Going Global: Culture Shock, Convergence and the Future of Education

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Duration: 39 minutes and 39 seconds

Year: 2009

Country: United States

Language: English

License: CC - Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives

Genre: Instructional

Producer: Kim Cofino

Director: Kim Cofino

Views: 2,960 (2,600 embedded)

Posted by: k12online on Nov 17, 2009

Looking at daily life in foreign lands reveals a colorful spectrum of inspiring metaphors for the shifts we need to make in education. Often what we may find initially chaotic, disorienting and strange in other countries can actually spark new ways of thinking about teaching and learning. Through the voices of teachers and students from around the world, we’ll examine the unique aptitudes which allow successful expats to thrive in any environment. These are exactly the skills that future students and teachers will need to confidently enter the digital, global, converging, collaborative world of tomorrow – wherever they might be physically located.

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Hi My name is Kim Cofino. Welcome to the 4th Annual k12online Conference
I am absolutely honered to be kicking off this year's conference with my presentation
Going Global: Cultural Shock, Convergence and the Future of Education.
Here in downtown Bankok, where I've lived for the last three years.
I've realized that living oversees has taught me important skills, behaviors, and attitudes.
At the same time as a technology educator, I've realized
that many of those same skills, behaviors and attitudes
are the ones also refered to as 21st Century Traits.
In this presentation with collaboration help from educators
and students around the world.
We will explore the connections and parrallels between living oversees
Being globally minded and finally how today's students
wherever they may be located can go global with technology projects
Good Morning this is Steve Katz from Country Day School in Costa Rica.
"hello" from Beijing
"hello" this is Sara Paterson from Kree International School in Soeul South Korea.
"hello" my name is Susan Sedro and I teach in Signapore.
"hello" my name is Hazel and I am in Vietnam.
I am Beatriz and I live in Korea.
Hello I am Chrissy Hamier and I am grade five 5 at ISB Bankok.
Hello, my name is Karolina.
"hello" I am Clinton Amata I am in Hanoi Vietnam.
I am Kathy Lee and I am currently living in Korea.
Now that you have been introduced everyone, let's get started.
Please note that you can find all supporting resources, websites,
project examples, helpful tips, everything for this presentation on the wiki listed above
http://going-global.wikispaces.com
This presentation will be broken down into three parts
Culture Shock, Convergence, and the Future of Education.
Part 1: Culture Shock
I've only been able to live abroad and experience both the positive and negative
aspects of culture shock thanks to international schools
International Schools were developed to meet the needs of expatriat families
That is, families that have moved oversees, usually due to their employment or personal interest.
for example diplomats, executives of multinational corporations,
employees of non-profit organizations, or even just people who enjoy living abroad.
In my opinion this makes international schools especially exciting.
because we have families and teachers from all over the world spending each school day together.
Here at ISB for example we have students from over 50 countries.
The first two international schools were founded in Geneva Switzerland and Yokohama Japan.
There are now international school in every major city around the world.
In fact there are over 90 schools in Bankok alone which aim to provide an international education.
This schools exist for two main purposes,
for local and foreign families who want their children to receive an international education.
and for families who are only temporarily abroad
and who want their children
to receive an education compatible with that of their home country.
SERVICE LEARNING
Usually, because the curriculum of international schools is western
that is, either American, British, Canadian, New Zealand or Austrailian
they tend to hire teachers with certification from those countries.
This is how I found myself, in August of 2000, moving to Munich.
That fall, my husband Alex and I
moved from a small town in Connecticut in the United States to Munich, Germany
where I taught at Munich International School for 5 years.
From 2005 to 2207 we lived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
and we worked at Mont' Kiari International school.
Since then I have been teaching at International School Bankok in Thailand.
