Presented By: Farah S. Kamal

iEARN-Pakistan Country Coordinator

Contact us at: iearnpak@iearnpk.org

An international telecommunications network

An infrastructure of people for support and organization

Over 7500 schools in over 109 countries

Started in 1988 with schools in the United States and the

former USSR

A community of caring and committed people

Teacher/student-based

A pioneering model for the 21st Century

Is an online multicultural community of students and educators from all the provinces of Pakistan and from around the world.

iEARN Pakistan has become the member of this global community in 1999, and since then several Pakistani schools nation wide have joined iEARN and hundreds have participated in iEARN online collaborative projects.

iEARN-Pakistan is open to all schools, educators, students and policy makers to apply for membership and participate in all on going projects.

The iEARN-Pakistan membership is free and anyone can apply using the online form.

We provide full online support, guidelines to initiate the projects, sample lesson plans and project booklets to all participating schools.

Major components of iEARN –Pakistan program activities include:

1) Teachers Training and Professional Development

2) Students workshop and summer camps for onoline project based learning

3) Mobilising youth for volunteering and community service projects

4) Developing and support of online telecommunications projects

5) Publishing students’ project work

6) Technology needs assessments for particpating schools

7) Internet Learning Centre Installations

8) The U.S. exchange program for high schools students.

To help teachers and students discover that they CAN make a meaningful difference in the health and welfare of people and the planet

To facilitate work on collaborative projects

To help teachers and students gain knowledge, skills, and attitudes for the future as part of the educational process

To provide an environment in which students can learn to take meaningful action in the world

Participating schools link to other students and teachers internationally via telecommunications (electronic mail and online conferences, video and/or speaker telephones)

After linking, participants have the option to work together in a variety of structured and supported project formats.

Participants can also become involved in travel, exchanges, and homestays.

A personal computer and modem

Access to a telephone line

(Optional) Speaker telephone (or video-speaker)

Middle School and High School students

Teachers of the many cultures around the world

Youth-service organizations (such as Boy/Girl Scouts, environmental clubs, Save the Children, UNICEF, community centers)

Families; school administrators; community friends; higher education colleagues; and regional, national, and world leaders

Dedicated to youth making a difference

Infrastructure for project identification and support

International membership: Over 4000 schools in over 90 countries .

Interdisciplinary (applicable for social studies, language arts, science, math, and the humanities)

Access to Internet superhighway (e-mail, World Wide Web, gopher, telnet, newsgroups, etc.)

Annual International Teachers Meeting

Structured ongoing project formats

Multiple ways for people to connect:

telecommunications

travel and exchanges

video/speaker telephones

Pen-pal opportunities

Training materials

Look for students work from Pakistani Schools by clicking the following sites:

http://www.iearn.org.au/lewin

http://www.iearn.org.au/clp/project.htm

This 2-3 days teacher training workshop is designed for any one school system in Pakistan to integrate ‘Internet Based Collaborative Projects’ in the curriculum they are teaching The various sessions of the workshop are aimed to provide the teachers with opportunity to understand the overall objectives of iEARN and technical skills required for online collaborative work with students and peers globally. They will also learn how to register themselves and their students for iEARN Interactive forums. The hands on experience will enable them to read and post messages on iEARN Interactive forums, searching for people and projects worldwide. The participants will be able to review the iEARN Project booklet and identify projects that has a direct link to the curriculum they are teaching and make an action/lesson plan to integrate at least one iEARN theme based project in the mainstream teaching and learning in their own classrooms.

An optional addition to this 3 days training can be the participation of selected teachers in the eight week iEARN-USA Online Professional Development Program, for details visit the website: http://www.iearn.org/professional/online.html.

Throughout the various sessions of this workshop, variety of teaching and learning strategies would be utilized to present an exciting, collaborative and experiential learning environment to all the participants. There would be multimedia presentations, small group off line and online activities, focused at enabling the participants get oriented to, implement and facilitate iEARN projects independently. During the workshop participants would be encouraged to collaborate to and develop a strong and committed community of iEARN teachers in Pakistan and globally.

