1. The teacher organized a global classroom activity between two classes where students communicated through technology to collaboratively plan a virtual trip to the zoo. 2. While the activity was largely a success and the students were excited, there were some challenges around internet connectivity, guidance of group work skills, and independence with technology. 3. The teacher reflected that the activity expected too much from the students and that future activities need to start simpler and build technology skills over time to ensure all students can fully participate independently.

1. EDIC706 Reflecting-on-Action Nerissa Burtenshaw
Reflecting on Action
Phase One – What
Zone: Concrete-Reflection
1. Contacted other schools to find teachers interested in a global
classroom activity
2. Found a teacher and a classroom! Yippee!
3. Had a meeting – discussed activity, purpose, learning outcomes,
technology to use, personal ICT knowledge etc
4. Checked all the all the technology works – Skype, msn, etc on
classroom computer!
5. Email other teachers to confirm timeline of the activity
6. Discussed task with children – big discussion about the zoo –
everyone telling stories about their visits to the zoo
7. Organise children into groups, group names decided
8. Task one began – children amazed how many animals there were at
the zoo but the majority of them wanted to see similar animals –
lions, elephants etc
9. Task one continued - Groups emailed and came to an agreement
about what animals they will see
10.Task Two – begins from our class whole group discussion about the
map of the zoo - groups make a track to walk around when at the
zoo. They fax the map to other class – other class discussed in
groups and faxed back.
11.Task two continued – Groups participate in audio conferences with
other half of the group at other school – children over excited!
12.Task 3 – Groups discuss lunch options over msn.
13. Group One (Zebras) decided to have a shared lunch – group created
list of the food that they wanted and faxed to the other half of
group at other school – they emailed and said that’s great! With
the help of the children, I created a form for the parents to
fill out and emailed a copy of it to the other class teachers.
14.Trip to the Zoo – What a great day!! Such a success!!

2. EDIC706 Reflecting-on-Action Nerissa Burtenshaw
Great communication/relationship formed
The fact that they two classes
between all the four teachers involved.
This was a really big plus as it made are connected already and are in
it easier for us to discuss ideas and the same city which meant that
get a timeframe created quickly.
they had meant that they had a
Children
similar long term plan and
need more
didn’t have any holidays etc
opportuniti
that clashed with the other
es to
school (which may happen if the
develop
class was in a different only
Children
their
needed a small
group-work
amount of
skills! But Phase Two – Why
guidance when
they Zone: Abstract-
sending their
managed to Reflection Children became
come up really excited
with a list about the map of
Children struggled the zoo –
with our classroom carried away
internet discussing the
connection being Skype animals – had to
slow. They needed conversation refocus them to
a lot of teacher went well. complete task.
Most of guidance to were
the children But it was Children worked
very excited whenemails –
complete using disappointed well taking
Skype and some acted that the turns to circle
out/showed off. It was children the animal and
disappointing that two of Because the two were not draw the arrows
involved in Children who had not
the shy girls (Muzuki and different groups
any of the been hands-on faxing
Kanami) stepped back and choose different
set up last time got an
didn’t participate as much options for Task 3
process or opportunity this
as others. But I”m so it meant that one
glad we considered VAK and group had the dialing -
multiple intelligence when opportunity to teachers set
planning – so that these experience more it all up
children were able to emailing and and children

3. EDIC706 Reflecting-on-Action Nerissa Burtenshaw
KEEP IT
SIMPLE!! I I need to
tried to incorporate more More
introduce development of exposure to
too much!! group-work skills Skype/Audio
into all conferencing
should lead
to the
More exposure to novelty
Skype, emailing and wearing off
msn prior to and the
children not
beginning the
activity would have
minimized
Consider
Re- Phase Three- incorporating
think fun easy
How emailing
group
exercise so
size Zone:
as that children
well Abstract- can develop
as more
which Action independent
Task 3 should
not have had a
Smaller
choice – both
groups/pairs
groups should
Discuss at may have meant
have had to
Staff meeting that the shyer
have organized what we can do
about the children in
a shared lunch.
internet speed the class
That way they
of our would have
would have both classroom
been more
had the same
involved in
the

4. EDIC706 Reflecting-on-Action Nerissa Burtenshaw
Phase Four – What Next?
Zone: Concrete – Action
Even though the activity was a success I felt that we expected too
much from the children and did not start basic enough – we needed to
start at the very bottom of the staircase at nothing and build our way
up the staircase in the aim that in a few years time the children will
be confidently able to email, msn and use audio such as Skype, and
well on their way to mastering these skills.
One issue that I feel needs to be addressed is the children’s
inability to send emails independently. I felt that both I and Kanako
were too hands-on involved in the emailing activities and that the
children did not get the opportunity to send emails independently – or
to learn any of the skills needed to do this. Therefore we need to
provide the children with more opportunities to learn more about how
to independently send and receive emails. The biggest hurdle I have
in making this happen is that even though the majority of the children
are confident using a mouse as well as the keyboard, they do not have
the literacy (reading and writing) skills needed to be able to email.
Therefore what I will do next is;
 Continue to develop their keyboard and mouse skills by allowing
them with more opportunities to play literacy and numeracy based
games on the computer.
 Focus on developing their reading and personal writing skills
 Later in the school year (Feb/March) provide the children with
the opportunity to participate in a fun buddy emailing learning
activity that will be linked to their journal/personal writing!
Another issue is the email connection speed in the classroom – I have
already raised this issue at a staff meeting and this issue is going
to be taken to the company management by our school manager.
Hopefully something comes of this!
Both classes involved have agreed that they want to continue the
relationship formed and allow the children to have continued
discussions and conferencing. Due to the children’s lack of literacy
skills all the teachers involved have decided that right now any
independent emailing or msn conversations are not realistic. We are
exploring the option of using video/audio conferencing as part of a
social studies unit we are going to undertake after Halloween.

5. EDIC706 Reflecting-on-Action Nerissa Burtenshaw
As teachers we would all like to continue to develop our own skills
and we have decided to try as a collective group (four brains are
better than one!) to create a web page where both classes can post and
view pictures, videos etc of things that they have completed in class.