Project

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=Main Project=

This is to start in two weeks time and run for 3 weeks. (school is over the following week in NZ)

Ideas for the format of each main project page. This will give the kids something to start with - they could change the overall layout afterwards - as long as they cover all the aspects.

Brainstorm
Add to the list:
 * 1) Kyoto - Global Warming
 * 2) the loss of farming land
 * 3) Depleating fishing resources
 * 4) The neuclear debate - this is big in NZ, being anti neuclear and all
 * 5) Energy Resources - this could be separated out into differenet topics
 * 6) Whaling (a bit old maybe)
 * 7) Neuclear weapons armament
 * 8) Arms Trade
 * 9) Poverty
 * 10) Foreign Aid debate / third world debt
 * 11) Water scarcity
 * 12) Child labour
 * 13) Human Rights
 * 14) The future of Antarctica (is this a bit old?)
 * 15) Women's Rights
 * 16) World Population growth
 * 17) e-waste
 * 18) AIDs and HIV
 * 19) Child soldiers
 * 20) Genetic Modification - food
 * 21) Cloning
 * 22) Internet safety??? www issues?? the shrinking world??
 * 23) Enviromental refugees
 * 24) Alternative energy
 * 25) Slum architecture


 * By Gail -** I wrote 10 global issues on my blog at http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=97161 for a couple of my classes to make a comment. They had to choose one of the 10 or make up their own issue in the comment of the Article. I had 36 responses. There was only a couple of extras that were suggested and IhaveI added them above, so I think our list is pretty good and many of them could be generalised or grouped or even expanded by the kids.

I think in order to motivate students and to encourage them to take a stand on their global issue they will need to choose their own global issue-ideally but not always possible. What if we list all the issues we have on this page, say next Monday and ask the kids to discuss which issue they would like to choose by writing in their discussion section, leave the disucssion open for the week. The teacher in charge of their 10 pages will then read the disussion after one week and decide what the issue is for that page. Students can then request another page to join if they are not happy with the issue that is allocated on their current page.

Perhaps this might take too much time opening and closing discussions - we could have them start an open discussion on the top of each of their pages.


 * Another idea**: If students do not agree on a global issue then perhaps they could keep their chosen issue. Although there may be a number of global issues on one page it might be good for them to learn from each other. Perhaps each time students add to their page they must contribute in some way to another persons content through giving an idea, picture of comment.

Lizz's response to the above..... 1. I definately think they need to have some kind of say in what they want to learn about. Gail I like the idea of them discussing this and then teachers making the altimate decision - although I suspect that many groups will work it out. What was the idea about groups doing the same topic?? I know I have read this somewhere - but I cant work out where. 2. I kind of like that idea - but I really want to see the kids collaborate - to learn from what other people have found and then develop more ideas from that first idea - "piggy back off ideas" (jargon!!! LOL). - rather than just "dump their contribution." Having said this - maybe this is way to much of an expectation?? What does everyone think?

I just took these ideas from http://www.globalissues.org/. Delete/edit/modify as you can see fit. Some of them could be way over the kids heads?? http://www.global-issues.net/60_sec/index.htm
 * that look useful**

Ideas for tasks

 * Key questions to answer:** (edit/modify/delete as you see fit)
 * 1) What is the issue?
 * 2) Where is the issue ocuring?
 * 3) What are the different perspectives around the issue?
 * 4) What are some of the solutions?
 * 5) What are the perspectives around the different solutions?

