Phase 1: Getting Ready
Narrative: "Be Prepared" is a great motto!
Introduction
Learning Circle Interaction
Teacher Preparation
Student Preparation
Your Learning Circle Theme and Project
Managing Electronic Mail
Teacher Comments
Getting Ready Checklist

Introduction

Participation in a Learning Circle can be a very rewarding experience for both students and teachers.

For teachers, it provides a way to team-teach with many different teachers in a virtual classroom. Developing working relationships with teachers all over the globe enables teachers to develop a very strong sense of the field of teaching. This professional development is more current and dynamic than more traditional avenues of education.

For students, working in a collaborative setting with peers around the world gives them a wider perspectives on issues and a greater understanding of similarities and differences. The work with others can be a powerful mirror that will help them see who they are, where they live, and who they live with in new way.

Now is a great time to have a discussion about expectations and procedures so that you and your students will have a successful experience in their Learning Circles. At the beginning of each of the phase descriptions is a short narrative that describes the Learning Circle experience from the perspective of a single teacher in an Hawaiian classroom.