ED 408: Issues & Trends in Educational Technology
In this course, I have learned more than I ever anticipated. I feel that I am now a more prepared educator and facilitator of global learning and collaboration.
In this course, I learned about issues and trends associated with using the Internet in the classroom, especially relating to collaborative, global learning. We used the textbook The Global Educator: Leveraging Technology for Collaborative Learning & Teaching by Julie Lindsay (pictured to the right). This book discusses the following:
- Digital Technologies to Support Global Learning - What is Global Connected Learning? - The Impact of Global Learning
- How to Lead for Global Citizenship - The Global Education Leader in Action - Online Global Communities of Practice
- Why Online Global Collaboration? - Barriers and Enablers to Global Collaboration - Online Global Collaboration: Design for Action |
My biggest takeaways from this class are the importance of global collaboration and how easy it truly can be. First, global collaboration is an important activity for our students to be involved in. Students need to develop strong collaboration skills. They need to know how to effectively, clearly, and properly communicate with others who have different backgrounds and cultures while remaining openminded and holding an appropriate tone. Students need to develop 21st century skills in order to be prepared for both educational success and professional success (outside of the classroom). Through global collaboration projects, students can work on developing important 21st century skills. Second, global collaboration is more accessible today than it ever has been. There are so many available global collaboration projects that are already available today. Teachers only have to seek them out. If the kind of project you are looking for does not yet exist, create it. Almost all global collaboration projects started with normal teachers with a simple idea. Start simple, and see where your project can go. Most classrooms have the necessary resources to participate in global collaboration projects. Those who do not can find funding through many programs and companies that support global collaboration today. All you need is an open-mind, a willingness to learn, patience, and enthusiasm for learning and growing in new and exciting ways.
Global Collaboration Project: Natural Disaster Protection
Students will conduct research and collaborate with their peers to create a digital infographic expressing ways in which they could limit effects of natural disasters that affect their geographical location. Project Plan: Click HERE Project Explanation (Video): Click HERE |