How to Fit GVC into Your Lessons and Schedule

GVC projects benefit students and teachers best when they are related or integrated into your curriculum.

• Integrate. Choose a project topic that integrates themes or curriculum you have already planned for the year. You can use the same homework you normally assign as part of the project. For example, students' research, reports or essays can easily become part of a website. If you can, grade students on the project work they do or the effort they make.
• Intellectualize. Find ways to make GVC topics and activities more academic. Almost all GVC project tasks can be turned into lessons. For example, ask students to use maps to figure the time difference between you and each of your partner schools. Make a GVC task into a writing exercise or a research assignment at the library.
• Think big. Use students' enthusiasm for any topic to encourage the "big picture". If your team is interested in the environment, assign them to research local ecology, water quality, wildlife, climate, etc. complete with bibliography. If it's pop music, they could explore the role of music in culture, or the history of recording technology. If it's holidays, they could explore religious beliefs, cultural festivals, food, sports, and national events.
• Collaborate. Many GVC projects are naturally cross-curricular, due to their broad topics. Take advantage of the opportunity to work with your fellow teachers. Show your students how different academic subjects such as history, art, music and science, can come together on one topic. Plus, you may build more in-school support.

Practical ways to make the most of your busy class schedule:

• Ask students to do most of their project work off-line, and save precious Internet time for essential communication.
• Ask students to research using conventional off-line methods like the library.
• Empower students to plan and lead taskgroups; let them know they are responsible for completing tasks and sticking to deadlines.
• Start an after-school GVC Club.

Teachers are the best judge of how to make Global Virtual Classroom the best possible experience for students. We look forward to your feedback and we welcome your best tips and ideas, which we'll post periodically on this site. Submit to the GVC Project Manager.