Use Technology to Develop Global Competence | Asia Society Skip to main content
  • Back to asiasociety.org
  • Professional Development
    • Global Ed Explorer
    • Online Courses
    • Training and Consulting Services
  • Educator Resources
    • Teaching for Global Understanding
    • Improve Your Chinese Language Teaching
    • Career and Technical Education
    • CTE Toolkit
  • Our Ideas
    • Publications
    • Recent Articles
    • What is Global Competence?
  • Asia Society at Home
    • Virtual Reading Room
    • Cooking with STEAM
    • At-Home Adventures Through Asia
    • Global Learning
    • Teaching Resources Hub
  • Education For Equity
    • Discussion Series: Teaching Truth to Power
    • Addressing Racism Through Global Competence
    • Staff Picks
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Where We Work
    • Our Initiatives
    • Results and Opportunities
    • News and Events
leo icon Center for Global Education
Search
asiasociety.org Connect
Center for Global Education
Search
  • Professional Development
    • Global Ed Explorer
    • Online Courses
    • Training and Consulting Services
  • Educator Resources
    • Teaching for Global Understanding
    • Improve Your Chinese Language Teaching
    • Career and Technical Education
    • CTE Toolkit
  • Our Ideas
    • Publications
    • Recent Articles
    • What is Global Competence?
  • Asia Society at Home
    • Virtual Reading Room
    • Cooking with STEAM
    • At-Home Adventures Through Asia
    • Global Learning
    • Teaching Resources Hub
  • Education For Equity
    • Discussion Series: Teaching Truth to Power
    • Addressing Racism Through Global Competence
    • Staff Picks
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Where We Work
    • Our Initiatives
    • Results and Opportunities
    • News and Events

Use Technology to Develop Global Competence

Technology and the world (retrorocket/istockphoto)

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 21st-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 nonprofit 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.

You Might Also Like

  • Mental Healt Digital Age
    article
     /  India

    Mental Health in the Digital Age

    On July 23 2019, Asia Society India Centre hosted a panel discussion with Dr. Amit Malik, Dr Anjali Chhabria, Shreevatsa Nevatia and Harnidh Kaur on the rising cases of internet addiction in India and possible measures to address them.
  • Future Forward Zipline
    article
     /  Philippines

    Drones and the Future of Tech Revolution

    Technological innovations over the years have revolutionized the world and has changed people’s lives. It is technology that has brought the world closer and reshaped how industries work, and the healthcare industry is no different. Technol
  • TRUST - DALLAS WEST END STATION SERIES
    interview
     /  Asia 21 Young Leaders

    Meet the D.C. Engineer Working on a Better Braille Alternative

    Asia 21 Young Leader Roopam Sharma talks about his entrepreneurial journey to date and the future vision of his work.
  • Jamie Metzl and Sanil V
    article
     /  India

    The World Re-engineered

    On November 23, 2018, Jamie Metzl and Sanil V. discussed the technological revolutions in AI (artificial intelligence) and genetic engineering, and the subsequent impact they will have on humanity’s future.
  • Technology tools

    Technology Tools for Global Education

    Helpful technology tools for global collaboration projects, professional development, curriculum, and more.
  • [L-R] Professor Sir Timothy O'Shea and Dr Indu Shahani
    India

    The Digital Future of Education

    How will distance learning and online learning impact education?
  • Children look at a tablet together.

    Virtual Exchanges Strengthen Skills and Forge Friendships

    How can Chinese language teachers establish connections between their own students and English-learning peers in China?
  • Growing partnerships
    China Learning Initiatives

    Trends in Global Engagement for Chinese Language Learners

    Heidi Steele reflects on sessions she attended at the 2015 National Chinese Language Conference (NCLC) in the partnerships and community engagement strand.
  • Microsoft Unveils Skype Speech Translator, But Don't Ditch Your Vocab Flash Cards

    As a native Mandarin speaker and a diligent student of English and German, I can't help asking whether machine translation signals the obsolescence of learning a foreign language.
  • One in five U.S. jobs are tied to international trade. (Santosh Kushwaha/Asia Society and Longview Foundation)

    How Global Are US Schools?