One interesting thing about the expatriat or international population
is that although the majority of the people in the situation have chosen to be there
We often live in a way that is more or less insulated from the local culture
In living in a foreign nation but never really adapting to it
CULTURE SHOCK
in any case no matter what condition they live in all expatriats inevitably experience some form of culture shock
when traveling to or living in different countries
most people experience varing degrees of discomfort
when we realize how different other cultures and other countries really are
living overseas culture shock can extend for months or even years while you readjust your expectations
attitudes, behavior, and communication styles to adapt to the new culture
having had this expirence in three different countries over the last ten years
I know every time I go through the process of culture shock
I learned something new about myself and how to interact with others
Although I lived overseas in both western and eastern cultures
it's really been the last five years in Asia where the cultures are so different from my own personal upbringing
that I've been so energized by the dailly light in the place I'm living
cultural shock is not always negative and I find the collision to be inspiring
this presentation will focus mostly on Asia because I found it so different from my own upbringing
that really challange and energize my thinking
but I feel these sort of inshisghts will occur to anyone
who move into or explored cultures different from their own
now in my third cultural context outside my own
I realized that the lessons from cultural shock are more than personal adaptations.
That they are actually physical representations of cultural mindsets all around us.
Daily activities in unfamiliar or new places can be inspriing metaphores and
I've seen many things in Asia I feel mirror or symbolize attributes we want our schools to have.
Athough at first they may not seem to be obvious parallels to the educational world of technology,
I think that there is something we can learn about how to think about the schools of the future
from watching the ways that different people from different cultures interact.
These are some of the crucial emerging concepts for twenty first century education
that we'll be exploring in this section.
MOBILITY
In Asia everything seems to be constantly in motion
from street carts and market vendors to tuk-tuk taxi drivers
bieng able to pick up and change location at the drop of a hat is the name of the game.
For education the portablility of mobile computing devices
whether they be phones, laptops, netbooks, ipods or whater comes next
will enable learning to take place whenever whereever
I grew up hearing the phrase the customer is always right.
But, I must admit that the American version
pales in camparison to the individualization and customization of service provided here in South East Asia
no matter how outlandish the request or whether or not it's on the menu you'll find yourself leaving with just what you wanted.
In contrast to today's educational system where we find ourselves limited by
the physical availability of teachers, classroom space, and resources.
We should be striving to provide personalized learning experiences for each individual student.
Whether it be Arabic classes in a small town in the United States Or A.P. US History classes in Oman.
ADAPTABILITY
To a outside observer, Asian marketplaces and buildings can seem
to spring up expand immensly or dissapear overnight.
Even in the upscale malls, stores come and go at a very rapid pace.
Any roadside vendor who isn't getting enough business
will simply pack up and move to a more promising location.
Most schools on the other hand are more are far less able to adapt to change.
Everyone in the extended educational community
teachers, parents, board members ecetera
all remember their schools days and often end up being resistant
to update their viewpoint because "that's the way we've always done it"
Whether we like it or not, in the years since we were school children things have changed drastically.
Content and delivery methods have changed. What students want to learn has changed
and what they need to do with it has changed.
School need to find ways of more nimbly, realistically, and effectively adapting to the new status quo.
ALWAYS ON
A nice surprise when traveling in South East Asia is always the constan availability
of goods and services around the clock.
From speciality night markets to all night super sales at the malls
to 24 hour food deliveries. You'll never find yourself out of luck no matter what hour it is.
The ringing of the school bell every afternoon shouldn't mean that's when learning stops.
For the student who has a full time job or the one who wants to finish early
learning should take place whenever students are ready for it.
not simply during business hours.
Utilizing online learning, asynchronous communication, and differences between time zones
Students and teachers should always be able to find a schedule who meets their needs.
COLLABORATION
It often seems that nothing is accomplished alone in South East Asia.
A team of three clerks might run a single cash register.
and every bus driver seems to have one of more assistants along for the ride.
A simple thing like repairing a pot hole might require a small army of workers.
In the past, classroom teachers often worked in isolation.
and students would receive all their information from this single source.
Who in turn is the only person the students would share their work with.
Today's problems are too complex for one person to solve alone
and there is no reason for either teachers or students to work in solitude.
We need to be developing classroom and school wide stuctures
that encourage and reward collaboration and shared responsibility.
QUICKLY
Never mind the American concept of fast food
many foods in Asia can be prepared in a wok in less than a minute.
Roadside carts and stalls instantly serve stir fry noodles and
an astonishing variety of snacks to steady streams of passers by.
Most of today's educational institutions in contrast
operate more like someone laboriously preparing a pot roast.
Far too slow to change or accomplish new initiatives in a timely manner.
