From the ISTE 2017 Conference in San Antonio, Texas, Level Up Village (LUV) today announced it has added live video chat technology to its Global Communication Platform in order to further enhance the communication and collaboration that takes place between students from across the world in every Level Up Village course. This new functionality is already being piloted by students in the United States and their global partners in Zimbabwe and will be available to Level Up Village students all over the world starting in September of 2017.
This spring, Level Up Village was the first organization to be awarded the Seal of Alignment for Proficiency for ISTE’s 2016 standards for students. That’s an impressive mouthful, but what does that mean exactly? The ISTE Seal of Alignment is designed to give educators and school leaders direct access to the best resources to help their students develop as global citizens in a digital world. There are three levels: Readiness, Proficiency and Mastery. Proficiency is awarded “for resources that offer a flexible implementation plan and provide opportunities to practice the skills and knowledge necessary to meet the ISTE Standards.”
Every school year I start with a goal in mind. This goal might be to implement something new, perhaps tweak an existing project by taking it to the next level, or even a change as simple as rearranging the classroom. But after attending ISTE 2016 last June, I was inspired to make Global Collaboration my goal for the 2016-17 school year.
Thursday, June 1, started out as a typical day at Eastern Middle School. Students intently staring at iPhone screens before the bell; lots of wonderful books in hands throughout the day; kids tapping away on Chromebooks in well-lit and air conditioned classrooms. But then something extra special and different happened during the last period of the day. We were fortunate to have two visitors from Kenya Connect come to talk with a group of 32 students who are participating in their second Level Up Village global collaboration course this year, this time with students in Africa.
…When I talk with colleagues who are planning to attend ISTE for the first time, I give the following five tips to manage one of the most amazing roller-coaster rides that they will experience, both professionally and personally:
Press Release
Old Greenwich, Conn. – June 1, 2017 – A pioneering provider of Global STEAM (STEM + arts) enrichment, Level Up Village (LUV) today announced it has been named an “Emerging Private Sector Partner” by The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA).
“Level Up Village was selected for this year’s cohort of emerging partners because it shows incredible promise to deliver transformational learning experiences for students in curriculum areas where state leaders have shared that schools in their states are looking for support. LUV provides a unique solution that integrates topics like STEAM, 21st century (collaborative) learning and global citizenship,” said Melissa Greene, SETDA Director of Strategic Partnerships.
