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Collaborative projects initiated and designed by teachers and students provide examples of how technology can make a difference in learning.
Collaborative learning takes place through Learning Circles, a team of 6-8 teachers and their classes joined in the virtual space of an electronic classroom. The groups remain together over a 3-4 month period working on projects drawn from the curriculum of each of the classrooms on a selected theme. At the end of the project the groups produce a final 'product' of the collaborative learning, for example, creative writing anthologies, websites, performances. Then the Learning Circle comes to an end.
The two windows for Learning Circles are: September - January and January - May. Each window begins with new groupings. Changes of partners mean that teachers, pupils and students are learning from new people and experiences.
The majority of iEARN's membership is based in North and South America and Asia, though members often advertise for UK participants. You can join iEARN in two ways.
Firstly you can register with iEARN and use the forums and newsletters to find a project to join. Secondly you can join a Learning Circle, by becoming a member of iEARN and then completing an iEARN Learning Circle placement form two weeks before the beginning of the window. Information on Learning Circles can be found at:
http://www.iearn.org/circles/
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