Do we debate? Eracism 2013 is around the corner

I hope you'll forgive the posts about upcoming projects in the Flat Classroom family but so many things are getting ready to start and some of you may not have heard about some of these projects. The Eracism project was invented by students at the first Flat Classroom conference in Doha Qatar and was voted up by the world of educators and students as being most needed. They were so right! Last semester we ran 4 brackets (2 middle school and 2 high school). The debates begin by debating on Voicethread and the finals are synchronous in Blackboard Collaborate. We're excited to be working with ObaWorld as a result of meeting Yong Zhao at ISTE this summer. We'll be beta testing this platform for use with future projects. 

So, I copied an email that Julie Lindsay just sent out to our mailing list and am inviting any of you who would like to do this. It doesn't take a lot of time, but you do need to help students prepare to field a team. My classroom actually won the first competition back three or four years a go, and I had the whole class prepare and debate one another to select the team and then supported the team as they went through the competition. It was a great project. I'm not fielding teams now, just because it is the right thing to do for the projects and because the timing doesn't fit with my keyboarding class. 

You're invited to join in Eracism! Here's information.

About the Eracism Project: A Message from Julie Lindsay.

You are receiving this email because of your interest in the Eracism Project. In fact you may have already completed a project in the past, you may have been a judge, or you may have filled in a form asking for more details, or you may be involved in another Flat Classroom Project. You may also be a classroom teacher who has already signed up for the Eracism 13-1 project! 

I am writing to you all to help us spread the word about the NEW project starting in February, Eracism 13-1. We are madly working in the background to bring you the BEST asynchronous global debate we can. Thank you to those who provided feedback via our survey from the last project, and we are acting NOW to make even more improvements:

• We have tidied up the Eracism wiki - most details are there now for the new semester!
• We are reviewing all protocols and procedures, including the judges rubric, to ensure all language is clear and provides a 'flattened' learning environment for all global participants
• We are joined in partnership with ObaWorld from the University of Oregon's College of Education to offer, for this semester, a free online platform (ObaWorld) for teachers, judges and students to form a community around this project. Many comments we have received in the past were about the challenges of communication between teachers and the need to get students connecting across classrooms before, during and after the debates. ObaWorld will help us solve this, and be a lot of fun as well!
• We have reviewed the project Timeline and have the current Calendar dates on the wiki - we are giving MORE TIME for each asynchronous debate so that schools can work more efficiently around holidays and interruptions and judges can provide feedback in a more timely manner
• We are carefully considering the Eracism 13-1 Debate Topic, and will provide a Topic and Resource page on the wiki to help clarify and share resources - the topic should be finalised this coming week! Watch this space!

So, spread the word! Applications for classrooms and debate teams are due February 7. Expressions of interest to help with judging and coaching will be taken any time from now on. Classrooms applying and Judges and Volunteers fill in the same online form: http://tinyurl.com/Eracism13-1. We need more classrooms from all over the world to take part!

What teachers said about Eracism 12-2:

• Hearing how the other teams debated was fascinating because we learned about how/what other people think about key global issues.
• Working with the students in my school in a different context was a spectacular opportunity to know them better.
• Loved the whole thing. Despite the amount of work and sacrifice it entailed, it was a ton of fun and our team learned a lot about debating. Next time, we will be more prepared.
• The final live debate was a highlight!
• This makes learning applicable and real for the students. They no longer care about a grade, but instead want to do well as the world listens in.

Read More

Learn more about Flat Classroom! Connect your students globally.

I get tweets and emails asking "what is this Flat Classroom thing?" When you flatten your classroom, you remove the walls. You connect your students to others around the world in a level playing field where they collaborate, work together and learn from each other. The first project was based on Thomas Friedman's book The World is Flat when Julie Lindsay was a teacher in Bangladesh and I connected my classroom in Camilla Georgia to co-create and co-author a wiki on the trends in the book and make videos that have contributors from the other side of the world. 

After the first project won ISTE's Online Learning Award, and Friedman included us in the update to his book, teachers from around the world started joining in. It has grown into projects from Kindergarten through 12th grade and now we're working with preservice teachers as we look to see what that will look like. Teachers discuss how to connect globally on our Flat Classrooms Ning, open to any educator. 
  

