Webinar Recap: Global Connections for the IB

In this week's webinar, we spoke with IB coordinator Jalpa Sheth from India to learn how global connections support IB programming. PYP, MYP, and DP students around the world have been developing international-mindedness and collaboration skills as they connect with authentic people and ideas from other countries. Jalpa shared tips and resources for bringing more global connections to your IB program! Check out the webinar recording (below), or view the slide deck presentation. 

We did not get the opportunity to answer everyone's questions during the webinar discussion, so I've included the Q&A here for you!

1. How do you deal with time zones? 
On PenPal Schools, we keep collaboration asynchronous, meaning students can participate any time during their school day to send and read messages from PenPals. Students don't need to be online at the same time to collaborate. 

For coordinating live exchanges that require you to be online at the same time, I recommend using this time zone converter to help you find the best time to connect. 

2. Do you use the PBL pedagogy or know any resources that can support PBL? 
YES! Teachers around the world have taught us a lot about project-based learning, and it makes so much sense to connect students globally through project-based learning that we redesigned our curriculum to align to a PBL format! Every PenPal Schools topic includes projects options for students, helps students design their impact, and includes lessons to help students build background knowledge. They collaborate with PenPals along the way and publish their work for a global audience! Check out some of our helpful PBL blog posts.

3. How do we connect with other educators? 
There are so many great ways to connect with other educators! On PenPal Schools, student collaboration is built into the platform, so students can easily connect with dozens of peers without their teacher's help. Teachers can also connect with other educations in the PenPal Schools directory, which you can access when you join a topic. You can also join our Global Educators Facebook Group or use the #globaled hashtag on Twitter! 

4. How do you deal with privacy and child protection? 
PenPal Schools is COPPA and FERPA compliant. We verify teachers' identities with their school before they can invite students to participate. Students can only access the PenPal Schools community after they have been invited by a verified teacher. We do not collect personal information like last names or email addresses, and we never share information with 3rd parties. Student conversations are monitored by teachers and by the PenPal Schools support team. Read our full privacy policy here. 

5. Do you have options in Spanish and French? 
Yes! We offer topics in Spanish, French, and Mandarin Chinese in addition to English. (Currently, most of our topics are in English.)

6. What are the steps to participate in a topic on PenPal Schools? 
Check out this full demo video to learn more about how PenPal Schools works. 

Thanks again for joining us. There are more opportunities to learn from global educators this month! Check out our upcoming webinars, where we'll focus more specifically on social & emotional learning and international-mindedness in every content area.