I created The Borderless Classroom because I wanted my students to experience the world beyond their textbooks and develop genuine intercultural understanding, even if they couldn’t travel abroad. In Philippine basic education, opportunities for international exposure are often limited, expensive, and usually available only to a select few.
My journey started in 2016, when I became a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert (MIEE). At that time, Microsoft had a program called Skype-a-thon—a 24-hour global event that connected classrooms to guest speakers and other schools around the world. When my students joined these sessions, I saw something special happen. Their eyes lit up when they heard new perspectives directly from people in different countries. For two years, I participated in the program and witnessed how even a brief virtual interaction could spark curiosity, excitement, and cultural awareness.
When the program was discontinued, I knew I didn’t want to stop there. Instead of relying on occasional guest calls, I wanted to push it further—to give my students the chance to actually collaborate with other students, not just listen from afar. I envisioned projects where they could co-create solutions, exchange ideas, and learn with and from their peers abroad, all while staying aligned with the Philippine curriculum and at the same time addressing global issues like climate change and sustainability.
That vision became The Borderless Classroom.
In practice, The Borderless Classroom integrates Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) into everyday lessons. It’s not a separate program but part of the curriculum. Partner teachers co-design projects that align with both schools’ learning goals and timelines.
For example, in EcoScape with Taiwan, students designed joint social media campaigns on climate action. With Vietnam, they exchanged ideas on sustainable communities. And in Coding4Climate with Korea, Grade 11 students co-developed Arduino-based solutions for climate issues.
Collaboration happens through asynchronous and synchronous sessions. Students first introduce themselves and work in groups asynchronously using Google Workspace, WhatsApp, Canva, and shared folders to brainstorm, exchange drafts, and give feedback. Then, during synchronous sessions via Zoom or Google Meet, they present progress, discuss challenges, and refine outputs together in real time.
All activities happen during regular class hours using accessible tools. Teachers facilitate communication, keep projects aligned with the curriculum, and guide students through cultural and language differences.
The classroom becomes dynamic and globally connected students are engaged, confident, and motivated as their work reaches beyond local boundaries.
The Borderless Classroom started with a few pilot collaborations in my classes. When other teachers saw how engaged and confident my students became, many grew curious and asked how they could do something similar. This interest led to more projects across different subjects, gradually expanding the initiative within our school.
I actively share my experiences in conferences, teacher trainings, and professional learning events, presenting our classroom practices, project samples, and student stories. These opportunities allow me to reach educators beyond our school and show that COIL can work even in basic education.
I also join international education networks like Class2Class.org and other global communities to find new partners and connect with teachers who want to collaborate. Through these networks, I’ve been able to build partnerships and encourage other educators to try their own COIL projects.
The spread has been mostly organic. Teachers who try it usually return for more collaborations, and partner schools often recommend us to others. Little by little, the circle grows, and more students gain access to meaningful global learning experiences.
When I started The Borderless Classroom, I actually didn’t know about COIL. I simply wanted my students to collaborate with peers abroad in ways that fit our curriculum. Over time, I learned about the COIL framework and realized that what we were doing is aligned with it, so I refined our approach.
Because COIL was originally created for higher education, I had to adapt and localize it for Philippine basic education. I simplified timelines and used accessible tools like Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp, Canva, and Zoom so projects could run smoothly without extra resources.
I aligned the collaborations with the K–12 curriculum, integrating them into Earth Science, Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), and ICT, instead of treating them as separate activities. I chose themes that resonate with our learners, such as climate action, sustainability, and culture, to make the projects more engaging and relevant.
To address language barriers, I built in communication scaffolds through shared documents, asynchronous brainstorming, and guided discussions. I also adapted facilitation strategies for younger learners. Eventually, I expanded the approach to be more interdisciplinary, encouraging other subjects to join. These changes made the innovation practical, flexible, and sustainable in our setting.
You don’t need advanced technology or big funding to start. When I began, I simply used the tools we already had and connected with willing teachers abroad. The key is to start small and be intentional.
First, pick a theme or topic that fits naturally in your curriculum and would benefit from global perspectives—topics like climate action, culture, or sustainability work well. Then, find a partner teacher or school. You can use platforms like social media, Class2Class.org, existing networks, or personal contacts.
Next, co-design the project with your partner. Agree on the timeline, learning goals, student outputs, and how you’ll communicate. You can keep it simple—use Google Workspace, WhatsApp or Canva for asynchronous work, and Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Google Meet for synchronous sessions.
Start with a short project (2–3 weeks) to build confidence. Focus on creating meaningful interactions rather than perfect outputs. Facilitate actively, support students with language and cultural differences, and keep things flexible.
After the project, reflect with your students and partner to learn what worked and improve for next time. Once you try it, you’ll see how naturally students rise to the challenge and how powerful global collaboration can be.
