On February 18th, 2023, over 80 teachers from Ursuline schools around the world participated in a virtual event organised by Brescia House School in Johannesburg and The Ursuline School in New York. The event focused on global learning and collaboration, featuring presentations from teachers who have successfully run various international cross-cultural virtual projects, as well as discussion groups to facilitate future collaboration between schools.
The event was led by Graham West from Brescia House School and Maria Barton from The Ursuline School. The presenters shared their insights and key takeaways from the projects they have done, emphasising the need for preparation and planning, navigating differences in time zones and technology, and using a variety of media and stimuli to keep students engaged.
The presenters shared several examples of successful projects that involved collaboration between Ursuline schools in different parts of the world. One such project was the Johnny Miller Inequity Project, which focused on analysing inequity and inequality in their respective communities. Another example was a project based on the conflict in Israel and Palestine, which involved co-taught content and group work. The presenters emphasised that there are many types of projects that can be done, ranging from group discussions to small group collaborative project work.
In addition to these projects, the presenters introduced the idea of creating a permanent online Ursuline community that would allow students and teachers from different Ursuline schools to connect and collaborate on a regular basis. This community would provide a platform for sharing resources, ideas, and best practices on how to create international virtual collaboration projects.
International collaboration, within the Ursuline network, provides all students with opportunities for global learning and experiences that are not easily replicated. As the world becomes more interconnected and global challenges become more pressing, the need for this kind of collaboration and community-building has never been more important. By working together and sharing their resources and expertise, Ursuline schools around the world aim to create a network of global learners who are prepared to tackle the challenges of the 21st century.
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