How a COIL coordinator can support teachers

Give teachers practical support for a shared project

As a curriculum coordinator, you can help teachers make room for international collaboration within their existing teaching. Begin with the support they need: time to plan, a clear curriculum connection, suitable resources and someone to turn to when a difficulty arises.

In collaborative online international learning (COIL), teachers plan learning together and students work on shared activities. SUNY COIL describes this approach in higher education. In a school project, a coordinator can help teachers agree a manageable version for their learners. The main COIL guide explains the shared-task approach.

Agree what students should practise

Help teachers connect the project to a lesson or unit they already teach. The four areas below can guide the task design. Choose a focus and decide what students will do or produce so teachers can review their learning.

Intercultural understanding

Plan an exchange that asks students to describe their own setting and listen to a partner's account. They might compare a daily routine, explain a local issue or ask how another class approached the same question. Prepare respectful questions and invite clarification rather than treating one person as representative of an entire country.

Digital literacy

Choose a digital task with a clear purpose: find and check a source, prepare a short presentation or share a response in an agreed format. Teachers should choose school-approved tools both classes can access. Students can explain why a source is useful and check what information is appropriate to share.

Collaboration

Give both classes a contribution that the final work needs. Agree roles, response dates and how students will use each other's ideas. When views differ, ask students to explain their reasoning, seek clarification and decide on a next step with teacher support. Keep drafts and replies so the contribution is visible.

Subject knowledge and inquiry

Use the partner class's perspective to deepen a subject question. Students could compare local evidence, examine a different explanation and revise their conclusion. Ask which sources support the answer and where uncertainty remains. Teachers can review the reasoning in the draft, partner feedback and final response.

Support the teachers doing the work

Ask teachers what would make a first project manageable. Protect planning time where possible, help locate materials and agree who will resolve timetable or resource questions. Start with a willing pair of teachers and a focused task that fits their classes.

Create space for professional exchange. Teachers can compare how they introduced an activity, handled a language difficulty or responded to student work. A short debrief with colleagues lets them share a useful routine and name what they would change next time.

• Agree the curriculum goal, the student contribution and the evidence teachers will review.
• Check language support, lesson time, holidays and partner response dates.
• Decide teacher responsibilities, the communication channel and how to handle a delay.
• Review the actual resources and arrange support for anything missing.
• Ask teachers about workload and practical difficulties before deciding whether to repeat or expand the project.

Share the work with the school community

A display or short presentation can help families and colleagues understand the project. Show what students investigated, what each class contributed and how the work changed after feedback. Follow school rules and obtain the necessary permissions before sharing student images or recordings. The Ethical Guidelines explain respectful communication and responsible sharing.

Use Class2Class as part of the plan

Class2Class is free for teachers and students. Teachers choose the partner and adapt the activity to their learners. A coordinator can support those decisions by checking the curriculum fit and helping colleagues prepare, while teachers and schools remain responsible for supervising their students. The collaboration FAQ explains the current process.

Choose a compatible partner

Encourage teachers to discuss subject interests, student ages, language, availability and the task they want to run. Time zones matter when planning a live meeting; an exchange of work and replies can also happen asynchronously. Agree the first contribution and reply date together.

Keep the shared plan clear

Teachers can use project chat and teacher messages to coordinate on Class2Class. Keep the task instructions, dates, resources and decisions in a plan both teachers can use. Shared document editing and any live meeting use tools the teachers choose. For ongoing routines, see how teachers coordinate international projects.

Check the resources for the chosen task

Explore a project idea, then check the activities and resources against the learning goal. Teachers may need to adapt the language, prepare an example or add materials. The COIL project examples guide offers three possible classroom tasks. The first-project guide helps teachers plan the exchange before students begin.

Prepare for respectful participation

Agree how teachers will introduce conduct expectations and respond to a concern. Keep student participation teacher-supervised, use school-approved sharing arrangements and check permissions for photos or recordings. Make sure teachers know where to find the published guidance and how to ask for support.

The Class2Class educational framework connects international shared work with competencies and student agency. Teachers can begin with introductions, investigate an SDG-related question or plan a response to a local issue. Help them choose a useful sequence and invite students to explain their choices and reflect on their contribution.

Sources

• SUNY COIL. What is COIL?
• Class2Class. Questions from schools, DPOs and partners.
• Class2Class. How we treat each other on Class2Class: Ethical Guidelines.
• Class2Class. Educational Framework.
• Class2Class. Start international collaboration with a partner classroom.
• Class2Class. COIL projects for teachers: three classroom ideas.