The first day of the workshop will focus on skills needed to engage in online collaborative

Projects and a general orientation required to work with iEARN projects and educators globally.

The two would be spend on exploring various iEARN interactive e forums and networking with educators and students around the world. The final day will focus integrating the iEARN projects into English Language, Social Sciences Science and Environment curricula. Following the workshops, educators will be able to immediately assist their students to join the online collaborative learning projects.

By the end of the workshop, areas addressed will include:

Technical Skills

* Building a technical Internet vocabulary;

* Caring for and understanding the equipment;

* Using Internet software applications and CD-ROMs;

* Logging on and learning to use electronic mail and list services;

* Using the Web, newsgroups, databases and multimedia applications; and

* Finding resources for education, health, ecology and other thematic issues.

Collaborative Skills

* Message content protocols and accepted behavior;

* Group dynamics in the classroom and on the Internet;

* Peer review, trust-building, and team-building;

* Joining regional and international learning communities;

* Scheduling classroom work around Internet access;

* Welcoming parents into project collaboration;

* Working with schools in other time zones/semester schedules;

* Finding and building partnerships online;

* Developing project-based curricula that integrate national educational

standards; and

* Launching new projects.

Organizational Skills

* Monitoring and scheduling computer access;

* Troubleshooting;

* Developing school/parent/business/municipal partnerships;

* Organizing school-wide and local community Internet training workshops.

10 % Interactive direct input

20% Group work and discussion

70% hands on experiences/activities

Command over basic word processing skills

Familiar and comfortable with the use of email and internet browsers.

 

 

Minimum 20 maximum 30 (Also depends on the number of online PCs available)

Duration: 2/3 days 7-8, working hours each day with lunch and running tea or one morning tea. break.

Target Schools: The schools should in principle be willing to utilize the computer technology beyond learning applications, and to let students and teachers use Computer and Internet Skills for partnerships and collaboration with other schools around the world. See the school selection criteria Appendix-1.

The schools are required to complete and submit:

- iEARN Technical Assessment survey- Appendix-3

- iEARN School partnership application- Appendix-4

Target Participants: Participants could be middle and secondary level (IV-XII) teachers of English, Social Studies, Science and Environment, Computer teachers, Curriculum Coordinators, Heads of the Department, Computer Coordinators, Heads or Principals. See the teacher selection criteria Appendix-2.

10 PCs networked with Internet access to be provided by the collaborating organizations .

Training manual and iEARN project Descriptions books will be provided by iEARN

 

To be decided by the schools contracting/collaborating for the training.

Schools must have a significant percentage of underpriviliged students.

Schools should have a relatively equal number of male and female students with equal access to computer resources. Alternatively, two single-sex schools may be selected (one boy's, one girl's school).

Efforts should be made to select schools that represent country norms, not simply elite schools.

Schools should be selected based on their interest in the program. An enthusiastic and hard-working team is the key to a successful online program and exchange.

From the beginning, each school must be invested in the process of development, expansion, leadership, and community integration.

Schools must assume the responsibility of following up with teachers after the training to ensure that iEARN Projects are successfully integrated in the school curriculum and ensure maximum student participation online.

Schools must be willing to  provide a short description of their schools and be ready to get the technical assessments of the computer labs  by the iEARN office staff or designated professionals.

For further information, please visit: http://www.iearnpk.org/program_implementation_details.htm

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iEARN-Pakistan will recruit educators from the selected schools to participate in the intensive, 2-3-days Beginners Training Workshops.

For further information, please visit: http://www.iearnpk.org/program_implementation_details.htm

Or contact: Farah@iearnpk.org

 

We are pleased that your school is considering applying for the participation in iEARN Programs, Pakistan. 

Use of Internet is a key in the all iEARN projects  as are distance learning, and other technologies for teachers and students to interact on meaningful education projects for the purpose of cross-cultural awareness and global understand. Using these technologies students throughout the participating countries would be enabled to engage in international collaborative experiences and strengthen instruction of academic subjects ranging from reading to foreign language and social studies. 

