Teacher Testimonials
“GVC is singularly the most effective Project/Problem-based
Learning activity I have ever experienced. I and other teachers in our school will
certainly be back next year. Thank you for your leadership in this experience
and please convey my personal thanks to all members of the GVC organization. Thanks
for creating an environment that helped us teach our students to truly
give back to their communities, their countries, and their world.”
– Rick Glass, Harrison Elementary School, USA
“The Global Virtual Classroom Contest was the spring
board for my students’ venture into web design and related technology…but
that was not the true gift. It was their realization of a world
of peoples both vast, yet all standing on a common ground that is our
planet.”
– Maggie Cerminaro, Topa Topa Elementary School, USA
“We
faced a number of unique challenges in the last 6 months of the contest
including the bush fires and a major network problem at my school, that
almost lead to my resignation. In Siberia, the economic downturn and a
change to the exam system meant many families had to give up their Internet
access and school resources were very limited. Our Japanese partners spoke
little English and Hiroyuki had to translate each and every communication.
Add to this the mismatch between school years in the north and south and
it became very difficult to sustain the initial momentum of our project.
However, we got there in the end and the connections and friendships that
our students forged have been amazing and well worth all the hard work.
A huge thank you to the whole organization.”
- Claire Bloom, Warrandyte High School, Australia
“Watching students build a website about kindness is everything education
should be. It is not only learning English but acquiring technology skills
for tomorrow’s world and reinforcing educational values which can not be
taught with any textbook.”
- Hedy Rosenthal, Principal, Ein Ganim School, Israel
“Work in the project has been our powerful magician: it united us inside
one school, helped make friends with wonderful people (both teachers and
students) from Australia and Japan.( Certainly, there is pride in what
we have done together.), it gave us something to get up for and go to school
with joy and hope despite different problems in our lives, it inspired
us to break the boredom and monotony of school routine duties and helped
us keep ourselves busy with interesting and responsible tasks. My students
have acquired the new feeling, the feeling of connection and togetherness
with our friends living in different parts of the world, which is really
our common home.”
- Galina Korzhova, Municipal Educational Establishment
Secondary School #11, Russia
“This
is the most intense teaching and learning you’ll ever do. It
takes many extra hours, lots of prep time, learning a lot about many things…
and you'll love every minute of it! It’s so exciting to see students learn
how to learn and communicate.”
- Janet Barnstable, Percy Julian Middle School, USA
“Collaborating with other school has always been the most fulfilling thing
the students could ever experience. Meeting new people, understanding cultural
difference and being considerate are the most important things that my
students have learned from doing this project.”
- Marilou Pagarigan, Cebu International School, Philippines
“Inspiring, motivating, invaluable experience, it should be part of the
curriculum”
- Ariadne Lish, Gladesmore
Community School, England
