From February to June 2015 more than 2000 students from 16 different countries shared a fantastic learning adventure on Children’s Rights.
Please take a look at the 11 Learning Circle Wiki’s of 2015 to enjoy how students were able to learn together, world wide, without borders.
The Global Teenager Project, iEARN and ICT&E are offering a number of Learning Circles Children’s Rights in Dutch and English, from February until the end of May 2016.
Registration for the new Circles will be open in September 2015.
Learn with the world, not just about it!
A Learning Circle is a virtual classroom where students and teachers can work and learn together with their peers around the world. Using the Internet, email and social media, students communicate around specific themes. These themes are meaningful and relevant to all children and youth such as: the right to food, security, education and health. See also the article published in The Toronto Star in July 2014.
In a Learning Circle students learn with each other, about each other and collaborate to create a deeper understanding of the various topics, issues and themes in the circles. By sharing experiences and knowledge within a wiki, they develop more insight into each others’ environment and circumstances. Working in a Learning Circle means that a school is engaging in professional, cooperative learning, global citizenship, and 21st century skills simultaneously. That makes each Learning Circle a unique learning experience for student and teacher.
In the Learning Circles on Children’s Rights, students are challenged to wonder, question, explore and share. With their stories and contributions they connect with students at school and abroad. Collaborative learning makes them aware of children’s rights and sharing gives them a voice.
Every child has rights, enshrined in the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC). On November 20th 2014, we celebrated the 25th anniversary of this Convention, which was signed by almost all countries in the world, but isn’t respected or accepted as agreed. How is it possible for children to understand this treaty, which is worked out in 54 articles? Do children all over the world, even those with physical, emotional and social challenges, not all have the same rights and what is the actual situation for children?
These critical questions and many more, are raised in the Learning Circles. Addressed to students in a way that challenges them to look further and deepen their learning. Students ask each other questions about children’s rights, telling their own stories and those of others and share what they found. Students from at least eleven different countries around the world are joining… join us!
Starting in February 2016 again, students will first introduce themselves in the wiki. All phases are clearly set in the Circle time line. (2015 example)
In the next phases three themes based challenges on Children’s Rights, invite the participants to explore, research and share their own experiences and stories. They are also challenged to add their contributions in the wiki in a creative way. There is room for initiative and sufficient opportunity to make choices that fit to the level and the wishes of the participating children.
At the end of this period of collaborative learning, students end with an peer assignment in which they are connected to other students (peers) from other countries in their Circle, by giving and receiving feedback on their assignments! The use of peerScholar brings peer learning one step closer to every child.
Link to: Quotes from ‘Letters to UNICEF’ (Peer Learning: Individual assignment in peerScholar)
The costs for joining a Learning Circle for Dutch schools are € 395,- for each group; the registration fee for Canadian classes is $ 150,- + HST. The fee for classes from other countries varies according to local situation. Please contact your Country Coordinator.
With your contributions we are able to support the participation of schools in Suriname, Curaçao and other countries in the Circles.
Registration for the 2016 Learning Circles Children’s Rights is now open.
The final composition of the Circles will be created during the LC-workhop in Paramaribo, Suriname in January 2016.
