GlobalLabGlobal Student Laboratory

“On multiple occasions, I have witnessed how GlobalLab truly promotes a love of learning in both students and teachers.”

Scientists know the “what” and the “why” of science education; teachers know the “how.” The GlobalLab platform combines the two by helping to establish collaboration between scientists and educators creating a unique experience for students’ learning.

GlobalLab is a fully functioning global laboratory that fosters knowledge acquisition, skill building, and lifelong learning. The projects encourage students to advance from textbook-based curriculum to higher orders of thinking skills. Students gather real life data, learn to organize and interpret their findings, and generate insights and meaning based on not only their data, but also on the data collected by their peers around the world.GlobalLab is an excellent supplement for science and social studies curricula and benefits student learning in many ways. Based on my own experience, I have concluded that GlobalLab supports local and national standards in the areas of science, social studies, and ELA Common Core Standards. GlobalLab is especially timely now, when schools are moving towards tablets and handheld devices,

One of the GlobalLab’s projects that stand out in my memory is “Acid Rain.” As a young science teacher, I took my students for a field trip to measure the acidity of snow in different locations in our town. Students were expecting acidic pH, but instead discovered that the near a cement factory snow was alkaline; they became curious about acid-base chemistry. He project sparked interest not only in inorganic chemistry, but we also had many lively discussions on how human activities affect the environment. I saw my students engaged in science through a GlobalLab project. They began seeing science as relevant to their lives and the life of their community. They understood how collaborative science is.. They not only learned good science, but also became aware of their responsibilities to the environment. As a teacher and a GlobalLab participant, I have witnessed many times how GlobalLab catches students’ attention and sparks their curiosity. Through real-world, hands-on collaborations, it truly develops in them a love of learning.

I envy my son Ivan’s generation – in a good way – because they have GlobalLab and can work with children around the world! He and his schoolmates have now amazing opportunities to discover, explore, learn, discuss, and create their own projects, and invite hundreds or perhaps thousands of their peers to join. Less than a month has passed since my son registered in GlobalLab, but our entire family led by Ivan inexplicably found ourselves exploring the breadth of Global Lab. We argue, discuss, run through encyclopedias, and telephone friends to check the facts with them. My sincere thanks goes to the creators and developers of the GlobalLab project, and to everybody supporting the project’s implementation for the opportunity they gave our children to develop and improve their thinking skills and fulfill their curiosity.

Thank you so much for the project. I like GlobalLab very much. It helped me to find many new friends and learn many new things! Now I am with GlobalLab all my spare time. My family and my teacher are happy to see me in the project!