Flat Classroom 2.0 -- BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!

Julie and I have been working diligently on reworking the Flat Classroom Project on our template wiki. With the help of Wikispaces (Adam Frey), we've archived last year's project and are working to rebuild the main wiki. (It is a work in process this week, so forgive our dust.)

Project Announcement

As a follow up to the award winning Flat Classroom project (see 2006 project), educators Julie Lindsay (Qatar Academy, Qatar), Vicki Davis (Westwood Schools, Camilla, GA USA), Barbara Stefanics (Vienna International School, Vienna, Austria), and John Turner, Presbyterian Ladies College, Melbourne, Australia) are announcing the official pre-planning of the Flat Classroom Project 2007 which will begin in October and conclude on November 30th, 2006.

This year's project will incorporate a study of the ten flatteners as outlined in Thomas Friedman's book The World is Flat, (and earned the project inclusion in version 3.0 of his book. (pages 501-503) )

This year's project includes an intentional plan to include the six senses of the conceptual age as outlined by Daniel Pink in his book A Whole New Mind and an increased use of digital storytelling.

This project already includes schools from four continents but the goal is to include schools from six continents (except Antarctica.)

Accordingly, this project will include three primary components:
  1. Editing and updating previously created information (Mass Collaboration, Symphony)
  2. Creating Digital Stories using the 6 senses of the conceptual age from Daniel Pink's book, A Whole New Mind
  3. Post Project Reflection - Students will post their reflection on the process on the project ning.

This year's project has three primary methods for facilitating communication:
  1. The Flat Classroom Wiki - This will be our product.
  2. The Flat Classroom Ning (with private groups for teachers, leaders, student groups, and educators).-- This will be our connection piece that will allow us to make and cement the connections and manage the workgroups.
  3. The Flat Classroom Airset to create cross-time zone calendaring.

Interested classrooms are invited to read the requirements and email flatclassroomproject@gmail.com. Participating classrooms will be announced on Tuesday, September 25th.


How you can join in:
  • Participating Classroom -- We wish we could take everyone but are looking for several other strategically placed classrooms with the competence to participate. Please contact us!
  • Sounding Board (Peer review) -- Perhaps you have a classroom that would like to spend a day reviewing videos. This year's project will heavily rely on digital storytelling. E-mail us as well. We plan to add additional room in eluminate.
  • Researchers - We are making the Ning open to researchers, expert advisors, and those who would like to more closely follow the project. A survey instrument is being designed currently.
  • Judge - We are working on this element right now.
  • Attendee - Attending a student summit or live elluminate meeting.
This is exciting! We're looking forward to improving this project and building on what we've learned. In many ways it is a new project with Julie at a new school and I with a heavy workload this semester.

My students from last year spoke at Rotary. The business people at the meeting were amazed and impressed. I was amazed and impressed because I know that the last project ended in mid May! Their retention was impressive and they retained so much!

It is worthwhile because it is way to change my corner of the world. It not only teaches my subject very thoroughly but it also improves student global awareness, techno-personal skills and collaborative abilities.

And one just needs to pick up any best seller to see the importance of those tools.

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