I am starting to see the interdependencies of the courses in this program; I am developing my synthesizing mind!! Reed’s article read much like a copy of the information that was covered in Friedman’s and Pink’s writings that I first read for the course EDIM 507 – Using Technology to Support Creativity. I have always been interested in the global viewpoint that we can bring to our classroom and now feel much more equipped to bring combine this with my newfound experience and expertise with digital media. These courses have been very complementary of one another. It would be a good recommendation for students to do these two courses at the same time or at least in the same semester.
The information in Reed’s article does not directly relate to the information in Chapter 6 (The Ethical Mind) of Gardner’s Five Minds for the Future; however, it does correspond nicely with the development of the respectful mind which Gardner emphasizes in Chapter 5 of the same book. Like Gardner, I do see many important connections between the two minds. Although we are not directly asked to comment on Gardner’s reading, I want to share a sentence that I found profound and is now on my Facebook profile as well as on a sticky note on my computer - “We are responsible not only for what we do but for what we do not do” (Gardner, 2006, p. 149). For me this sentences explains what it means to have an ethical mind and is reminiscent of something I remember my parents telling me – character is who we are when no-one is watching. For many young people they lack positive role models at home and do not know what it means to do good work and to have a strong character. But back to the task at hand…
In today’s increasingly flattening world, many people no longer associate themselves with being citizens of one nation; instead they may see themselves as global citizens. They may have been born in Papua New Guinea, educated in Australia, mentored in the US and now work between offices located in Mumbai and The Hague. Today there is an increasing sense of competition amongst both businesses and education institutions to attract the best candidates regardless of their nationalities. It is becoming more and more infrequent that young people remain in the community where they spent their childhood. Like Reed said “[w]ith the increased focus on outsourcing and global competition, students must be prepared to compete and succeed by using creativity and ingenuity, and they must be able to work with people from all parts of the world” (2007, ¶3). In order for our students to become good workers and citizenship they must develop a global perspective.
As I have mentioned in a previous blog, I am very lucky to be involved with the IB programme. At the heart of this programme is the goal to provide students from across the global with an education focusing not only on content knowledge but also on character building. This can be noted in the IB Mission Statement:
The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and
caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through
intercultural understanding and respect. To this end the organization works with
schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging
programmes of international education and rigorous assessment. These programmes
encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong
learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be
right (IB, 2009, ¶ 4).
This statement mirrors closely the writings of both Gardner and Reed.
One of the requirements in the IB Chemistry class that I teach is for all science (Biology, Chemistry and Physics) students to collaborate on a project. The main aim is to “encourage an understanding of the relationships between scientific disciplines and the overarching nature of the scientific method” (IB, 2007, p. 33). The very collaborative nature of this project works in developing a respectful mind. It also allows for a great discussion on the place that ethics plays in the development and growth of science. In Gardner’s book he states that science can be taught the same around the world as it is a universal language. I do believe this to be true, but how science is taught and the classroom expectations are very different in different areas of the globe. The IB curriculum is designed in such a way that cultural bias is minimized and there is an international focus in some content.
For the last few years while doing this project, I have wanted to collaborate with students from another school, hopefully in another country. Through my exposure to new digital media tools this will be closer to becoming a reality. Students would be able to work in heterogeneous school and subject groups to research, test and evaluate. Communication tools like Google Docs will allow students to work cooperatively and collaboratively on documents at the same time. Using applications like Skype with added webcams will allow students to have real time chat. Applications such as Voicethread will allow students to post work and have other members of their group leave comments if time zoning is a problem. Students can also share their comments and results in a group wiki. The project could culminate with a sharing of results via SlideShare or Glogster. Live presentations could take place in both schools and aired via meeting rooms like GoToMeeting, WebEx or Skype.
Having students work in heterogeneous groups will mean students will have to be respectful of each others contributions and beliefs. For example, if the partner school is located in a Muslim area of the globe, class meetings would not be able to take place on Friday as that is the Muslim Sabbath. This project would not only be about learning science but learning about different cultures and different ways of thinking. Projects like this should make great inroads towards helping students develop their respectful and ethical minds.
References
Gardner, H. (2006). Five minds for the future. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.
Reed. J. (2007). Global collaboration and learning. Retrieved July 8, 2009 from http://www.edtechmag.com/k12/events/updates/global-collaboration-and-learning-2.html
International Baccalaureate Organization. (2007). Chemistry guide. First examinations 2009. Chippenham, Wiltshire; Antony Rowe Ltd.
International Baccalaureate. (2009). International Baccalaureate mission statement. Retrieved July 8, 2009 from http://www.ibo.org/mission/
The Gardner quote you shared is one that stood out to me as well. It was so nice to read this post because you described the IB program and the goals of the collaborative project, but it wasn't until the end that you commented on the technology that will help make these types of projects easier, more successful, etc. The structure to your narrative speaks volumes as to the role technology should play.
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