Eric Gross
Two dozen Carmel middle school children didn’t mind returning to class at seven o’clock Monday night.
After all, the 5th graders were about to culminate a year-long activity with their “pen pals” nearly 7,000 miles away in Gwangju, Korea.
As the hour approached, enthusiasm reached a fevered pitch inside the library at the George Fischer Middle School with teachers Rick Bishop and Robin Cohen providing last minute instructions while other faculty and staff put the finishing touches on the Skype hookup that brought a classroom at the Mogryeon Elementary School into clear view.
With the 13-hour time difference, the time was 8 am in Korea when children in the far off land introduced themselves to the Carmel 10 and 11-year-olds. The International Virtual Schooling network had made its latest connection.
Eunhee Jung, organizer of the program, traveled to Carmel for the event. Jung explained that the Center for International Virtual Schooling “pursues to implement the intercultural education program into all levels of schools around the world.”
Jung said the Center was dedicated to connecting K-12 classrooms in order to promote “global collaborative learning. (The network) supports educators allowing them to engage in 21st century globalized learning while helping children in both developed and developing countries share quality education together through an intercultural virtual exchange.” …
