One of the biggest ideas Ive encountered at NECC this year is the need to connect our students to the global community. Whether it was Malcolm Gladwell discussing the work ethic of the average Asian student, a debate about the need to close building and open open web 2.0 sites, or Alan November's thoughts on the decline of the American school system due to closing our minds and our borders - we need to think about ways in which we can learn about education around the world and follow others' lead in strengthening our curriculum.
So, what does this mean? Will all teachers Skype with colleagues from across the ocean? Will we share research with one another using Google Docs? Will we be sharing all student projects on YouTube? I know that these things are all possible, but how practical are they? Can I reasonably expect a teacher from Utah making connections with a teacher in Japan? Not sure.
I think the larger issue for Utah teachers is just opening themselves up to the idea of living in a Global Community. Whether we are in Kanab or Provo, we all exist as part of the WWW. How can we at UEN help facilitate understanding the global stage and the Utah teacher's place on that stage? I may not have the answer yet, but I know this is one of the questions I'll be working on when I get back to Utah.
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