In order to survive schools need to focus on how to respond to new situations
and to rapidly meet students need in a fast moving world.
BLENDING OF OLD AND NEW
While all cultures adapt to change over time.
Today's Asian societies often seem particularly adept at combining traditional
ways of life with the newest technology and ideas.
From Buddhist monks chatting on cell pones Laos
to Kimono wearing in Tokyo typing on laptops.
No one in Asia seems to hesitate to incorporate technology into their lives when it is useful.
It is this blending of the traditional and technological that we should mirrored in our own classrooms.
Technology is far from the all or nothing destructive force teachers seem to fear
and in today's world opposition to technology integration is increasingly a disservice to students.
We should be working toward a blended approach
Using technological tools when appropriate to provide opportunities for
diverse learners or to accommodate distance, time or instructional needs.
This thoughtful integration of technology when combined with traditional methods for teaching
and learning can succeed in bringing together the best of both worlds.
JUST IN TIME DELIVERY
Well the preferred delivery vehicle in North America is the big 18 wheeler truck.
Along any road in South East Asia you are much more likely to find mopeds, motorcycles, bikes,
and a variety of smaller forms of transportation that can speed through traffic with any conceivable item for delivery.
From food to propane tanks to important documents to live animals.
These small vehicles are forever weaving in and out of traffic
making tiny deliveries that make it to their destinations just in time.
Like these networks of small maneuverable vehicles
Learning new skills needs to happen when the student is ready
instead of being delivered in huge quantities just in case the student needs to know it in the future.
This might mean designing authentic assessments that put important curricular content into context
or looking at the curriculum with eye to focus only on teaching and what most valuable and relevant today.
or re-imagining schools from the ground up to deliver
important knowledge and skills just when they need it
NO FIXED VALUES
Why there are exceptions, many of the markets and services
in Asia still adhere to the traditional practice of bargaining over prices
While this system can be frustrating to those of us who aren't used to it
and can also be enjoyable and empowering.
When something's value isn't arbitrarily set by a price tag
it ensures that both sides are satisfied
and that the price of the item reflects it's true value
to that individual customer at that time.
With it's rigid structures payment plans, scholarship applications
and student loans our educational system is too often
financially and ideologically inflexible.
With the availability of itunes-u, remote access to MIT labs and NASA resources.
and online universities offering new models of education
it is easy to see that an individualized learning plan
designed by the student sourced from a variety of financially viable options
and delivered in cost effective ways may
prevail over more traditional fixed value, fixed location
fixed length courses.
As other options become more prevalent,
will our current educational system be able to even maintain itself?
GLOBAL
I expected to arrive in Asia and find a world completely different from the one I knew
Well much is very different here I was astonished to find
that so many global brands, foods and technologies were available
In today's Asia, movies are released on the same day as they are in L.A.
International books stores offer literature in all conceivable languages
and restaurants groceries and department stores
overflow with goods from around the world.
A typical Thai teenager might wear American sneakers,
listen to South Korea pop music, and read Japanese comic books
While this globalization has both positive and negative aspects
it's fascinating to see how most countries in Asia
are able to quickly and smoothly incorporate foreign influences
while still trying to maintain their traditional cultural identities.
It's this sort of fusion or blended of cultural influences
that needs to be part of every child's education
The world is much larger than any one country and
students everywhere need the ability to critically analyze
appreciate and adopt aspects of other cultures
and in cases where cultures differ they need the global perspective
to respect others and work together in spite of those differences.
FLEXILBE
As you may have noticed, one characteristic shared across these metaphors
we've just discussed is a generally flexible approach
for whatever cultural, historical, or geographical reasons.
I've found that people in South East Asia seem remarkably able to change
to fit any situation they find themselves in.
As a foreigner living in Thailand being immersed in daily life here
has definitely inspired me to make connections about change,
flexibility, and adapation that I've never would have made if I hadn't left my home country.
I feel that one of the greatest benefits of this immersion
has been to help me become more flexible overall.
Both in my personal life and combined with constant professional growth
spurred by my personal learning network in terms of my ideas of what education can and should be.
Now that we have explored different ways that living in Asia
has inspired my thinking about the future of education.
