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Global Learning Communities (GLC) is a concept developed over the last eighteen months involving a third of Bedfordshire schools who are replicating the global economy in learning through developing shared learning projects with schools in different time zones around the world. To date, we consist of;
•Over one hundred schools in 20 countries worldwide sharing learning 24:7 and developing new skills in e communications; we only meet once a year face to face! We have a monthly online staff meeting during which representatives in schools anywhere can contribute live or simply watch the archived version later. We also issue a monthly e newsletter (see website).
•Three inter-active websites including the main site www.glc.me.uk with some fifty learning projects on offer to others, a continuous online international newspaper (24:7 News) in two editions (primary and secondary) written by and for children and young people worldwide, and a unique online conference centre for children and young people which has hosted two major conferences (Environment and Student Voice issues) to date involving nearly 10,000 delegates worldwide.
•£50,000 European Social Funding has been obtained to re-engage key stage 4 students to learning online who, for one reason or another are not in full time mainstream schooling.
•A programme to support parents in the use of the computer in the home for global learning is being piloted during the summer term.
From September of this year, GLC opportunities are likely to be opened up to all Bedfordshire Schools to support their need to establish an international dimension to the curriculum in line with DfES expectations and to accelerate the use of ICT in learning.
Jim Oliver
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