Over the semester, I have had the opportunity to read many inspiring case studies that relate to global education. Here I have included summaries of the case studies in the final chapter as well as links to their websites, with insight on how these programs may be able to help schools and teachers collaborate globally.

1. The Global Education Conference

Powered by Lucy Gray and Steve Hargadon, this is an online community seeking to connect classrooms around the world. Educators discuss emerging pedagogies and work to flatten learning. There is a global, online event once a year. Each years’ conference has been recorded, and visiting the site I was able to locate many different valuable recordings. I would love to view next year’s conference, so I will be following founding members on Twitter.

1. The “”Learning2” Conference

The tagline of this conference is “a conference for teachers, by teachers.” I love this slogan because it shows that this conference really has teachers in mind since it was created by them. Educators can feel free to be themselves and discuss relevant issues. It began in the Asia region but has since expanded to having conferences on multiple continents each year. In 2020, it has been set to happen in Munich and Singapore. They are a non-profit organization working hard to connect educators. 

1. THINK Global School

This was one of the most inspiring case studies for me. THINK Global School is essentially a traveling high school, that connects its curriculum to the countries that it visits. Within just three years of high school, students have the opportunity to visit 12 countries. By bringing students to the location of historical events, they are more engaged to the information, and therefore more likely to remember it. It is truly a revolutionary way of education, although very expensive.

1. The K12 Online Conference

This conference was one of the first, as its website states, although as of last year they have decided to discontinue the yearly conferences. Archives are still available for their past conferences, so it is still possible to watch them and gain the insights given. Their main purpose was to “share ideas and new modes of learning virtually,” as the textbook states on page 233. Their presentations are fantastic for future educators to learn from!

1. Our Global Friendships

The platform for “Our Global Friendships” is the idea that the members of the community can learn from each other. It was founded by a long Skype call, in which the members decided that they wanted better access to global information by means of “friends” around the world. This network is a fantastic way to connect with others. Their website unfortunately no longer exists.

1. Judy O’Connell

Judy blogs about higher education experiences in Australia. She has been an educator for many years and has experience with every grade level. She emphasizes global collaboration through programs such as social media, and her blog shares a lot of valuable information for future educators. Her most recent post was about the value of blogging, and I feel that it coincides well with our course and how we have utilized blogging!

1. Leigh Zeitz

Leigh writes about integrating the global learning experience into teacher education, which is what Stockton has done by including this course. He believes in engaging students as well as encouraging them to collaborate globally. He was even able to bring students to a conference in China, and his blog showcases many different efforts toward global learning. 

1. VIF International Education

This program seeks to bring international teachers into schools in the US. This allows students to get real experience with people from other cultures, as well as chances to ask them questions. They also support dual language immersion programs, which is a highly valuable program for any school. 

1. The Centre for Global Education

This organization, based in Canada, connects students together and with 21st-century technology. It seeks to teach them the skills necessary to understand the world around them. The Centre considers itself to be an “international hub of technology innovation.” In the coming year, they strive to connect students with the United Nations conference and the Global Refugee Crisis.

1. Global STEM Education Center

This center inspires students to be more involved in STEM, as well as enabling them to solve current problems in the world. There are Global STEM Ambassadors from all around the world, and the center offers scholarships to students going into STEM majors. They have many different programs, which can be explored on their website. The center is a fantastic resource for schools seeking to engage their students further with STEM disciplines.