Technology Workshop Lesson Plan

Instructor:
Rachel Nachman
Blogging in the Elementary School Classroom
Day #4
Subject of Workshop:
Why blogs should be used for global
collaboration and cultural awareness
activities
Using blogs to encourage global
collaboration and cultural awareness
Prerequisite Knowledge:
Basic computer skills
Knowledge of blogs
Ability to write clear learning objectives
Fluent typing
Ability to align lesson plans to educational
standards
Content:
This workshop will focus on why and how blogs should be used to promote global collaboration and
cultural awareness within the classroom.

Participants will discuss why global collaboration is important and what responsibility they have, as
teachers, with regards to incorporating global collaboration within their classrooms. They will also
discuss the importance of cultural awareness and why it is crucial to promote and encourage cultural
awareness throughout the classroom.

Furthermore, participants will learn why blogs are valuable tools for promoting global collaboration
and cultural awareness. They will learn about possible ways that blogs can be incorporated into the
classroom for this purpose. Participants will also have an opportunity to collaborate with other teachers
at their grade level to determine additional ways that blogs can be incorporated within the classroom to
achieve this goal.

Lastly, participants will create a lesson plan centered on the use of blogs to encourage global
collaboration and cultural awareness. Final versions of these lesson plans will be posted on our
workshop blogs for future access and use.
Objectives:
Participants will be able to design a lesson plan in which a blog is used to promote global collaboration
and cultural awareness
Workshop Outline:
1. Participants will be seated in a computer lab. Each participant will be given his or her own computer.
The instructor will be in the front of the lab and will be using a computer that connects with an
Interactive White Board or projection screen.

2. To begin, the instructor will show a video titled One People One World A Global Collaboration.
This video highlights how we need to work together in order to make the world a better place and
solve major problems. After participants watch the video, the instructor will ask:
Why is global collaboration important?
What responsibility do we, as teachers, have with regards to incorporating global
collaboration within our classrooms?
Workshop Outline (Continued)
3. Participants will be asked to log on to their computers and visit our workshop blog. They will be
asked to locate the post titled Using Blogs For Global Collaboration and Cultural Awareness. They
will be asked complete Activity #1, which entails reading a blog post (linked from our blog) titled 5
Ways to Inspire Students Through Global Collaboration. Once participants have finished reading
this blog post, they will be asked to respond to our blog post by discussing which advantage of global
collaboration they feel is most important. Once all participants have responded, they will then be
asked to reply to at least one peers response.

4. The instructor will explain that right now, it is easier than ever to communicate with people around
the country or around the world. Technology has given us endless possibilities to engage in global
communication and collaboration. She will further explain why blogs are valuable tools for global
collaboration. They allow people to communicate with each other, share ideas, and respond to each
others thoughts. This, combined with the other effects that blogging has on student writing,
motivation, and engagement, make blogs a valuable tool to use for global collaboration and
communication.

5. The instructor will transition participants into discussing the idea of cultural awareness. To
introduce the idea of cultural awareness, participants will be given a copy of the article What is
Cultural Awareness, anyway? How do I build it? This articles discusses the definition of cultural
awareness, why its important, and how it van be developed. Participants will be asked to read this
article with the people sitting around them. Once everyone has finished reading the article, the
instructor will facilitate a discussion that focuses on the questions:
What responsibility do we, as teachers, have with regards to teaching and spreading cultural
awareness in our classrooms?
In what ways do you currently promote cultural awareness?

6. The instructor will lead a presentation titled How Can Blogs Help Promote Cultural Awareness?
This presentation will highlight the ways that blogs can help promote cultural awareness among
students. Some of these ways include:
Shining light on other countries and parts of the world
Exposing students to other cultures
Giving students the opportunity to communicate with others from around the world
Giving students the opportunity to read, listen to, and respond to global perspectives of
various real-world issues

7. Participants will then be asked to open up the workshop blog (Using Blogs in the Elementary School
Classroom). On the same blog post, they will be asked to complete Activity #2. This activity involves
participants reading a quote and then discussing this quote with the person next to them. Once pairs
have finished sharing, the instructor will lead a whole-group discussion about the meaning,
significance, and implications of this quote.




