In the corporate world it is commonplace to have phone calls and video conferences with colleagues from around the world. I wonder though, were these businessmen and women exhilarated by the novelty of the experience in the beginning? Does it ever wear off or do they remain awestruck at technology's capabilities for global communication? Or were they accustomed to it from college years or prior? And, most importantly...
Why aren't we using technology in this way in elementary school?
Virtually every Social Studies curriculum in America asserts that students of all grades should acquire knowledge and appreciation of "diverse cultures." Too often though it is done via a textbook, crafts or videos and neglects the fact that real people of those cultures are just a click of a mouse away. As an advocate for global partnerships, I've had the opportunity to hear what many teachers perceive as roadblocks to tackling this context for authentic learning: |
| Learn more about our partnership with the Odumase Extension School in Ghana from this news story. |
Our partners at the PSGR Krishnammal Nursery and Primary all girls school in India. | To each of these valid concerns, I'd like to offer solutions to ensure that all American students can be provided with these type of educational experiences. The memories created in the context of their regular curriculum will lead them to appreciate the relative prosperity most of us enjoy and widen their own sense of identity. |
Dispelling Myths
Lack of Technology Skills Instructional Technology is evolving at a rate so rapid that even those who devote a 40+ hour week to it are hard pressed to keep current. To those who feel that they're not "techie" enough to facilitate an online collaboration, I'd assert three things:
1. Use ePals | Mrs. Viktoriia, Natalia and our Ukrainian friends. My first ePals connection. They are standing in front of the VoiceThread project we created for them. |
Using ePals itself as a modern version of Pen Pals to write and exchange photos is the most basic option. You and your connected educator can decide if you'd like to try something else like VoiceThread (free), Kidblog ($30 a year), or Skype/Google Hangouts (free.) There are video tutorials galore on YouTube and most often your students can muddle through any interface in 60 seconds flat. The best part is, most of the teachers and students you meet speak fantastic English!
Google Hangout after sharing Christmas tradition WeVideo projects with friends from Mexico . | Concerns of Student Privacy and Safety By teaching a few basic guidelines, you can ensure that your students don't share any personal information online and know how to react when inappropriate content may plague their online experience . Most collaborative sites also offer safeguards that require teacher approval before students post their work. Kidblog, ePals, and Google Apps are some that have varying levels of teacher notification and monitoring embedded in their functionality. A great interactive site to teach these safeguards to students is NetSmartz. |
Insufficient time to plan and implement is by far the most common and well founded gripe of teachers. We all want what is best for our students and crave the time to just sit down and EXPLORE. Whether it's materials that our respective institutions have provided or the boundless plethora of free resources available online, there is never enough time to soak it all up. To this end I ask, "How much time do you spend refocusing student attention? How about ensuring cognitive engagement during the school day?" Instead of trying to change student behavior to fit the content, why not change the content to fit the students' interests? You'll find that the increase in student motivation and on task behavior more than compensates for the time you spend facilitating an online connection. It becomes a layer on top of the curriculum you're already teaching and elevates the quality and authenticity of the content tenfold. You'll find that when your students are speaking and writing to an authentic audience, whose primary language most often is NOT English, the amount of time and care they take in crafting their written and spoken responses is worth its while.
I Imagine...
Change is hard. And change is stressful. And change can be scary. And change can be AMAZING!
Not only for your students, but for yourself, I encourage you to give this a try. Maybe yours will remain a once-a-year connection based around a holiday or maybe it will blossom into something more. The friendships I've created across four different continents is something I will treasure always. We share each other's struggles and triumphs. Watching the World News has taken on a whole new meaning when I see tragedies in the regions where they reside. My own family has realized a greater awareness of our place on the Earth as a result of our dinner table discussions. I share the stories of students in Ukraine having to spend the day in a bomb shelter and the proximity of Boko Haram attacks to the Christian school in Ghana I'm partnered with. Although my cohort in India was spared in the summer's earthquake, my children were moved to help the relief efforts for those who were affected by the disaster.
I imagine that some day, with young children creating relationships such as these, the tolerance and empathy created could counteract the ignorance and mistrust that often evolves into those very calamities we see on the news. As the educators of these children, isn't it worth a try?
For more ideas on how you can use technology and global connections to meet curriculum objectives with elementary students, visit this blogette. I wish you Happy Connecting!
Not only for your students, but for yourself, I encourage you to give this a try. Maybe yours will remain a once-a-year connection based around a holiday or maybe it will blossom into something more. The friendships I've created across four different continents is something I will treasure always. We share each other's struggles and triumphs. Watching the World News has taken on a whole new meaning when I see tragedies in the regions where they reside. My own family has realized a greater awareness of our place on the Earth as a result of our dinner table discussions. I share the stories of students in Ukraine having to spend the day in a bomb shelter and the proximity of Boko Haram attacks to the Christian school in Ghana I'm partnered with. Although my cohort in India was spared in the summer's earthquake, my children were moved to help the relief efforts for those who were affected by the disaster.
I imagine that some day, with young children creating relationships such as these, the tolerance and empathy created could counteract the ignorance and mistrust that often evolves into those very calamities we see on the news. As the educators of these children, isn't it worth a try?
For more ideas on how you can use technology and global connections to meet curriculum objectives with elementary students, visit this blogette. I wish you Happy Connecting!