Join us tonight!

Tonight, Julie Lindsay, and I will be presenting Meet the Flat Classroom®  Monday (tonight) January 21, 8pm EST (January 22, 1am GMT) to talk about how you can connect globally by creating your own projects as well as the pedagogy behind it. We will also discuss our projects and give you updates on the Eracism debate project.







Below are some links and information you may find helpful including information on the conference and a new virtual book club about Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds, in case you missed the last one. You may be overwhelmed when you see all the things going. Julie is a masterful administrator, and Lisa Durff does so many great things to keep us going, but it is our teachers - the many teachers around the world who have taken this viral. It has spread through Twitter, Facebook, blogs and conferences as teachers, students, and preservice teachers imagine and facilitate what we used to only dream about.

You CAN do this. Please join in. Buy the book, follow the links. We want you to join us.

Hot Links and Information

1. Flat Classroom Projects - We are launching all of our projects again in February 2013. Our goal is to facilitate the best global collaborative projects in the world where students co-create. Make sure you get your applications in! Download a brochure to share.

• Flat Classroom Project - Deadline for next project is January 23, 2013 APPLY NOW!
• Digiteen and Digitween Project - Deadline for next project is February 15, 2013  APPLY NOW!
• 'A Week in the Life...'  -  Deadline for next project is February 15, 2013 APPLY NOW!
• NetGenEd  - Project based on the Horizon Report published in January each year - Deadline February 1, 2013 - APPLY NOW!
• K-2 'Building Bridges to Tomorrow' Project -   Deadline for next project is February 15, 2013 - APPLY NOW!
• Eracism - A Global Debate, A Global Community  - Deadline for next project is February 7, 2013. There will be 2 brackets - Middle School (10-13) and High School (13+). This semester a global community will be built using the OBA platform created by the University of Oregon led by Yong Zhao.  - Apply Now

2. Flat Classroom School Subscription  Co-founders of Flat Classroom, Julie Lindsay and Vicki Davis, have a solution for schools who want to 'go flat' and include more classrooms and teachers in Flat Classroom Projects each year AND provide professional development opportunities for teachers. Become a Flat Classroom School!
Prices for 2012-2013

• Bronze Level - $195 for up to 100 students
• Silver Level - $495 for 1 certified teacher and up to 200 students
• Gold Level - $995 for 2 certified teachers and up to 500 students
• Platinum Level - $1795 for 3 certified teachers and up to 800 students

Each category includes access to all projects across the full year up to the number of students noted. There are three Flat Classroom Certified Teacher courses/cohorts to choose from during the year.
View our current Flat Classroom® Schools on the website!

3. Flat Classroom Certified Teacher course. The next cohort will kick off in February! Come and join us or a PD experience that will not only build your PLN but transform your teaching and learning.
ANNOUNCING! Flat Classroom Certified Teacher - Group discount for schools and organizations (2012-13)
$2000 - 5 certified teachers
$3500 - 10 certified teachers
Contact Flat Classroom now to tailor your professional development needs. fcp@flatclassroom.org

4. Flat Classroom Conference  Come and join us at the Yokohama International School, March 8-10 2013 in Yokohama, Japan for this unique, challenge-based event that brings student and teachers together from across the world. We invite you to browse our updated website and consider bringing students to this life-changing opportunity. Teachers looking for course credit for attending this conference watch this space for important updates coming very soon. Virtual participants invited to attend also - watch this space for application form coming by the end of January! REGISTRATION is OPEN!

5. Projects Databank - This is a place for Flat Classroom Certified Teachers, and others, to post their projects and attract classrooms from all over the world to participate.
We invite global project designers to join our Project Databank because:

• This wiki will be the face of each project but the real power will be in the searchable database currently being built
• Flat Classroom style projects are about community and networking - and we will provide this for our Flat Classroom community to thrive
• Congratulations to Aaron Maurer, Flat Classroom Certified teacher cohort 11-1.

Aaron is running an incubator project, Bald Eagle Project you must see!

6. Future Learning Action Talks (F.L.A.T.s) - We invite you to consider presenting in Blackboard Collaborate and share your global adventures and successes. An archive of past FLATS are on the website. Upcoming F.L.A.T.s with Australian Chris Betcher, the FCP 12-2 keynoter, on January 29, 10pm AEST / 6am EST USA. Topic: The Flat Classroom Project - Taking the Long View.

