Blog Post #3

Now that there is unlimited potential to celebrate the work of students with their communities, what is the best way to manage this opportunity?

We can begin by avoiding the current tendency to focus on teaching technical skills, and instead, teach the "critical thinking and global communication skills" they will need in this expanded community (November, 2010, p. 32). One key component will be helping students to "understand the ethics and social responsibility of managing a global voice (November, 2010, p. 32)”. November suggests that, rather than attempting to block and control access to the global audience, teachers help students "learn what to say, how to say it, when to say it, and how to respond to feedback (November, 2010, p. 44)." His suggestion to embrace the teachable moments provided by interactions with the internet community, rather than attempting to avoid or control it, seems sound. To do this, many schools will need to redirect some of their professional development funds/activities towards technical training. Many teachers still need to develop these skills themselves in order to feel confident teaching them to their students.



How can we create authentic work and relationships for our students to give them a deeper meaning in relation to complex issues such as globalization and cultural sensitivity?

We begin by providing an audience for their work beyond the teacher. The authentic audience can take a variety of forms. Students can publish finished products on sites like Wikipedia or on websites such as www.4teachers.org (November, 2010, p. 51). Sites like Wikipedia or a class blog offer students a wide, internet audience to receive feedback. Teachers can also submit student work for anonymous review by other teachers or experts in a given field (November, 2010, p. 51). Having an audience for their work can be a strong motivator for students.
Among the coolest ideas I’ve seen in our readings were those November offered on developing student relationships within the internet community. As a social studies teacher, I especially liked the idea of involving students in the process of solving real world problems. Whether students are connecting with police officers, or social workers, or members of Congress, this model allows them a sense of participation in the global community. Students could conceivably research / learn about a problem, create and articulate a solution, solicit and respond to feedback, and then implement their plan. They could work on local or national issues that matter to them, but they could also work on global issues that would allow them to partner with people around the world and thereby develop the “global communication skills” advocated for by November and promoted best through the real life experience of interacting.
Along the same lines, I loved the ideas November offered on linking language students with native speakers via videoconference to practice their skills and see another culture first hand (November, 2010, p. 39). There’s no doubt they will make mistakes and things will be lost in translation, but these are great, real life learning opportunities that will stick with our students more closely than any book-based activity.


If every teacher had a web site, what would be the most efficient design for teachers to share their best practices?

At this point, I think I’ve been sold on the blog as the most efficient design for sharing best practices in the classroom. Like a website, it offers teachers the chance to post classroom work, lesson plan ideas, outcomes, etc. But blogs seem to offer a greater degree of interaction. It allows parents and students to comment on class activities, it allows teachers to solicit commentary and responses from students, and, maybe more importantly, it opens up discussion to the internet community. All of which allow for an unlimited supply of new ideas to build on.