Connecting Globally with Global Collaboration
As we consider twenty-first century learning skills, several concepts come immediately to mind - collaboration, communication, and connecting with our broader global community. The Renzulli Learning Global Collaboration feature enables students to develop these skills and many more, organically.
What exactly do we mean when we say “Global Collaboration?” Within Renzulli Learning, you may have noticed that the “Groups” function now has its own special place on the main menu navigation, and its submenus are Local Groups and Global Collaboration. Let’s define these two options.
- Local Groups are the groups that you make for yourself and your students. You can design a group using Profiler Data or set up your own Custom Groups. You can still make Basic Groups which you can use for your own administrative tasks such as assigning work to students, as well as Collaborative Groups where students share a message board and can work on Projects and Assignments together. You are able to Invite Teachers from your school to work with you in a Local Group.
- Global Groups act much the same way, however they enable you to connect with Teachers and Students across your district, state, the United States, and around the globe! When you create a Global Group you set the following parameters so that other teachers will understand what the group is intended for:
- Language for group
- Grade Level(s)
- Subject area
- Anticipated Timeline
- Detailed Description - Describe your purpose and goal for this collaborative group in order to invite other schools to join you.
Both types of groups now include a Teacher Chat board, so you can keep your communications attached to the group, without the need to go digging through emails.
You may find a partner in Turkey, Spain, Italy, Brazil, or even Australia! We have English speaking schools from all over the world who are eager to connect with schools in the United States and other English speaking countries. That being said, two schools that both speak the same language other than English can also partner up! There is no limit to how many teachers can join a Global Group, only what the lead teacher wants to pursue in partnerships. You can Open the group to new partners and Close it back up whenever you’d like.
Now more than ever, our world is in need of connecting across borders. We are offering special Global Groups to help students understand and process the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as connect with students from around the world to see that we are all going through similar experiences. There are two groups being formed right now, one for middle school (name?) and one for elementary, grades 3-5 (name?), both based on age appropriate Super Starter Projects.
Featured Project
Globally Aware
Language for group: English
Grade Level(s): Grade 7
Subject area: Global Citizenship
Anticipated Timeline: December, 2021
We would like to collaborate with a school/s to have the opportunity to develop an understanding of different nations and cultures and respecting and working effectively with people from all background and cultures. We are aware of the fact that there can be more than one way to do something. Our aim in this project is to create awareness about understanding international current affairs. We are eager to meet globally aware people who are flexible and open to new ideas. We would like to have the chance to work on a collaborative project with a school having an interest in what is happening in other areas of the world socially, economically and environmentally.
Check out the available Global Groups already being shared on our Global Groups bulletin board. Go to Groups/Global Collaboration and click the yellow button, Join a Global Group. See one you like? Click “Send Request!” Have an idea for one you’d like to create? Click “Create New Group!”