OUTOFEDENLEARN:ANINNOVATIVEMODELFORPROMOTINGCROSS-CULTURALINQUIRYANDEXCHANGE

AninitiativeofProjectZeroattheHarvardGraduateSchoolofEducation,OutofEdenLearnisanonlinelearningcommunitythatconnectsschool-agestudentsfromaroundtheworldtoengagetogetherin“learningjourneys”ofcross-culturalinquiryandexchange.Theselearningjourneysinviteyoungpeopletodoseveralthings:toslowdowntoobservetheworldcarefullyandtolistenattentivelytoothers;toexchangestoriesandperspectivesrelatedtopeople,place,andidentity;andtoreflectonhowtheirindividuallivesconnecttobiggerhumanstories.OutofEdenLearnaccompaniesPulitzerPrize-winningjournalistandNationalGeographicFellowPaulSalopek’sepicOutofEdenWalk:hismulti-yearjourneyonfootaroundtheworldalongthemigratorypathwaysofourancienthumanancestorsandexperimentin“slowjournalism.”ThiswhitepaperisintendedtoexplaintheunderlyingphilosophyandmodelofOutofEdenLearn.

LizDawesDuraisingh,CarrieJames,ShariTishmanPrincipalInvestigatorsandCo-DirectorsofOutofEdenLearn

SusieBlair,EmiKane,AlyKreikemeier,SarahSheya

OutofEdenLearnteammembers

May2016

OutofEdenLearnisgenerouslysupportedbytheAbundanceFoundation.

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Introduction:Theneedforcross-culturalinquiryandexchangeWeliveininformation-richandhyper-connectedtimes—when,theoretically,thoseofuswiththemeansandaccesscouldknowmoreabouttherestoftheworldandotherpeople’slivesthanatanyotherpointinhumanhistory.However,asEthanZuckermanandothershavenoted,ontheInternet,homophilyprevails:thatis,peopletendtoconnectwithpeoplewhoareverysimilartothemselvesandwhosharesimilarperspectivesandopinions(Hull,Stournioulou,&Sahni,2010;McPherson,Smith-Lovin,&Cook,2001;Zuckerman,2013).Further—atleastwithintheUnitedStatesduringacontentiouselectioncycle—publicexchangecanbehighlydivisiveandladenwithstereotypingandmistrust(Healy&Haberman,2015).Meanwhile,inEuropeandelsewhere,thecurrentsenseofupheavalassociatedwithmigrantsmovingenmasseisarguablyexacerbatingthepotentialforpeopletofearthosewhoappearunfamiliarordifferentfromthemselves.Nowmorethanever,itfeelsimperativetoofferyoungpeopleopportunitiestoengagemeaningfullywithpeoplewhohavedifferentperspectivesandlifeexperiencestotheirown.Preparingouryouthtoengageinrespectful,thoughtful,andinsightfulcross-culturalinquiryandexchangeisnotjusttherightthingtodo—itisessentialforpreparingthemforthecomplexglobalizedworldinwhichtheywilllive,andforworkingcollaborativelytoaddressthekindsofcollectivechallenges(environmentaldegradation,publichealthcrises,risingextremismandmore)thatincreasinglydefynationalorculturalboundaries.Inwhatfollows,we,thedevelopersofOutofEdenLearn,explaintheOutofEdenLearnapproachtowardpromotingcross-culturalinquiryandexchange,andsituateourworkwithinabroadereducationallandscape.Ourapproachisshapedbythreeguidingprinciples:Webelievethatcross-culturalencountersshouldideallybe(1)slowratherthanrushed,withanemphasisplacedoncarefullistening,(2)reciprocalinthesensethatyoungpeopleshouldbeexploringorre-examiningtheirownculturalenvironmentatthesametimeastheyareexploringtheculturesofotherpeople;and(3)authenticsuchthattheinquiryandexchangearedrivenbyyoungpeople’snaturalinterestandcuriosityandarebothrootedinandexperiencedasthe“realworld.”AsoneOutofEdenLearnparticipantmemorablycommented:“Youcan’tlearnabouttheworldfromatextbook.”

AnexploratoryapproachtowardculturalinquiryandexchangeSomewhatunusuallyforaneducationalresearchproject,wedidnotsetoffwithafixedsetofgoalsoratheorytotestwhendevelopingOutofEdenLearn.Instead,

