Connecting Classrooms

Cross-cultural learning through virtual exchange

A free, powerful teaching tool. 

Your students will:

 Share their culture.

Ask questions to their peers abroad.

 Interact and learn from each other.

Create videos for your partner school, then receive videos made by students abroad for your classroom.

ACTIVITY 1. Introduce Yourself

You and your classmates will create a video introducing yourself to students at your partner school who are excited to learn more about you!

Spanish Home Tour

ACTIVITY 2. School Life

You and your classmates will create a video sharing your daily school routine, giving a tour of your school, or explaining the education system in your country.

School and Education Activity

ACTIVITY 3. Hometown Tour & Regional Culture

You and your classmates will create videos showcasing your hometown or region to students at your partner school.

Homestay in Chicago Video

Start your virtual exchange.

Connecting Classrooms is a FREE program.
To get started, please fill out an interest form below:

FAQs

How should students submit videos?

Students can upload their videos to the Connecting Classrooms platform directly through the link activity link. For more information, please refer to the Connecting Classrooms Platform Instructions for the students. We recommend students do not send their videos directly to the students at their partner school.

Here the instructions for the Connecting Classrooms instructions for teachers

What language should the students use in the videos?

Teachers will decide with their partner school the language for each video activity. Teachers can opt to do all activities in the target language, or can take a blended approach where the first video is completed in the student’s primary language and the second activity is completed in the target language.

Should students work individually or in groups? How many students can participate?

Students can create videos individually or in groups, and there is no participation limit. However, we recommend that teachers discuss beforehand how many videos their school will create for each activity and confirm that their partner school will be able to respond appropriately to the number of videos received.

What is the recommended video length and what needs to be included in the videos?

We recommend videos be 2 to 4 minutes in length and aimed at middle and high school students in Spain & France studying English. The video format should include:

  • Introduction
    o Introduce yourself/group members (first name only)
    o Explain the purpose of the video e.g. “Today we will tell you/show you…”
  • Presentation & discussion of topic
  • Ending – What questions do you have for your peers abroad?

What should I clarify with my partner teacher before starting?

Once you receive the contact information of the teacher at your partner school, we encourage you to schedule a video or phone call to discuss the following:

• How and when will you share the videos for the first activity with each other?
• What language will the students at each school use for the first video activity?
• How many videos will your school send for the first video activity?
• When will you send your students’ responses to the questions asked by your partner school in their videos?

What if a student is unable to participate in the video sharing?

If a student is unable to participate or prefers not to create a video, they can share the same information through a slideshow presentation, infographic, drawing, poem, or whatever creative channel they prefer to express their ideas.

Apart from sharing videos, what does the virtual exchange include?

Connecting Classrooms involves both sharing videos and responding to the videos that your class receives. Additionally, teachers can arrange a virtual class visit with a Forum staff member to present the program to students and provide them with their first “cultural exchange.” Schools also have the option to participate in a virtual “mixer” between classrooms organized by the teachers.

What is Forum Language Experience’s role in the virtual exchange?

Forum Language Experience facilitates the connection between classrooms in the U.S., France and Spain, utilizing its relationships with local teachers. The Forum team will support teachers throughout the project and will also be looking for feedback from teachers and students on how to improve the pilot program.

Are there any example videos?

Yes, you can see examples of videos created by students on our YouTube page.

Do you have an example of a grading rubric?