, play games and complete missions and quests, all the while learning about living a green life, the environment, society and being a considerate citizen.
5. Greenfoot
Greenfoot is a great online platform for students to learn programming, using visual tools to make it easier to understand. The global community allows students from different schools to collaborate, discussing, sharing and interacting with other users as they go along.
Have you used EdTech for school-to-school collaboration? Let us know your favourite tools in the comments box below!
1st image via Flickr, kjarrett. 2nd image via Flickr, J Wynia. 3rd image via Flickr, Bethany L King