UNESCO ASEAN
SCHOOLNET
BRIDGES OF
LEARNING
Learning Circles
South Africa
Sep 2009
Introduction

Nomty Gcaba
◦ JHB, South Africa
◦ SchoolNet SA
Telecollaboration

Tele –
◦ Television, telescope, telecommunication
◦ Over a distance

Collaboration
◦ To work together

Internet
◦ Email groups, website

Learning Circles
What we learnt
Not enough training
 Language difficulties
 Email problems

◦ Technical
◦ Incorrect addresses
Country coordination
 Time and other events

Why we chose Learning Circles
Internationally successful
 Structured
 Simple

Classroom Investigations

Themes
◦ Measure by Measure
 Maths, science, economics
 Analysing data with spreadsheets and charts
◦ People and Places
 Social science, language, economics
 Opinions, attitudes, beliefs, values
◦ The World We Live In
 Science (natural science, biology)
 How we interact with our world
Learning Circle Investigation

Differences
◦ Geographical, Cultural

Request simple information
◦ Request completed in one lesson or less
Gathered information enhances the
project
 Interesting to others

Bloom

Taxonomy of thinking
◦ Knowledge
 Identify components of a family
◦ Understanding
 Explain how you are related to your father’s sister
◦ Application
 Draw a family tree
◦ Analysis
 Compare a human and non-human family
◦ Synthesis
 Create a family crest
◦ Evaluation
 Who makes the biggest contribution to your family?
Open and closed questions

Closed
◦ Facts
◦ Correct answers

Open
◦ Require research, thinking
◦ Promote discussion
◦ Many responses
Open/Closed Activity

Language
◦ What does “interpret” mean?
◦ Interpret this poem

Science
◦ What is coal?
◦ What energy source is the best option?

Maths
◦ What is the volume of a square?
◦ Are squares useful in building design?

Complete the examples
Focus Question
Provide the challenge of a project
 Focus on the topic
 Open
 Challenge higher order thinking
 Stimulating and interesting
 Short

Sharing information
◦ Receive questions from other groups
◦ Respond to them
◦ Receive responses to your question
Assessment Learning Circle
Sharing
◦ PowerPoint template
◦ Microsoft word
◦ Publisher
Goodbye
Project “rules” – groups/classes
 One person per group registers
◦ Group could be class
◦ Class may have more than one group
Each group has different email address
 Group from same class may not be in
same Learning Circle

Participation options

Whole class does same project
◦ Work in groups but participate as one group
◦ Work in groups, each participates in different
Learning Circle
◦ Work as one group, participate as one group

Each group has different investigation
◦ Each group participates in different Learning
Circle
Communicating
Only one registration per group
 One communication person per group
 Use class code in subject line

◦ E.g. MM4 Introduction
Be reliable
 Use the same email address
 Stay in contact with country coordinator

Test run your project
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Setup (1 week)
Register in Googlegroups
Confirm your membership
Learning Circle News1
Project should be planned
Test run your project

Phase 2 Hello (1 week)
◦ Learning Circle News2




Name
Class code
Grade
Country
◦ Groups students – introduce project
◦ Class introduction email
 Number, age/grade,
 Something about your class, school and town
 E.g WW5 Introduction
Test run your project

Phase 3 Class Investigation (2 weeks)
◦ Learning Circle News3
◦ Start class investigation
 Focus question
 Data required
 Send data gathering question
 E.g. Subject: WW5 Data gathering question
Test run your project

Phase 4
◦ Data gathering (3 weeks)
◦ Learning Circle News4
◦ Receive questions
 Organise responses in groups
 Send responses
 E.g. Subject: WW5 response to WW3
◦ Receive responses
 Analyse responses in groups
Test run your project

Phase 5 Data gathering (2 weeks)
◦ Learning Circle News5
◦ Prepare publication




Examine data
Discuss focus question
Come to conclusion
Publish findings
◦ Website, PowerPoint or Word document
◦ Send to LC coordinator
Test run your project

Phase 6
◦ Goodbye (1 week)
◦ Say thank you
◦ Share what the project meant to you
 E.g. Subject: WW5 Goodbye
Timelines
Cycle 1
1. 16-22 January
2. 23-29 January
3. 30 Jan – 12 February
4. 13 Feb – 5 March
5. 6-12 March
6. 16-22 March
Cycle 2
1. 14-20 August
2. 21-27 August
3. 28 Aug -10 September
4. 11 Sept – 1 October
5. 2-11 October
6. 12-18 October