7. Announcing: The World Wide Think Tank is a joint initiative by THINK Global School and Flat Classroom. It is a student initiated and student driven global student leadership forum. It was launched by students, Hannah, Yada and Paul, during a presentation at the Global Education Conference, 2012.
AIMS

• To foster leadership skills.
• To encourage global conversations.
• To generate change.

CONNECT WITH WWTT

• Join the SPOTX online community
• Like the Facebook page
• Complete the online form to be sent further updates.
• Browse the website to learn more and sign up:WWTT website.

Please spread the word!! #WWThinkTank is our hashtag - tweet it out!
Join in for the next online meeting (week starting January 28), volunteer to be a student leader!

8. Global Events - We invite you to use the Flat Classroom Educators network to advertise your global events. Make sure you keep an eye out for what is coming up!
What’s coming up?

• Meet the Flat Classroom - The next opportunity to meet Julie Lindsay and Vicki Davis in an online information session will be Monday January 21, 8pm EST (January 22, 1am GMT). Check your location for date and time.
• Join a virtual book club -  A new virtual book club is being led by Kyle Dunbar @edtechdunny based on our book, ‘Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds’. If you want to join, there is still time! Julie and Vicki will be coming to some of the sessions. The meetings are about discussing the concepts found in the book for flattened learning, making connections and learning from one another.
• Projects, F.L.A.T.s and more!

Questions about Flat Classroom®? Please email us: fcp@flatclassroom.org

Julie Lindsay (Australia) and Vicki Davis (USA)
Directors and Co-founders, Flat Classroom®
julie@flatclassroom.org, vicki@flatclassroom.org
Lisa Durff: Flat Classroom Coordinator - lisa@flatclassroom.org
http://flatclassroomproject.net
http://twitter.com/flatclassroom
Hashtag: #flatclass

Read More

Take time to share and listen to classroom stories

elevator (Photo credit: Jose R. Borras)

I listened to him talk for 10 or 20 minutes at least. Then, he asked me what I did and I was sharing a bit about Flat Classroom projects and the incredible things that kids are doing. He interrupts me 1 minute in smiling and says,

"So this is your elevator pitch?"

I said,

"No, that implies I'm selling you something. I'm not. Either you get that students need to understand how to collaborate or you don't."

and then quietly went to reading over my notes for my speech again.

"I'm so sorry, did I interrupt you?" He says.

"No problem, it isn't for everyone, but it is transformational in the classroom."

We both went on reading and doing our own thing. But later, I pondered how often this happens.

I was talking to a teacher who is doing FANTASTIC things in STEM while I was waiting for the plane in Tallahassee last Wednesday. (Hopefully he'll guest post here and share his story soon.) After listening about all the cool, amazing things he's doing, he stopped and said,

"You know I've reached out to others about this but all I got was a sales pitch, a kind of feeling like I was invading their territory."

Like bulldogs in a junk yard, there are many who think their transformation is the only one happening and no one better dare invade their turf. Their collaboration is the only one. Their exciting classroom experience is the only thing. It isn't.

There are exciting things happening around the world. It is great to share your story with your enthusiasm but when you become territorial and refuse to share great best practices or when you're so interested in your own elevator pitch that you cut people off, you're missing out.

Get out there and read and find out what others are doing. There are some fantastic ideas and best practices happening NOW. Also realize that some things that started off viral have now gone very commercial and there are many trying to sell you things.

Flat Classroom Projects has two arms - a for profit and a not for profit side. Different projects go into each depending upon what is happening. But if you're around us long you'll understand that part of what we do is celebrate excellence in global collaboration ANYWHERE it happens.

We want to educate and inspire a new generation of global collaborative excellence from the classroom up as we train and teach Flat Classroom Certified Teachers. It is our goal that they will be the best in the world as they start their own projects. We want to help inspire a movement and we want our projects to be the pinnacle of what global collaborative excellence looks like with true Global Collaboration 3.0 (cocreation) excellence happening (see our book for more on that.) But we also celebrate excellence in global collaboration everywhere it happens. It means a lot to me that iEARN retweets our projects and we retweet theirs. Taking IT Global and Flat Classroom has co-planned and created webinars together for Connected Educator month. Working together is what we do.