Let's examine the characteristics and traits of individuals
who have actually grown up oversees to see what they have to teach us
about success in an increasingly connected world.
And thus beings Part 2: Convergence
Successful students and employees of the future will be those who've mastered
certain essential skills for working in the globally linked online community.
Skills like the flexibility and confidence to adapt to constantly and changing situations
or the communication skills to collaborate effectively with people from different countries and cultures
THIRD CULTURE KIDS
The best way to gain this skills used to be physically move to the other side of the planet
and some of the best examples of students who've mastered
these crucial 21st Century attributes might be expatriates,
international school students. and third culture kids.
A third culture kid one who's grown up entirely outside of their native or passport culture.
They are those people that have difficulty answering the question,
Where are you from?
For an example a child holding an American passport who's grown up in another country entirely
AT HOME BETWEEN WORLDS
A third cultural kid might also be one with parents from two cultures who doesn't feel at home in either.
Feeling like a citizen of all countries and none, as many third cultures do,
is a situation with many challenges.
But, it is also one who can end up extremely positive and rewarding.
IMMERSION
Being immersed in environments that are completely different from they have experienced before
provides opportunities for both students and teachers to develop unique attritbutes
than are currently and will continue to be critical for future success.
It is these unique experiences that enable to move between cultures
and customs with ease to adapt to new situations
to confront challenges and solve problems collaboratively
and communicate ideas across cultural or linguistic boundaries.
VOICES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
Here is what some third cultural kids have to say about their experience and outlook.
THIRD CULTURE KIDS HAVE A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
My mother is from Brazil, my father from Finland
I live in Beijing
I've lived in Beijing for 15 years.
Beijing is my home
International schools have given me a lot because I've met lot's of people from different places
like one of my best friends is from Brazil.
and I don't know anyone else who is from Brazil. So, I thought that was really interesting
it's help me learn different languages too and I really like doing that.
There so many different cultures and ethnicities, that and everything.
Hello, my name is Ben and I am 7 years old.
Living oversees is cool because I make friends from all over the world.
You have different teachers and most of the teachers here are from different backgrounds themselves
they actually teach you some of their cultures in in the positive teaching.
Some are British, some are Australian, some are American and they all come from different places
Every class, like every teacher would have a different teaching style and we learn a little bit
So I think that's pretty cool. That's what I really like about it.
Teachers need to see what happens when a new student comes to school.
I remember being a new student myself at various schools or teaching at schools in the U.S.
there was always a couple of days or maybe even a week where that student really felt isolated.
But, here I think everybody knows what it feels like coming to a new school living in a different country
and so they're so accepting and so willing to welcome all of these new students into their classes.
The biggest thing I learned as an international student is how to
communicate with different people from different cultures.
In an international school all the students and all the teachers come from different cultures.
The school also offers us a lot of opportunities to interact with people from foreign cultures.
For example, speech and debate tournaments and all the sports tournaments we have with
other international school students and foreign school students
Last month, the school also offered us the opportunity to attend the flat classroom workshop.
Where we learned how to communicate and cooperate
with people from all around the world through technology.
And it was a great experience.
The world is getting smaller, flatter, more international and more cosmopolitan.
And the greatest thing about being an international school student is
that I am getting ready to be part of that smaller world.
Growing up oversees has taught me a lot of things
Well, so I really don't know any differently in many ways it has defined who I am.
It's made me a better person because, I mean before I lived abroad
I lived in the suburbs a lot. So, it was like
just a bunch of perfect communities.
And here is see that not all the world is really pretty
and a lot of people don't have as much as we do and they need our help.
THIRD CULTURE KIDS ARE ADAPTABLE AND FLEXIBLE
You can't live oversees and you certainly live in developing nations
without being flexible and that's anything can happen any day.
Anything from traffic because of a flood or royalty or whatever
that turns a ten minute drive into a two hour drive.
To the other side, which is you know, amazing people or adventures
you didn't expect to see.
Just down the corner or round the back alley.
You never know what you are going to see and find.
and that's always been exciting to be able to adapt to new situations
and people who don't speak your language
Just makes you flexible, it has made me flexible
and I don't see how anyone cannot be flexible living in this situation.
