Connected Learning Partnerships

In Getting Connected: Finding Experts, I shared three platforms to find experts for Connections-based Learning.  Connecting with experts is an engaging way to provide the most recent information and technical expertise to learners.  Whether it is having a stem cell researcher share about the latest with pluripotent stem cells, having a structural engineering professor explain why popsicle stick bridges collapsed, or bringing in a banker to advise on entrepreneurial projects, the expert provides cutting edge information with proficient and experienced knowhow.

But connections-based learning is about so much more.

When students are partnering with other students, a different facet of learning is taking place.  They move from reception to reciprocation.  When my students partnered with Matone de Chiwit, one aspect was assembling ideas on a shared Padlet.  We got to see the ideas that the Florida students were working on and add our own.  Inspired by this interaction, here is what we did.

So when Leigh Cassell approached me with the lofty goal of creating a list of educators willing to partner with learning endeavors from every country in the world, I knew that this had to be done.

Learners partnering locally and globally can lead to so much.
- empathy for others
- synergetic accomplishments
- comparative research
- positive relationships
- a global worldview

...and so much more.

So with that partnership between Ontario (Leigh, and Nicole Kaufman who joined the quest) and BC (me), came Connected Learning Partnerships.

The concept is so very simple yet so powerful: create a spreadsheet of interested educators across the globe who are willing to partner with others.  The only thing we request is that if you are approached with a connections-based learning idea, that you respond back: "Sure, let's do it." or "No thanks." 

The reception has been amazing.  At the time of this post, we have enrolled educators from:

Abu Dhabi, Cayman Islands, Iceland, Ghana, Canada, United States, Norway, Sweden, and Sierra Leone.

From the CLP document:

If you are interested in becoming a member teacher and/or school, you will need at least one staff member to complete the registration form. There is no limit to the number of staff who can register from your school. The more teachers that register, the more opportunities that are created for connected learning partnerships!

Please help us grow the CLP Program by sharing this document with your colleagues around the world. The CLP Contact List will go live beginning September 1st 2016. If you have any further questions, or would like to provide us with some feedback, please feel free to contact us by email.

We would love to have you add your name to the list.  We would love to have you share the document with others.  We would love to have champions in other continents help us to connect with others around the globe.

Join us!

See it here at
Connected Learning Partnerships

Current CLP countries