Barbara Taylor's List: Collaborative Projects - finding ones to join

"The Flat Classroom® Project is a global collaborative project that joins together middle and senior high school students. This project is part of the emerging tend in internationally-aware schools to embrace a holistic and constructivist educational approach to work collaboratively with others around the world in order to create students who are competitive and globally-minded."

The ePals projects are organized by topics that are "standards-based and of global interest. Each project is designed to be used as is or customized to your classroom's needs."

"Global SchoolNet's mission is to support 21st century, brain-friendly learning, and improve academic performance through content-driven collaboration. We engage educators and students in brain-friendly e-learning projects worldwide to develop science, math, literacy and communication skills, foster teamwork, civic responsibility and collaboration, encourage workforce preparedness and create multi-cultural understanding. We prepare youth for full participation as productive and compassionate citizens in an increasing global economy."

Check this site for lots of great resources (testimonials, videos, press) about Quadblogging™ or to sign your class up to participate. The way it works is once you sign up, you are grouped with 3 other classrooms. Each week the blog of one of the four classes is the focus and students in the other three classes serve as audience by reading and commenting. The cycle repeats to give each group of students an authentic global audience - motivating them to be better writers. Organized by David Mitchell of Heathfield Primary in Bolton, England.

"iEARN is a non-profit organization ... a safe and structured environment in which young people can communicate, an opportunity to apply knowledge in service-learning projects., and a community of educators and learners making a difference as part of the educational process....There are over 150 projects in iEARN, all designed and facilitated by teachers and students to fit their curriculum and classroom needs and schedules."

"This article explains the basic technical requirements for getting started with Skype, a web-based videoconferencing tool. Several suggestions for how to use Skype in an educational setting are included."

"Challenge 20/20 is an Internet-based program that pairs classes at any grade level (K-12) from schools in the U.S. with their counterpart classes in schools in other countries; together, the teams (of two or three schools) find local solutions to one of 20 global problems. Schools do not have to be NAIS members to participate. We accept private, public, charter schools from the U.S. and any other country. Schools can be elementary or secondary schools. There is no cost to participate in Challenge 20/20 and no travel required."