    A new interactive map, featuring one million data points, shows American schools are preparing students for the past, not the future.

Read

  • article

    Semiconductors in the U.S.-China Tech Dispute

    Nov 2, 2020 — Watch video of keynote from technology analyst Dan Wang and panel discussion with experts
  • series

    Looking Ahead: The Next Generation is Best Placed to Build Cities Back Better

    New technology and a focus on empowering the citizenry will drive our urban recovery, writes Christos Gatsios.
  • series

    Looking Ahead: A Shared Digital Future for Australia and Asia

    Collaboration with Singapore on national COVID-19 apps demonstrates a promising future for digital partnerships, writes Senator Andrew Bragg
  • article

    What Clashing Data Regimes Mean for Prosperity and Security

    March 5, 2020 — View video on data governance and geopolitical rivalry discussion
  • article

    Breakfast Discussion with Rishi Jaitly

    A conversation with former Twitter India head Rishi Jaitly on the growth of social media and the challenges faced while establishing an internet platform in India.

Watch

  • Business
     /  Northern California

    The Future of the U.S. and China Session 3: Technology

    For experts discuss how the technology conflict between the U.S. and China impacts various industries.
    Watch Now
  • Current Affairs
     /  Northern California

    The Future of the U.S. and China Session 2: Rebalancing the U.S.-China Economic Relationship

    Economic observers discuss how the U.S. and China can return to a more stable and mutually beneficial economic relationship.
    Watch Now
  • Current Affairs

    Asia 21 Virtual Summit — Role of Technology and Innovation in COVID-19 Response and Recovery Work

    Nanxi Liu, Mitchell Pham, and Stephanie Sy assess the most helpful innovations to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic and examine ways to ensure that the benefits of innovation are spread equally.
    Watch Now
  • Current Affairs
     /  Northern California

    Semiconductors in the U.S.-China Tech Dispute

    Watch video of keynote from technology analyst Dan Wang and panel discussion with experts on semiconductors and U.S.-China tech policy
    Watch Now
  • Policy
     /  Switzerland

    The Aging Effect Ep. 2: The Reskilling Challenge

    As jobs and skills become obsolete, and populations age, the need for reskilling becomes greater. Naveen Menon and Thomas Birwe offer their perspectives on Southeast Asia and Europe.
    Watch Now
We Know Asia,
Get to Know Us

Visit Us

  • Hong Kong
  • New York
  • Texas

Global Network

  • Australia
  • India
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Northern California
  • Philippines
  • Southern California
  • Switzerland
  • Washington, DC

Resources

  • Arts
  • Asia Blog
  • ChinaFile
  • Current Affairs
  • Education
  • For Kids
  • Policy
  • Video

Shop

  • AsiaStore

Initiatives

  • Arts & Museum Summit
  • Asia 21 Young Leaders
  • Asia Arts Game Changer Awards
  • Asia Game Changer Awards
  • Asia Society Museum: The Asia Arts & Museum Network
  • Asia Society Policy Institute
  • Center for Global Education
  • Center on U.S.-China Relations
  • China Learning Initiatives
  • Coal + Ice
  • Creative Voices of Muslim Asia
  • Global Cities Education Network
  • Global Learning Beyond School
  • Global Talent Initiatives
  • Int'l Studies Schools Network
  • U.S.-Asia Entertainment Summit
  • U.S.-China Dialogue
  • U.S.-China Museum Summit

About Asia Society

  • Mission & History
  • Our People
  • Become a Member
  • Career Opportunities
  • Corporate Involvement

Connect

  • Email Signup
  • For the Media

©2021 Asia Society | Privacy Statement | Accessibility | About AsiaSociety.org | Terms & Conditions | Sitemap | Contact

Asia Society takes no institutional position on policy issues and has no affiliation with any government.
The views expressed by Asia Society staff, fellows, experts, report authors, program speakers, board members, and other affiliates are solely their own. Learn more.

 

 

  • Visit Us
  • Hong Kong
  • New York
  • Texas
  • Global Network
  • Australia
  • India
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Northern California
  • Philippines
  • Southern California
  • Switzerland
  • Washington, DC