Global Collaboration:Teachers & Students from several countries share stories of diversity / Inclusion

Purpose & objective

The purpose of this Poster Session is to provide a venue for interactive dialogue about long term Global partnership for collaboration. Presenters have been selected to represent both teachers and students, and also to represent different countries participating in a year long collaboration partnership model. This model allows teachers and students to build long term relationships. This is a critical component of overcoming a sense of "other" and moving toward a success where students casually work with their team mates with equality and respect

Participants will hear stories of challenges overcome, unexpected serendipity, and heartfelt successes. It is our hope that these stories and example give participants the courage and confidence to engage in similar global collaboration projects.

Outline

This is an Open Question and Answer Session.

A video will be available with examples of collaboration

The Audience will engage with Teachers and Student presenters by asking questions, and listening to stories of their experience doing a year+ long Global Collaboration. In addition, Audience participants will be able to talk virtually with other presenters unable to travel this distance.

Outline of Content and Activities:
Teachers and Students will present examples of
-Collaboration projects
-Interactions
-Outcomes
The audience will be able to view example projects and have peer-to peer interactions with teachers & students to understand
Project-Based Learning approach, device-based activities, obstacles, and solutions for successful connection, communication, and innovative collaboration across borders.
Students will present examples of their project work, their experiences and their perspectives in being able to engage, learn, and collaborate with peers in other countries and cultures. Live and Video recordings of peer-to-peer club student engagement will be shared with the audience
The audience will be able to interact with teachers & students directly to inquire and discuss the impact of collaboration across borders on their perspective.
Half of the designated time will be devoted to the Teacher presentation and audience engagement. The other half of the designated time will be devoted to Student perspectives

LEARNER OUTCOMES*
What will attendees learn and what will they take away from attending your session? Describe any new ideas or strategies attendees will learn, or products attendees will create, in your session.

Attendees will be inspired to use technology as a catalyst for inclusive and globally oriented education, supported with practical tools and innovative ideas to enrich their own teaching and learning environments. The session outcomes will focus on the following:
1. Empowered learning with global technology to overcome disparity. Mindful technology usage empowers learners to collaborate successfully across borders, transcending geographical limitations.
2. Participants will discover meaningful ways to employ technology as a tool for fostering cultural appreciation and global awareness.
3. The experiences shared by the student representatives will inspire attendees to explore fresh approaches to global connections, highlighting the greater role of technology in the classroom.
4. Attendees will leave with practical strategies, effective tools and ideas for integrating technology into their own educational settings, thereby promoting global collaboration and cultural understanding.

Supporting research

The rising impact of Global Collaboration is present in much of the current research including ISTE's publication by Julie Phillips Randles (May 14, 2018) ; " 5 ways students benefit from Global Collaboration"
"As the world becomes increasingly connected, so should our schools. It’s a matter of bringing global collaboration experiences to the classroom and getting comfortable with handing over the reins of learning to students.

Exposing students to global collaboration builds cultural understanding, communication skills, and knowledge and awareness of the wider world, experts say. And while global learning isn’t new, it is reaching a new level of maturity as more educators come to understand the value of learning in a global context.

The United Nationa's Sustainable Development Goals include SDG's that explicitly foster or require Global Collaboration and as the future adults who will need these skills -- Global Collaboration is a critical skillset for today's students

The Pew Research Center (May 13, 2017) shows that Workforce metrics increasingly favor applicants with Global collaboration experience, and the tolerance for diversity that this exposure provides. It also emphasizes that Global Collaboration needs to become a much more intentional component of education.