How can connecting with schools around the world increase global awareness among UK pupils? UK teacher Sandra Underwood, who partnered with a school in Lebanon, explains.
Why did you decide to connect with a school in Lebanon?
I liked the idea of working with countries further afield and not just in Europe. Our school is connected to lots of schools in Europe through eTwinning and we’ve done Comenius in the past. I really just wanted to see what we could learn from a more global perspective.
I decided to connect with a class in Lebanon because I’d already done a Connecting Classrooms project with Sri Lanka, and when I heard there was a new opportunity in Lebanon, I thought why not? I also wanted to work with a school in a Middle Eastern country, because it would give us the chance to gain a perspective outside the news.
You got the chance to visit the school in Lebanon — what did you take from the experience?
Going to Lebanon really was an eye-opener. The children over there knew exactly what they wanted to do despite living under relatively difficult conditions. This was what I wanted to bring back to my kids. I wanted to show them that although there are many problems in Lebanon, all the children want to succeed and help move their country forward. The truth of the matter is that many don’t want to stay, but do want to contribute to making Lebanon a better place.
How have your pupils reacted to connecting with children in Lebanon?
When we conducted a whole school pen pal project, around 70 per cent of students in my classes got involved in writing letters. I think that’s pretty telling. The children at the school in Lebanon wrote back.
What’s nice in all this is the way it challenges stereotypes. My pupils, for example, thought that everyone in Lebanon lived in poverty, but they discovered that this was not the case. They further discovered that Lebanese kids listen to the same music as we do, not just music in Arabic, but also One Direction and other UK pop; that they all used smartphones and have Instagram like we do; that they learned more than one foreign language and that their English was better than they had expected it to be; that they did not live in fear every day but lived similar lives to ours, though we in the UK would likely never fully understand some of the circumstances; that ultimately they were proud to be Lebanese and wanted everyone to visit Lebanon and share in Lebanon’s beauty and culture.
Have you noticed any changes in your students’ global awareness after connecting with classrooms in both Lebanon and Sri Lanka?
Absolutely! I think they’re starting to really realise that they take a lot of things for granted. With our project in Sri Lanka we looked at how Sri Lankans survived after the Tsunami and what consequently was important to them, what made them happy. My pupils then realised that what was happening over there was extraordinary. I started to hear them make comments about what’s really important for happiness, about what’s important in the bigger scheme of things.
My kids see the devotion and dedication that Sri Lankan and Lebanese kids put into their studies. It’s encouraged them to do the same thing — they genuinely work harder as a direct result. I’ve seen this happen particularly with the pen pal projects. They put in ten times the effort compared to other curricular projects.
What advice would you give teachers considering a partnership with a school in the Middle East?
You should really establish a really good communication link. You need to make sure that the person you’re working with there is responding to you, and if they’re not, then persevere! There will always be a need for that communicative driving force.
Another thing I would add is that, if you’re struggling for project ideas, you should definitely use the British Council resources website because there are plenty there. To begin with, you might not know exactly what kind of projects you want to do with your partner school but there are plenty of ideas here to get you started.
UK schools, to find out how you can connect with a school in the Middle East, sign up for our webinar [link expired] taking place at 17.00 UK time on 11 December. Also, join our growing community of 5,200 schools across the world that have participated in Connecting Classrooms.