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drawingonthewealthofresourcesandexpertisethatweandourcolleaguesatProjectZerohavedevelopedovermanyyears,aswellasPaulSalopek’sremarkableunfoldingjourney,theprojectreflectsanexploratoryapproachtowarddevelopinganonlinelearningcommunity.Nevertheless,astheprojecthasevolvedovertime,ithasbecomeclearthatoneofitsmostsignificantcontributionsliesintherealmoffacilitatingmeaningfulcross-culturalencountersamongdiverseyouth.Thisrealizationhascomeaboutinpartbecauseofthefeedbackwe’vereceivedfromourstudentparticipantsandtheireducatorsaboutoutcomes,suchasstereotypesbeingdismantledortheircuriosityabouttheirownorotherpeople’sculturesbeingpiqued.Ithasalsocomeaboutbecauseofanevolvinggeo-politicalcontext,whichhasimbuedourworkwithanewsenseofurgency.Moreover,theemergent,ground-upmannerinwhichwehavedevelopedourplatformandcommunity—withanemphasisonlearningwithandfromourparticipantsratherthanontestingtheefficacyofanexistingmodelortheory—reflectsourapproachtocross-culturalinquiryandexchange:onethatisthoughtfullydesignedyetnon-formulaicanddrivenbyyoungpeople’snaturalcuriosity(DawesDuraisingh,2014).Whatdowemeanbycross-culturalinquiryandexchange?Asthisprojectdefinesit,itinvolveslearningaboutandfromotherpeople’sstoriesandperspectives.Suchstoriesandperspectivesmaycomefrompeopleweminglewitheverydayorfrompeoplewehavenevermetandwhomaybegeographicallydistant.IntheOutofEdenLearnmodel,culturalexchangeinvolvesfindingoutaboutourowncultures—orwhatwetakeforgrantedinoureverydaylives—asmuchasitisaboutexploringthoseofotherpeople.WhileOutofEdenLearnavoidsdefiningtheslipperyconceptofcultureperse,theprojectsteersstudentsawayfromthinkingofcultureasfixedorlimitedto“tipoftheiceberg”phenomenonsuchasflags,nationalfooddishes,orcostumes(Deardorff,2011).Indeed,takingacuefromPaulSalopek’s“slowjournalism,”whichinvolveswalkingthroughratherthanjettinginandoutofdifferentculturesandcommunities(Blanding,2015),OutofEdenLearnemphasizesthefluidity,hybridity,andcomplexityofhumanculture.Salopek’s“TheRiverofCulture”—ashorttextandaudiothathewroteandrecordedforourproject—hasprovidedahelpfulmetaphorinthisregard.Atthesametime,thepremiseofSalopek’sjourneyandstorytellingisthatthereisenoughcommonalityinhumanexperienceforustorecognizesharedexperiencesandemotions,andthatthemeta-storyofourspecies’evolutionandcollectivedispersalaroundtheworldisonethatcantranscendspecificculturalornationalnarratives.Ofcourse,inquiringandcommunicatingacrossculturalboundariesisnoeasytask.AsourcolleagueVeronicaBoixMansillapointsout,seekingtounderstand

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another’spointofviewriskssurfacingourownignoranceorinadvertentlyoffendingothers—or,conversely,ofbeingoffendedourselves(BoixMansilla,2015).Humanbrainsarenotoriouslyquicktolatchontosimplenarratives(Kahneman,2011)—aphenomenonthatChimamandaNgoziAdichiefamouslyterms“thedangerofasinglestory”(Adichie,2009).Centuries,indeedmillennia,oflivinginsmall,relativelyhomogeneouscommunitieshaveleftuspredisposedtofavorpeoplewhoresembleourselves,notwithstandingourseeminglyuniquehumancapacitytoatleasttrytotakeontheperspectivesofothersandtolearnbothfromandwithstrangers(BoixMansilla,2015).Inotherwords,puttingyoungpeoplefromdifferentculturesintouchwithoneanotherhasthepotentialtogoawry,eveninscenarioswheretheydonothaveentrenchednegativeperceptionsorstereotypicalimaginingsofoneanother(DawesDuraisingh,2015).OutofEdenLearncannotclaimtohaveresolvedallthepotentialpitfallsofcross-culturalinquiryandexchange—apointtowhichthispaperreturnslater.However,itsaimistosupportandnurtureamongyoungpeoplethebeginningsofanongoingprocessofculturalexplorationandexchange—or,inthewordsofoneparticipatingeducator,toofferthe“firststopinalifelongjourney”(Manso,2016).Wehavebeenencouragedtohearthatstudentsvaluetheopportunitytoencounterdifferentperspectivesthroughourplatform—andwecertainlyseemanysignsoftheircuriosity.Take,forinstance,thefollowingextractfromaninterviewwithahighschoolstudentinCrystalLake,Illinois,UnitedStates.

Interviewer:Whenyousayitwasanopportunityforyoutogrow,howdidyouseeyourselfgrowing?KingCharlesX1:IjustthinkthatbeingintheEdenwalkingthinghasjustgivenmemoreperspectiveonwhat'soutsideofmynormalday-to-dayreachinlife.Usually,onewouldjustgoaroundandhaveasetlifeorjustgoarounddoingthesamethingsoverandoveragain.Sometimes,weallowforcreativityorabreakinthenorm,butusuallywedon't.Andnow,I'mgoingaroundanddoingthatalmosteveryday.I'mtryingtoreachouttopeoplethatIhaven'treachedouttobefore.I'mtryingtolearnaboutpeopleandlearntheirstoriesandlearnhowthey'redifferentfromme,andthenI'mtryingtorelatetootherpeople.

1ParticipantsinOutofEdenLearncreatetheirownusernames.InaccordancewithHarvardresearchrequirementstoprotecthumansubjects,useofrealnamesisnotpermitted.

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NotethatKingCharlesXdoesnotusetheterm“culture”explicitly;instead,hetalksaboutadesiretoconnectwithotherpeopleandtofindoutmoreaboutthemandtheirperspectives,including“howthey’redifferentfromme.”Meanwhile,inarecentonlinesurvey(n=398,ages9-17),weaskedstudentswhohadjustcompletedtheirfirstOutofEdenLearnlearningjourney:“BytakingpartinOutofEdenLearndidyoubecomemoreinterestedinlearningaboutpeopleandplacesthatareunfamiliartoyou?”Thevastmajorityofstudentsrespondedpositively:“agreatdeal”(41%),“quiteabit”(31%),“somewhat”(18%),“alittlebit”(7%),and“notatall”(3%).Again,wedidnotusetheword“culture”inthissurvey,preferringtotrytogaugestudents’curiosityinfindingoutmoreaboutotherpeopleandplacesratherthan,forexample,howmuchknowledgeaboutotherculturestheythoughttheyhadlearned.

