Using Technology to Flatten Using Technology to Flatten the World and Enhance the World and Enhance Multi-Cultural EducationMulti-Cultural Education

Picture from Yahoo ImagesPicture from Yahoo Images

By Lauren LuffyBy Lauren Luffy

““Shrinking Planet”Shrinking Planet”Picture from Yahoo ImagesPicture from Yahoo Images

This is the term used for describing how the rest of the world is becoming a more accessible, and familiar place.

The globalization of American culture continues to accelerate.

Picture from Yahoo ImagesPicture from Yahoo Images

The Questions Remain…The Questions Remain…

Pictures from Yahoo ImagesPictures from Yahoo Images

How can educators address this accelerating globalization of our society?

How can we effectively raise international awareness?

How can we interest our students in other cultures that they may have never heard of?

Pictures from Yahoo ImagesPictures from Yahoo Images

AnswerAnswer

Use technology to bring intercultural Use technology to bring intercultural units to life through use of:units to life through use of:• Video Video • TelevisionTelevision• Digital Multimedia resources on compact Digital Multimedia resources on compact

discdisc• InternetInternet

Picture from Dell.com

Why Should We Teach About Why Should We Teach About Different Cultures?Different Cultures?

American businesses have become American businesses have become increasingly international, which increasingly international, which means our 21means our 21stst century learners may century learners may have jobs in these upcoming fields.have jobs in these upcoming fields.

Picture from Google Images

Our Students Might…Our Students Might…

Enter in foreign servicesEnter in foreign services Assume overseas military postAssume overseas military post Work for international assistance Work for international assistance

organizationsorganizations Be involved in humanitarian efforts Be involved in humanitarian efforts Work for multi-national corporations Work for multi-national corporations Travel to other countries on businessTravel to other countries on business Work overseas Work overseas TourismTourism

• How these travelers interact with foreigners will How these travelers interact with foreigners will ultimately influence how others perceive the U.S.ultimately influence how others perceive the U.S.

Picture from Google Images

Our EconomyOur Economy

Our economy is now global with Our economy is now global with events in other parts of the world, events in other parts of the world, which is now affecting the financial which is now affecting the financial fortunes of every American.fortunes of every American.

Picture from Google Images

Edinboro News MagazineEdinboro News Magazine

Dr. Jeremy D. Brown speaks of Dr. Jeremy D. Brown speaks of international initiative at Edinbobo international initiative at Edinbobo University:University:• Wants his students, faculty, to visit, Wants his students, faculty, to visit,

teach, and learn in other culturesteach, and learn in other cultures• Global students to participate alongside Global students to participate alongside

Edinboro students in the virtual Edinboro students in the virtual classroomsclassrooms

Picture from Google Images

Welcome to the 21Welcome to the 21stst Century Century

Instead of real travel, schools can Instead of real travel, schools can take advantage of technology to take advantage of technology to convey what a trip to a foreign convey what a trip to a foreign country would be like.country would be like.

Picture from Google Images

VideosVideos• Films and videos of real footage from Films and videos of real footage from

other lands can provide a vicarious other lands can provide a vicarious experience through culture.experience through culture.

TeacherTubeTeacherTube/ / YouTubeYouTube/ / United StreamingUnited Streaming

Video from Youtube

The World Wide WebThe World Wide Web

Websites with many pictures and Websites with many pictures and sounds can also communicate a sounds can also communicate a sense of another countrysense of another country• Websites on Pictures and SoundsWebsites on Pictures and Sounds

China TodayChina Today

The Greatest Places SoundsThe Greatest Places Sounds

InternetInternet

• Virtual TravelVirtual Travel AdventureOnlineAdventureOnline (adventureonline.com) (adventureonline.com) Virtual Field TripVirtual Field Trip Tramline Field TripsTramline Field Trips The Jason Project (The Jason Project (www.jasonproject.orgwww.jasonproject.org)) Global Schoolnet (Global Schoolnet (www.gsn.orgwww.gsn.org))

• Sites Alive!Sites Alive!

• Documentaries- Documentaries- China- Olympic GamesChina- Olympic Games• World Wide WebWorld Wide Web• Compact DiscCompact Disc• Electronic mailElectronic mail

KeyPalKeyPalhttp://www.keypal.com/http://www.keypal.com/

Make New friends world wide!Make New friends world wide!No registration!No registration!

Kidworld KeypalsKidworld Keypalshttp://www.bconnex.net/~kidworld/keypals4.htmhttp://www.bconnex.net/~kidworld/keypals4.htm

Kidworld helps kids from all over the world to write to one another.

ePalsePalshttp://www.epals.com/http://www.epals.com/

Safely connect, collaborate and learn using the leading protected email and Safely connect, collaborate and learn using the leading protected email and blog solutions for schools and districtsblog solutions for schools and districts

KIDLINKKIDLINKhttp://www.kidlink.org/kidspace/index.phphttp://www.kidlink.org/kidspace/index.php

Is an organization in Sweden, that helps children understand their possibilities, set goals for life, and develop life-skills.

Its free educational programs motivate learning by helping teachers relate local curriculum guidelines to students' personal interests and goals.

Video-Based ExchangesVideo-Based Exchanges The Palace The Palace ((www.thepalace.comwww.thepalace.com))

• Chat based software with a graphic interfaceChat based software with a graphic interface• Kids Kids Com.comCom.com

CU-SeeME, CamFrog, SkypeCU-SeeME, CamFrog, Skype• Two classes connect through the internet- video Two classes connect through the internet- video

chattingchatting

Global SchoolnetGlobal Schoolnet Global SchoolNet's mission is to support 21st century learning Global SchoolNet's mission is to support 21st century learning

by engaging teachers and students in meaningful project by engaging teachers and students in meaningful project learning exchanges with people around the world.learning exchanges with people around the world.

