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Use Technology to Develop Global Competence
Computers, video conferencing, computer games, online courses, blogs, video-sharing Web sites, smart phones, Web 2.0 tools, help connect our world like never before. They have bridged distances and increased our opportunities to learn from each other: to see new places, meet new people, explore other cultures, learn new languages, and share and develop ideas. Bringing the world into the classroom has never been faster, easier, or more motivating for teachers and students.
Educators agree on two key points. First, technology provides vital tools for twenty-first-century learning. Also, today’s students are indisputably motivated by technology. Digital devices are already familiar gateways to the world for today’s students. Used thoughtfully, these technologies can give students meaningful connections to people, places, and issues far beyond their own neighborhood.
How can different digital tools and formats be used to promote global learning within content standards for accountability? These technologies should not be considered a supplement for existing curricula, nor should they be limited to technology training courses. Instead, they can be used to help teachers meet their global learning goals across multiple curricular areas. Technology-based projects can be easily aligned to district and state standards.
A highly qualified professional in the knowledge economy requires the ability to pose critical questions and develop defensible responses to complex challenges. In developing these skills, teachers and students can tap a host of digital technologies. Locating and manipulating information online, collaborating in virtual work teams, and presenting and publishing via digital platforms is preparation for the future in a world that increasingly runs on technology.
Investigate the World
Digital technologies can help students investigate their world in many classes and curricular areas. A case in point is Google Earth, which is changing the face of geography, history, and science instruction. Students can investigate regions via satellite views or get street-level views of a specific location. Real-time views of ancient sites in Turkey or new construction in Hong Kong via Google Earth enlivens the study of places beyond the classroom in ways that photos and, in some cases, even video can’t match.
Randolph Elementary School in Arlington, Virginia, has a very diverse student population. Connecting to cultures that originate thousands of miles away can be challenging, but Randolph’s teachers turn to digital technologies to bridge the divide. They use Google Earth to discover the ancestral homes of students new to the United States and those whose families have been here for generations, as they study family histories in their curriculum. Lessons with this kind of personal association motivate students more than simply reading about cultures here or abroad.
Recognize and Weigh Perspectives
Globally competent students are able to weigh their own perspectives and those of others and also against the perspectives that data, science, and history offers. Students can also understand and articulate the differences between these points of view. One exciting way to provide such experiences is through digital technologies, which have been a major force in providing extended opportunities for global exploration, learning, and reflection. These technologies are especially valuable to students who don't have the opportunity to travel. Virtual worlds immerse young learners in a new environment and encourage exploration. Panwapa, for example, is an online virtual world created just for children, in the preschool and primary grades, by Sesame Workshop. Its Muppet characters have a familiar look and activities are designed specifically to help four- through seven-year-olds build respect and empathy for others, to spark an interest in other languages and global learning, and to develop a sense of responsibility as global citizens. Children join this virtual community and create their own avatar, select their home country, and even design a flag for it.
Third graders at Sugar Creek Elementary School in Verona, Wisconsin, have begun a virtual partnership with Morland Primary School in Ipswich, England. Students on both sides of the Atlantic share a Web site where they post photos and joint assignments. They have shared haiku, New Year’s resolutions, and videos in which they introduce themselves.
Online networks foster global perspectives among students by connecting them directly to peers around the world through collaborative learning projects. One of the most popular is the International Education and Resource Network (iEARN). This non-profit organization connects classrooms around the world via the Internet and other digital technologies. Classrooms work together on projects that meet learning objectives and have an impact on issues that affect students in all nations.
Communicate Ideas
Communicating ideas with peers in other countries is an important way to build global understandings. Clyde Erwin Elementary Magnet School in Jacksonville, North Carolina, connects with its sister school in Puebla, Mexico, through Elluminate, a Web conferencing program that also uses an interactive white board. Staff members won a grant to help Clyde Erwin students and their counterparts in Puebla collaborate on a book-authoring and -publishing project. They collaboratively published a book about “Canela” and “Erwin,” two teddy bears (one from each school) who visited each other’s country and had interesting adventures. The book was published in both English and Spanish. This type of collaborative learning works to foster cultural understandings as well as global content.
