The population of our school is very diverse: at least forty percent of each classroom is a myriad of cultures varied in traditions, principles, perspectives, and beliefs. In my opinion, this is a perfect setting for teachers to start recognizing and honoring academic, cultural, and familial diversity of students (Smith & Throne, 2009). As I explore the Around The World with 80 Schools project, I think that multiple parts of the world can be "visited" by simply connecting with the diverse families of each classroom, learning to understand and respect their cultural principles, and reflecting on own perspectives based on gained knowledge. Skype in the Classroom is a way to expand such learning even more, erase boundaries of classroom walls, and learn from people around the world. Last year, one of our fourth grade classroom participated in a Mystery Class Skype lesson in which students learned about the life style and cultural principles of another group to determine their geographical location. It was fascinating to watch how self-driven students were to research specific clues described by the class on the other side of their computer screens. It was almost an investigation case throughout which students learned how to connect details in order to develop a complete picture of another community. They were thrilled to discover that another class was from Spain, the country that most of our fourth graders thought existed a long time ago because they only heard of it once when learning about early American explorers from the social studies textbook. After the Skype lesson, kids knew that Seville, Spain, was a real place with real people. They understood what living there is like from the perspective of their overseas peers and learned to appreciate differences in their cultures. I think such learning can only take place in a classroom where teachers differentiate instruction, focus on quality and not quantity of activities, post open-ended essential questions, and transform their practices through the use of technology (Smith & Throne, 2009).
Today, multiple online tools can assist teachers in turning school experiences into connective learning for students. If we do not teach online communication and collaboration skills starting in elementary schools, we handicap kids by denying them opportunities to develop an appreciation for different points of view. They must learn how to communicate effectively and collaboratively with people whose principles may vary from their own. Blogging is an easy way to teach students these skills, but it may be a very challenging step for those teachers who are afraid of making learning transparent and student-centered and "prefer their days to be filled with very little questioning or feather-ruffling" (Hilt, 2011). It is not enough to read and write about topics presented in textbooks anymore; instead, teachers must proactively plan instruction and embrace academic diversity of their students (Edyburn, 2006). A month ago, I worked with a class on researching lives of six Native American tribes. Students were to choose one tribe in which they wanted to live and explain their choices through creative blog writing in itsLearning. After blog entries were written, parents and teachers were invited to comment and challenge students' thinking by posting additional questions or arguing their opinions. In the middle of it all, I twitted out a picture of parents and students working together.
References
Edyburn, D. (2006). Failure is not an option: Collecting, reviewing, and acting on evidence for using technology to enhance academic performance. Learning & Leading with Technology, 20-23.
Hilt, L. (2011). The case of cultivating cultural awareness. Powerful Learning Practice. Retrieved from http://plpnetwork.com/2011/10/26/the-case-for-cultivating-cultural-awareness
Smith, G. & Throne, S. (2009). Differentiating instruction with technology in middle school classrooms. International Society for Technology in Education, 28-39.