Journal 2

Journal 2: "Learning Without Borders," NETS-2

Anderson, S. (2012). Feature: Learning without borders. Learning and Leading with Technology, Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-leading/l-l-december-january-2012-13/feature-learning-without-borders

     Sue Anderson, a World History teacher at a Pennsylvania High School, embraces the Schoolwires Greenleaf program, which is a web based program supporting collaboration for students around the world. Through this program, students learn online communication and etiquette, discover unique cultures, and gain exposure and experience to online challenges, which students will often have to work through when they later enter into the workforce. Ideal for language classes, writing or history classes, requiring students to communicate with other students overseas opens the door for expressing one's own culture, while in turn discovering the uniqueness of other’s. This will help reduce prejudice in school as well as helping students to realize that all races should be equally accepted. If students are exposed to alternate cultures, they can develop an interest for traveling, studying abroad or simply studying other cultures. In addition, the teacher benefits as well, as he or she has access to communicating with other educators in foreign nations. This also allows for collaborative teaching. As teachers are exposed to other cultures, they will be able to acknowledge and accept other cultures which are brought into their own classroom.

1. Would it be possible to incorporate a virtual international classroom exchange such as the Schoolwires Greenleaf program in a future classroom?
      I would fully embrace this program if I were a high school teacher. I find the concept of engaging with people of different cultures interesting and educational. Speaking with another student overseas can open the doors for many opportunities such as discussing culture and differences in education. In the future, I hope to become a high school mathematics teacher. I am aware that many countries learn mathematics differently or have various ways to approach math problems. Students in my future math class could possibly use a program via internet to connect with other students across the world. Utilizing such a program can allow them to embrace other cultures on a math curriculum and discover if there are any alternate methods of learning math concepts which they can possibly use.

 2. What are possible issues or problems that could arise?
 Depending on location, the time difference may pose an issue. If a student lives in America wishes to speak to a student in China or Italy where there is a large time difference, they may not be able to have a live conversation each at a convenient time. If online communication become an “at home” assignment, not all students have internet access. In addition, live web cams may not be installed on every computer.