OutofEdenLearn:Reflectiveofcurrenttrendsineducation,yetuniqueWheredoesOutofEdenLearnsitwithinabroadereducationallandscape?Atthebroadestlevel,itispartofagrowinginterestinhelpingtopreparetoday’syouthtobecome“globalcitizens”aswellassavvyconsumersandproducersofdigitalmedia.AnumberoforganizationsandinitiativeshaveusedtheaffordancesoftheInternettoconnectyouthfromaroundtheworldwhowouldotherwisenotmeet(e.g.,ePals,e-Twinning,GlobalCities,GlobalNomads,iEARN,PenPalSchools).Someoftheseinitiativesinvolvestudentsfromdisparatelocationsworkingcollaborativelytogetheronaproject—whichmayormaynotinvolvesharinginformationabouttheirdifferentculturalbackgrounds(e.g.,e-Twinning,iEARN,QuadBlog).Othersaretiltedmoretowardinvestigatingand/ordiscussinganissueofsharedinterestandtakingsomekindofactionintheworld,bethatseparatelyorjointly(e.g.,GlobalCities,GlobalNomads,IVECA’sVirtualClassroom,TakingITGlobal,Verdentum).Suchaction-orientedprojectsareoftenframedaspromotingglobalcitizenshiporglobalcompetence,withcross-culturalunderstandingorperspective-takinganexplicitorimpliedpartofthatframing(BoixMansilla&Jackson,2011).Otherinitiativesinvolvestrategicallybringingtogethergroupsofstudentswholikelyhavenegativeimpressionsofoneanother’scommunitiesinthehopesofbuildingbridgesbetweenthosecommunities(e.g.,BridgesofUnderstanding,FacetoFaith,GlobalNomads).Inadifferentvein,someorganizationsconnectyoungpeoplewithsolotravelersoradventurersasameansofexposingyoungpeopletoarangeofculturesandexperiences.ReachtheWorld,forexample,hasformanyyearsmatchedUSclassroomstoUSstudentsstudyingabroad,aswellasotherindependenttravelers.

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Adventureeducationinitiatives,meanwhile,involvemultipleclassroomsfollowingasingle,oftenintrepidtravelerandoftenfocusonecologicalorenvironmentalsustainability(e.g.,Doering,2006;Earthducation,RidetoLearn).WhileOutofEdenLearndoesinvolveyoungpeoplefollowingorengagingwithPaulSalopekandhiswalk,theprimaryfunctionofOutofEdenLearnistoputthemintouchwithoneanotherviaouronlineplatform.Atthetimeofwriting,over1000classroomsfrom52countrieshaveenrolledinOutofEdenLearnsinceSeptember2013.Figure1showsthebasicstructureofOutofEdenLearn:itclustersdiverseclassesfromaroundtheworldintoprivatelearninggroupsor“walkingparties”toparticipateina“learningjourney”together.Eachwalkingpartyconsistsof6-8classrooms,whichcanincludehomeschoolclassesandafterschoolprogramsaswellasschool-basedclassesorclubs.Atanyonetime,therearenumerouswalkingpartiesengagedinlearningjourneysontheplatform.Byputtinggroupsofclassestogether,studentsareexposedtoagreatervarietyofperspectivesorpotentialculturalencountersthaniftheywerepairedwithjustoneotherclassorstudent.

Figure1:AsamplewalkingpartyfromOutofEdenfeaturingclassesfromAccra,Ghana;Gothenberg,Sweden;Kathmandu,Nepal;WestHartford,Connecticut,Chicago,Illinois,andHobeSound,Florida,USA.

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Figure2:Thefrontpageofourcustom-builtwebsite,learn.outofedenwalk.comThismodelgoesbeyond“matchmaking”educatorswhowouldliketooffertheirstudentstheexperienceofconnectingwithstudentsfromotherculturalcontexts(e.g.,ePals,PenPalSchools,QuadBlogging,ReachtheWorld);studentsengageinastructuredcurriculumandsharetheirworkwithotherstudentsontheOutofEdenLearnplatform.However,whilethemodeliscompatiblewiththeconceptof“globalcitizenship,”todatethecurriculumhasnotfocusedinatargetedwayonissuesthatareplayingoutonaglobalscalesuchasclimatechange,poverty,orpublichealthchallenges(thoughwearecurrentlypilotingacurriculumonthetopicofhumanmigration).Asexplainedabove,OutofEdenLearn’sapproachtoculturalinquiryandexchangeissomewhatopen-endedandexploratoryratherthanorganizedaroundaspecificissue,mission,orpedagogicalframework.Nonetheless,webelievethatthemodellaysessentialgroundworkforcivicandpoliticalparticipation—forexample,bybrokeringfundamentalunderstandingsofpeoplelivingacrossarangeofculturesandcircumstances,aswellasprovidingtoolsforpromotingthoughtfuldialogueacrosscontexts.Otherprogramsandorganizationspromotedigitalliteracyordigitalcitizenshipmorebroadly(GlobalKids,LevelUpVillage,VoicesofYouthetc.)—andOutofEdenLearnarguablyreflectsthattrend,too.Certainly,manyeducatorshaveincorporatedOutofEdenLearnintotheircurriculaasawayoffulfillingthekindsofdigital(andnon-digital)literacyskillstheyareoftenmandatedtoteach,includingcommunicatingeffectivelywithdifferentkindsofaudiences.Wehavetriedtodevelopanonlinelearningcommunitythatsupportsbestpractices,withadialoguetoolkitandcommunityguidelinesthatexemplifyacommitmentto