With my wider scope of culture
I will easily get used to new places around the world
and more easily absorb other cultures
This experience actually made it easier for me to
blend in and not be afraid of new experiences,
I was born in Germany but lived my teenage years in Argentina.
When I was 20 years old I moved to the U.S.A.
I guess I used to be what you call a third culture kid.
A kid who has had the experience of growing among worlds.
TCK's that is what they are called navigate with ease
between languages, customs, and traditions.
A kid who is used to flying by herself over the river
an ocean and through the woods in different countries to grandmother's house.
At this point, I am probably considered more of a third culture person not a kid anymore.
But, that does not mean I have it figured all out.
I continue to learn and experience
how to float between languages and cultures.
We also learn to be independent
From a very young age I was traveling by myself
working out airports, immigration,
baggage claim, you know finding my way in cabs and buses
and all sorts of things.
That's with independence comes a level of confidence
being able to make your own decisions
problem solve, communicate with hand signals and such.
You start pulling that off. You realize, you know what? I can do this. You develop a lot of confidence.
TOLERANCE, APPRECIATION and EMPATHY
Hi, I am Warren from a small island of Barbados.
and I am a Canadian citizen.
I am currently teaching a Canadian curriculum in a school Dali in China.
and on that very day I sat at lunch and watched
a young Korean girl and a young German girl
sitting and eating spaghetti with chopsticks.
And it just kind of hit me, that we do really live in a connected world.
As a third culture person, I will always have the feeling that I belong
to all of my cultures and none of them.
The one that I was born into, the one grew up in, the one that I lived in most of my life.
I feel connected but, at the same time as someone
who does not completely belong and move around in all three cultures
and languages with ease.
But, at the same time I feel a foreigner in each one of them.
I don't really know if Pakistan is my home any more.
Because where ever I go, I try to fit in.
Where ever my family is *inaudible*
Like there is a lot of different religions, a lot of realities and morals.
So, I learned a lot since moving from Pakistan.
International school for me, when I first came to Korea was like home.
Since I was more used to the Western culture than Korean.
I met many new friends that were like me
who lived abroad but were still Korean inside.
Some of the international schools students
I have met in the Hong Kong Flat Classroom conference
Were actually quiet similar to Korean international school students
because in fact were all multicultural and
they also had the Western culture and their Asian culture mixed and intertwined.
So, I find it very valuable to be able to meet
other students in other countries who are actually having the same experience
that we do in Korea.
Since I was multicultural, I was given the opportunity to absorb
many different things and meet many different friends.
I became more diverse and open minded about new ideas.
I understand religion and culture and traditions
a lot more and I feel privileged to have been able to
learn about them in ways that people often don't a chance to.
Finally, when you start living amongst other people and other cultures.
What starts out as maybe tolerance, and the learning to
and understand that people learn differently
I think that inevitably, as you grow older and more mature.
You start to realize that tolerance has turned into something better and greater
It turns into empathy,
appreciation and you know I think.
I don't necessarily know that growing up oversees as a young kid
I got that. I think that I started to be exposed to other cultures
I think that was important.
But certainly now, in reflection I've become
much more appreciative of varying cultures,
religions, and ways of thinking
that have just transformed who I am and what I want for the world.
AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCES TO DEEPEN UNDERSTANDING
It's really great, because I mean you get to see different places you never knew existed.
Before we moved to Switzerland, I had no clue what that was
I thought that it was, like a food or something.
So, it just really opened my eyes.
Before I moved here, my whole life was going to be spent in Illinois
I had it all planned out, I was going to be in Illinois for the rest of my life.
And now I've lived here, it's like there so many other places to live and there are so many other places to go.
So, it's definitely changed a lot for me.
I am Jane Ross, I am Australian born but I spent many years in New Guinea as a child
I feel so influenced by by Indonesian cultures
I use my right hand out of habit and other body language
signals that are Indonesian and quiet foreign for Australians.
I attended boarding school in Australia
but, I always got to go home to Jakarta every couple of months.
By this time, I felt that I had two homes.
Later I married a Batak from Sumatra.
After first being adopted by a Batak clan
So that I could have a full traditional wedding
and continue the family line which is so important
Considering I married the I married the eldest son.
TRADITIONAL BATAK CEREMONY
You might ask, do I feel more Australian or Batak?
