Daniel McNeal | January 31, 2017
A classroom exchange can be a useful tool to engage your students in global learning. By allowing your class to interact directly with students from different countries and cultures, you are breaking down classroom walls and giving your students a glimpse into other parts of the world. As technological progress continues far and wide, the capabilities of connecting with classrooms from different parts of the world has become much easier and allows for a more robust relationship between students. Today, there are a number of organizations who work to promote and advance international understanding and world peace using technology to create face to face contacts.
Here at World View, we encourage you to take the next step with your classroom exchange; to have your class engage in dialogue on a particular issue or to work to solve a common or complex problem. The ultimate goal of World View is to develop globally competent citizens who are prepared to work in an interconnected and diverse world. Through a classroom exchange, students interact with people that have different perspectives and different ways of approaching problems, yet are able to come together as they work through these problems, building skills along the way to make them responsible citizens in this complex, rapidly changing, and diverse world.
Have you thought about developing an internet exchange between your class and a class from another country but didn’t know where to start? Or are you ready to take that next step with your classroom exchange? We’ve compiled a brief list of organizations and groups that foster international classroom exchanges. Click on the links below to go directly to these organizations’ websites to learn more about establishing your own classroom exchange.
iEARN – iEARN is a non-profit organization made up of over 30,000 schools and youth organizations in more than 140 countries. iEARN empowers teachers and young people to work together online using the Internet and other new communications technologies.
Level Up Village – Level Up Village (LUV) offers STEAM courses for K-9 students. In each course, LUV connects students with peers in other countries – students exchange video letters with their global partner students and collaborate on projects.
Know My World – Know My World is a global education resource that connects participants digitally in shared learning experiences.
Reach the World – Reach the World enriches curriculum by connecting classrooms to volunteer travelers who are exploring the globe through its interactive website.
Taking IT Global – Taking IT Global facilitates intercultural dialogue, power micro-actions and support place-based discovery through their award winning global online community.
ePals – Allows you to create a pen pal exchange network.