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promotingrespectfulandthoughtfulonlineexchange(James,2014).OutofEdenLearn’scurriculumactivitiesinvitestudentstocreateandsharearangeofmediaproductsanddigitalstorytellingapproachesonasocialmedia-likeplatformwhilefosteringengagementthatgoesbeyondthesimple“like”buttonofmanyothersocialmediasites.Atthesametime,muchofthecurriculuminvolvesofflinelearning—forexample,invitingstudentstolistencarefullytootherstalkabouttheirlives,takewalksintheircommunities,orlookcloselyateverydayphysicalobjects.OutofEdenLearnpromotesstorytellingandhuman-to-humanexchangeinwaysthatarenotconfinedtothedigitalsphere:thekindofstorytellingtheprojectvaluesimplicatestheverywaysinwhichweexperienceandbehaveintheworld,notjustwhatwechoosetoshareonline.Finally,andrelatedly,OutofEdenLearnreflectsacontemporaryappetiteforallthings“slow”asacounterbalancetothefreneticworldinwhichmanyofuslive(Holt,2002;Salopek,2013;Tishman,2013).Evenfromwithinthedigitaltechnologycommunitytherehavebeencallsfor“contemplativecomputing”(Pang,2013),oragreaterappreciationforthewaysinwhichsocialmediaexchangeisnoreplacementforslow-paced,face-to-facehumanconversation(Turkle,2015).Thecurrentlypopularconceptof“mindfulness”promotestheideaofslowingdowntofocusourotherwisescatteredattentionanddisruptourtendencytofallintomindlessroutines(Brown,Creswell&Ryan,2015;Langer,2014;Sibingaetal.,2011).Ourworkissympathetictothesetrends,andparticipatingstudentshaveexpressedanappreciation,ifnothunger,foropportunitiestoslowdowntoexperiencetheworldatamoremeasuredpace.However,thisstrandofourworkstemsprimarilyfromaProjectZerotraditionofinvitinglearnerstoslowdowntoengagemoredeeplyinlearningactivitiestohelpthemgraspthecomplexityofphenomenatheyareobservingorexploring;itislessaboutextollingthevirtuesofslowingdownorbeingmindfulasahealthyorrestorativepracticefortheindividual(Tishman,2014).WebelievethespecialcontributionofOutofEdenLearnliesinthewayinwhichitweavestogethervariouscontemporarystrandsineducation—broadlyspeaking,global,digital,andslow—tobuildaninnovativemodelforpromotingcross-culturalinquiryandexchange.Further,themodelhasbeendesignedforoverallcoherence,sothattheOutofEdenLearnplatformstructure,curriculummaterials,andlearningcommunityarealignedandmutuallyreinforcing.Figure3,below,depictstheinterconnectednessofthedifferentpartsofourmodel.Thecolor-codingshowsthattheprinciplesofpromotingslow,reciprocal,andauthenticcross-culturalencountersarereflectedacrossthedifferentpartsofourdesign.

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Figure3:ThedesignfeaturesandprinciplesofOutofEdenLearn(OOEL)Belowfollowmoredetaileddescriptionsofeachofthethreeprinciples.

Principle#1:SlowAstheabovediagramofourmodelindicates,theconceptofslowingdownisacentralthemeoftheOutofEdenLearncurriculumandplatform—asbefitsaprojectthataccompaniesanexperimentin“slowjournalism.”Webelievethatdevelopingyoungpeople’scapacityandinclinationforrespectfulcross-culturalencountersbeginsatthelocallevel.Accordingly,manyoftheOutofEdenLearncurriculumactivitiesoccurofflineandinvitestudentstoslowdowntoobservetheworldaroundthemcarefullyandlistenattentivelytoothers.Forexample,studentstakeslowwalksintheirneighborhoodstryingtolookataplacethatisfamiliartothemwithfresheyes.Indoingso,theytypicallynoticethingsthattheywouldotherwiseoverlook.

OOEL Structure

Blends offline and online activities: "slow" meets social media

Groups classes of students who go on a learning journey together

Relates to a bigger project featuring Paul Salopek's "real-life" reporting and

enables multiple authentic cultural encounters

OOEL Community

Cultivates respectful norms and provides tools for thoughtful online listening and

dialogueDiverse across multiple dimensions (e.g. geography, income levels, subject area,

language backgrounds) to expose students to new perspectives

Accessible and adaptable to different kinds of learners and learning contexts

OOEL Curriculum

Emphasizes slowing down to observe the world carefully and listen attentively

to othersInvites students and educators to

explore their own communities and lives while simultaneously encountering those

of othersBuilds on existing resources and

research from Project Zero designed to promote authentic learning

Out of Eden Learn Principles The above model promotes cross-cultural encounters that are: Slow rather than rushed, with an emphasis on careful listening Reciprocal, with young people examining their own cultural environments as they encounter those of other people Authentic such that the inquiry and exchange are driven by young people’s natural interest and curiosity and are both rooted in and experienced as the “real world”

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Forexample,AlphaPfromMumbai,Indiapostedaphotographofamanreceivingahaircut,commenting“Hello,asItookawalkinmyneighborhoodtodayIsawthingsIdon’tordinarilysee.Iwasshockedbecauseitseemedlikeeverythingaboutmyneighbourhoodwasnewtome.”Suchreactionsarecommon.ZZfromShanghai,China,forinstance,notedinaninterview:“Manytimeswearebusywithlifeanddon’thavetimetolookattheenvironmentaroundus.Seldomdowehavetimetomakeanyplans.OutofEdenLearnletsmecalmdown,payattentiontomysurroundingsandmakeplansforplacesthatIwanttogo.”

