We began our journey as educators in the early months of 2007. We were bright eyed, bushy tailed and ready to educate the future of our world. We were naive and young and quickly learnt what it meant to be a teacher with never enough time and a never ending to do list. Fast forward to 2013, we’re a little older and there’s a good chance we’re still naïve. But something is different; we’re not just teachers anymore, we’re educators.
Since our beginnings in 2007 we have all experienced what it is to be an educator in a range of contexts. We have all smiled, laughed, cried, even yelled in frustration, however, one thing is for sure and we all agree; being an educator is one of the most rewarding experiences that this life has to offer. Collectively we have had the honor of educating countless students, each one leaving us in awe of what children are possible of achieving. However, we always felt that something was amiss.
We are curious beings. We like to create things, we share them with others and together we learn. One thing as teachers that we are constantly doing is learning; and the same goes for the students who trust us to guide them on their journey through their educational life. We wanted to create a space where we could share the learning that is happening in our classrooms to a global audience; further than the classroom next door or even the school up the road. However, we didn’t want to lose sight of what was most important; learning. Too often we were finding spaces and projects that add to the already over packed workload of educators and become more of a burden than an asset. So, on a rainy Friday afternoon after a hard day at school we came together (5 excellent educators in our own right) and slowly, the Great Wall of Awesome Project was formed.
The Great Wall of Awesome is built upon 3 principles CREATE. SHARE. And LEARN. We believe these principles encompass everything that is great about education. The project aims to enhance what is already happening in classrooms without adding another task to the already busy lives of educators. The Great Wall project highlights what is great about you as a teacher and the capabilities of your diverse students.
The Great Wall of Awesome is an online space that aims to enhance what you are doing as an educator and facilitate the rich learning of your students. We know teachers are professionals that care deeply about the impact of their work on their students and we know you are constantly looking for engaging ways to help them build 21st Century learners within a safe learning environment.
The project is a simple one. Share one thing each week that you have experienced as a class (the more student insight into the sharing the better). Post that experience onto your online space and experience being part of a global learning environment. We have found that having a global audience to interact with not only motivates students, it assists them to develop deep learning that was not possible when just experienced in their familiar classroom environments.
The best part of this project is that it’s created for teachers by teachers. We’re just like you racing against the clock; trying our best to create experiences that give students the tools they need to be active participants in our ever changing world. In this space, failure is an option and every opinion is valued just a high as the person who contributes it. Everyone is different and that is what makes the Great Wall Project “Great.” We know that even the smallest of posts can make a big impact. So jump on board and be a part of it, share your abilities and join the Great Wall journey.