Maybe it sounds like an elevator speech, but it is a passion. Some want to hear about it and others have no clue what is really happening - that we are merging classrooms to cocreate for 6-10 weeks at a time from kindergarten to college. It is powerful and exciting.

But it is always the best strategy to work with the willing. You can't push anyone up a ladder. Yes, I'm completely passionate about Julie's and my book Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds. We wrote it to be a guidebook and manual for transforming yourself, your school, and your classroom in ways that prevent burnout and help you connect with the world in powerful, meaningful ways.

We share more than 50 projects (besides our own) and stories and poured two years of our lives into making that book, what we believe, is the best book on global collaboration in education in the world. We're currently struggling with our publisher to make sure the book is as internationally syndicated as it needs to be - it is a lot harder to get in some countries than it should be -- but it is intended to be an international guidebook.

So, yes, maybe I am over the top passionate.

But never let me be so passionate about my own classroom and projects that I'm blinded to the passion and excitement emerging from the classroom of another.

• May we all be a willing listener and a positive encourager.
• May we all build a network of friends who help each other move forward.
• May we all be encouraged to be your best and share your story in your way and not cut off by those who think they have a monopoly on excellence.

Any time you are passionate about something, you (and I) will be accused of being in "sales." If that is what it takes to keep Flat Classroom going, then, I guess it will have to be some of that. But I also think you can tell a lot about a person if they can turn it off long enough to listen to, help, and encourage others.

There are a lot of educators getting started out there and if the silos of self promotion are already so entrenched, who is going to be helpful?

I believe with all of my heart that unselfish listening, empathy, and encouragement will help you do more to build up your passion than a single-minded, self-promotional diatribe about how you are God's gift to education. Education is much bigger than any of us and we are fortunate if we can play a small, humble part in moving things forward.

Arrogance and ego are a big part of what many do in this field, but those things don't make many friends. But remember that even if you are humble and helpful, if you have anything to sell -- a speech or a book, you will be accused of "selling" in some way.

Perhaps so many are so jaded that it is hard to believe that real people are trying to make a living being helpful. There is no glamour in being poor - having some money can help you do good things as well and is not a bad thing. I think that helpful people deserve to make some income, but sadly, most of that money, I'm finding, is squarely in the hand of publishers if it involves writing a book.

So, onwards and upwards here in Camilla, back to my classroom, where airports will fade into memories -- at least for a while.

Meanwhile, take time to listen to what others are doing in their classrooms this week AND share your story as well. The more current examples we have from the classroom, the better off we will all be.

Each story written, blogged, and tweeted is a gift and I hope you'll take time to share...and to listen.


- Written on my iPad using Blog Press by Vicki Davis, author, Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds

Read More

The world is my pearl #flatclass

Flat Classroom(r) Skype (Photo credit: superkimbo)

Flat Classroom(r) Skype (Photo credit: superkimbo)

Often, we envy those who had the ability to "discover" things and yet many seem to gravitate to discussing answers that have already been found. Many think everything that has been discovered is all there is. They lack imagination and wisdom.

I choose to live my life on the new frontier, the frontier where we are discovering what it is like to connect classrooms and students in ways never before imagined.

These things we do strike fear in the hearts of warmongers and the media who would rather kids believe their propaganda and hateful words that someone is evil just because they are different. I fear that when ambassadors and bureaucrats realize we are operating under their radar, without their facilitation or official "endorsement" that they will cringe and become angry.

The fact is that the world is flattening and teachers don't need someone with money and power to pull the trigger on a sanctioned interaction. We can collaborate and connect with free tools at lower bandwidth than many thought possible and we are, every day. Few know what we're doing but we do and we smile with the knowledge that our children travel with us around a world that is more reachable than ever before.

Pascal said "Those we call the ancients were really new in everything."

See those who discovered as beginners and life takes on a new meaning.

The Flat Classroom(r) project is my new frontier. I am sad for those schools who honestly think they can have a world class education without connecting to the world. The world isn't my oyster - it is my pearl and the pearl of my students.

Read More