Reflecting about global awareness and diversity brings to mind my 5th grade gifted class. We had a new gifted teacher that year and we were very apprehensive about what we would learn and if we would love her as much as the last. Mrs. Orr, our new teacher, had an unorthodox style to teaching in the early to mid 90s and we did not know what to think about her. But one project that we did, the “Teddy Bear Project,’ I will never forget because it was the first time I ever really thought about the world outside of Dawsonville, Georgia. The project involved getting a teddy bear, making a book bag for the bear, and then creating a journal (of some sorts) for the bear to take with it. In the journal, we created several pages for different people to fill in with information about where they lived. We gave them a survey to collect info about each location that the bear visited. We also gave information on how to get the bear back to us by the end of the school year so we could analyze and read about the bear’s journeys. Mrs. Orr also created a competition out of the bear challenge by giving awards for the bear who had travelled to the most countries or destinations, had the most info, traded hands the most, etc. By the end of the year, only a few bear came back… mine was one of them. My bear had travelled all the way to Germany and back! I could not believe it. This made me want to look up information in the encyclopedia about Germany and the other countries it had travelled. It made me realize that there were other places out there and made me want to go explore about other people and cultures. Since then, I have always wanted to travel and visit places to “people watch” and learn about other cultures.
Thinking about this project nearly 25 years ago and the resources that are available to students today, makes me realize that students are just a click away from another country or another place. With this digital proximity comes the need for global awareness and learning. Nowadays students must have an awareness for other cultures and they must be able to effectively interact with these cultures. It is imperative that we, as teachers, prepare our students for just this. “Instead of viewing global awareness as an add-on, or something that must supplant other priorities, educators can start by maximizing relevant aspects of existing initiatives and leveraging assets already in their schools and classrooms. Indeed, with diverse student populations now the majority demographic in US public schools, there is no better time to recognize and tap the assets these students can bring to the classroom” (Shadoian-Gersing). Obviously, we can add “cultural notes” and information to our lessons to provide students with additional facts about various cultures; this is not enough. We need to give them cultural experiences and interactions. Shadoian-Gersing states, “Even in the absence of comprehensive, system-wide initiatives, educators can take small steps to elevate diverse perspectives in their own schools and classrooms. For example, teachers can make the most of their students' cultural or linguistic backgrounds to create engaging learning opportunities or respond to global events, e.g. a teacher might invite a Cuban-American student to interview his family as a way of introducing an international perspective about recent proposed changes in US-Cuban relations” (Shadoian-Gersing).
Obviously, Web 2.0 is a significant tool in achieving global awareness. I cannot imagine what an impact the Internet would have had on the “teddy bear” project, muchless my knowledge of Germany at the time! It is imperative that we teach students how to effectively use Web 2.0 tools to expand their viewpoints and enhance their knowledge of the world. It is also important that we use these tools as a seamless integration into our lessons and not just an “add-on that we can put here because we need another use of technology”.
Web 2.0 should also be considered in addressing diversity within the classroom. Let’s face it, every student in our classes does not have the same needs or it is always the same level of learning as their peers. Technology can be a great tool to help us achieve higher learning amongst our students. Smith and Throne state, “As a differentiator, technology helps us to personalize learning for our extremely varied students through collaborative learning and problem solving, which are excellent activities for the growing brain and for our students’ future professions in the world of work (Smith and Throne, 2009). I know that the task of differentiating for every student may sound daunting; however in today’s world of education, it is important that students are motivated to learn and all have the opportunity to learn. We must change the process of learning to achieve this and that is why we must differentiate. Smith and Throne state, “Technology facilitates modification of instruction in several areas to meet the needs of diverse students by making changes to subject matter (content), channels of throughput (process), means of output (product), and the learning environment (Smith and Throne).
In my own classroom I have a variety of learning levels and learning styles amongst my students. Currently I have one student who is autistic and he benefits greatly from technology use. I allow him to do alternative assignments via the online textbook site or other sites. This gives him ease, as he is not so distracted by the social aspect of a classroom when he is trying to complete tasks. He also uses white noise headphones to help him to focus when trying to complete tasks. For other students, technology serves as a medium for a deeper development of Spanish. The more advanced students can explore other aspects that we are learning but may not get to in class. And then for some, technology offers remediation and practice. I know this may seem old school, but in learning a foreign language, practice helps. Students can select what level of practice they want/need as well. It could be simple repetition, doing more interactive and challenging tasks (such as grammatical and cultural questions), blogging or even interviews or video chatting.
“Class Twitter accounts link students in real time across the face of the planet with projects devised around common academic subjects and cross-cultural understanding. Skype allows us to converse face-to-face with people from other countries, allowing us to knock down classroom walls and hear it direct from the source. Google Maps lets our pupils take a walk down the streets of every major town and city in the world, allowing them to sight-see and get a sense of other cultures from the comfort of their own classroom. And blogs provide geographically distant schools with the means to partner together so that their pupils can interact in a safe virtual environment, contributing a valuable international dimension to peer assessment,” comments Picardo (2012). All of Web 2.0 tools are integral in creating a globally aware student of today. However, one of the most easy and effective tools that we all can use is blogging. Blogging allows us to communicate with anyone and everyone about anything. It is ideal to help students learn to express themselves or offer opinions or feedback. It can also be a wonderful communication tool to use with parents. You could blog about anything – important topics in class (to help make parents aware), you could blog about class activity or even simply about an activity or event that is coming up without the dreaded “reply all” confused with simple “reply” function on your email. Your students can blog about class topics or topics of interest – better yet, you could give students a generalized theme to blog about and let them decide within that theme what they are interested in and then blog about that.
No matter how we choose to use Web 2.0 to promote global awareness and produce global citizens or to simply differentiate in our classrooms, it is a valuable tool that we must facilitate within our classrooms. We, as teachers, must allow for this tool to educate our students as we facilitate the process. Whether for differentiation, communication or simply exploring, students need to know how to utilize Web 2.0 effectively to enhance their knowledge of the world. I can only imagine all of the things that we would have been able to do with the “teddy bear” project 20+ years ago if we had access to such an informational and communicative highway.
Bibliography:
Picardo, Jose. Why Students Need a Global Awareness and Understanding of Other Cultures. (2012, September 25) Retrieved March 29, 2015, from http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2012/sep/25/students-global-awareness-other-cultures
Preparing Students to Learn Without Us. (2011, January 1). Retrieved March 27, 2015, from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb12/vol69/num05/Preparing-Students-to-Learn-Without-Us.aspx
Shadoian-Gersing, Vanessa. Harnessing Student Diversity to Foster Global Awareness. (2015, January 22) Retrieved March 29, 2015, from http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/global_learning/2015/01/harnessing_student_diversity_to_foster_global_awareness.html
Smith, Grace E. & Throne, S. (2009). Differentiating instruction with technology in Middle school classroom. 29-39.
The Case for Cultivating Cultural Awareness. (2011, October 26). Retrieved March 27, 2015, from http://plpnetwork.com/2011/10/26/the-case-for-cultivating-cultural-awareness/
Thinking about this project nearly 25 years ago and the resources that are available to students today, makes me realize that students are just a click away from another country or another place. With this digital proximity comes the need for global awareness and learning. Nowadays students must have an awareness for other cultures and they must be able to effectively interact with these cultures. It is imperative that we, as teachers, prepare our students for just this. “Instead of viewing global awareness as an add-on, or something that must supplant other priorities, educators can start by maximizing relevant aspects of existing initiatives and leveraging assets already in their schools and classrooms. Indeed, with diverse student populations now the majority demographic in US public schools, there is no better time to recognize and tap the assets these students can bring to the classroom” (Shadoian-Gersing). Obviously, we can add “cultural notes” and information to our lessons to provide students with additional facts about various cultures; this is not enough. We need to give them cultural experiences and interactions. Shadoian-Gersing states, “Even in the absence of comprehensive, system-wide initiatives, educators can take small steps to elevate diverse perspectives in their own schools and classrooms. For example, teachers can make the most of their students' cultural or linguistic backgrounds to create engaging learning opportunities or respond to global events, e.g. a teacher might invite a Cuban-American student to interview his family as a way of introducing an international perspective about recent proposed changes in US-Cuban relations” (Shadoian-Gersing).
Obviously, Web 2.0 is a significant tool in achieving global awareness. I cannot imagine what an impact the Internet would have had on the “teddy bear” project, muchless my knowledge of Germany at the time! It is imperative that we teach students how to effectively use Web 2.0 tools to expand their viewpoints and enhance their knowledge of the world. It is also important that we use these tools as a seamless integration into our lessons and not just an “add-on that we can put here because we need another use of technology”.
Web 2.0 should also be considered in addressing diversity within the classroom. Let’s face it, every student in our classes does not have the same needs or it is always the same level of learning as their peers. Technology can be a great tool to help us achieve higher learning amongst our students. Smith and Throne state, “As a differentiator, technology helps us to personalize learning for our extremely varied students through collaborative learning and problem solving, which are excellent activities for the growing brain and for our students’ future professions in the world of work (Smith and Throne, 2009). I know that the task of differentiating for every student may sound daunting; however in today’s world of education, it is important that students are motivated to learn and all have the opportunity to learn. We must change the process of learning to achieve this and that is why we must differentiate. Smith and Throne state, “Technology facilitates modification of instruction in several areas to meet the needs of diverse students by making changes to subject matter (content), channels of throughput (process), means of output (product), and the learning environment (Smith and Throne).
In my own classroom I have a variety of learning levels and learning styles amongst my students. Currently I have one student who is autistic and he benefits greatly from technology use. I allow him to do alternative assignments via the online textbook site or other sites. This gives him ease, as he is not so distracted by the social aspect of a classroom when he is trying to complete tasks. He also uses white noise headphones to help him to focus when trying to complete tasks. For other students, technology serves as a medium for a deeper development of Spanish. The more advanced students can explore other aspects that we are learning but may not get to in class. And then for some, technology offers remediation and practice. I know this may seem old school, but in learning a foreign language, practice helps. Students can select what level of practice they want/need as well. It could be simple repetition, doing more interactive and challenging tasks (such as grammatical and cultural questions), blogging or even interviews or video chatting.
“Class Twitter accounts link students in real time across the face of the planet with projects devised around common academic subjects and cross-cultural understanding. Skype allows us to converse face-to-face with people from other countries, allowing us to knock down classroom walls and hear it direct from the source. Google Maps lets our pupils take a walk down the streets of every major town and city in the world, allowing them to sight-see and get a sense of other cultures from the comfort of their own classroom. And blogs provide geographically distant schools with the means to partner together so that their pupils can interact in a safe virtual environment, contributing a valuable international dimension to peer assessment,” comments Picardo (2012). All of Web 2.0 tools are integral in creating a globally aware student of today. However, one of the most easy and effective tools that we all can use is blogging. Blogging allows us to communicate with anyone and everyone about anything. It is ideal to help students learn to express themselves or offer opinions or feedback. It can also be a wonderful communication tool to use with parents. You could blog about anything – important topics in class (to help make parents aware), you could blog about class activity or even simply about an activity or event that is coming up without the dreaded “reply all” confused with simple “reply” function on your email. Your students can blog about class topics or topics of interest – better yet, you could give students a generalized theme to blog about and let them decide within that theme what they are interested in and then blog about that.
No matter how we choose to use Web 2.0 to promote global awareness and produce global citizens or to simply differentiate in our classrooms, it is a valuable tool that we must facilitate within our classrooms. We, as teachers, must allow for this tool to educate our students as we facilitate the process. Whether for differentiation, communication or simply exploring, students need to know how to utilize Web 2.0 effectively to enhance their knowledge of the world. I can only imagine all of the things that we would have been able to do with the “teddy bear” project 20+ years ago if we had access to such an informational and communicative highway.
Bibliography:
Picardo, Jose. Why Students Need a Global Awareness and Understanding of Other Cultures. (2012, September 25) Retrieved March 29, 2015, from http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2012/sep/25/students-global-awareness-other-cultures
Preparing Students to Learn Without Us. (2011, January 1). Retrieved March 27, 2015, from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb12/vol69/num05/Preparing-Students-to-Learn-Without-Us.aspx
Shadoian-Gersing, Vanessa. Harnessing Student Diversity to Foster Global Awareness. (2015, January 22) Retrieved March 29, 2015, from http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/global_learning/2015/01/harnessing_student_diversity_to_foster_global_awareness.html
Smith, Grace E. & Throne, S. (2009). Differentiating instruction with technology in Middle school classroom. 29-39.
The Case for Cultivating Cultural Awareness. (2011, October 26). Retrieved March 27, 2015, from http://plpnetwork.com/2011/10/26/the-case-for-cultivating-cultural-awareness/