Announcements

Student-Led Project Teams Awarded Seed Funding!
Two teams of students in the Asia Pacific region were recently granted seed funding from Microsoft in order to implement community-based projects that they conceived on their own, and developed with support from TakingITGlobal. Earlier this year, these students were part of a group of 16 youth from 10 different countries gathered in Singapore for the second ever student-track of the Microsoft Asia Pacific Regional Innovative Education Forum. Having already become acquainted with each other online through TIG, they quickly formed 5 teams in order to rise to a challenge: Namely, to develop plans for a community-based project that also builds global citizenship - in two days - and then present to a panel of judges.

At the close of the Forum, all participants were invited by TakingITGlobal to form their own class and take part in the Sprout project management e-course together. Supported by e-mentors, the students explored their project ideas in greater depth over an 8 week period - while also attending their school, enduring exams, and participating in many other extra-curricular activities!

At the conclusion of the course, the project teams had a second chance to impress the judges with their plans and ideas. And they all certainly did! The 2 strongest project ideas, "First AIDS Kit" and "Students for Tomorrow" were granted USD 2,000 and 1,000 respectively. With plans to pilot in Malaysia and then expand to Thailand, "First AIDS Kit" aims to empower vulnerable and at-risk youth to be role models for behavioural change and peer educators. "Students for Tomorrow" seeks to create positive ties between public and private school students in Jakarta, Indonesia and Baguio City, Philippines through collaborative, community development oriented extra-curricular activities. Congratulations winners!

For more information, please see the April 2010 edition of News from TIGed or email education@takingitglobal.org.


World Vision's World Class Program Goes Live!
TakingITGlobal is proud to announce the launch of the World Class website. Offered by World Vision Canada, World Class is a learning and action program for Canadian educators interested in supporting elementary and middle-school students in becoming responsible global citizens. World Vision partnered with TIG in order to develop the program's website and create customized World Class online learning spaces preloaded with global education resources designed to get students thinking about global issues and citizenship. To get involved in this free and interactive web-based program, please visit www.ourworldclass.ca.


New Additions to the TIGed Team!
TIGed is pleased to welcome Mandeep Atwal, Brian Leung, and Natalie Cheng to the team. Each will be working hard to expand and improve TIGed.

Mandeep Atwal - TIGed UK and DeforestACTION Coordinator

Mandeep is working to embed TIGed in the UK and to support teachers across Europe in engaging their classes and schools with the innovative programs TIGed has to offer. She is also working to coordinate and support the DeforestACTION project.

Brian Leung - Marketing and Promotions Assistant

Brian is working to promote TIGed and its offerings in order to build and strengthen the TIGed community.

TIGed Site Improvements
We are happy to announce a long anticipated development: The School Window! This feature allows teachers to post classroom writing, discussions, videos and images to the publicly visible school page so that people who do not have access to the classroom, such as parents and friends, are able to explore students' work. To post to the school window, go to edit any blog, piece of student writing, discussion thread, video, or gallery image and click "Submit to school window." You also have the option to add a note to school window visitors to add context to the content.

Spread the Word! Try TIGed for Free!
For a limited time, TIGed is offering a complimentary trial of our virtual classroom platform to new users. To activate your free thirty day trial, simply attend a TIGed virtual office hour session to obtain a special promotional code. Don't delay, all codes must be activated by July 31st.


TIGed Social Media Survey
TIGed is working to identify how we can use social media to expand our reach and better serve existing members of the TIGed community. Toward this end, we want to know what other social networks you are using and how you like to receive information. The survey will take about 5 minutes to complete and all of those who participate will be entered into a draw for a FREE one-year premium virtual classroom license! Complete the survey today!

Opportunities

TIGed is Hiring!
TIGed is looking for qualified and motivated individuals with language skills to fill 9 new positions! Tread Lightly is going into its second year of implementation and a new Program Coordinator and 8 Language and Engagement Coordinators will be required to help with the expansion of the program. More details on these opportunities are below.

• The Tread Lightly Program Coordinator is a one-year, full-time paid position for a qualified candidate, fluent in English and French. Working closely with the Online Community Animator and Multilingual Community Manager, and overseeing an international team of Language and Engagement Coordinators, the Program Coordinator will support the ongoing development, implementation, and promotion of the program in multiple languages and countries. For more information, visit the full posting online.
  
  
• There are 8 internship positions available for individuals fluent in English and one of the following languages, based in the following countries, to work as Language and Engagement Coordinators for the Tread Lightly program: 1) Danish, based in Denmark; 2) Dutch, based in the Netherlands; 3) French, based in France; 4) Italian, based in Italy; 5) Norwegian, based in Norway; 6) Portuguese, based in Portugal; 7) Spanish, based in Spain; 8) Swedish, based in Sweden. The Tread Lightly Language and Engagement Coordinators will help to translate key program material, populate web pages with language-specific content and resources, promote the program to educators and youth, and assist with communications as needed. Want more details?
  
  

Be Interviewed for an Upcoming Edition of News from TIGed
Starting in September 2010, editions of News from TIGed will feature interviews with educators around the world who are using technology to bring global awareness and citizenships to their classrooms. If you are using TIGed and other technologies to forge international collaborative learning partnerships, we want to hear from you (katie@takingitglobal.org)!

Canada World Youth's Global Learner Program
Open to Canadian youth aged 15 and over, the Global Learner program is designed to provide hands-on education on global issues and to challenge youth with direct civic engagement in a developing community. Educators and community youth leaders are able to customize international educational volunteering excursions for their groups, ensuring that the experience meets individual contexts, curriculum requirements, and host community needs. Excursions vary in length, between two weeks and three months. Contact Canada World Youth's Global Learner Program at gl@cwy-jcm.org to find out more, and visit www.canadaworldyouth.org to read about this and other programs!


