Global Collaboration Day

My guess is that opening your library, and your school culture, to global opportunities is already high on your to-do list for 2015/16.  Here are a couple of ways to get started now, no matter where in the world you work.

I the share news of two major free events from organizers Lucy Gray and Steve Hargadon:

1. Global Collaboration Day takes place on September 17th and will immediately engage your students in participation.

eSchool News describes this opportunity as

a first-of-its-kind event designed to raise awareness about the merits of participating in projects that cross borders.  In addition to a handful of PD sessions for educators, there will be opportunities for mystery Skype calls, special Twitter chats, an international discussion conducted via WhatsApp, and a Q&A with a judge centered around the U.S. Constitution.

Check out the updating calendar of events arranged by time zone,

Global Collaboration Day is looking for schools, after-school programs, libraries, universities, museums, and companies to volunteer to host online activities on September 17th with the primary goal of demonstrating the power of global collaboration in the learning process.

These events are designed by hosts and could be as simple as a Twitter chat , an online book discussion, or a virtual screening of a film. The idea is that we collectively present a myriad of globally connective activities that may encourage others to try using technology to collaborate online. See examples of projects that have been submitted thus far by clicking here.

Global Collaboration Day is slated to take place in YOUR time zone on September 17th. Please consider participating in an event on our calendar AND/OR hosting an event for others. Our goals are focused on supporting those new to connecting classrooms as well as showcasing tools, initiatives and programs that will benefit students by helping them learn with the world. We believe in the power of globally connected learners; help us make as many opportunities as possible for students, teachers, and organizations around the world.   The team is especially interested in soliciting more events in other languages and would particularly love to see more libraries, museums, and institutions of informal learning get involved.

Here are some links to help you get started.

• Visit the website for Global Collaboration Day.
• To participate and join an event, start on our participant page. We have time zone friendly calendars posted.
• If you want to host an event, directions and ideas are listed on this host page. Be creative and make events fun!
• Consider participating in existing projects from other organizations such as Peace One Day and International Dot Day and design GCD events around these other occasions taking place in September.
• To browse listed events,  look at the event directory in addition to the calendar linked on our participant page.

We will be holding drop-in informational sessions on in our Blackboard Collaborate virtual room on Tuesday, September 8th at 7 AM, 2 PM, and 7 PM Central (UTC-5). Visit timeanddate.com to convert times into your time zone. To attend these sessions, go to our virtual room on the aforementioned dates or times. Please attend if you have an idea and want feedback, to pitch your event to others, or to ask any questions. These events will be recorded if you cannot make it!

If you can help with translating information into other languages, please let Lucy know by sending an email to lucy@lucygrayconsulting.com. If your organization or company is interested in serving as a media outreach partner or sponsor of the event, please contact Steve at steve@hargadon.com

Right now, 84 schools and organizations from 21 US states and 25 countries have signed up to participate.

2. The free, virtual 6th annual Global Education Conference will bring together educators and innovators from around the world, from Monday, November 16 through Thursday, November 19, 2015, using the Blackboard Collaborate platform.  Leveraging available technologies, the event is designed to facilitate connections and collaborations between students, teachers, and organizations across geographical boundaries.

The Global Education Conference is a collaborative, inclusive, world-wide community initiative involving students, educators, and organizations at all levels. It is designed to significantly increase opportunities for building education-related connections around the globe while supporting cultural awareness and recognition of diversity. Last year’s conference featured more than 260 general sessions and 35 keynote addresses from all over the world with over 7,500 participants. To attend this year’s conference and to be kept informed of the latest conference news and updates, please 
join this network.

Check out the archives from past Global Education Conferences:

• 2014
• 2013
• 2012
• 2011
• 2010

Follow @GlobalEdCon on Twitter

Use the hashtag: #globaled15

Global Education Conference

Global Collaboration Day

Global Education Conference Network 

List of sponsors and partners

You may also be interested in the G+ Global TL: Librarians Without Borders Community and my previous post Going global: a literacy, a process, a call to action.

And coming soon, look out for #TLDay2015!

Filed under: global