Meanwhile,RopinerafromBarcelona,Spainwritesaboutrealizingasshewaswalkingslowly“howmuchIlovedbeingthereandallthethingsthatIdidn'tseebefore—Ididn'tnoticethatIhad.AndthenIdiscoverednewplacestoo,anditwasreallyincredible.”Ropinera’sdescriptionsuggeststheintertwinednatureofslowingdown,lookingwithfresheyesatsomething,reflecting,andthenopeningoneselfuptonewpossibilitiesordiscoveries.

Inadifferentkindofexample,ChaoKouhai05fromSingaporechosetoexamineanumbrellainresponsetoourLearningJourney2activityConnectingeverydayobjectstobiggersystems.Shenotedthedifferentcomponentsoftheumbrellaandhowasanobjectitrelatestocultural,manufacturing,trade,andlinguisticsystems.

ChaoKouhai05wasabletonoticecomplexitybyfirstslowingdowntolookattheumbrellaveryclosely.OutofEdenLearndoesn’tjustinvitestudentstoslowdowntocompleteourcurriculumactivities:italsoasksthattheyslowdowntolistentooneanotherand

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engagein‘slow’dialogue.Tothisend,adialoguetoolkitwasco-developedwithOutofEdenLearnclassroomeducator,ChrisSloan.Thetoolkitisdesignedtosupportstudentstoengagethoughtfullywithoneanotherandtoencouragemoresubstantialfeedbackthanistypicalofthe‘like’buttonsandoff-the-cuffresponsesthatpervademuchofsocialmedia.Figure4showsthetoolbarthatstudentsseewhentheygotopostacommentonanotherstudent’spieceofwork;astheymouseovereachicon,specificinstructionsappear.Forexample,thetoolbarpromptsstudentstonoticeneworinterestingthingsthatotherstudentsaresharingintheirposts.Italsoinvitesthemtoprobe(askmeaningfulquestions);connect(makeconnectionsbetweentheirownexperiencesandthoseofotherstudents);orextend(sharehowotheryoungpeople’sstorieshavegiventhemanewperspectiveorpushedtheirthoughtsinnewdirections).Inemphasizingsuchdialoguemoves,OutofEdenLearnseekstosupportyoungpeopletolistenthoughtfullytooneanotheronlineandtherebyexperiencedeeper,moremeaningfulinteractions.

Figure4:ThedialoguetoolbarthatstudentsseewhentheypostcommentsonOutofEdenLearnForinstance,scarcemini,amiddleschoolstudentfromChicago,Illinois,UnitedStatespostedanimageofa32-yearoldChinese-EnglishdictionarythatshetalkedaboutwithherauntfortheLearningJourney2footstepLearningfromothergenerations.HerauntbroughtthedictionarywithhertotheUnitedStateswhenshemigratedin1986.

CjtvillageofMarblehead,Massachusetts,USArespondedtothepostasfollows:

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Helloscarcemini!Ireallyvaluehowinyourpostyouincludedexactdatesandtimeperiods!Ivaluethisbecauseitgivesyouafeelforhowlongagothiswas.IalsohaveafewQuestions.HowdidyourauntcommunicatewithpeopleinherneighborhoodwhenshewasstilllearningEnglish?Inordertocommunicate,didshecarrythedictionaryaroundwithhereverywhereshewent?Lastly,didthedictionarycost50centswhenshefirstgotitordoesitcost50centsnowinpresentday?Thanksforposting!

Scarceminirespondedinturn:

MyAuntdidn'treallytalktoherneighbors,whensheimmigrated,shewasaquietperson,untilshefeltlikeshecanspeakthelanguagewell.I'mnotsosureifshecarriedthedictionaryeverywhere.Though,Iamsurethatthedictionarydidchangeincostastheyearswentby.

Herewecanseethatbyfollowingsimplecuestonoticespecificthingsandprobeforfurtherinformation,CjtvillagewasabletogenerateashortbutthoughtfulexchangethatbuiltontheinitialpostandsignaledthatshehadreadScarcemini’spostcarefullyandwithrespect.

Principle#2:ReciprocalStudentsinanOutofEdenLearnwalkingpartyengageinajourneyofexplorationtogether–bothoftheirimmediatelivesandcontextsaswellasofthebroadersocialcontextsopeneduptothemthroughOutofEdenLearn(seeFigure5below).Thus,whileAlphaP,ZZ,Ropinera,andotherstudentswerediscoveringandexpressinganewinterestintheirownenvironments(seeabove),otherstudentswerelookingwithgreatinterestattheirposts.Forinstance,JJGfromBoston,Massachusetts,UnitedStatesleftthefollowingcommentforAlphaP:“Dopeoplealwaysgethaircutsonthesideofthestreet?Ifindthatveryinteresting!!”TowhichAlphaPreplied,“Thishappensquitefrequentlyaroundmyneighborhood,howeverthemajorityofpeoplegotoasalonorabarbershop,”gentlypushingJJGawayfromdrawingtoogeneralaconclusionfromonephotograph.ForJLV05,astudentweinterviewedfromBeaverton,Oregon,UnitedStatesthemostcompellingpartofherOutofEdenLearnexperiencewas“interactingwithotherstudentsfromotherpartsoftheworld.Itwasveryinterestingtoseewhattheireverydaylifewaslike…Iactuallygotto[interactwith]astudentfromErbil,IraqandIsawherpicturesandshehadawholebunchofquestionsaboutwhatmylifewaslike.”Indeed,OutofEdenLearnpositionsyoungpeopleasexpertsontheirownlivesand