MY ELDEST SON - RIAM
Of course I still call Australia home. But sometimes I feel outside of my first culture.
MY DAUGHTER - TARULI
At later I learned the most of who I am whenever I return to Australia.
TRADITIONAL CEREMONIES CAN LAST A DAY
I always experience cultural shock when I go back to Australia
It's like I am watching what is happening, When I am actually experiencing first hand.
FUNERAL CEREMONY
It is by reconnecting to my first culture that I am able to see from an outside perspective
FUNERAL CEREMONIES LAST FOR DAYS
So, how has this impacted on my teaching?
I feel I am able to do things with a broader perspective.
Being fluent in Indonesian of course, has given me so many skills.
beyond the obvious ones,
Sometimes, that I don't fit in with either culture
The world wide web has redefined how we identify with culture.
CARRYING A 30KG OF PADI ON MY HEAD
To be able to connect on a daily basis with others from all over the world.
I HAD TO DANCE WITH SPIRIT
Compared to the past of just reading print in a book
has profoundly impacted on how we learn.
To be flexible, independent, adventurous, and appreciative of others
Yeah, that's what I got from my living oversees
and certainly it's what I would value in any learner anywhere
My children are not third culture kids.
They are growing up in the country that they were born in
I still understood the value of raising them bilingual though.
It was important to me to raise them with passports
that had stamps of countries from different continents.
and with the global awarenes
and some sort of appreciation.
If one does not have the luxury of a second or a third culture
surrounding their family and the assurance
that children will pick up another language
and culture by osmosis.
Then it becomes imperative to seek out opportunities
and experiences that will create these lasting impressions and memories.
If you'd of told me two years ago that
that I'd be living in a totally different country in a totally different culture.
I would have smiled and said, not possible.
But, possible it is.
And one of the reasons why I think
it's been a lot easier for me to
settle and become
I am immersed in another culture is those things
that we as educators firmly believe
are really important those things called adaptability,
and flexibility and global collaboration and communication.
Those are the things that I believe
that have made my transition from one culture to another
a little bit easier. And they have
also firmly cemented for me the importance
of exposing young students to
more global collaboration and communication opportunities.
within their lifetime.
This skills, behaviors, and attitudes are valuable
for anyone and will only become more important
in the future. Fortunately you don't need to move around the world
to obtain them. These types of formative international experiences
can now be available to all students no matter where they are
through globally collaborative projects.
Part 3: The future of Education.
GROW YOUR OWN PLN
The first step to bringing a global perspective into your classroom
no matter where you are in the world. Is to begin to develop your own personal learning network.
And ideally by filling in that personal learning network
with other educators who are living in different countries around the world.
A personal learning network is basically
a group of people who you collaborate with and learn from on a regular basis.
Not just in your face to face working environment
but, also online. The best thing about a personal learning network
is that it doesn't matter where you are in the world.
The people you choose to include become your colleagues who
are learning together with you, sharing ideas with you and
collaborating with you on similar concepts and at the same pace.
There a variety of tools you can use to grow your own PLN.
The key is you need to connect yourself to connect your class.
Although you can always utilize these technology tools
to connect your class to other students.
Before building your own network, I feel that you will personally
feel more confident, have a deeper understanding of the tools
and be able to provide a better and more seamless experience
for your students when you have first hand experience
of using these tools as an educator.
If you are watching this presentation, you have probably already developed your own
personal learning network. But I am also hoping you might
be willing to share this presentation with your colleagues
or with other educators who might be looking to start from scratch.
In my opinion, there are six steps you can take to begin to build your own personal learning network.
There is no right way to build a PLN.
This is just an overview of the way I might approach
it if I were doing it all over again.
I feel that an RSS feeds is a great foundation for building your own PLN.
I like to refer to reading RSS readers as learning by lurking.
There is no pressure to interact you can find the specific
voices that resonate with you personally and rotate through feeds
as quickly or as slowly as you need all in the comfort of a somewhat familiar environment.
Another great entry point in addition to RSS
is joining social networks especially those dedicated to education
There are a variety NING social networks that cater to education
topics, ranging from IVY bio to using interactive whiteboards
in the classroom to teaching Language Arts through the writers and readers workshop model.
