This workshop gives participants the opportunity to be immersed in a simulated global, collaborative project. It uses the award winning Flat Classroom Project and the far-reaching Horizon Project as best-practice examples of real-world topics and methods. Participants will explore online tools for interaction, collaboration and presentation. Innovative presenters will take you on a journey of cutting edge approaches to integrated curriculum and more. This session is guaranteed to change the way you approach and implement constructive projects in your classroom.

Outline

I. Introduction to Flat Classroom and methods for flattening your classroom (1 hour)

A. What is Flat Classroom? How does it fit into the ideals for 21st century learning? (15min)

B. How to "flatten" your classroom (45min)

Includes -
- Preparation: working with students, colleagues and admin - Securing approval; Student Prerequisites; Assessment planning
- Tools: Web 2.0, Video, Software; Selecting tools that can be used at your school; Monitoring using RSS
- Connection Strategies: Asynchronous - wiki, private social networks; Synchronous - live classroom experiences - Google Presentations, Elluminate, IM
- Planning aspects: timeline, assessment, defining project, expectations of all participants
- Completing the project: communication strategies; hardware and software strategies; Teacher cooperation strategies
- Post-project and evaluation
- Student showcase
- Involving Experts & Judges

C. Alignment with Standards: ISTE NETS; Curricular Standards

II. Practical Simulation: Create a Flat Classroom Project with Participants (2 hours)

A. Introduction Phase (30min):
- Setting up a Ning andWiki
- Allocate topics and review rubrics
- Foster Communication between partners - Partners will be located on the opposite side of the room and will not be allowed VERBAL contact but will be allowed online communication
- Set deadlines for completion of wiki pages and video outline

B. Project Phase (45min)
- Defining video and request outsourced clips/material
- Editing wiki (including hyperlinks.)

C. Judging Phase (30min)
- Allocate rubrics and peer review wikis using effective best practices.
- Using a method typical to flat classroom, the best projects will be selected

D. Awards, questions and roundup of workshop (15min)

Supporting Research

Thomas Friedman 'The World is Flat'

Daniel Pink 'A Whole New Mind'

Don Tapscott 'Wikinomics'

The Horizon Report

Featured extensively in ISTE's Book 'Reinventing Project Based Learning' by Suzie Boss and Jane Krauss.

Presenter Background

Julie Lindsay - MA Educational Technology Leadership from George Washington University; International Educator, currently Head of E-Learning at Qatar Academy, Doha, State of Qatar; co-winner SIGTEL's Online Learning Award 2007; Taking IT Global Best Online Learning Project 2007; Edublog Award for best Wiki 2006; Member of ISTE International Committee; contributor to ISTE's Learning and Leading as ICT specialist and for Bloggers Cafe; presenter at NECC 2004 "Fostering an Online Learning Environment with Student Digital Portfolios", NECC 2006 "Podcast Bangladesh" and NECC 2007 "Mobile, Ubiquitous and Digital: Handheld technology"; presenter at k12 Online Conference 2006, ECIS IT Conference Dusseldorf 2007 and soon to present at ECIS Conference Madrid November 2007 on Flat Classroom experiences in a Web 2.0 world

Vicki Davis - Teacher and IT Director - Westwood Schools, Camilla Georgia; co-winner SIGTEL's Online Learning Award 2007; Taking IT Global Best Online Learning Project 2007; Edublog Award for best Wiki 2006; Wikispaces Wiki of the Month December 2005; Edublog Finalist for Best Teacher Blog 2006; Finalist Edutopia's Totally Wired teacher Award 2007; Contributor to Wikis in Education by Stewart Mader, Brown University; Authored articles for Cable in the Classroom magazine, Leading and Learning, Technology and Learning; Bi-weekly blogger at Techlearning.com; Author of the popular Teacher Blog Cool Cat Teacher; presenter at NECC 2006; presenter at the Future of Education Conference, K12 Online 2006, K12 Online 2007; Maine Technology Conference 2007; Illinois technology Conference 2008; Tech Forum - Chicago 2007; Georgia Educators Technology Conference 2006, 2007; Keynote Presenter at the Center for Quality Teaching and Learning at Columbus State University Columbus, Georgia; co-founder Women of Web 2 (www.womenofweb2.com), and co-host of the weekly WOW2 show at edtechtalk on Tuesday nights at 9 pm (www.edtechtalk.com)

Julie and Vicki are both co-founders of the SIGTel online award winning Flat Classroom Project.