Area 1: Goals:

Colin L. Powell in a speech on International Education Week stated, "As we work to end the scourge of terrorism, let us also work to increase peace, prosperity and democracy. We can do this through international programs that promote the exchange of ideas and the sharing of experiences. "

The "Around the World Project" (ATWP), a winner of the NJSBA School Leader Award 2006, is that kind of program. The goal is to bring students from different cultures and backgrounds together to promote global awareness and understanding through a combination of videoconferencing, on-line learning projects, e-mail, on-line chats, and other classroom experiences.

The ATWP is designed to reflect both the Core Curriculum Content Standards (CCCS) and the NJ Cross-Content Workplace Readiness Standards (CCWRS). Since the program contains projects that employ the use of technology such as videoconferencing, on-line learning, PowerPoint, and video productions, the students are required to demonstrate the use of these technology tools to achieve goals and produce presentations (WRS 2.1-2.9). Students are also involved in activities that develop habits of inquiry, original ideas, and a wide range of problem solving skills (CCWRS 3.1-3.5, 3.8-3.15).

In the area of the CCCS, the program fits directly into Standards 6.3, 6.4, and 6.5. Throughout the program students conduct inquiries into the historical factors that contribute to the development of present conditions. This includes aspects of government, society and culture. Living in an interdependent world requires students to be aware of how cultures define and meet their basic needs, so they can better understand each other (CCCS 6.5.7 - 6.5.18).

Area 2: Activities:

The centerpiece of the ATWP is collaboration. Participants exchange ideas and information about their schools, community, daily life, and other topics of interest through videoconferencing and a virtual class created on the Internet using an online course management application. The highlight is the 24-hour, Around the World videoconferences. Students from Passaic Valley (PV) stay at school overnight to accomplish this task. This allows students in all different time zones to meet with our students during the normal course of their day.

Our students interact with students from each country individually for approximately one hour. Each school prepares a presentation for the videoconference that will help others learn more about them. Students create videos about their country or a typical day at their school. Participants also prepare at least five questions to ask about the other school. The videoconferences cover a wide range of subjects depending on the requests of each country.

Since the program began, our students have engaged in discussions on the invasion of Afghanistan, the war in Iraq, poverty, gender equity, discrimination, and globalization, to name a few. Between the videoconferences, students engaged in on-line discussions on the ATWP website. Students in the partnering countries post information and continue discussions several weeks before and after the 24 hour ATWP. In addition each videoconference is streamed on the Internet. This permits parents, community members, and students from other schools in the US and around the world to view each event simultaneously as it happens.

Area 3: Outside Resources:

The ATWP represents a unique partnership between K12, business, and higher education. The major contributor besides Passaic Valley is Verizon and the Verizon Access NJ Portal. Also noteworthy are NJEDge.net (the State Higher Education Network), Montclair State University (MSU), and Global Education Motivators (GEM). All the technical support for the videoconferences is made possible by the staff at the Verizon Access NJ Portal. These dedicated technicians literally work around the clock for the ATWP to make sure that all the videoconferences are successful.

They conduct test calls to all participating countries prior to the program to troubleshoot any technical problems that may arise. They use all their expertise to ensure that each country is ready to videoconference at the prescribed time with the best audio and video connections possible. With their support, we have visited with teachers and students in Great Britain, South Africa, Canada, Romania, Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, France, Turkey, Costa Rica, Australia, Japan, India, Ukraine, Germany, Israel, the Sudan, Pakistan, and the Isle of Jersey.

Another important partner in the project is NJEDge.net. The staff at NJEDge.net works with the Verizon Access NJ Portal to stream the live videoconferences on the Internet. NJEDge.net also archives the video stream so it can be viewed at a later time for a variety of educational purposes. In addition, NJEDge.net, assists in the organization and implementation of each year's ATWP. Sheri Prupis, educational technologist for NJEDge.net has attended each ATWP at Passaic Valley to work with our students on project details. She plays a vital role in coordinating the efforts of NJEDge.net and other partners in the project.

Since our first ATWP in 2003, Montclair State University has supported the program by providing the on-line course management tools and expertise necessary for the collaboration and posting of information by all students from around the world participating in the project. This is an important aspect of the program because it offers a safe environment on the Internet for participants to share ideas and information about their schools.

Global Education Motivators (GEM) plays the vital role of contacting and scheduling all the countries for the 24 hour ATWP. It is a daunting task to successfully communicate with the various schools around the world that want to participate in our project. Most contacts in these countries speak English, but miscommunication is occasionally possible. Making sure that each school is carefully and courteously scheduled can sometimes be a diplomatic challenge. GEM has successfully met that challenge every year.

Area 4: Evaluation:

In the ATWP students are given the opportunity for self-assessment as they truly examine who we are from a global perspective. Students are asked to share their views on current events and global topics through numerous writings, discussions, and debates, while also examining the origin of their views. As the program develops, students participate in collaborative projects with students from around the world on a wide range of social and cultural issues through a combination of videoconferencing, on-line learning projects, e-mail, on-line chats, field trips, and classroom assignments.

As the students interact in these projects, they gain an awareness and understanding of their counterpart's perspective on the issues. Students are then challenged to reexamine their views and form new conclusions. Teachers also use rubrics, surveys and teacher observations to assess students in the ATWP. The overall assessments of each year's projects indicate several important changes in student knowledge, attitudes, and performance. The majority of students involved in the projects learned that the world has a much different view of them than they had anticipated. One student stated, "I learned that we (Americans) don't know nearly as much as we should about the rest of the world".

Many students also demonstrated a change in many of their attitudes on global issues and world problems. These changes were generally attributed to a greater understanding of the issues from a cross-cultural perspective. A student commented, "I learned that most kids around the world are just like us". Students also tended to be more motivated to acquire knowledge about the country and culture of the students they were collaborating with in a project. Realizing that students in most countries know a great deal about us, motivated our students to use the time between videoconferences to do more research about the next country on the schedule, so they would be better prepared.

Area 5: Stability:

The administrative staff at PV coordinates the ATWP. Each year the project has gained in success and popularity with the parents, students, faculty, administration, and the board of education at Passaic Valley. It is an integral part of the overall education of our students and fully supported by our board of education. All of the partners highlighted continue to support this project with their time and expertise and look forward each year to the event as an extremely positive and rewarding experience for all participants.

By the request of the various partners, the Verizon Access NJ Portal, NJEDge.net, Montclair State University, and Global Education Motivators, Passaic Valley has presented and shared this innovative distance-learning program with numerous educational organizations at many conferences. Over the past few years, it has been presented at the NJ School Boards Conference, Mega Conference Jr., the National Education Computing Conference in Philadelphia, and the Spring Internet 2 Conference in Washington, D.C.

The ATW program received the 21st Annual School Leader Award. It was the only school in Passaic County to achieve such an award.

Area 6: Endorsements:

"Although these are troubling times for the youth of our world, it is also a time of opportunity. The Around the World Program demonstrates that with trust and understanding peace can be within our grasp. We see this first hand in each videoconference and support the program enthusiastically."

Eric Kulmala, Daniel Cleary, and Stephen Antonucci, Verizon Access NJ Portal

"The Around the World Program helps students gain insight into other cultures and in the process build long-term relationships based on mutual understanding and trust. I am proud to be part of this meaningful program."

Sheri Prupis, Educational Technologist, NJEDge.net

"Ghandi said, 'We must be the change we wish to see.' The Around the World Program allows students to be that change and see a world where communication and understanding can make us better global citizens."

John O'Brien, Asst. Dir. Academic Technology, Montclair State University