GVC #2: Signed up for the Global Virtual Classroom Contest today

I signed up today! The Google Form asked us to agree to the eight points of the ‘Teachers Oath’. This is what the form says:

"Please complete the form below to register for the Global Virtual Classroom (GVC) Contest for the 2014/2015 school year. The GVC Contest registration ends on September 25, 2014. Before filling out the form, please read this "Teacher's Oath" and verify that you can commit to these 8 points.

1.) I agree to communicate with my partners at least once time per week.
2.) If my school is not actively participating by November 1st, I agree that my school will be removed from the GVC Contest and replaced by another school, if one is available.
3.) I verify that I am a teacher or other adult who will be supervise and be responsible for my class or group for the duration of the GVC Contest period.
4.) I understand that Google Sites will be the main web design tool used by all teams. (Space assigned by the GVC.)
5.) I will accurately describe my technical skills to my partners.
6.) I acknowledge that I will inform my partners of all holidays and school events between October and March that might interfere with my school's participation during the GVC Contest period.
7.) I understand sites will be judged on content, presentation, helping focus, and collaboration, and that all work must be copyright compliant.
8.) I agree to respect the final decisions of the judging panel.

If you are unable to agree to any of these items, contact the GVC Manager, jbarnstable@gsbi.org for additional help OR consider participating in our Clubhouse program [http://gvc-clubhouse.wikispaces.com/], which is less demanding."

I think those are fair so I am set to go! Exciting!

GVC#1: The Global Virtual Classroom – this looks like a great project to get involved in

I have heard about this project, the Global Virtual Classroom, which is similar to the old Thinkquest project where teams from schools work together to create a website. It sounds like the type of project I would love to join up with. The following post comes from a blogpost on their blog: http://gvcnews.blogspot.com/2014/08/connect-collaborate-through-global.html

Connect & Collaborate Through Global Virtual Classroom

What is the Global Virtual Classroom?
The Global Virtual Classroom vision is to empower, enable, and connect students around the world using Internet technology. Teacher and students must be willing to make a serious commitment to collaborating with their partner schools for the duration of the project. Our emphasis is on teamwork across cultural and geographic distances, which is much harder than working together in the same room.

What is this contest?
Three schools are teamed by the GVC into a single team. That team works together to create a website about a world issue that they have chosen collaboratively. This is a full year commitment. Schools need strong collaboration skills, as the 3 schools in each team are separated geographically, but need to work together as one.

Who may participate?
Teacher guided Primary (Grades 1-­7) and Secondary (Grades 8­-12, or equivalent) classes and youth groups around the world that have access to the Internet and know or can learn to use Google Sites.

Contest Benefits
Why would a teacher and class take on this task?

• Real world experience and audience
  
• Global collaboration
  
• Build on each person's strengths to create a whole; the group is better together!
  
• Nothing teaches faster than learning from each other.
  
• Authentic assessment ­rubric provided for guidance

What do projects look like?

To see what others have done, look here. The Primary division is listed first, followed by the Secondary.

 
Ready for this adventure?
After reading this my answer was YES! I am ready for this adventure. I have decided to sign up with a Grade 4 class in September. The project goes through to June or so next year and at my school the children in the classes remain together because we only have one of each grade in the school.  I will approach the teacher concerned and see what she has to say and then we will use many of our ICT lessons to pursue the project.

Apps for the Chromebook

Holly Clark writes a lot about the Chromebook so I thought I would make a start by installing the Apps she suggests for the Chromebook in her blog post ‘Chrome Apps perfect for the Chromebook Classroom’  These are apps which, she says, can make student thinking visible.  I have just noticed that she has used a Thinglink interactive image to explain the apps. Click on the image below to be taken to Holly’s interactive image.