Picture from Kidscom.com

Picture from Global Schoolnet.org

Technology: Flattening the World Technology: Flattening the World and Enhancing Multi-Cultural and Enhancing Multi-Cultural

Education DailyEducation Daily ““The new technologies provide The new technologies provide

innumerable exciting opportunities to innumerable exciting opportunities to transcend the distance between transcend the distance between countries and explore the great countries and explore the great variety of cultures around the variety of cultures around the shrinking planet.” (Tiene, Ingram, shrinking planet.” (Tiene, Ingram, 2001)2001)

Picture from Yahoo Images

ReferencesReferences Amidon, Mary. Amidon, Mary. Edinboro NewsEdinboro News July-Aug. 2009: 3-5. Print. July-Aug. 2009: 3-5. Print. Tiene, Drew, and Albert Ingram. Tiene, Drew, and Albert Ingram. Exploring Current Issues in Educational TechnologyExploring Current Issues in Educational Technology. .

New York: McGraw Hill, 2001. Print. New York: McGraw Hill, 2001. Print. Adventure online. 5 Aug. 2009. Adventure online. 5 Aug. 2009. www.adventureonline.com/login.aspwww.adventureonline.com/login.asp CamFrog. 11 Aug. 2009. CamFrog. 11 Aug. 2009. www.camfrog.comwww.camfrog.com China Olympic Games. 4 Aug. 2009. China Olympic Games. 4 Aug. 2009. http://en.beijing2008.cn/http://en.beijing2008.cn/ ChinaToday.Web. 6 Aug. 2009. ChinaToday.Web. 6 Aug. 2009. www. chinatoday.com.www. chinatoday.com. CU-Seeme. 9 Aug.2009. CU-Seeme. 9 Aug.2009.

http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/Letsnet/noframes/bigideas/b9/b9u3l2.htmlhttp://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/Letsnet/noframes/bigideas/b9/b9u3l2.html DellDell. Web. 7 Aug. 2009. <www.dell.com>.. Web. 7 Aug. 2009. <www.dell.com>. Education Record World. 11 Aug 2009. Education Record World. 11 Aug 2009. www.erckids.com/summary.asp?media=5www.erckids.com/summary.asp?media=5 ePals. 4 Aug. 2009. ePals. 4 Aug. 2009. www.epals.comwww.epals.com Global SchoolNet. 4 Aug. 2009. Global SchoolNet. 4 Aug. 2009. www.globalschoolnet.orgwww.globalschoolnet.org// GoogleGoogle. Web. 7 Aug. 2009. <www.google.com>.. Web. 7 Aug. 2009. <www.google.com>. Jason Project. 4 Aug. 2009. Jason Project. 4 Aug. 2009. www.jason.org/public/home.aspxwww.jason.org/public/home.aspx Keypals. 4 Aug. 2009. Keypals. 4 Aug. 2009. http://http://www.keypal.comwww.keypal.com//

References ContinuedReferences Continued KidLink. 4 Aug. 2009. KidLink. 4 Aug. 2009. www.kidlink.org/kidspace/index.phpwww.kidlink.org/kidspace/index.php Kidscom.com. 5 Aug. 2009. Kidscom.com. 5 Aug. 2009. www.kidscom.comwww.kidscom.com KidWorld Keypals. 4 Aug. 2009. KidWorld Keypals. 4 Aug. 2009.

http://www.bconnex.net/~kidworld/keypals4.htmlhttp://www.bconnex.net/~kidworld/keypals4.html Skype. 10 Aug. 2009. www.skype.com/welcomeback/Skype. 10 Aug. 2009. www.skype.com/welcomeback/ Sites Alive. 4 Aug. 2009. Sites Alive. 4 Aug. 2009. http://http://vg.sitesalive.comvg.sitesalive.com// TeacherTubeTeacherTube. Web. 9 Aug. 2009. <www.teachertube.com>.. Web. 9 Aug. 2009. <www.teachertube.com>. The Greatest Places Sounds. 5 Aug. 2009. The Greatest Places Sounds. 5 Aug. 2009.

www.greatestplaces.org/medias/media_html/sounds.htmlwww.greatestplaces.org/medias/media_html/sounds.html The Palace. 5 Aug. 2009. The Palace. 5 Aug. 2009. www.thepalace.comwww.thepalace.com Tramline Field Trips. 4 Aug. 2009. Tramline Field Trips. 4 Aug. 2009. www.field-trips.org/trips.htmwww.field-trips.org/trips.htm UnitedStreaming.Web.9 Aug. 2009. UnitedStreaming.Web.9 Aug. 2009.

www.streamingdiscoveryeducation.comwww.streamingdiscoveryeducation.com.. Virtual Field Trip. 4 Aug. 2009. Virtual Field Trip. 4 Aug. 2009. www.uen.org/utahlink/tourswww.uen.org/utahlink/tours// Yahoo!Yahoo! Web. 8 Aug. 2009. <http://ww.yahoo.com>. Web. 8 Aug. 2009. <http://ww.yahoo.com>. YouTube.Web.9 Aug. 2009. YouTube.Web.9 Aug. 2009. www.youtube.comwww.youtube.com..