Flint Hill Elementary School’s Global Classroom is a virtual partnership where our students work with grade level peers in Caerphilly, Wales on authentic tasks and challenges through a variety of learning opportunities and digital tools. Flint Hill’s Global Classroom is part of FCPS’ Global Classroom Program, now in Phase 2 of implementation. Our partnership with Hendre Junior School began after EcoSchoolsUSA tweeted about a school in search of an EcoSchool partner. Ms. Hertzberg replied to this inquiry and our 3,546 mile connection bloomed.

Through a linked Flipgrid with our partner school in Wales, students in 2nd grade communicate and collaborate on their work in both science and social studies. This has provided our students a means of connecting and fostering our relationships with our Wales classmates to become better Global and Ethical citizens. By working on authentic and meaningful learning opportunities in a learner-centered environment with our global peers, ALL students cultivate Portrait of a Graduate skills.

 Walking into a 2nd grade classroom at Flint Hill ES is a perfect way to see our Portrait of a Graduate in action. Students are collaborating with Hendre Junior School in Wales to tackle global challenges through our Sustainable Development Goal of Climate and Change.

To support these sustainable development goals, students have been participating in the NASA Globe study.  They have been taking surface temperature measurements, documenting and photographing cloud observations, and measuring the amount of rain from the rain gauge.  These measurements and cloud photographs have been submitted to NASA’s Globe study website regularly. As we observe and track our own weather, we have been comparing ours to the weather in Wales.  These comparisons have lead to some interesting conversations about the metric system and how it differs from our metric system. We have also had discussions about why it is important to take measurements over time and compare different areas all over the world.   

These discussions have tied in with our weather and geography units seamlessly, and doing so through the lense of the Global Classroom partnership and ethical and global citizen Portrait of a Graduate skill has provided a purpose for learning.  The UN Sustainable development goals have given a real world problem and inspired genuine student interest for solving them. The Portrait of a Graduate skills fit these efforts naturally. We have used thinking routines to reflect on the process with our students as we go along.  One of these routines was the “The 3 Why”s. Students were asked why being ethical and global citizens with our new Global Classroom partners at the Hendre Junior School in Wales is important to me/others/the world. Here are some of their responses:

• • Why is being an ethical and global citizen with our new Global Classroom partners at the Hendre Junior School in Wales important to me?

    • “So I know what is going on”

    • “So we are aware of what is going on around us”

    • “So we know if there are storms or floods”

  • Why is being an ethical and global citizen with our new Global Classroom partners at the Hendre Junior School in Wales important to others?

    • “Don’t judge people by their skin color and how they talk.”

    • “Because scientists want to know what weather means”

    • “So we can help people in danger”

  • “Why is being an ethical and global citizen with our new Global Classroom partners at the Hendre Junior School in Wales important to the world?”

    • “So we can share data with other people from other countries so everyone can compare and be safe.”

    • “So we can protect the Earth and keep it clean.”

    • “So that we both know what is going on in each other’s countries”