Today we have technology at our fingertips. Everywhere you look, people are glued to their devices surfing the web or communicating with friends and family through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or other social media outlets. Almost everyone has a cellphone and/or tablet regardless of their socioeconomic status. The key is to use the technology in ways that help promote our students to connect with others around the country and world while keeping an open mind, being respectful, and accepting of others. With all of the technology around us it helps makes it easier to promote diversity, cultural understanding, and global awareness.
Teachers can use Skype or Google Hangout to connect with students in different parts of the world. In my classroom, we have used Google Hangout to connect with Matt Murrie the author of "The Book of What If...?" and then he came to our school district and met with my homeroom and others. This was a wonderful experience and it shows how a teacher can arrange for their students to meet people from around the globe to promote diversity. Twitter could also be used to follow an author. Students could prepare questions and tweet questions to him/her. Authors are normally happy to tweet back and communicate with students!
Cultural understanding comes from not only the teachers, but also the students. One way to promote cultural understanding would be researching Christmas around the world. The students can pick a place that they are interested in and want to research and see how their Christmas traditions are different from ours. Living near a military base, we get students from all over the world, so it is interesting for them to teach the class about their culture and traditions. Google Hangout or Skype could be used to connect with some of their families or friends across the globe. Also, students that do not speak English fluently can use Duolingo to learn our language at their own pace and I also allow them to use Google translate, so that they do not feel left out.
Teachers can promote global awareness by using the Google Field Trip app. Students can explore places that they are learning about in history or even a place that they read about in their reading book. Again, using Skype or Google Hangout can also promote global awareness in the classroom because they are connecting with people from all over the world. This will help students become aware of other cultures and be respectful of people no matter their culture. Discussions would need to be held before hand about being respectful. The teacher could also read books from other cultures, play music, and even cook something that is popular to eat in that culture.
It is important for the teacher to express an interest in the students' cultures and traditions so that they feel included in the classroom. There are so many different ways that we can promote diversity, cultural understanding, and global awareness while using technology because it is constantly improving!
Teachers can use Skype or Google Hangout to connect with students in different parts of the world. In my classroom, we have used Google Hangout to connect with Matt Murrie the author of "The Book of What If...?" and then he came to our school district and met with my homeroom and others. This was a wonderful experience and it shows how a teacher can arrange for their students to meet people from around the globe to promote diversity. Twitter could also be used to follow an author. Students could prepare questions and tweet questions to him/her. Authors are normally happy to tweet back and communicate with students!
Cultural understanding comes from not only the teachers, but also the students. One way to promote cultural understanding would be researching Christmas around the world. The students can pick a place that they are interested in and want to research and see how their Christmas traditions are different from ours. Living near a military base, we get students from all over the world, so it is interesting for them to teach the class about their culture and traditions. Google Hangout or Skype could be used to connect with some of their families or friends across the globe. Also, students that do not speak English fluently can use Duolingo to learn our language at their own pace and I also allow them to use Google translate, so that they do not feel left out.
Teachers can promote global awareness by using the Google Field Trip app. Students can explore places that they are learning about in history or even a place that they read about in their reading book. Again, using Skype or Google Hangout can also promote global awareness in the classroom because they are connecting with people from all over the world. This will help students become aware of other cultures and be respectful of people no matter their culture. Discussions would need to be held before hand about being respectful. The teacher could also read books from other cultures, play music, and even cook something that is popular to eat in that culture.
It is important for the teacher to express an interest in the students' cultures and traditions so that they feel included in the classroom. There are so many different ways that we can promote diversity, cultural understanding, and global awareness while using technology because it is constantly improving!
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