As I have grown my PLN through interactions at conferences, connecting with educators on Twitter or by staying in contact with teachers I have worked with at previous schools, I have found that there are so many opportunities out there to connect with teachers in other schools. In addition, there are just as many opportunities to connect students with classrooms and resources outside of my classroom. I have gone to professional development sessions with a focus of getting students and teachers to be more globally minded and connected. I have been introduced to learning tools such as Flip Grid or Mystery Skype and always get excited about using some of these tools in my classroom, but then I never do. For some reason, I always get a little intimidated to step outside of my comfort zone. This is the reason I want to choose “Global Collaborator” as my ISTE Standard for Students.
This ISTE Standard for Students directly aligns with my own ISTE Standard for Educators. By developing students who are Global Collaborators, I will need to be a collaborator myself. One place I could start looking for people to collaborate with is on Twitter or even within my COETAIL cohort. I have already seen that there is at least one other COETAIL student who teaches second grade like me. This could be a good starting point.
I know that by choosing this learning path, my students will greatly benefit. Even as second graders, I think that it is important to expose children to collaborative opportunities. By giving them opportunities to collaborate with others outside of the classroom, they will get an early appreciation for authentic, real-world learning experiences. Students will also recognize that learning can come from sharing ideas and listening to other peoples’ perspectives.
