Well, after two weeks of technology for education classes I now see my classroom and my students overall, in a whole new light. My passions and what I want for my students has changed but changed in a way that I am now thinking even bigger and better things for them. My general hope has always been to get my students to see that they too can think outside the box and get out of their comfort zone but I now want to be able to SHOW them how to do it. It is now not enough for me to say to them go to college and get a job, I need to tell them to go to college, or not, but WHATEVER they decide to do they should do it with global thinking in mind whatever it may be.
The qualities that I possess that can be shared with them is the fact that I grew up globally (I lived overseas as a child) so I got to see something’s first hand, but they too can live globally even now by exploring life outside of their immediate world right through the internet. Don’t get me wrong many of them are but they still have that stagnate way of thinking, telling themselves, “Well this could never be me.” I want to be able to show them that this CAN be you. My brother who is not in the military or affiliated with education in anyway thought globally and just decided to up and move to Germany almost 10 years ago. He couldn’t even speak a word of German. But through perseverance and the willingness to TRY he was able to get gainful employment and learn the language so much so that he still lives abroad. At the time that he ventured out, I could not see that for myself but I began to listen and learn from him to think globally and through a different route moved myself and my family overseas. I want my students to know that they can do this too and what they see on the internet, the life in other countries CAN be them, if they truly want it and they do not have to join the military to do it. They can choose any profession and take that career overseas even if they decide to live in America.
But in order for me to achieve this goal I have to not only learn about technology and how to use it but I need to learn how to take this technology and use it in a way that excites them. I need to use this technology to show them the world and keep them excited about learning even if they choose not to do it in a formal setting. For example, I can teach them to take baby steps by suggesting that they not take the same route home when they go home for the afternoon or ask their parents to shop at a Publix grocery store instead of the Kroger that that always go to. Just those little things can open up a whole new world for them as a start. They can explore how they felt, what they saw, and if they liked the experience. We could use this in the classroom as we talk about newcomers in their school or in their neighborhood and how those newcomers could have felt. It would be like they are walking in their shoes.
Well, I have a lot on my plate as I plan to get this done. Stay posted. SMILE!
I'm curious as to which experiences you have had during the last few weeks have helped you to "see my classroom and my students overall, in a whole new light. My passions and what I want for my students has changed?" What has convinced you that global thinking is so important?
ReplyDeleteAren't the ways that technology has opened up students' access to the world exciting?! Your comment that students could, "explore how they felt, what they saw, and if they liked the experience" is an insightful way of helping THEM to "reach beyond the surface" of their own experiences so that they can broaden and deepen their own perspectives and who they become as a result of their experiences--however limited those may be.
So now that you have established a direction for yourself, what concrete next steps will you take to move yourself forward?