The great thing about joining a social network is
that you know that everyone else who is there is looking to make connections and
learn and share with like minded educators.
So, it's like walking into teacher's lounge staffed with supportive
and resourceful colleagues.
Once you've started finding your needs within the thousands
helpful educators online. The next step is to express
yourself and start your own blog.
The great thing about a blog is that how you develop your online profile
Your blog can be a one stop shop for other educators wishing to learn
about you. As well as a place to share your thoughts, ideas
and reflections on your learning
Once you've given others the opportunity to get to know you a little bit more personally
through your blog and you found a network of people who are interested in the same things you are.
You'll probably want to connect with them more regularl
on a more personal level with is perfect for skype.
To continue to broaden your PLN or to connect with other
educators. You might want to attend online conferences like this one.
There are so many different opportunities to learn in online spaces.
Whether they be via download like this one or
synchronous conferences in Second Life. There are people meeting
online to learn together pretty much all the time and you never know who you might meet.
Finally, once you are fully ensconced in the world of online learning
you might want to give Twitter a try.
Although, it may not be as in depth or as through as a blog
it's a great way to build your network, expand your interests and
make more real time connections with other educators around the world.
TOOLBOX
As a globally connected educator, with your own PLN you have
a variety of tools at your fingertips help your students build thier
own global personal learning networks.
From blogs to wikis to podcasts to multimedia to skype
to twitter and to whatever comes next. You and your students can mix and match
these tools however the suit your curriculum.
GO FOR IT!
You can use them one at a time, in conjunction with each other or in the same project.
It really doesn't matter. The important part is to just give it a try.
CONNECTING ACROSS CONTINENTS
If you are interested globally collaborative projects for your class,
You may enjoy the k12online session Jen Wagner and I presented last year
entitled connecting classrooms across continents.
That describes in detail the process of planning and creating a project like this.
Of course, I will include resources and links to all these ideas in my own wiki for this presentation.
No matter where you are in the world by incorporating these tools
into your classroom and connecting your students with learners from different countries
you will be modeling the flexible attributes needed for the
future of education which we discussed in the first section of this presentation.
Planning a project that incorporates
communication and collaboration across distances
will let your students experience the adaptable, constantly connected and globalized world of the future.
Changing the dynamic of the classroom from
a teacher led process to a student centered one
that expands the boundaries of learning beyond the four walls
of the classroom and lets them learn peers and share
their products with the world. Will enable you and your students
to take advantage of the ways that people are beginning to and will
continue to use technology not just for amusement
but to learn, create and share.
Adopting this new mindset is as much a benefit
for teachers as it is for learners. The teacher
who is able to blend traditional teaching and learning methods with those new
more collaborative approaches will be the teacher who is ready
for the next change in our educational system whenever that might come.
And so by preparing students to succeed in the world
of the future. Teachers will also simultaneously be
preparing them selves to face the educational world of the future.
In addition to providing a truly connected classroom
environment by interacting with students and teachers around the world
on a regular basis. You will also be exposing your students to
the unique experiences that help develop the global perspective
shared by most third culture kids as we discussed in the second section of this presentation
As a teacher, I always wanted my students to be flexible
and adaptable, to demonstrate
tolerance, appreciation, empathy and to have a global perspective.
But without exposing them to genuine interactions with
a diverse population it can be difficult to develop that kind of mindset
within the classroom walls. By bring the world
into your classroom, you provide the opportunity for
authentic engagement with multicultural and multilingual perspectives.
I hope this presentation has got you thinking about different
ways you can embrace global collaboration in your classroom.
If this is the first time you're hearing some of these ideas
it might seem like a lot to consider at once.
But, I firmly believe that anyone, anywhere can implement
these ideas in their own classroom.
by starting small and having clear goals in mind.
Please know that there is a world of educators both international and in
their home countries that are ready and willing to help.
Without whom I wouldn't be sharing this presentation with you today.
Personally I am so grateful and thankful for all that my PLN
has helped me to achieve and I know that you
will find the experience of expanding your personal learning network
just as valuable. Don't hesitate to get started today.
Thank you so much for watching this presentation
and I look forward to connecting with you on the presentation wiki listed on the screen now.
Transcription / Translation by: Jose Rodriguez