Digital Learning in Global Education: With advent of globalization and the internet, global digital communication has become a reality. With a few key strokes, you can be in contact with every continent of the world. You can Skype a friend from China, buy a Big Ben replica online from London, send an email to a family member in South America and attend a webinar in India all in one day, right from a single computer. No different should be our classrooms.
Global connectivity gives our students the opportunity to be in contact with students from around the globe, ask questions from professionals 3,000 miles away, work on collaborative projects with classes a continent away, and share thoughts and ideas with student peers over oceans. Technology has the power to reinvigorate learning and make the world the local classroom. With web tools, the internet, voice/video technologies, and social media, there is no limit to the potential for global engagement. In this section you will find some useful resources on how to utilize technology to connect your students to the world and the world to your students. |
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Here's how to use Skype in your global classroom!
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Resources and Tools: |
Here you will find a list of useful global education websites, some tools that I have used, and a practical guide for using technology in your global classroom.
Globally-based websites to explore: In these sites below, you can find tools, resources, lesson plans, project ideas, and much more! Please check out additional ideas and activities on my International Project-Based Opportunities and Activities page. 1. Skype www.skype.com 2. iEARN www. iearn.org 3. ConnectAllSchools http://www.connectallschools.org 4. Peace Corps Speakers Match http://wws.peacecorps.gov/wws/speakersmatch/ 5. ePals http://www.epals.com 6. Global Nomads Group www.gng.org 7. Omprakash http://www.omprakash.org/about 8. Primary Source www.primarysource.org 9. Edutopia http://www.edutopia.org 10. Outreach World http://www.outreachworld.org 11. Global Education Conference http://www.globaleducationconference.com 12. Globaled http://www.globaled.org 13. Around the World with 80 Classrooms http://aroundtheworldwith80schools.net 14. Education International http://www.ei-ie.org/en/ 15. United Nations Cyber School bus http://www.un.org/Pubs/CyberSchoolBus/ __________________________________________________________________________________________ 5 Digital Tools for the global classroom: 1. Youtube: Youtube has become a common tool in the modern classroom. Youtube can serve as a digital window to the world for your students. Youtube is a great media to show students how others live, think, and communicate. Youtube is ideal for acquiring background information on the peoples, cultures, and places of the world and contains videos and recordings on thousands of themes and subjects. Youtube can also be used as an outlet for students to create and upload videos and share them via social media. http://www.youtube.com 2. Skype: This is an essential tool for facilitating digital connection with others around the world. Through video and audio capabilities, Skype provides a digital platform for students to communicate virtually, facilitating cross-cultural communication and connection. http://www.skype.com 3. ePals: This online global community allows teachers and students to connect directly through online delivery and share inter-culturally. It is essentially an online version of the old-fashioned pen pal idea. Students can connect safely and learn about each other and work on projects together. There are also lesson plans and other activities for teachers and students to utilize. ePals facilitates school-to-school partnerships that can be used for engagement and project-based learning. This media is an excellent venue for meeting all the global competencies. http://www.epals.com 4: Facebook: In this day of social media and instant dissemination of thoughts, opinions, ideas, and information, Facebook stands as a "go-to" site for sharing information. It can be, when used safely, a tool for learning. It provides an ideal venue for students not only to talk and share interests, but also to work collectively on assignments. Facebook can be used internationally in the classroom as a media for students and teachers to interact, collaborate, share ideas, and engage in cross-cultural dialogue. I talk more about social media usage in global ed below. http://www.facebook.com 5. Pinterest: For global education, Pinterest is a great place to get and share ideas. It is easy to stay current on new material in global education. For classroom application, it can be a forum for students to explore topics of interest and post their findings. It can also be used as a class project site where students can collectively post pins dedicated to a particular subject matter with samples, articles, videos, pictures, etc. http://www.pinterest.com _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Tools and Resources for Global Classrooms Manual Inside this manual you will find:
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Social Media in the Global Education classroom...some ideas to think about...
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#What about Social Medi@?With scores of social media outlets out there, the sky is the limit when it comes to incorporating social media into your global lessons and experiences. Some school administration support the idea of social media in the classroom while others shun it. By building a sound argument with examples of how social media can benefit student achievement and enhance global lessons, you may be able to gain support for further exploration.
So, how do you use social media to gain global perspective? It is relatively easy. Go online, set up an account and start connecting. Trust me, your students know a lot about social media and will be happy to help. Take Facebook for example, you can set up your own "fb" account for the classroom and use it as a platform for your students to communicate with each other and with students from across the globe. Maybe you can tweet. Set up a class Twitter account and students can share global ideas, information, and projects instantly worldwide. Google Classrooms also offers interactive tools to engage on the worldwide stage. Talk to your students about how to use social media in your classroom for academic use...their response may surprise you! But... remember it is still our responsibly as educators to know how to use social media correctly and to provide a safe, effective learning experience for our students. |
Digital Learning Environment Inventory: |
A Digital Learning Environment Inventory is a tool to assess where your school is in terms of technology and logistics when it comes to global education. Here are some key questions to think about:
IMPORTANT: Be sure to gather suggestions from students on their ideas for integrating technology into their learning! Sometimes they know more than we do! ----------------------------------------------- |