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Although I meant to write about this at the very beginning of September, the organisation and launching of the Poppies’ Foundation Course  prevented me from talking about it earlier. So…it’s probably too late but I think it’s a great idea which is worth spreading.

What is Global Collaboration day?

In a nutshell this is how the organisers describe it:

Global Collaboration Day is a full day of globally connecting activities for students, teachers, classrooms, schools and organizations to demonstrate global collaboration and bring awareness of the value of global education.

So here goes the e-mail I have just received:

It’s now Thursday, September 17th, in the South Pacific–and that means Global Collaboration Day has arrived!

Over the next couple of days, students, classrooms, teachers, administrators, parents and organizations will be either attending and/or hosting events online that are designed to showcase and promote global collaboration. We (Lucy Gray + Steve Hargadon, co-chairs of the Global Education Conference) are the calendar coordinators but not the direct conveners: that is, over 100 groups have designed and planned their own events which we have then organized into a directory and in special calendars to allow these events to be seen in any time zone in the world.

This is a huge worldwide experiment to demonstrate the power of globally-connected learning.

Examples of projects and events include: a teacher in Australia who will lead others in learning to dance Greek-style via Skype and Edmodo; African students and teachers answering questions through Whatsapp; and classrooms participating in a global virtual amazing race. There are professional development sessions for individual pre-service teachers, in-service educators, and other adults; as well as projects for entire classrooms to join in. We encourage you to browse the event directory or the calendar and choose a compelling event to attend!

Here are some tips to keep in mind as the next couple of days unfold:

• Read directions and our website carefully to prepare.
• If you have a question about a particular event or project, contact the host of that event directly. Their contact information is posted in each event listing.
• Join our Remind texting and email group for event reminders.
• If you need live help, we’ll do our best to be available. We will be in and out of this Blackboard Collaborate room as our own schedules allow.
• Be patient! Things may not always go as well as intended! Learning to be flexible and adapting to situations online is a big part of becoming a global collaborator.

Here are some important links for you to keep handy:

• How to Join an Event
• How to Host an Event
• FAQ
• Event Calendars
• Event Directory
• List of Participating Schools and Organizations
• Forum
• Social Media
• Video Tutorials

We appreciate the time and energy that our hosts have invested in this special day, and hope that our participants learn something new and become more confident with digital tools that allow for global connections. We also hope that you’ll meet new professionals to add to your professional learning network!

See you online,

Lucy and Steve