During iEARN, National Teachers Training Workshops nationwide, iEARN-Pakistan will provide training in internet based collaborative projects to teachers. The participating schools do not need to have significant knowledge or previous experience with internet collaboration and project-based learning, although teachers should have at least basic computer skills. Finally, the selected schools do not have to be in any particular location, they can be urban, rural, or suburban as long as they meet the selection criteria.

Section-A: To be assessed by the iEARN-Pakistan Country Coordinator or designated official, preferably from the collaborating organizations/schools:

Schools must have a significant percentage of underpriviliged students.

Efforts should be made to select schools that represent country norms, not simply elite schools.

Schools should have a relatively equal number of male and female students with equal access to computer resources. Alternatively, two single-sex schools may be selected (one boy's, one girl's school)

Schools should be selected based on their interest in the program. An enthusiastic and hard-working team is the key to a successful exchange.

From the beginning, each school must be invested in the process of development, expansion, leadership, and community integration.

Schools must assume the responsibility of following up with teachers after the training to enbsure that iEARN Projects are successfully integrated in the school curriculum and ensure maximum student particpation online.

Please provide a short description of the schools and answer the following questions so that we may better assess their needs:

What is the name of the school?

Where is the located? (urban, suburban, rural)

How many students are in the school? How many are 11-19 years of age?

Are there any computers available for student use? If yes, how many?

Do the school have internet access? If yes, is it used for student projects/schoolwork?

Once you have completed this form please sign at the bottom and return it to the Country Coordinator.

As the authorized representative of the applicant school, please put a check mark next to each statement to indicate that you have read and agree with the statement. Please sign the document to certify that the school will comply with this commitment to the best their abilities:

Once you have completed this form please sign at the bottom and return it to the iEARN Pakistan office by email, post or by hand.

As the authorized representative of the applicant school, please check the boxes next to each statement to indicate that you have read and agree with the statement. Please sign the document to certify that the school will comply with this commitment to the best your abilities:

Agree to facilitate teachers and students and provide them relevant support for the projects implementation. To secure, use, and maintain any computers and telecommunications equipment provided to the school for the program. This will include developing computer equipment using protocols, equitable use schedules for classrooms, and some program-related community activities.

Not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, national origin, or disability for any student or teacher who wants to be involved in the program.

Help students select design and organize a community action project; and work with iEARN-Pakistan to construct a student-designed and maintained Web site for the school, which should include general information about CIVICS-BRIDGE; a public calendar of school and project related events; educator exchange reports.


Agree to conduct a fair merit-based competition to determine 2-4 educators for participation in the iEARN National Workshop.

To evaluate all aspects of the program by actively participating in the evaluation component of project and program .

To continue participating in the program activities even if the school is not identified for the exchange component of the program.

 

 

 

 

In addition to all above, will agree :

To conduct a fair merit-based competition to determine students to travel to the partner school. The selection process may include evaluation of the applicant's written work, public speaking, expertise and knowledge relating to the project, and academic performance.

To host a pre- and post-travel orientation at the school site for participants, teachers, school personnel, parents, community professionals and public officials

To write at least one article per year on educator and student use of the technology in collaborative projects.

If the school is receipient of any equipment as part of the project:

In addition to all above, will agree to:

develop a sustainable management structure in the community with the project partners to provide equipment maintenance, staff support, and resource solicitation to help maintain the program beyond the initial round of funding.

Take responsiblity for providing a clean and secure space for the computer lab and that any electrical or other renovation needs will be our responsibility.

To understand and ensure that the computer equipment is to be used for the purposes of this project and that the equipment must not be removed from the computer lab.

That if the above conditions are not met that iEARN has the right to transfer the equipment to another school.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name of School Address

Name of the Principal: ________________________

Signature _________________________ Date ______

Signature Date

Thankyou for your interest in iEARN Program, Pakistan. Once the selection is finalized you will be informed of it in writing.

The final selection and acceptance of a school or network of schools depends on the commitment of the schools authorities to integrated the online curriculum based projects for at least 2 academic years in the schools with a minimum involvement of 100 and 2 teachers per school

www.iearnpk.org email: iearnpak@iearnpk.org