As Apple Distinguished Educators (ADEs), we view global education through a lens focused on using educational technology to create and participate in global collaborative projects. We hope that teachers and students will engage in activities that develop global competency, promote collegial relationships, and foster cultural understanding. We have created an iTunes U collection to help educators extend learning beyond the walls of their schools.

It has never been easier for classrooms around the world to collaborate on projects using available technologies, yet many educators find the idea of connecting to other classrooms and working on collaborative projects to be rather daunting. As ADEs, we regularly use technology to connect, communicate, and collaborate with other educators and students around the world. We hope to encourage others to develop similar work flows in order to connect their classrooms to the world.

In order to solve the complex problems facing our planet such as climate change, food and water shortages, and poverty, our students need to prepare now for their adult responsibilities to the world. We believe that technology provides networked learning and collaborative problem–solving opportunities for students; students will need apply these principles to solving global problems in the years to come. The bottom line is that we need to guide our students to navigate in a new world.

We have compiled several resources for teachers to facilitate collaboration with fellow educators and to help them create meaningful global connections with their students. Resources include a toolkit to foster global project development, links to projects and collaborators, as well as several videos, podcasts, and mobile applications that we have collected. The panel will explain these resources and help teachers get started on their global journey.