The Global Virtual Classroom Contest is broadly divided into four phases: application and team registration, getting acquainted, website planning, web authoring and review. These run from October through March. During each phase, teams will communicate in many different ways. The number of ways is up to you and your teammates.

May 1 to September 23
Along with confirmation of basic web skills, a teacher will submit team information to the GVC Project Manager by September 25. After applying, you will be matched with two partners and registered as a team by September 30. For more details on application and registration, please see the Orientation Guide.

October
Before getting started on your project, team members may get to know each other in a variety of ways: the provided discussion forum facility, as well as direct e-mail, snail-mail and video conferencing are just a few possibilities. We encourage you to cap off this process with a “kick-off party” by mid-October. During the party, partner schools can exchange postcards, photos, artwork or anything that can be posted for all to see. Some have even sent stuffed animals to each other. For more on classroom strategies, see our Tips & Resources section.

October, November
The real work begins in late October, when project topics are selected and implementation plans are developed and scheduled. Be sure to take into account all three schools’ holidays and breaks. Creating inter-school teams is a good way to ensure that students are working together, and that they are needed to make the project succeed.

March 1
We recommend that you finish your website by March 1 so that you can hold an open house for other classes, administrators, parents and the press to view your site. Try to hold it at the same time as your teammates. At this open house, you can solicit suggestions and still have time to incorporate them before the deadline of March 31. During this last week, the Project Manager will review the Websites to make sure there are no copyright problems.