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On April 17th 2023 another round of Connected Learning began, with FOUR classes collaborating together on each of the units available for use at this moment, the FOOD and the CULTURE unit. There have been upgrades, improvements and tweaks applied to the two units, following collection of feedback from all users after Round One completed in February 2022. The feedback underwent careful analysis during the Project Meeting at Katowice in March 2023. You can read all about this Project Meeting on our website, Actions & Events --> Live Meetings in Poland. AS the photographs below testify, students are super engaged in the classes, working together and discussing the solutions for the provided tasks.
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On February 13, 2023, the two-week process of student collaboration and learning together commenced on the first two thematic modules, FOOD and CULTURE. 39 students from 6 schools and 3 countries - Poland, Iceland and Greece - began their adventure with CULTURE. 79 students from 8 schools and 4 countries - Poland, Iceland, Greece and Indonesia - started sharing their FOOD stories. The 118 students are collaborating on various tasks, wither face-to-face with their peers in their respective classrooms, or sharing information online with their intercultural teams. Have a look at the slide show of photos below to gain a better understanding of how this collaboration looks. Join us for the next edition of collaborative learning, with these two or the new thematic modules that will be available soon! What to do before the collaboration starts?Here's what Kasia Pelc did - inspirational! "I introduced this new topic of work in the blended learning project and partially new working methods to my students as follows: 1. I asked about the advantages of project work that my students know...although not in an international dimension... 2. I asked if they had heard of critical thinking and what they thought it was. 3. I asked what other important competencies are currently needed by people in interesting jobs. I referenced them to the job postings. 4. The students easily exchanged the other 4 Cs i.e. creativity, communication, cooperation and even emotional intelligence 5. We discussed the rules of online communication, in an international environment, with an emphasis on cultural differences and possible different reception of various content, e.g. jokes, emoticons, etc... I showed where they can find ready-made phrases. 6. I also showed them what online tools will be used. What a nice feeling to know more than they do... e.g. they don't know FLiP 7. They have now started working on the first task They are sitting, motivated and involved. I am very happy to see how the student is at the center of the learning process and how it triggers the learning process. There are no bored looks... there is action. Priceless!!!"  Here you will find answers to Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat is the goal of Connected Learning? The authors of Connected Learning Modules promote thoughtful education that engages technology to provide opportunities for collaboration and practice of higher order thinking skills in English class. Our example units (Modules) structure learning of English in a captivating way focused on 21st century skills training. We hope that our Modules will inspire other teachers to add Connected Learning to their repertoire of teaching methods! Is Connected Learning a paid service? No, it is not. All modules are available for free. Teachers can use them whenever they want and as many times as they want. Free thematic lesson plans in modules? How is it possible? Our project benefits from co-financing of approx. EUR 186,000 received from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway as part of the EEA Grants. The project is also partially financed from the Polish state budget. The aim of the project is to increase teachers' competences, modernize pedagogy thanks to the implemented innovations, and promote wider use of the concept of learning through international cooperation of students. For which learners are the thematic lesson modules designed? Our modules are designed for teenage learners (approx. high school age) with English level spreading from B1 to C1 on CEFR scale (see CEFR comparison with TOEFL or IELTS scores). This is only our suggestion – you can try the modules with learners of all ages and levels if you find the lessons purposeful for your curriculum. How do I get started with these thematic lesson modules?
Where do I find another class to collaborate with? It’s up to you. You can suggest starting a Connected Learning adventure with a teacher(s) and/or school(s) that you already collaborate with on other projects, or just your friendly English teachers. Alternatively, you can sign up for the CONNECTED LEARNING FACEBOOK GROUP where you can post your interest in the modules and find a partner teacher(s) whose students will collaborate with yours at a mutually agreed time of the school year. Finally, you can email us at connectedlearning22@gmail.com so we can try to connect you with the schools from our educational projects. Do I need to have a school from abroad to collaborate with? No, that's not necessary. Although the thematic module activities are great fun for intercultural exchange if you collaborate with a foreign group, you can also work through the modules with a school from your own country or city, or even just on your own, with your own students. Collaboration greatly enriches the learning, but all modules are designed for both individual and group work. Can I modify the lessons? Of course! Remember to double check with your partner teacher(s) and group(s), so that you all agree on the changes and they don’t interfere with your co-learning. When should I work through the modules? Absolutely any time you want. Each module is designed for approximately 1-2 weeks of engagement. Decide with your partner teacher(s) and group(s) on a convenient time frame if you will work collaboratively, or rely on your personal calendar if you work individually. What should I do when I complete the work on one thematic module? Celebrate your learning outcomes! If you want to share your feedback, email us at connectedlearning22@gmail.com - we’ll be delighted to hear all about it! Remember to send us links to your published learning outcomes, too! Then, if you liked our thematic collaborative module, go ahead and collaborate on another one. There are eight, and each is filled with different activities, so your students will remain engaged throughout all of the topics. What is the Strengths-finder Analyzer and where is it located? The Strengths-finder Analyzer questionnaire aims to help you analyse your strengths and weaknesses to prepare for online/hybrid collaboration and achieve better educational results. The survey mainly focuses on your readiness and personal attitude to become a teacher of the future! We hope our suggestions and experience will help you smoothly navigate between online and in-class lessons. The Strengths-finder Analyzer is divided into four parts:
What information do I get in the Connected Learning webinar and where is it located? If you dream of teaching a class of highly-motivated and responsible teenagers, we encourage you to watch our professional training webinar to:
How do I sign up for the Connected Learning Facebook group? You'll need a Facebook profile to sign up for the CONNECTED LEARNING FACEBOOK GROUP where you can post your interest in the modules and find a partner teacher(s) whose students will collaborate with yours at a mutually agreed time of the school year. Alternatively, you can fill out THIS FORM, so we can try to connect you with the schools from our educational projects. As with any innovation or newly invented methodology, initially there’s confusion regarding terminology. Hybrid learning and blended learning are pretty much defined as separate ideas, for example by Naveen Neelakandan in “How is hybrid learning different from blended learning,” who states his definitions clearly: “blended learning only works by combining two things: eLearning and traditional learning. As for hybrid learning, it works by allowing students to choose whether to learn in person or to participate online.” But perhaps using the adverb “only” is a mistake. What if there are other interpretations? Celisa Steele in a recent article on www.leadinglearning.com titled “Hybrid vs. Blended Learning: The Difference and Why It Matters” defines hybrid learning as an “educational approach where some individuals participate in person and some participate online. Instructors and facilitators teach remote and in-person learners at the same time using technology like video conferencing.” This seems like a clear definition of the situation many faced during the pandemic, when some schools decided to practice safe distancing by halving the number of students in the classroom, sending the other half home to call in via Zoom. Meanwhile, the unprepared teacher was left to juggle the in-house kids and the online kids, AND learn the tech on the fly. Steele also defines blended learning, with which “instructors and facilitators combine in-person instruction with online learning activities. Learners complete some components online and some others in person.” She also says that “Both types of learning involve a mix of in-person and online learning, but the “who” differs in the two scenarios. With hybrid learning, the in-person learners and the online learners are different individuals. With blended learning, the same individuals learn both in person and online.” Precisely. And what if the two scenarios amalgamate into one? For the purposes of our project: Connected Learning - implementing international and intercultural online student collaboration, focused on 21st century skills, our definition of hybrid learning will differ, in that the online collaboration amongst groups of students from different classes, schools, cities or even countries mixes the two concepts, hybrid and blended. The students participating in the collaboration are all in-person learners at some point of the learning, and at the same time, they’re online learners, too.  |
