The Global Classroom
by CyberWise on 05/07/12
Sarah Fudin currently works in community relations for the University of Southern California’s Masters in Teaching program, which provides aspiring teachers the opportunity to earn their teaching degree and teacher certification online. Outside of work Sarah enjoys running, reading and Pinkberry frozen yogurt. (@USCTeacher)
The 21st century classroom
is a learning environment influenced by an explosion of technological advances
that have affected every aspect of our lives. Technology enriches a student’s
learning and expands upon the parameters of the classroom. This expansion began
with the integration of Internet resources and computers, and became a growing
trend in schools across the country. But the capacity to connect people on a
global scale can be applies as well, and teachers have begun to experiment with
ways to integrate global communication into their classrooms.
The Global
Classroom
Teaching and
learning are group efforts that benefit from healthy dynamic communication.
Teachers learn from one another by pooling resources, sharing knowledge and
offering advice. Students often thrive through collaboration with classmates.
With the technology in place, it’s a shame to limit learning to the classroom,
and many schools have begun to globalize the learning experience. “Global
Classrooms” are essentially partnerships between multiple classes that
facilitate collaborative learning.
The best part
about Global Classrooms is that these partnering classes can be anywhere.
By utilizing online technologies, two or more classrooms can connect with each
other from across the globe and share their resources as if they were neighbors.
The Internet creates a direct connection between them that allows teachers to
turn their classrooms into a global space. Teachers are exposed to different
perspectives and methods of teaching, and students benefit from these
collaborative efforts. The Global Classroom presents an important cultural
opportunity, as students working with others from different backgrounds gain a
deep appreciation of other cultures and lifestyles. Much as students make
friends with their fellow classmates, the connections built in a Global
Classroom experience can evolve into relationships that last a lifetime.
So, how are
teachers globalizing their classes, and what can you do to create a
Global Classroom?
The Flat Classroom Project
Known online
as the “Cool Cat Teacher,” Vicki Davis has been
globalizing the classroom since 2006, when she and her friend, Julie Lindsay,
founded the Flat Classroom Project, an award-winning Global Classroom initiative. The project utilizes Web 2.0
technology to “‘flatten' or lower the classroom walls so that instead of each
class working isolated and alone, two or more classes are joined virtually to
become one large classroom.”
The Flat
Classroom Project shows how technology can develop cultural understanding and
experience in global collaboration. By connecting classrooms from around the
world, Vicki and Julie have created an online network enhanced by real
person-to-person relationships, high educational standards and access to
resources such as blogging, video chats, online forums and a virtual student
summit that allows students to showcase projects using Elluminate technology.
MAT@USC
The
University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education has globalized
the classroom by delivering their renowned Master of Arts in Teaching online.
The MAT@USC is an online education program that uses Web 2.0 technology to
create an immersive learning experience. Enriched by cutting-edge technology,
the faculty of the Rossier School delivers the exact same curriculum to their
online students as they would their on-campus students, but via interactive
chat rooms, video conferences, online course materials and mobile applications,
so students can learn on the go. Said one recent graduate, “The online learning
has actually been phenomenal. It’s the best environment I’ve ever learned in — the
ability to not only see everyone face to face, but the ability to have your own
technology right there...”
The intricacy
of the program’s technology has united students from all across the world and
created a community of collaborative learners that help each other by sharing
their diverse experiences. “If we all met on campus we would all live in this
area and have similar experiences. I’ve had colleagues from all walks of life
and to be in one classroom and work together every week, the diversity that we’re
drawing from and experiences we bring into the classroom, you cannot replicate
that on the ground,” said another graduate. The MAT@USC enables a student from
Harlem to learn about the culture and experiences of another student from South
Korea.
The Global Classroom Project
Founded by
two teachers across the world from one another — Deb
Frazier (Ohio, USA), and Michael Graffin (Perth, Western
Australia) — the Global Classroom Project builds “the online collaborative
spaces and global network to enable teachers and students to explore new ways
to connect, share, learn and collaborate on a global stage.” The spaces form an
online community of global teachers, who share their knowledge, experience,
resources and collaborate with one another to form Global Classrooms. By
offering teachers a space to communicate with each other, the project ensures
they are prepared for creating a successful collaborative learning experience
for their students.
The
project’s community of teachers encompasses web conferences, discussion groups
and social networks. Their Twitter chat, #globalclassroom includes 220 teachers
from 32 countries. They also have a wiki page where they can post announcements and information for the
teachers in their online community. If you are interested in joining the Global
Classroom Project, consult their Official Participants Guide.
Globalizing
Your Classroom
In addition
to the Global Classroom Project’s Participants Guide, there are many other
resources available to help you globalize your classroom, whether you are a
teacher trying to integrate technology into your instruction, or a parent or
student who wants to propose the idea to your school. GlobalClassroom is a software provider
that offers cloud-based software to create your online community on a global
scale. They not only offer dynamic features through this platform,
but they also provide training and support to help you become an expert in
education technology. You can also apply at the Flat Classroom project for your
class to join one of their numerous global efforts. To learn more about the
Flat Classroom Project and Vicki Davis’ thoughts on Global Classrooms, check
out her book Flattening
Classrooms, Engaging Minds: Move to Global Collaboration One Step at
a Time.
REFERENCE
Lindsay, J., & Davis, V. (2012). Flattening
classrooms, engaging minds: move to global collaboration one step at a time.
Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Retrieved from http://www.flatclassroomproject.net