Using digital connections to communicate with native speakers, especially other students, is revolutionizing language learning. Students today can easily connect with their peers in another country, practice language skills with native speakers, see classrooms in other nations, and make a human connection with someone across the world.
Modern technology can connect classrooms all over the world. This technology can be used to help our students develop global competence. Global competence is vital for our educational system to prepare our students for the future. We must teach our students about the world; its cultures, languages, and how economic, environmental, and social systems work.
Different digital tools and formats "can be used to help teachers meet their global learning goals across multiple curricular areas" (Asia Society blog). Technology-based projects can be aligned to district and state standards and can help students explore the world in classrooms. Virtual worlds connect students to new environments and encourage exploration.
Using digital technology to communicate with native speakers, especially other students, is transforming language learning. In the video, Globalization and American Education, Madeline Green points out “Two areas that are crucial in preparing students for a globalized economy are language and foreign affairs. These are very important deficiencies of U.S. higher education. We are not turning out students who are proficient in other languages. Enrollment in higher education language programs is growing, but are not nearly what they were 30 years ago. What do American students know about the rest of the world? Our students don’t have a sense of what’s going on in the world, nor why it’s important to the future of the U.S. We have two tremendous jobs to do in American education.”
The globally competent student recognizes the value of international understanding for its own sake as well as for his/her own personal fulfillment. The importance of being globally competent does not simply rest on the promise that it guarantees a better job upon graduation. The globally competent student builds upon this established framework throughout life.
References:
Asia Society Blog: Retrieved 8/31/11 at http://asiasociety.org/education/resources-schools/professional-learning...
Globalization’s Impact on U.S. Education: Retrieved 8/31/11 at
http://www.america.gov/st/texttrans-english/2008/July/20100831132512nero...
There are several ways teachers can implement technology to develop global competence. The first criteria for the Asia Society is, "Investigate the World." In my English 10 course, students can take virtual tours of other countries. In the short story, "By Any Other Name," students are immersed within the Indian culture. I could use YouTube, virtual tours, etc. to show my students what the Indian culture is like, and then they can compare and contrast certain elements of our culture with the Indian culture. The second criteria is, "Recognize and weigh perspectives." Students can use ePals in the classroom to connect with other students worldwide to create projects. It would be interesting for American students to see the perspective of another student living in a different culture. Finally, the last criterion is "Communicate Ideas." In The Globally Competent Student, Russo and Osborne suggested that students can immerse themselves into another culture and then create a folk story using the culture that they explored. I think this would be an excellent way for students to learn new information and complete it in fun, exciting way.
Russo, S.L., Osborne, L.A. The Globally Competent Student. Franciscan University. Retrieved from https://franciscan.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/courses/EDU541OLAug2011-A/G...
According to the video Globalization and American Education many US schools lack language skills and cultural knowledge. This is putting these schools at a disadvantage. The current challenges for schools at the primary and secondary level is language and foreign affairs. Students are not proficient in other languages and students need to know more about the rest of the world.
While many school districts may not be able to provide local field trips or trips abroad because of the cost there are many technologies that allow the students to access information from other parts of the world as well as talk and collaborative with people from these other areas. One way to do this would be to use Skype in the classroom. Skype is a great way to meet new people, learn about other cultures, and connect with other classes from anywhere in the world without ever leaving the classroom. This program allows students to investigate the world by meeting students from other cultures and learning about the similarities and differences in the cultures. It allows for the student to weigh the perspectives about their learning and insights. They are able to communicate their thoughts and ideas with other students and receive feedback that may change their perspective.
Online schools such as PA Cyber have students from many different cultures enrolled. These students are all mixed into classes with one another and given the opportunity to talk and work together online in a virtual setting. While the students work together and discuss different subjects they are not only learning about the subject, but they are learning from each other.