//These are good ideas, I would perhaps write similar questions - Gail: 1. What is your issue? 2. Why is this a global issue? 3. What is your opinion on this issue and why? 4. Why might others disagree with your opinion? 5. What should be done and by whom to improve this issues? Give examples, evidence and pictures to support your answers above.//

//The thinkers keys look good Lizz, 3 possible Thinkers Keys that I thought were possible are below - Gail://**
 * Ideas for thinking tasks: (these are what I emailed to you)**
 * **Tony Ryan's Think****ers Key**
 * The What If? ||
 * Write THREE questions starting with “what if…?” about “your global issue.” ||
 * Write THREE questions starting with “what if…?” about “your global issue.” ||

Brainstorm any other ways you think the world could overcome the global issue - be as creative or as critical as you can. Determine what you think is the best option to overcome the global issue. || Brainstorm the reasons why the world needs to recognise this issue as a global issue - and not just someone else's problem. ||
 * The Variations ||
 * Discuss ways to overcome the global issue that have been put foward by various groups or people.
 * Discuss ways to overcome the global issue that have been put foward by various groups or people.
 * The Brainstorming ||
 * List all the reasons why we should speak with others around the world.
 * List all the reasons why we should speak with others around the world.
 * List all the reasons why we should speak with others around the world.


 * **ThinkITs**
 * **Other ideas**

=Group Allocation=

Here is the [|spreadsheet to add student names to the groups]. If you need to add more groups, then do so - I can spread my students a bit more thinly if need be. This has been sent to you from the google docs - To **edit it you will need to sign in to google docs**. I hope this works???? -- //**Lizz**//

=Pre-Project=

Students work with a partner from their school (not necessarily from their class) to do a photo-mini-essay on the following: a) their school b) their community c) their city d) their country -Upload all photos plus write-up of each photo to their international group's wikipage.

Students write a description for each image. This should include... - This photo is showing... - I chose this photo to represent our school/community/city/country because... - Three other facts about our school/community/city/country are.... Once all the schools have uploaded their photo essays, they could then reflect on the differences and similarities... Eg Aorere College students could write Aorere is similar to Padre Alberto Neto because.... whereas it is different to Uijenogbu and Deer Park because...

Assessment
This is still to be confirmed.

=Project Aim=

Here are some ideas.... - co-operative learning on a global scale - thinking (we are big on the use of Tony Ryan's thinkers keys and also different graphic organisers that encourage critical and reflective thinking skills - increasing digital literacy Thinking is important for me, rather than a cut and paste from other people. - Lizz

=Brainstorming=

Brainstorm ideas for a collaborative project here. Add ideas and comment on other ideas as you see fit. Add your name where appopriate.

Ideas for projects
- Sustainable Resource Use - I am bias - this is our next topic!! - Lizz - Maybe a broad theme about ???? and each school looks at a different aspect of that theme. - Students first write a small piece introducing themselves to their 4corners' group.

Logistics of project
- Groups of four - one from each school - keeps groups small and manageable - but a bigger amount of work for teachers to keep track of - Groups of eight - two from each school - groups are bigger, however students are able bounce ideas off each other in "real time" - instant collaboration. This would leave us with fewer projects to keep track of also. --groups of 8 is good with me...//**mdl**// - It is looking like it will be bigger than groups of 8, but I think that could be okay Here is the [|spreadsheet to add student names to the groups]. If you need to add more groups, then do so - I can spread my students a bit more thinly if need be. -- **//Lizz//**
 * **Numbers in groups**

- Would we keep it to one class per school, as a trial or do we go big?? This seems unfair to the other classes though. I only have two junior classes that would be doing this though... any bright ideas on this one? I have hit a blank wall. --that's true, i think all of you have loads of kids that can work on this project. I will be using all 88 students of mine on this project, therefore we will have potentially 44 groups, seeing that i have the fewest number of kids to put into groups....am i correct on this???.... //**mdl**// - I have 50 (but not all turn up though!!) But I can ask another teacher if she wants to participate. That should take us up to 80....**//Lizz//**
 * **Numbers of classes from each school**

This would depend on the kind of project. - If we gave students a two week time frame?? My students would have 8 lessons and their own time. This would be plenty I think. i agree with giving them a set amount of time to finish their part of the project...7-10 school days i think is plenty of time to at least do their pre-project of introducing themselves and their community....can we call this the pre-project?..... //**mdl**// - Brilliant Manny....**//Lizz//**
 * **Timeframe of project**

