Embedded Files
Resources, Digital Tools, and Local Organizations
Connecting Classrooms PD Sessionđź”—
This PD presentation guides teachers through building meaningful global classroom connections, moving from theory with World Savvy's Global Competence Matrix and Asia Society's Four Domains, to practice with real partnership examples, to implementation of digital tools and ready strategies. Designed for K-12 teachers curious about global education but worried about logistics, it shows that connecting classrooms doesn't have to be complicated. Use it to inspire colleagues and provide concrete pathways for taking that first step toward global partnerships.
 "Where Are You Local?" Infographic🔗
This one-page visual introduces Taiye Selasi's framework for understanding identity and belonging through the three R's. Rather than defining ourselves by nationality or where we're "from," this infographic helps students, families, and educators recognize that our real sense of place comes from where we actually live our lives. Use it as an anchor chart after watching Selasi's TED Talk, share it in newsletters to open family conversations about place-based learning, or incorporate it into professional development. Understanding where students are "local" is the foundation for meaningful learning that connects local communities to global themes because you can't understand the world until you understand your place within it.
This practical one-page teacher's guide outlines four classroom strategies for building citizen diplomacy skills. Drawing on Moore's research on career-ready communication skills, Generation Global's distinction between dialogue and debate, and Auh's argument that these skills are essential in polarized environments, this guide connects theory directly to classroom action. Each strategy includes what it is, how it connects to citizen diplomacy, and step-by-step instructions concrete enough to use in any classroom.Â
This checklist helps pre-service teachers evaluate whether their math lesson plans incorporate global competencies across Asia Society's Four Domains. Breaking down each domain into specific, observable indicators with concrete math examples, it busts the myth that math is separate from global education. Use it for self-assessment before lesson submission, during peer review, or in coaching sessions to strengthen globally competent math instruction.
Dialogue Cardsđź”—
These 36 sentence stem cards across six color-coded categories give students the language tools to participate more fully in discussions. Drawing on Generation Global's framework and Auh's research on dialogue in polarized times, they help students practice asking questions, building on ideas, and disagreeing respectfully. Use them in book clubs, print for student desks, display as anchor charts, or share with colleagues as a ready-made tool for improving classroom dialogue.
đź“ŤInterschool Activity
đź“ŤInterschool Activity
My 4th grade class in Middleton, Massachusetts, partnered with a 4th grade class in Englewood, Ohio to explore the essential question: "How does where we live shape who we are and how we live?" Students used Google Earth to create virtual tours of their local communities, responding to questions posed by their partner class about landmarks, traditions, and daily rituals. Through two Google Meet sessions and collaborative Google Earth projects, students investigated how their communities shape their identities while discovering both unique differences and surprising commonalities across state lines. This activity built global competencies including curiosity, connectedness, and self-awareness while reinforcing that place-based learning helps students understand their role in their community and the wider world. Technology hiccups reminded us to test everything in advance, but the authentic student engagement and genuine excitement about connecting with peers made it worthwhile.
Digital Teaching Tools
Digital Teaching Tools
Create virtual field trips of your local community or explore partner classrooms' neighborhoods through 360-degree views. Students can add pins with descriptions, images, and videos to share their rituals and daily life, making distant places feel tangible and connected.
Collaborate asynchronously across time zones by having students co-author digital books with partner classes. Students can combine text, images, audio, and video to share stories, explain concepts, or document learning, moving from consumers to creators while practicing digital communication skills.
Explore live radio stations from around the world by spinning a globe and clicking any green dot. Students hear authentic languages, music, and news broadcasts, bringing global cultures into your classroom in real time and sparking curiosity about daily life elsewhere.
Coordinate virtual meetings across time zones without confusion. This simple tool helps you find overlapping school hours when planning Google Meets or synchronous collaborations, making global partnerships logistically manageable.
Connect classrooms through collaborative projects focused on global issues and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Students engage in meaningful dialogue with peers worldwide while building skills in investigation, perspective-taking, and taking informed action on issues that matter.
Local Community Resources
Local Community Resources
This New England nonprofit tackles marine debris through education and innovation, connecting local Massachusetts waterways to global ocean health. Invite them for classroom presentations about microplastics, participate in their Solutions Programs where students design innovations, or join beach cleanups that show how local actions contribute to solving worldwide ocean problems.
This statewide initiative connects students to local food systems while addressing global issues of food security, sustainable agriculture, and climate change through school gardens, farm field trips, and cafeteria partnerships. Students investigate where their food comes from and understand how local food choices impact global systems.
Boston's aquarium connects local marine ecosystems to global ocean issues including climate change and plastic pollution through field trips, virtual programs, and educator resources. Students learn that the Atlantic Ocean at our doorstep is part of an interconnected global ecosystem, moving from awareness to action on ocean conservation.
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