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perspectives—whichcanbeaparticularlypowerfulexperienceforstudentswhodonotnecessarilyfeelvalidatedorheardwithintheir“ordinary”classroomcontexts.Ourverymodel—alongsidespecificallydesignedactivities—invitesyoungpeopletoreflectonwhotheyareasindividualswhilemakingconnectionsbetweentheirownlivesandbiggerhumanstories.Wethinkthataskingyoungpeopletoreflect,forexample,onthewaysinwhichtheirownlivesareconnectedtoabiggerhumanpastisavaluableactivityinandofitself.However,whenyoungpeoplearedoingsointhecompanyofadiversecohortofotherstudents,thepotentialbenefitsareamplifiedastheycompareandcontrasttheirownresponsestothoseofotherspostingonoursite.Moreover,thesensethatotheryoungpeoplesharesomewhatsimilarexperiencesandconcernscanbeanimportantrealizationforyoungpeopletomake;atthesametime,thefactthattheremightberealand/orperceiveddifferencesamongthemopensupnewpossibilitiesforthinkingabouttheworldandabroadeningofperspectives.

Inthisexample,EugeneLasagneDSouza,ahighschoolstudentfromMumbai,Indiasharesamapofherneighborhood,explainingthatsheandherfamilyhaveneverstayedinoneplaceformorethantwoyearsand“asaresult,IfindI'veretreatedintoashellandIseeeachcityasthesame.”

Shedescribesherlifeasshuttlingbetweenactivitiesandnotinteractingwithherneighborhoodverymuch.“Myliferevolvesaroundmyhome.Tome,'home'iswherevermynuclearfamilyis.MyFaith,Music,BooksandArtareintegralpartsofmylife.Idon'tknowwhereIwouldbewithoutthem.”

Inresponse,chardogfromSaltLakeCity,Utah,UnitedStates,replies:

Woahthatisreallycool.Ilikeyourmapyouhaveartisticability.Ifeelthesame,thathomeiswheremyfamilyis.Ithinkthatallyourinterestssoundveryfun!Isharesomeofthesame,likebooksandart.Thankyouforsharingaboutyourlife.Forme,Ihavenotmovedthatmuch,butIhavechanged

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schools,andIfeellikestayingtruetomyvalues,interests,andstayingclosewithmyfamilykeepsmewhoIam.

Inthisextract,chardogshowsencouragementandappreciationforEugeneLasagneDSouza’sworkandpicksuponconnectionsshecouldmaketoherowninterestsandlifeexperiences.EugeneLasangeDSouzawritesbacktosaythatsheappreciatesthefeedback,commenting,“Iwonderhowpeople's‘values'differ.”Elsewhereonourplatform,mabvillage,amiddleschoolstudentfromMarblehead,Massachusetts,UnitedStatesshowsagenuineinterestinwhatitisliketoliveinagatedcommunityinHobeSound,Florida,UnitedStates,asdepictedinthismap.“Ihavealwayswonderedwhatitisliketoliveinagatedcommunity,couldyoutellmesomemoreaboutthat?”

Julie1,whodrewthemap,replies:

Himabvillage.InanswertoyourquestionaboutwhatitisliketoliveinagatedcommunityIwilltellyouthatitisokay.Itisnotthatitisexcitingormorefunthanothercommunities,itjustgivesyouasenseofprotectionwhentheguardattheentrancegatecheckstomakesureeverybodywhoisenteringshouldbe.Sometimes,theguardwillgiveuslollypopsoricepops.Ialsolikelivinginagatedcommunitybecauseyoucanbasicallyrideyourbikeorwalkeverywherewithouttheworryofstrangersorcars.Inmyeyes,itisprettynice!

TowhichMabvillageresponds:“iwouldlikeitifeverynowandthenwheniwentintomycommunityigotalollypop”andthatparticularconversationcomestoaclose.Thisexchangeinvolvesonechildofferinganinsider-perspectiveofherneighborhoodtoaninterestedpeerwhohasnoexperienceofthatcontext.Studentsreportfeelingexcitedtoreceivecommentsfromotherstudentsandtohavethiskindofinteraction.

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Inanotherexchangethatbridgesalargerculturalgap,weseeahighschoolstudentfromaCatholicschoolinErbil,IraqoffersupportiveandappreciativecommentstoastudentinBeaverton,Oregon,UnitedStates,whorevealsinherpostthatfeaturesaphotographofaplayground,thatshehasayoungson.

Hi,it’sverynicetohaveaparkatyourneighborhoodtohavesomefun,evenifyouwereveryyoungandnowyougrownupbutyoustillhavesomememorieseventheywerebadorgood.Andeveryonewantstogivethebestfortheirchildrentomakethemhappyandthebest,andyouaresayingthatyouhaveasonisitabigresponsibilityforyouandyouarestillastudent?MAYGODHELPYOUANDGIVEYOUTHEBESTINYOURLIFE.....................................THANKYOU!!!....

Jlv05respondspositivelytothiscommentandprovidesanexplanationofhowsheismanagingschoolandparenting.

Yesit'sverynicetohaveaparkveryclosetowhereIlive.Istillgotherewithmysonandplay.HavingachildisaHUGEresponsibility,it'sevenharderwhenyouaregrowingupyourself.Istillamastudent,butit'sallthankstotheprogramIamin.It'saprogramwheretheyprovideuswithdaycarewhileweteenparentscanstillattendschoolandbeastudent.Theyalsoofferparentingclassestohelpusbebetterparentsandmanageourtime.Thankyouforyourblessings,Igreatlyappreciateit!MayGodblessyouaswell!

Here,Jlv05istakingontheroleofexplainingherlifesituationtosomeonelivinginaverydifferentcontext.Infact,severalofJlv05’sclassmates,whoareinanalternativehighschoolsetting,saidininterviewsthattheyviewedOutofEdenLearnasanopportunitytoimpartlifelessonstootherstudentsaboutthevalueofworkinghardandovercomingadversity.