Workshop Outline (Continued)
8. The instructor will then discus how blogs can be used to promote global collaboration and cultural
awareness.
Pen Pals
o Students can create blogs and share them with students in another class either across
the country or across the world. Students can then respond to each others blogs. This
can replace the standard paper and pencil pen pal system.
The instructor will show a video called Using Blogs for Collaboration. The
instructor will explain that while this showcases a high school classroom, this
same activity can be done with elementary school students as well.
The instructor will then distribute a paper copy of the blog post Flattening
Classroom Walls with Blogging and Global Collaboration. This article discuses
two classes, one in the United States and one in Australia, who used blogs to
collaborate and communicate with each other. Participants will be asked to
read this blog post and discuss the effects that global collaboration had on
student learning and development.
The instructor will then show another video called QuadBlogging Linking
Learning to a Global Audience. This video features David Mitchell, the founder
of QuadBlogging, discussing what quadblogging is and its effects on student
learning, engagement, and development. Quadblogging is an instructional
activity that can be used to form pen pals with students from around the
world.
Lastly, the instructor will inform participants about a website called ePals,
which is a website that helps connect different classrooms around the world.
The instructor will use the Interactive White Board to explore this website.
Digital Photo Albums
o On their blogs, students can post different photos (with parent permission) that gives
insight into their lives. They can then share their blogs with students around the
country or around the world. Students can respond to each others blog posts (and
include their own photos in their responses)
Blogs Around The World
o Students can read different blogs written by people from other countries. They can
then respond to the blog post.
o Students can then research either country that this blog is from, or they can research a
topic or issue presented in the blog. This activity combines blogging with research-
based skills.

9. Participants will then divide into groups of three or four. These groups will be formed based on
grade level (for example, a group comprised of third grade teachers). Once in small groups,
participants will be asked to brainstorm possible ways that blogs can be incorporated into their
instruction for this purpose.







Workshop Outline (Continued)
10. Participants will then be given an opportunity to design a lesson plan in which blogs are used to
promote global collaboration and cultural awareness. The lesson plan must:
Align with at least one learning objective
Center around student blogging to promote global collaboration and cultural awareness
Participants will have the option to create more than one lesson plan (for example, if they wanted to
implement a blogging unit). They will have the remainder of the day to design their lesson, create
their lesson plan, and creating any supplementary resources.

11. Participants will submit their lesson plans and resources to the instructor. The instructor will post
these lessons on a page on the blog titled Blogging Lessons Global Collaboration and Cultural
Awareness so that participants can access all lesson plans.

Materials:
1. 1 computer connected to an Interactive White Board or projector
2. 30 computers with individual headphones
3. One People One World A Global Collaboration -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLrFf2kaiLA
4. Using Blogs in the Elementary School Classroom workshop blog -
http://blogsintheclassroom.edublogs.org
5. 5 Ways to Inspire Students Through Global Collaboration -
http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2012/11/5-ways-to-inspire-students-through-global-
collaboration/
6. What is Cultural Awareness, anyway? How do I build it? -
http://www.culturosity.com/pdfs/What%20is%20Cultural%20Awareness.pdf
7. How Can Blogs Promote Cultural Awareness? Presentation
8. Cultural Awareness Quote and Image - http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-
h_YaKccZL3Q/ULxEvM55NQI/AAAAAAAAAEw/StQdccUC61w/s1600/3819601105_aec7dcea9c.jpg
9. Using Blogs for Collaboration - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mhKpcNsEWY
10. Flattening Classroom Walls with Blogging and Global Collaboration -
http://www.theedublogger.com/2012/07/02/iste-2012-flattening-classroom-walls-with-blogging-
and-global-collaboration/
11. QuadBlogging Linking Learning to a Global Audience -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8J8Jrr_eq4#t=15
12. ePals - http://www.epals.com/#!/main
Evaluation Strategies:
Participants lesson plans will be evaluated for the extent to which they:
Align with at least one learning objective
Center around student blogging to promote global collaboration and cultural awareness