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Chinese students and NYC 5--8 Grade students receiving Special Services, doing Foreign Service Simulations/Bootcamp.

Either way, it can be a Learning Experience, a micro-cosm of:
* the-way-things-are
* the way things should be
*the way things could be
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International Online Simulation for Students (A "Virtual UN")
Posted: 10-Sep-2007 5:08 AM

Hello! New York City Schools (District 75) is seeking schools from outside the U.S. to participate in an online international relations simulation to take place over the course of the 2007/2008 school year (beginning in October or November 2007).

The participants in NYC are between 11 and 14 years old (U.S. grades 5-, and receive special education services. Coordinators of the program oversee innovative, technology-enhanced social studies activities across New York City, and wish to expand the project to include international participants.

The project will pair a class or team of students from New York City with a partner school in another country. Multiple pairs will participate concurrently.

The project is currently planned to take place in three discrete phases:

1. Foreign Service Bootcamp:
During this phase, students in New York City are assigned simulated cabinet-level roles and are charged with researching their specific topic areas in both the U.S. and in the country with which they are paired. Counterparts take on cabinet or ministry-level positions in conducting similar research. For example, the students assigned the role of Secretary or Minster of Commerce might investigate exports and imports of each country, labor issues, currency, trade relations and other trade-related topics. The �bootcamp� concept is that they are trying to get up to speed quickly in their new cabinet/ministry role, as they are going to soon be put into a situation (simulation) that is going to require them to �know their stuff� so they can resolve a pressing issue. This phase will involve correspondence with the students� international counterparts. LearningTimes will set up real-time conference areas for synchronous meetings between the paired schools, as well as discussion board and image-sharing areas.

2. International Online Conference:
The second phase is an online, international summit on the given topic during which students, in their diplomatic roles, present their findings to international participants online. They are asked questions, and may question other presenters. This phase offers students the opportunity to show what they have learned, develop confidence in their ability to present it to others, and think on their feet. The conference may take place live online, and/or may be comprised of recorded presentations posted to the web for international participants to view and offer feedback asynchronously.

3. The Situation Room:
During this final phase, students must apply their knowledge as they are presented with a global �crisis� or �situation� in which both countries must work together � and perhaps find common allies � to reach a resolution. Continuing to play their diplomatic roles, the students see how the knowledge they gathered forms the basis for real-world decisions with real-world consequences.

Please note that final topics, schedule and details will be finalized with the participating schools.

TO PARTICIPATE:

Please contact Cara Coffina or Jonathan Finkelstein at [email protected] or call 888-222-9749 (US and Canada) or 212-420-6052 (outside US and Canada) for more information or to express interest in participating. When emailing us, please tell us a little about your school or the student population that might be participating. We look forward to hearing from you!


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scostawonder
Posts: 1
Registered on:
5-Feb-2007 RE: International Online Simulation for Students (A Virtual "Model UN")
Posted: 3-Sep-2007 9:21 AM

In reply to: International Online Simulation for Students (A... � Hello! New York City Schools (District 75) is seeking schools from...
posted by CaraCoffina on 28-Aug-2007 2:27 PM
Dear Cara,

Your project sounds quite interesting. You mention that your kids recieve some kind of support. I am a support teacher too for ESL in an at an international school in Lima, Peru. I have a small (7) student class. My students are from different countries and their English level is in the intermediate ranging from low to high. This class supports all content areas and reinforces English skills. Could my class participate in some way in your effort?

Sara Costa

Middle School ESL Teacher

Colegio Franklin D Roosevelt, Lima, Peru

Reply to this message New message in this topic

CaraCoffina
Posts: 4
Registered on:
20-Dec-2005 Virtual UN - Update
Posted: 9-Sep-2007 8:56 PM

In reply to: International Online Simulation for Students (A... � Hello! New York City Schools (District 75) is seeking schools from...
posted by CaraCoffina on 28-Aug-2007 2:27 PM
Thanks to everyone who has contacted us regarding their interest in this project! We wanted to update you on the emerging details for the project. We still look forward to hearing from others who might like to participate.




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Virtual UN
District 75 is launching an exciting new online project for students. The �Virtual UN� connects our students in New York City with counterparts around the world to learn about and address issues of global importance.
Students will communicate online using engaging and fun online technologies such as digital photos, discussion boards, virtual meeting rooms, and audio and video. To participate, please contact District 75's Cara Coffina at [email protected] .

Project Overview- Virtual UN
The Global Water Summit

Week 1:
Classes introduce themselves to other participants online and are introduced to the main topic (access to safe drinking water).

Weeks 2-8:
Classes will respond to a weekly question or task by posting text, audio, photos, maps, video clips, etc. to the project web site. Students will have the opportunity to post follow-up questions and comments for their international counterparts.

Week 9-12:
Classes identify a crucial water-related issue, and � through online consultation with their international partner schools � propose a plan or policy to address it.

Final Week:
Classes present their plans and policy proposals during a live online �Global Water Summit� to an international online audience.

[InTime]

So...I hope the students will have the ability/curiosity to "think outside the box..." I wonder who are the SPONSORS for such an event?

Perhaps...
*"problem-solvers" (Market-based Solutions)
Summit Global Management - value investment firm, focusing on ...- [Summit Global Management is a value investment firm, focusing on water industry stocks and hard asset based companies.
www.summitglobal.com/

*opportunity sensers
Global Leakage Summit- Global Water Leakage Summit Globally, water demand is rising and resources are diminishing. The problem of water loss and leakage is a perennial one, and utility operators need a strategic approach to tackle it. The 2007 summit examines ...
www.global-leakage-summit.com/

As the movie line goes...
Treasure of Sierra Madre...w/Humphrey Bogat

"There's money
in them there
Eco-Crises!!!

So...the kids will get
positive self-affirming demo-cracy simulationing,
a la "the real world" of election digital hi-jinks
and War Crimes a la carte.