Connect with Schools around the World!
The Connect! program is now accepting applications for its fall 2010 international partnership program. From October to December and February to May, hundreds of students from every corner of the planet will connect in a series of meaningful large group and one-on-one encounters. Schools representing each nation will meet via video conference and collaborate through the innovative blending of multiple technologies. Each country will meet four times over one month with each other country in their group of four. During the four meetings, schools will cover three topics: Global Issues, History and Culture, and Perceptions and Changes. Video conferencing and an adapted TIGed classroom are the principal technologies used to deliver the program. Over the last three years, over 2,000 students from 16 countries have come together. Programming this year will include connections to China, Pakistan, Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Brazil, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Afghanistan, USA, Canada, Taiwan, and more!

TIGed in the Media

Voxy
TIG and TIGed were recently highlighted in a May 5th article on Voxy.co.uk. The article, "NZ Students Talk with the World on Climate Change," looked at New Zealand students who discussed deforestation with communities in the Amazonian rain forest and the melting of the polar ice cap with hunters in the North, all through video conferencing and the TIG platform.


June Mindshare Learning Report - 'Global Learning Edition II'
TakingITGlobal co-founder and Director of Technology Michael Furdyk was spotlighted in the June edition of the Mindshare Learning Report 'Global Learning Edition II' in which he discussed the challenges facing education today and the importance of technology in learning.



Recent and Upcoming Events

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)
27 - 30 June 2010, Denver, Colorado.

TIG will be at ISTE 2010! Look for us at booth 002, or at the following events:

• Innovation & Excellence: Buzzwords or Global Imperative (Tuesday June 29th, 8:30-9:45am, Wells Fargo Theatre) - This morning's keynote panel will feature a dynamic group of global education enthusiasts sharing their perspectives on the relevance and importance of excellence and innovation. TIG's Executive Director and Co-Founder Jennifer Corriero is moderating and exploring this critical topic in education.
  
  
• Online Games Make Learning about Global Issues Fun! (Wednesday June 20th, 11am-1pm, CCC Lobby A, Table P11): Discover the assortment of fun and interactive online educational games offered by TakingITGlobal, the world's most popular online social network for social good!
  
  

17th Annual iEARN International Teachers Conference and Youth Summit (http://iearn2010.org/)
12 - 17 July 2010. Barrie, Canada.

TIG is collaborating with iEARN for the 17th Annual iEARN Conference and 14th Annual Youth Summit. Educators and students from around the world will convene to share how they are using the internet and other connective technologies to enhance teaching and learning. As the most international gathering of educators engaged in online project-based learning, the event will feature technology and curriculum presentations, cross-cultural experiences and the development of new project partnerships. TIG will be offering the following learning sessions at the event:

• An introduction to TIG and TIGed (Date and time TBD)
  
  
• Tread Lightly and Deforestaction (Friday July 16th, 10:15-12:30pm, Room K218): Come and learn about how you can use TIG to take action on the environmental issues that matter most to you. Explore action tools, resources, and opportunities to engage in international environmental campaigns and initiatives that will develop your capacity as a youth leader and a keeper of the earth.
  
  
• Project Managment and Leadership Skills (Friday July 16th, 10:15-12:30pm, Room K225): In this interactive workshop students will be invited to brainstorm about project management concept and phases. The second part of this workshop is dedicated to leadership skills, because only good leaders can make successful projects happen. Students will be invited to brainstorm qualities of a good leader and will work in groups to categorize leadership qualities.

Research Journalism Initiative Leadership Training Institute (http://www.researchjournalisminitiative.net)
11 - 24 July, 2010. Nablus, Palestine

The Research Journal Initiative (RJI) and An-Najah National University in Nablus are proud to present the Leadership Training Institute. This program is part of RJI's effort to provide Palestinian university students with opportunities for meaningful international cooperation. The Leadership Training Institute will feature expert presentations on a number of contemporary issues. A dedicated group of International and Palestinian students will be introduced to RJI's work; learn about Palestinian culture, history, and political geography; explore methods of journalism and visual anthropology; and receive professional training in digital poetry and media. Students interested in media development, human rights, education and international exchange encouraged strongly to apply. Please contact Falastine Dwikat for more information no later than June 30, 2010.

Imagine Cup Student Technology Competition
3 - 8 July, 2010. Warsaw, Poland

Director of Technology Michael Furdyk will be presenting an award at the Imagine Cup Student Competition, which is presented by Microsoft and additionally sponsored by TIG. Over the last two years, the Imagine Cup Student Competition developed a focus on technology solutions that address global issues. Student teams from around the world work together to develop the best potential technology solutions, digital media, and online games related to global challenges. To view the finalists of the 2010 competition, and to vote for the 2010 People's Choice award, visit www.imaginecup.com

Reminders

Don't forget to add your collaboration details!
Do you have specific ideas for how you'd like to work together with other educators on TIGed? Share your collaboration details by visiting TIGed's 'Community' page and imputing your ideas. Your details will be featured alongside your name in search results.

Wrap Up

If you like what you've read don't keep it all to yourself! Please share this email with colleagues and friends in education, or direct them to our TIGed blog at http://www.tigblog.org/group/tiged.

We'd love to hear from you! If you have questions or feedback, or would like more information about TIGed, please contact us: education@takingitglobal.org. If you do not wish to receive future TIGed updates, change your settings.

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