As always the possibilities with technology continue to grow and the American Education system is open and flexible. Web 2.0 technologies such as web conferencing, blogs, wikis, computer games, and video sharing are helping students to gain global competence by helping them to learn about and understand other cultures without leaving their classroom
Green, M. (Speaker). (2011). The impact of globalization in the US. [Web]. Retrieved from
https://franciscan.blackboard.com
Welcome to skype in the classroom. [Web]. Retrieved from http://education.skype.com/
According to the video Globalization and American Education many US schools lack language skills and cultural knowledge. This is putting these schools at a disadvantage. The current challenges for schools at the primary and secondary level is language and foreign affairs. Students are not proficient in other languages and students need to know more about the rest of the world.
While many school districts may not be able to provide local field trips or trips abroad because of the cost there are many technologies that allow the students to access information from other parts of the world as well as talk and collaborative with people from these other areas. One way to do this would be to use Skype in the classroom. Skype is a great way to meet new people, learn about other cultures, and connect with other classes from anywhere in the world without ever leaving the classroom. This program allows students to investigate the world by meeting students from other cultures and learning about the similarities and differences in the cultures. It allows for the student to weigh the perspectives about their learning and insights. They are able to communicate their thoughts and ideas with other students and receive feedback that may change their perspective.
Online schools such as PA Cyber have students from many different cultures enrolled. These students are all mixed into classes with one another and given the opportunity to talk and work together online in a virtual setting. While the students work together and discuss different subjects they are not only learning about the subject, but they are learning from each other.
As always the possibilities with technology continue to grow and the American Education system is open and flexible. Web 2.0 technologies such as web conferencing, blogs, wikis, computer games, and video sharing are helping students to gain global competence by helping them to learn about and understand other cultures without leaving their classroom.
Green, M. (Speaker). (2011). The impact of globalization in the US. [Web]. Retrieved from
https://franciscan.blackboard.com
Welcome to skype in the classroom. [Web]. Retrieved from http://education.skype.com/
The Asian Society criteria are that 1. Students need to investigate the world, 2. Recognize and weigh perspectives and, 3. Communicate ideas. Current technology has made these criteria easier than ever to reach. With so many portable mobile devices available, many students have ready access to internet from anywhere that internet is offered. Students can access not only Google Earth, on which they can see the different location; but also weather sites, which can show them the climate of different locations. Students can research different clothing trends from around the world. Many mobile devices also support Skype, and Face-Time and various other programs, which allow students to communicate face to face through video features. This type of technology could (and has) allow(ed) students to attend classes in other countries. The ability to be “skyped or face-timed” into classrooms in other countries can allow students to see and hear different points of view. It is important for students to become independent thinkers, which would allow them to hear and think about the points of view of people from around the world, and help them to assimilate that information and decide where is falls in relation to their own perspective/s. In watching Chinese Education-Social Life and Work Ethic,(2009), I was fascinated by the way the Chinese have set up their education system (Bullitt, Cromack, Kidd, & Kline). They make sure that all the way through high school students’ focus primarily on academics (Bullitt, et.al., 2009). This is a point of view that was shared with me through technology. YouTube is a site which allows users to post videos, and share them with the world. Communication with people around the world has never been simpler. Through the internet students can meet people from across the country. Social networking sites allow for friendships with people on different continents. Students can communicate their ideas to their friends, and to people from all over the world just by downloading free software such as Skype, or OoVoO. There are text messages, instant messaging, conferencing programs and many other ways that students can communicate their own ideas with the global community.
Technology has changed the ways in which we can communicate with the world. It has enabled us to have direct communication with people on other continents, or in other parts of the country. This ability can allow students to investigate the world, weigh perspectives, and communicate ideas, without leaving their environment. Technology like this should be incorporated in the classroom, so that students are globally aware and connected. They should know how other countries operate, so that they know what they will need to do in their lives to be successful.
References:
Bullitt, L., Cromack, K., Kidd, A., & Kline, J. (Producer). (2009).
Chinese education-social life
and work ethic. [Web]. Retrieved from
http://vimeo.com/10293179
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