While we were dazzled by the grandeur demonstrated by the Chinese at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, it is India — with the world’s largest democracy and a rich history — that epitomizes the current global transformation. As told in this month’s The Story of India, the greatest moments in India’s past and present revolve around the ideas of trade, collaboration, compromise, innovation, and tolerance.

As a world history teacher, these core values play a vital role as I try to guide my students to an understanding of the past and how it has influenced modern times. As an educational technologist, these ideas are game changers. We must look at them as not only a way to understand the past but a way to lead us to the future in a connected world unimagined just twenty years ago.

In the May 2007 Media Infusion post, “A Great Time to Be a Teacher,” I expressed the importance of integrating technology and information literacy into the curriculum using imaginative lessons. These ideas, while essential, constitute only the tip of iceberg. The next level involves developing a new sense of global perception that will foster and encourage productive interactions across borders.

While promoting students’ 21st century competencies is a monumental task, for the sake of simplicity, let’s break it down into three more manageable tasks:

1. gaining perspective,
2. learning the techniques of collaboration, and
3. reaching out to others.

Perspective
True cohesion in a global economy requires an understanding of those people outside one’s own cultural zone. We must teach students not only to accept the differences — religious, racial, linguistic, etc. — but also to recognize how those differences shape our perceptions of others and their perceptions of us. The first step involves being able to critically analyze the roots of an individual’s point of view. How do a United States soldier and an Iraqi shop owner perceive the situation in Baghdad? What accounts for these massive differences? Determining these subtle and extreme disparities requires an awareness of other regions and customs and simply being able to figuratively “walk a mile a in their shoes.”

In my world history classes, when I teach about the interactions of different peoples, I provide both viewpoints. I use primary sources, video clips, and images to spark discussions that force students to break out of their comfort zone and consider how the choices, feelings, and background of an individual might have influenced events. Fortunately, in today’s resource-rich world, we have incredible access to materials that allow teachers to pick and choose the artifacts that best suit their needs. PBS continues to be a leading source of highly respected and well-researched content, from series like The Story of India to the regular features found on FRONTLINE/World. The corresponding web sites usually feature lesson ideas, content articles, and video clips.

While we may feel more comfortable directing our students to PBS web sites, we cannot ignore the vast array of blogs and video and audio resources that flood the Internet. In the early days of the war in Iraq, I closely followed Where is Raed? and Baghdad Burning, two blogs written by English-speaking Iraqis. Their stories sharply contrasted with what I found in the American media. When Mumbai, India came under attack in November, a quick Google search brought me a page that linked to a list of bloggers from the city who recorded their observations and opinions while the terrorists wreaked havoc. These resources tend to be much rougher around the edges, but we cannot discount their value and the perspectives they offer.

Collaboration
The technology that continues to develop around us has revolutionized the potential for people to interact and collaborate. I can just as easily share a document or video with teachers in my building as I can with my friend who teaches in Italy. In the December 2008 issue of Edutopia, Will Richardson, the famed father of educational blogging, wrote an article entitled “World Without Walls,” where he states, “We as educators need to reconsider our roles in students’ lives, to think of ourselves as connectors first and content experts second.” The abilities and skills that will define the next generation are at our finger tips. Teachers have the responsibility to model and implement strategies that will encourage students to expand their use and understanding of tools that will help them take control of their learning and prepare them for their careers.

As with all educational changes, especially those involving the use of technology, we face numerous obstacles as we attempt to move forward. Yet, I would say that after over ten years of being involved in teacher staff development, the tools have never been easier to use.

There are two basic methods you can use to foster online collaboration immediately. They can be utilized independently or in conjunction.

1. The Educational Social Network
   Many students spend more time fiddling with their MySpace profiles and texting their friends than doing just about anything else. Using Ning, Moodle, or a similar service, you can set up a classroom social network in a matter of minutes. Students can set up profiles, message each other, participate in forums, etc. As the administrator you can decide to close the network to just your students or make it public. By creating a collaborative educational space, you provide students with opportunities to extend their learning outside of the traditional classroom in a context that might be more comfortable for them than the traditional classroom. Additionally, Teachers are coming together and participating in similar networks. Examples include PBS Teachers Connect, a community of teachers sharing ideas, strategies and resources to promote the integration of media and technology in teaching and learning; Classroom 2.0, a network for teachers using Web 2.0 applications with their students; and English Companion, a place for English teachers seeking advice and curriculum support.
2. Collaborative Content Creation
   One of the major strengths of the Web 2.0 revolution involves the ability to collectively write and edit documents. Wikis initially led this charge into the world of collaboration, but in the last couple of years online productivity tools, most notably Google Docs, have been designed to replace our standard desktop applications such as Word and PowerPoint. The sharing and co-authoring of a document, presentation, or an entire Web site, has never been easier. Regardless of the tools, strategy, or location of the participants, establishing behavior guidelines and a clear process for the collaborative effort is essential and will help avoid problems.

Reaching Out
The final step in this process is to expand your efforts beyond the walls of your classroom or school. Fortunately, a number of web sites and social networks have already been established just for this purpose, including The Global Education Collaborative and Teachers Connecting.com. Both of these sites allow teachers to submit and review project proposals. Interested teachers contact one another and decide what to do next.

The Flat Classroom Project and Horizon Project truly represent the best potential for an online global awareness collaboration. Students from around the world have participated in a highly structured set of activities where they critically analyzed various topics and worked collaboratively through the process. Detailed rubrics and guidelines developed by the project founders, Vicki Davis and Julie Lindsey, ensured that the projects enjoyed great success. Their inspirational and ground-breaking work is only the beginning.

Conclusion
The transformation of the world’s economy will have a lasting impact on the United States of America. We can no longer be the fabled “ugly American” who expects the world to conform to our standards. We must change our perception and consider other perspectives as we work together in a new, flat world. For now at least, change starts with us. As Mahatma Gandhi, one of the most influential Indians, stated, “We must be the change we wish to see.”

What are you doing to move towards these goals? What do you want to do? What’s stopping you? How can we balance these new pressing needs with the realities of the wave of standardized accountability that now burdens educators across the nation? Please share your thoughts and favorite resources.

– Dan