This document summarizes a presentation about connected classrooms and global learning. It discusses how the world is now more interconnected due to technology like smartphones, social media, and videoconferencing. It advocates for preparing students for this globally connected society through experiences like cultural exchanges, collaborative projects, and virtual field trips between classrooms in different locations to build cultural understanding, communication skills, and empathy. Several specific examples of global learning projects are described, and tips are provided on how to connect classrooms globally using tools like Skype, Twitter, and organized events. The overall message is that connecting students globally can help them become problem-solving leaders.

1. Connected
Classrooms
and the New
World of
Learning
SPSEA
Conference
Pittsburgh
April 2017
Mike Soskil
@msoskil

4. I was “that kid.”

5. The world has changed.

6. 15 Years Ago…
• The iPhone and mobile technology hadn’t been invented yet
• YouTube didn’t exist
• Social Media didn’t exist. Facebook and Twitter weren’t created yet
• No Uber, Airbnb, Paypal
• Videoconferencing was very expensive and limited (No Skype, GHO)
15 years ago, thinking globally was a luxury.
Now, the world is interconnected like never before.

7. How has education changed?

8. It’s time to start preparing students for their
future
in a globally connected society
instead of the isolation of our past.

9. How can children learn global citizenship
when they often are not allowed to be citizens
of their own classrooms?
What are the qualities of a
good citizen?

10. Credit: Andreas Schleicher, GESF 2017

11. What character trait is most important for you to be
successful in life?

12. Does the learning in classrooms matter to
students?
• Long-term learning cannot take
place without emotional connection
with content
• Extrinsic v. Intrinsic Motivation
• Empathy correlates with both
happiness and success in life

13. Why Global Learning?
• Cultural Understanding
• Emotional Experiences
• Communication,
Collaboration, Critical
Thinking, Creativity
• Student Empowerment

14. It’s hard to change the world when you
don’t know much about it.

15. South Elementary Global Connections
• Song/Cultural Exchanges
• Virtual Valentines
• Exchange Skype/YT Video
Messages
• Data Collection in
Collaborative Spreadsheets
• Quadblogging
• Slow Twitter Chat
• Collaborative PBL Projects
• Mystery Skype
• Skype Teacher Exchange
(guest teacher from another
location)
• Digital Post Cards

16. The Magic Words
“We should do something about that.”

17. Distance Teaching Project
distanceteaching.weebly.com

18. Fundraising, by itself, does not build empathy.
Students need relationships with others who are
different than they are.
Service projects should always be a two-way
street.

19. Project LINC
http://projectlinc.clubefl.gr/
Kansas Students – Microsoft Video

20. Children who feel the joy of doing good for others
continue to look for new ways to make a
positive impact on the world.
They grow to be the problem solving leaders of the
next generation.

21. HIP Academy - Mukuyuni Bridge Project

22. STEM is not Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics.
It is a culture of problem solving in
which all disciplines are used in
conjunction to make the world
better.

25. The Malawi Collaboration
Problem: Drought and Famine. Students too hungry to learn, not attendi

27. That’s great for your students.
But, how do I do that?

28. Growth Mindset

29. Virtual Field Trips
• Skype in the Classroom: education.skype.com
• Discovery Education: discoveryeducation.com/featured-programs
• Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants: exploringbytheseat.com
• JASON Learning: jason.org
• LivingMaths: livingmaths.com

30. SANCCOB

31. Mystery Skype
• Similar to "20 Questions"
• Each class takes turns
asking Yes/No questions to
figure out location of the
other class.
• Variations: animals,
numbers, elements,
occupations, etc. instead
of locations.
• Builds critical thinking
skills and content
knowledge.
• Creates opportunities to
connect with other
locations to have Q&A
sessions about culture.
Resource to get started:
MysterySkypeOneNote.com

32. Mystery Skype w/ Ms. H

33. Skype in the Classroom:
Education.Skype.com

34. Overcoming Time Zone Issues

35. The 5 Clue
Challenge
• Use Skype Video Message or
YouTube to leave 5 clues for
partner class to guess
location, animal, etc.
• After each clue, students will
pause video, do research, and
take a guess.
• 5cluechallenge.weebly.com

36. 5 Clue Challenge – Mystery Location #1

37. 5 Clue Challenge – Mystery Location #2

38. 5 Clue Challenge – Mystery Animal #1

39. Global Teacher Leaders Projects
Curriculum based global projects where we make the
connections easy for you
• World Read Aloud Skypeathon
• Awesome Squiggles
• Virtual Valentines Project
• Global Kidwish Project
• Global Video Exchange
GlobalTeacherLeaders.com

40. TheGlobalReadAloud.com

42. How do I make connections?

43. Twitter
Not Just for Donald Trump Anymore!
• As of a year ago, over 4.2 million tweets per day were
related to education, most by educators
• Hashtags allow you to curate and organize what you
see
• There is an educational hashtag for almost every
content area, grade level, and educational interest
area

44. Great Twitter Chats for Beginners
Preservice Teacher
Chat
pretchat.weebly.com
nd th
New Teachers to Twitter
Chat
en2t.weebly.com

45. Tweetdeck.com

46. Finding Global Connections
• Twitter/Tweetdeck
• Have students contact
experts
• Facebook
• Friends/Family
Twitter for Global Connections
#GlobalEd
#TeachersLeading
@SkypeClassroom
#GlobalClassroom
#MysterySkype
#Skype2Learn
#MIEExpert
#TeachersMatter
#SkypeMT

50. Edcamp NEPA – University of Scranton –
April 22

51. #TeachersMatter

52. Every problem in the world has a solution
trapped inside our students’ passions.
Helping them see the connection
is our job as teachers.

53. Connect with Me
Twitter: @msoskil
Website: michaelsoskil.com
Email: mrsoskil@gmail.com
Link to this presentation: