Tools for Global Communication

To communicate on a global level, there are few things a classroom needs. The number one thing is a computer with internet access and number two is a curious attitude. What does your classroom want to learn about? Where in the world does your classroom want to communicate? There are plenty of resources online, but I believe the number one resource is ePals. ePals allows students from various countries to connect and work on projects with one another. Students can access their account from school or home (if a computer and internet access are provided) and converse with students around the world. The following excerpt from Edutopia sums it up perfectly:

 

We had one collaboration that involved schools in Kenya and New Jersey. Both schools were interested in water. They started with a project that used blogs. Students took pictures and analyzed questions about water: How far are you from a water source? Do you have to carry it? What about sanitation?

Then something really interesting happened. They kept the dialogue going after the water project ended. Students began discussing the upcoming elections. Kenyan students wanted to know about the possibility of what they saw as an African president in the United States.

Then the elections happened in Kenya, and the violence. That brought out a whole new set of issues. Students learned that there is a multiplicity of viewpoints, formed at least in part by where you live. So, here you began with a curriculum around global warming and water. Not only did you achieve those learning goals, but you also went on to see more communication about the issues and topics of the day. That's what twenty-first-century learning should be.
(Edutopia, 2008).

By allowing students internet access and the chance to connect globally, they took a project and moved beyond it to better understand another culture and group of students who live half a world away. In doing so, they opened up their eyes to another culture and lifestyle. They broadened their cultural horizons with a real-world experience they aren't likely to forget. I believe this to be the point of communicating on a global level. Promoting understanding from culture to culture and connecting to make a change on a larger scale.




Boss, Suzie. Global Learning: Connecting the World with ePals. Edutopia. July 21 2008. Retrieved November 30, 2014 from http://www.edutopia.org/epals-online-community-pen-pals

Web 2.0

 Change is always a bit scary, and in education, change is constant. Educators are learning new lessons, new tricks, new ways to close the achievement gap and connect with students on a real-world level every single day.

That being said, technology is a part of that ever constant change in the classroom. As new generations are raised, they are learning at a younger and younger age how to use multitudes of technology. In the classroom, this can be a wonderful asset to the teacher, a right hand man (although not always as reliable due to internet connections!). 

There are many benefits of integrating Web 2.0 tools into the classroom. One of them is it shows students that learning can be more than reading a Power Point or taking notes. It can be interactive and can be done anywhere, anytime. Learning is not limited to the classroom anymore. Blogs, vlogs, and custom websites are all being designed to help with education. Students are able to connect with people around the world, learning what they're doing, finding out how what they are learning now will be used in the future. 

It can be scary, sure. Any change can be scary. However, technology in the classroom is a process that leads to student engagement and the power to be excited about learning.