The document summarizes the Transatlantic Educators Dialogue (TED), an online program that allows educators in the United States and European Union to collaborate and discuss various topics. Over 4 years, TED has used platforms like Elluminate and Blackboard Collaborate for biweekly online meetings where participants discuss topics like education systems, teaching approaches, assessment methods, and opportunities for international collaboration. The document provides an overview of TED's purpose and format, and gives examples of discussion topics and online resources that participants in the program have used.

1. Transantlantic Educators Dialogue:
sharing the experience
Julie Gyftoula, MEd 3rd
Primary School of Zografou

2. What is TED?
• The Transatlantic Education
Dialogue (T.E.D.) is an online
platform for educators in the United
States and the European Union to
collaborate in an online format to
explore and examine other
countries, and in particular, their own
country. The Transantlantic
Educators Dialogue is sponsored by
the European Union Center and the
College of Education at the
University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign.
• 4 years of TED
• Elluminate/Blackboard Collaborate

3. Who can participate?
Participants wanted for FREE on-line
Transatlantic Educators Dialogue with
US teachers!
Are you interested in talking to other
teachers in the US about educational
issues beyond classroom management?
If so, we invite you to join a free 12-
week online program: “Transatlantic
Educators Dialogue, 2013 .″ Please
register online by January 25, 2013.
Please contact TED coordinator
Lucinda Morgan
(lmorgan4@illinois.edu) if you have
questions about the program.
For more information: http://
www.euc.illinois.edu/TED/
Look for the ad on
your
e-Twinning desktop …

4. Topics of discussion
• EU Infrastructure & US Structure
• Impressions of the "Other"
• Approaches to Teaching
• Evaluation & Assessment Systems
• Youth Culture
• Immigration
• Rural & Urban Situations
• Opportunities for International
Collaboration
• The Future: Where are the EU and
US going?
Meeting every Sunday from 8-9.30 pm

5. Moments from our Sunday meeting

6. Discussion forum

7. Our Facebook group

8. Going back to … kindergarten!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tO4X8_c80kg

9. Being a teacher in the States ….
………There are programs in place, nationally (Teach
for America for example) that allow anyone with a
university degree to join, 'teach'/intern during
summer school, and be placed as a regular
classroom teacher for the upcoming school year
without any education background. These teachers
participate in a cohort and are closely monitored and
assisted. So, in effect, it is similar to a paid
internship, which is another option available to
teachers and replaces standard student teaching.
Interns and teachers with Alternative Certification are
held to the same requirements as a regular certified
teacher. Certification/Highly Qualified status is
obtained by passing whichever test your state
chooses as acceptable, Praxis, for example.

10. The Praxis test

11. In US it depends on private or public school. To teach at a private school you
do not need a teaching credential. Salary is low, benefits scarce, but you get
smaller class sizes and parental involvement (sometimes excessive but oh
wow). To teach at a public school, one needs a teaching credential, which
you can get either by enrolling in the teacher prep program at a
college/univeristy, or by just taking a test. System is bizarre. I have Master's
from one of the leading universities in the US. In order to get in, one have to
take GRE exams which requires some high level math, logic, and good
knowledge of English. The teacher certification test is ridiculous, and I cannot
figure our why they want me to take it since I clearly passed my GRE. Many
foreigners who teach at US end up in this situation.
The saying goes - if you cannot do anything with yourself, go teach. ….
I wish there was a way to change the way teaching is perceived…..
Masha Serttunc, US teacher says ….

12. Did you also know that …?

13. My gains
New tools to be used while teaching
Platforms/groups for teachers
New friends abroad
Some more history or geography …

14. 1. The US Educational system
75 million students in school year 2005-2006
6.8 million teachers from Kindergarten to college
878 billion $ a year
School attendance is compulsory for students through age
16
K = Kindergarten at the age of 5
K1-K5 or 8 (depends on the State) Elementary school
K9-K12 High School 14- 18 years of age
45- or 50-minute classes

15. 2. The evaluation system
https://www.youtube.com
/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LoaidrMJ6wk#!

16. 3. Hot potatoes worldwide …
Family structure
Racism
The use/overuse of
technology
Immigration
Global recession
The future of education

17. 4. New trends in the trade
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aGuLuipTwg

18. Chances of international partnerships
Looking for a partner from the States
http://linoit.com/users/juliegy/canvases
/US%20partner%20wanted%21
…. And proposing a project
http://www.capzles.com/#/93fae7d6-9213-4555-b6b9-4438f740c263/
Trying to fund a meeting of TED 2013 participants
http://padlet.com/wall/p4m65x0kyi

19. Keep spirits high! Have a nice summer holiday!
Thank you!