Principle#3:AuthenticOutofEdenLearnfeelslike“realworld”learninginpartbecauseitistiedtotheongoingreportingandjourneyofPaulSalopekwhoisworkinginplacesthatare

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rarelycoveredbymainstreamnewsmedia.Inthissense,hisaudiencemembers,includingourstudents,feelliketheyarereceivingglimpsesintostoriesthatareofteninaccessible.Moreover,Salopekreportsonthekindsofissuesthathaveacontemporaryurgencytothem:hepresentsstoriesaboutthefrontlinesoftheSyrianrefugeecrisis,theimpactofclimatechangeonlocaleconomies,andpoliticaltensionsintheGazaStrip,forinstance,asbeingonthecuttingedgeofourcollective,unfoldinghumanstory.Heopensupnewwindowsontotheworldandotherpeople’slivesbypracticingthekindofslowlookingandattentivelisteningthatisfeaturedinourcurriculum.Thefactthatstudentsareinvitedtobepartofhisglobalprojectandtodevelopskillsreflectedinhiswork—aswellastheworkofotherthoughtfulwriters,artists,andjournalists—lendscredibilityandrelevancetotheOutofEdenLearncurriculum.Evenmoreimportantly,thestructureoftheOutofEdenLearnplatformisdesignedtoenableyoungpeopletoexperienceadiversesetofauthenticculturalencounterswhentheyengageinoneofourlearningjourneys—allthewhilecocoonedwithinasafeandcontainedenvironment.InFigure5,theconcentriccirclesaroundanindividualstudentrepresentthefollowingoverlappingandinteractingcontexts:(1)thestudent’simmediateclassorlearninggroup;(2)thestudent’s(orschool’s)localcommunityorneighborhood;(3)theotherclassesmakingupthewalkingpartytowhichthestudentbelongs;and(4)thewiderworldasglimpsedthroughPaulSalopek’sOutofEdenWalkmaterialsandotherresourceswehaveintegratedintoourcurriculum.TothosefamiliarwiththeworkofthelatedevelopmentalpsychologistUrieBronfenbrenner,thisdiagramisreminiscentofhissocialecologicalmodeldiagram,whichdepictshowhumandevelopmentrelatestothevarioussocialcontextsinwhichanindividualissituated(Bronfenbrenner,1994).WithinOutofEdenLearn,anindividualstudentmayhavethefollowingvariedculturalencounters:

• Thestudentinteractswithfellowclassmates,oftenlearningnewthingsabouttheiridentitiesandlives.Thestudentrealizesthatdifferentpeoplemayhavedifferentperspectivesonthesameneighborhood.

• Throughourcurriculum,thestudentlooksat—orencounters—hercommunityorneighborhoodinnewways—forexample,throughdocumentingtheeverydayorlisteningtoneighbors’stories.

• Thestudentinteractswithstudentslocatedindifferentgeographiclocations(whoaresimultaneouslyinteractingwiththeirownclassmatesandownneighborhoods),gaininginsightsintotheirculturesandlives.

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• ThestudentisexposedtootherculturesthroughPaulSalopek’sjournalismandotherresources.

Figure5:ThesocialecosystemofOutofEdenLearnIndividualstudentsbringtotheOutofEdenLearncommunitytheiruniquestories,identities,background,tastes,andinterestswhichwillhelptoshape—butnotdetermine—theirpersonallearningjourneyexperiences.Infact,onereasonwhystudentsseemtobesoreceptivetoOutofEdenLearnisthatitsactivitiesinvitethemtoactivelyexploreandsharetheirimmediateandbroadersocialworldsinwaysthatfeelauthentictothemandwhichmoveseamlesslybackandforthacrosstheconcentricringsinthediagram.Thatis,thecurriculumoffersalearningexperiencethatisbothabout“reallife”andisexperiencedasreallife.

1. Individual student with own identity, background, stories

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ForRopinerafromBarcelona,Spain,forinstance,akeypartoftheappealcamefromtheopportunitytolearnaboutplacesfirsthand:

[Iliked]thepartofinteractingwithsomepeoplebecauseyoucouldknowmoreaboutyourneighborhoodandmoreabouttheneighborhoodofotherpersons.Forexample,IrememberthatwewereinteractingwithpeopleofSouthCalifornia,Ithink.MaybeIcanlearnalotaboutSouthCaliforniainreadinginWikipedia,butseeingthevideosandthecommentsofthepeopleofSouthCaliforniaabouttheirneighborhood,Ithinkit'sbettertolearnabouttheircity…readingitfromapersonthatreallylivesthere,youseetheirrealopinionandnotjustallthestuffthattheyalwaysputinthewebpages.

Ropinera’scommentisinterestingbecauseitsuggestsadesireformoreimmediate,authenticknowledgeabouttheworld.WhilesocialmediaeffortssuchasEverydayAfrica,EverydayUSA,andEverydayIranprovide“ontheground”portraitsofwhatlifeisactuallylikeinparticularplaces,youths’onlineconnectionsmaynottypicallybringthemtothesesites.Ropinera’suseoftheword“real”and“really”suggeststhatshealsoconsidersthestudent-generatedcontentshereadsinherwalkingpartytobemorereliableortrustworthythanreferencewebsites.Further,thereciprocalnatureofthelearningexperiencecancreateafeelingofconnectedness.TauSigmafromMumbai,Indiacommentedonline:

Mostofall,OutofEdenbroughtaboutanimmensesenseofunityinallofus.Thecommentswereceivedthroughourfootstepsgaveusmorepridethanlikesonasocialnetworkingsiteevercould…Inaworldsooftenperceivedasdivided,wewereabletoseeunity.