- Or it could be an on going project where they need to achieve something each week?? Does everyone have reasonable access to computers? yes....we have a one hour block every week in the computer lab, plus i'm really lucky that my kids have computers at home... //**mdl**// - I can try and block book our computer labs for a week or more, otherwise I should be able to get the kids in once a week at least. - Lizz
 * **Access to computers**

Our system is pretty tight. For example students do not have access to You Tube and social networking sites eg Bebo. - Lizz ours is the total opposite, our board has tried to stay away from heavy censorship on this...kids often use msn, facebook (north america's version of bebo, hi-5, myspace) the kids are a pretty active in social networking.... //**mdl**// - Man you guys are so so sososososososoosososo lucky. We have to fight to keep things open, or have them open in the first place. At one stage they shut down wikispaces - this after I had spent my whole two week vacation building our department wiki site!! As long as we keep the requirements relatively simple, we shouldnt be disadvantaged. I can see MSN being helpful and stuff, but they will have to resort to "old fashioned emails" LOL - **//Lizz//**
 * **Blocked sites etc**

**Manny's vision:**
-students work with a partner from their school (not necessarily from their class) to do a **photo-mini-essay** on the following: a) themselves and friends b) their school c) their community d) their city e) their country -Upload all photos plus write-up of each photo to their international group's wikipage.
 * Pre-Project**

-my thinking behind this, is that each student pairing should have 2-3 pics for each of the 5 categories. So potentially, we would have 15 pics for each pairing x 4 groups for a total of 60 pics for each international group. -for each of the pics, there should be an explanation of it's significance to that person, totally about 5 sentences???
 * photo-mini-essay**
 * simple silly example**


 * timeline: 7-10 school days**
 * start: oct. 22nd, everything completed by no later than Nov. 4th.**

Brilliant - so simple! The students can decide how they want to present it on their wiki - eg slide show using slide share, or just add photos to the wiki etc. One thing I would like to get the students to do, is to make comparisons - see what is similar and different about their 5 aspects. This would really make them collaborate. ... **//Lizz//**

-not sure yet what I would like to see, but i think that the focus has to be on a **world issue(s)**, seeing that the pre-project is on a more 'home-town' perspective -work in the same groupings, and give them a little longer to complete, expecting a higher standard for their group work than the first one. wonder if different groups should do different projects, or have everyone work on the same thing? probably better to do a different project no? maybe offer the kids some options of what they would like to do?
 * Main Project**

this is awesome!! I think groups do different topics - although 44 topics??? Same groups - yes good idea. Some have the opportunity to select their own - yeah why not. And yes, a little longer - maybe 2-3 weeks max - this puts the pressure on, but doesnt drag it on forever.... **//Lizz//**


 * Manny's thoughts---oct. 15 10:37**

Liz, I like the descripition you wrote up, it looks really good. I just added a couple of things if you guys are ok with it.
 * I'm going to add it to my blog.
 * What about the timelines?
 * Are you guys ok with starting on October 22nd and having the project completed by November 4th?
 * I'm going to ask my kids to pick a partner from any of my 3 classes, gives them an opportunity to work with kids they would never work with even within their own school.
 * Are we just randomly putting kids together? Do we want to try to keep a balance of boys and girls?
 * I'm doubting wheter my kids will be able to post pics of themselves also, we can eliminate that part and just go straight to:
 * a) my school
 * b) my community
 * c) my city
 * d) my country
 * the writing aspect is important as well to me, do we want to add a minimum amount of writing for each pic
 * also, our friends in korea and portugal as good as they are with english, would we want them to write in their native tongue as well as in english?

Related Links
http://flatclassroomprojecttemplate.wikispaces.com/ - the current template for Vicki Davis' and Julie Lindsay's global collaborative learning experience http://horizonproject.wikispaces.com/ - the last project by Vicki Davis and Julie Lindsay