connecting classrooms palestine
TRANSCRIPT
Aims of the Connecting
Classrooms Programme
School Partnerships that give young people the chance
to collaborate with their international peers on
curriculum based activities which are:
sustainable – equitable - makes a difference
An opportunity for students to develop a fuller
understanding of other countries and cultures.
Funding for teacher mobility
Background and Travel
How we can help!
West Bank is packed with History – friendly people,
traditional villages and Biblical sites
Friendly determined and always hopeful people in spite
of violent episodes and failed peace agreements
Tremendous scope for meaningful educational projects
which span the curriculum.
The Partnership Journey
steps for success
1. Preparing – getting to know each other
2. Developing and working towards equality – teaching,
leadership and curricular enhancement
3. Embedding – becoming global citizens
4. Expanding – share your experience evaluate and
celebrate
Creating a Partnership Appoint a lead teacher – get to know your partner
teachers – identify common objectives
Agree on effective reliable communication – mobile
phones, email, finding local contacts with internet
access
Involving colleagues - using existing expertise
Baseline assessment and evaluation
Developing Cultural
UnderstandingConsider cultural expectations:
Formality and informality titles or first names?
Professional or personal?
Time
The importance of seniority in school
Prayer time
Gender
Greetings
Deeper Understanding of Global
Citizenship - 5 themes
Identity and Belonging
Fairness and Equality
Rights and Responsibilities
Sustainable Living
Conflict and Peace
8 Global Citizenship Skills Self- awareness
Empathy
Conflict Resolution
Creative Thinking
Critical Thinking
Communicating
Collaborating
Taking Action
Project IdeasIdentity:
What’s in your invisible backpack?
Your backpack grows and changes with you. It collects
your experiences of people, places and events. There are
different pockets where each of your roles and identities
fit – sibling parent educator etc
Share five contents of your invisible backpack
Effective International
Learning Start with a baseline assessment of initial perceptions.
Identity is a good starting point.
Staff involvement – lead teacher
Realistic expectations about impact
Use this partnership as a ‘springboard’ for other
international partnerships
Evaluate the partnership outcomes.
Project Ideas
Fairness and Equality
Where does our food come from?
Use everyday food to explore trade. How far has
food travelled?
Explore equality issues related to gender,
disability or race.
Explore fairness, equality and competitiveness in
sport.
Project Ideas
Rights and Responsibilities
The right to play and leisure time.
Compare how much time is devoted to play, leisure and sport at school. What local facilities are provided locally?
Consider the responsibilities that students have within the classroom.
List and discuss the difference between ‘needs rights and wants’
Project Ideas
Sustainable Living
School gardens – what are the
growing conditions in your outside
space? Could the same crops be
grown in your partner’s garden?
Compare different climates and
weather data.
More Project Ideas
Conflict and Peace
The Kites are Flying - Michael Morpurgo
How is conflict dealt with in traditional
stories and expressions? Use drama or
creative writing to rewrite stories so the
conflict is dealt with in a different way.
Research symbols of peace and use them
in Art work – students can design their own
Possible Challenges Effective Communication
Different Expectations
Creating an Equal Partnership
Building New Skills
Diverse Partnerships
Developing Understanding and Empathy
How can these be resolved?