Ongoingchallengesandquestions

WhiletheOutofEdenLearnmodelispromisingonanumberoffronts,italsoposessomechallengesandpotentialpitfalls.Asacknowledgedabove,communicatingacrossculturescanprecipitateavarietyofdangersandrisks(BoixMansilla,2015;Adichie,2009).Foryoungpeopleinparticular,“alittleknowledgecanbeadangerousthing.”Thatis,youngerstudentscanberatherquicktotellusthatafterafewweeksofengagingonourplatformtheyarenow“veryopenmindedabouttheworld”orthattheyunderstandeverythingaboutlifeinChina,forinstance,evenwhilehavingbeenexposedtoonlyonetinyandpartialglimpseoflifethere.Over-generalizingcanbearisk.SomeoftheIraqistudentswhointeractedwiththe

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student-parentsinBeaverton,Oregon,UnitedStates,forinstance,wentontoassumethatmostAmericanhighschoolstudentsjuggleparenthoodandstudying.Meanwhile,someAmericanmiddleschoolstudentswhoreadPaul’sdispatchaboutatraditionalfirehealerinSaudiArabiatalkedinsomewhatpityingtonesabouttheabsenceofmodernhospitalsinthatcountry.Wedon’twanttoleavestudentsinaspacewheretheythinktheyknoweverythingtheyneedtoknowaboutotherpeopleandplaceswhen,inreality,theyhaveonlyjustbeguntoscratchthesurface.Furthermore,understandingothers’perspectivesisdifficult,especiallyformiddleschool-agestudentswhoarelikelystilldevelopingthecognitivecapacitytotakeonotherperspectives(Bengtsson,Söderström,&Terjestam,2015).Confrontingthesechallengesisanimportantpartofourenterprise.Todate,oureffortshavefocusedonthecriticalroleoftheteacherinsupportingstudentsastheymakesenseoftheirexperiencesonOutofEdenLearn.OurCommunityGuidelines,robustEducatorGuideandstronglinesofcommunicationwithparticipatingteachersproviderelevantsupports.Ultimately,weacknowledgethatthepresenceofaskillededucatorisessentialifyoutharetodeveloptheculturalsensitivityandhumilitytoengagewithandtrulylearnfromtheirinteractionsinOutofEdenLearnand,ultimately,thewiderworld.Westillhavemanyquestions.Forexample,howcanwemosteffectivelypromotetheideaofcomplexanddynamicmodelsofculturalbelongingwhilerecognizingthattherearepatternsandhabitsthatpersistthroughtime?Howmightwesupportmorecriticalconversationsaboutcontemporaryglobalissueswhilecontinuingtoencouragecreative,open-endedexplorationofimmediateandmoredistantcontexts?Wearealsopursuinglinesofresearchthatdelvemoredeeplyinto(1)thecognitiveaffordancesofinvitingyoungpeopletoengageinslowlookingandlistening;(2)waysinwhichyoungpeoplethinkaboutanddevelopinsightsintotheirownandothers’cultures;and(3)thequalityofstudents’cross-culturalinteractionsonourplatform,includingtheroleofourdialoguetoolkitinsupportingthoseinteractions.

Toconclude

Insum,byexperimentallyyetsynergisticallydevelopingOutofEdenLearn’sstructure,curriculummaterials,andcommunityoflearners,webelievethatwehavedevelopedapromisingmodelforfosteringmeaningfulculturalencountersamongdiversegroupsofyoungpeople.Thestakeshaveseeminglyneverbeenhigher,yetthealternativeofnoteventryingtounderstandotherculturesor

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perspectivesforfearofcausingoffenseposesafargreaterdangerthanjumpingintothetrickywatersofcross-culturalinquiryandexchange.WeconcludewithsomereflectionsbyOutofEdenLearnparticipants.HibyeheyfromErbil,Iraq,commentedinaninterview:

BeforeIthoughtitwouldbehardtotalktostudentsfromothercountriesbecausetheyhavedifferentculture;forexample,theydon’tthinkthesamethingslikewebelieve.Afterseeingtheirposts,Ifeltsorelieved.Ilearnedsomuchfromotherposts.

NickfromPittsburgh,Pennsylvania,UnitedStatesportrayedovercomingmistrustandculturaldifferencesasapracticalnecessityintoday’sworld:“Ithinkit’sreallyimportanttolearnaboutallofthoseculturesandhaveabetterunderstandingofdifferentkindsofpeoplejustsoyoucanreallycommunicatewithothersbetter…Youwon’tbescared.”Webelievethatbuildingopportunitiesforcross-culturalinquiryandexchangethatfeaturetheprinciplesofslowness,reciprocityandauthenticityintheirdesigncanhelpyoungpeoplelikeHibyeheyandNickpreparetoengagemeaningfullyandrespectfullyintoday’severmorecomplex,globalizedworld.

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ReferencedProgramsandOrganizations

BridgesofUnderstanding:bridgesofunderstanding.orgEarthducation:lt.umn.edu/earthducationePals:epals.comeTwinning:etwinning.netFacetoFaith:facetofaithonline.orgGlobalCities:asiasociety.org/global-cities-education-networkGlobalKids:globalkids.orgGlobalNomadsGroup:gng.orgiEarn:iearn.orgLevelUpVillage:levelupvillage.comQuadblogging:quadblogging.comRidetoLearn:ridetolearn.orgVertendum:verdentum.orgVoicesofYouth:voicesofyouth.org