Which came first? The chicken or the egg? After listening to the keynote speech on Going Global, I wondered whether becoming a "third culture kid" is the result of living in different cultures so that "where you are from is hard to answer" or is it a mindset that some people have, even if they've never left their hometown. Certainly, I've known narrow minded people who have traveled the world and expect it to be the same as the U.S. Also, I've met people who are open minded and questioning without leaving home. I tend to believe that our students can be just as tolerant, appreciative and empathetic as those in International Schools without ever leaving our country. It is one of our jobs as teachers to expose students to other cultures and to bring the world into our classrooms if we are to truly prepare them for the future.
We now longer have the luxury of believing that we can be an island onto ourselves. Our economy is so intertwined with the economies of other cultures that we need to know how to collaborate creatively, to adapt and to look at the world globally. Again, we have the chicken and the egg question. Did technology create a global economy or is it a response to the creation of this economy. Either way, we must be proficient users and teachers of technology if we wish our students to be successful.
So, I am going to try to be better at exposing my students to the world. One way I will start is to use Kim Cofino's advice and work toward creating my PLN with different countries. Step one - "learn by lurking." Wish me luck!
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