21st Century Learning and Teaching

How does this activity impact your students?

The PenPal News program challenges them to craft precise questions for their international partners to read and consider. If my students can develop a keen sense of how to elicit meaningful answers from a peer writing in his or her second language, they can certainly practice high-quality reporting right here when they work as student journalists around the school. Some of my students have kept in touch with their pen pal through social media, and a few have developed friendships that have lasted for years.

Do you have advice for teachers who want to get more involved with global programs?

Start with a program that provides resources and support, like PenPal Schools. Determine what standards you want and need to address through the program. Schedule time in your class to proctor and participate—and soon you will be experiencing a dynamic shift in how your students learn.

We have seen tremendous interest and enthusiasm for Skype Translator from around the globe over the last few months and we’re incredibly excited to share it with the world. However, we want to hear from you first! The preview program will have limited spots available, so register today for your chance to secure a virtual spot in line!

The preview program will be free and will initially be available for Windows 8.1 computers and tablets only, and will kick-off with a limited selection of languages. That said, as part of the sign-up process, you’ll have the chance to tell us which languages are important to you, what platforms you’d like to see added, and how you plan to use Skype Translator once it becomes available. We look forward to this feedback, as it will help enhance future releases.

When we first began our blogging journey with eight year olds, two years ago, a HUGE amount of groundwork was laid prior to our very first post. Looking back, those first building blocks seems SO insurmountable … but … we’ve done it, and I wouldn’t change a thing about it! Learning WITH the world has proven to be a POWERFUL way to personalize and DEEPEN our curiosities.

Prior to beginning this “new” way of learning, we spent a great deal of time exploring other class blogs to see all the “possibilities” and to get a sense of our hopes for our new blog. You see, this was a pilot project – the very first classroom blog in our system. We knew that, if it was going to be a success, we needed to be VERY clear about what success would LOOK like!

As I write this post, I see this process much like the steps needed to build a strong, durable, long-lasting structure. There is the “planning stage” … drafting the vision out; it is an extensive AND intensive process that is necessary to ensure a successful project. Next, there’s the building stage … from the ground up.