| CAREERS AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION |
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Duplicate
and distribute these activities. Students may work independently
or cooperatively.
New Identities
In segment 1, the employees at Customer Asset in Bangalore, India go to great lengths
to disguise the fact that they are not Americans. They have American names and identities
as well as language lessons that coach them on American English. Why do you think this
company wants to appear to be American? Have a class discussion that answers some of
the following questions.
• What might be the advantages to the company Customer Asset if their employees appear to be American?
• Would you be willing to adopt a new identity and learn a new language as part of your job? Why or why not?
• Why do you think the employees of Customer Asset are willing to assume an American identity?
Write an opinion/editorial piece that tells whether you agree or disagree with Customer
Asset's business methods, and why. Try to publish your piece in the school
or local newspaper.
Geekcorps
In segment 3, disgusted with the superficial problems tackled by some of the dotcom companies,
Ethan Zuckerman set out to solve real problems. He established Geekcorps, a
program that sends volunteers to support the development of computer and Internet
technology in Africa. To find out more about groups that make a difference, do
some research into other kinds of organizations that aid developing countries.
Here are some ways to begin:
• Do an Internet search of international development organizations.
• Read the mission statements, charters, or constitutions of these organizations.
• Find out the nature of their development assistance. An organization might offer assistance in the form of grants, volunteers, or resources.
• To learn more about Geekcorps and other non-profit organizations visit the Planet Work Web site.
Now think about a significant problem in the world that you would like to see solved.
Design your own development organization to help solve this problem. Create a mission
statement that tells about your outreach program and explain how your organization plans
to achieve its goals.
