History and Education

                                                                                      – Click on picture to visit TGS site

Recently I was reading the case studies within The Global Educator book, By Julie Lindsay. I have mentioned this book in my previous blog posts and I have mentioned its worth when regarding global learning, collaboration, and education. Within the case studies, a specific study caught my attention because of its major impact on global collaboration and its potential major influence in education.

The case study focused on the THINK Global School, a unique and innovative school based in New York State that delivers a completely different type of education. More specifically this school takes over 60 students and 12 educators to four different parts of the globe during the school year. This school’s mission is to introduce global learning to the students in the best or most efficient way possible. They believe that by physically traveling the world and living in different areas can truly immerse a student to provide the best learning.

I was amazed and I feel that the idea is incredible and it seems like one of the best ideas to happen to education. Global education is incredibly important and this school realizes that global collaboration is vital to learning and the organization is doing their job at spreading the need for global learning.

A lot can be learned from this school and many of the aspects can be taken in order to provide similar global experiences to any classroom, especially those that may be limited. Think Global School or TGS puts emphasis on interacting with the rest of the world and gaining a global perspective. They also are open to all who want to apply and even provide financial aid for those who require it. Moreover, TGS being a private school does not defer its ability to diversify considering their major idea of traveling and exploring other cultures. They are at times negative ideologies about private school and their inability to appeal to all cultures, colors, and backgrounds and, like previously stated, this school is on the expensive side with tuition at over 80k, but I believe that the impact they are applying to the students who attend over compensates any amount of money to attend. There is a strong possibility that the students who attend this type of education will be one of the highest global thinkers and those who can cause change. These students and teachers have taken global learning to the next level and the school itself is becoming a symbol of what this world can be and what an educational ideology should be.

I feel that education is always changing and THINK Global School is trying something unique that may prove to be extremely beneficial for those involved and those around the world that is witnessing the process. This does not mean normal or traditional schools cannot achieve greatness or make an impact in the world. That being said this is what global education is all about communicating with each other to see what education format or procedures are best for our students and what to do and not to do.

What do you guys think? os TGS a great idea? is a bad idea? please comment below.

While you’re thinking about THINK Global School, check out some of these videos posted to TGS Youtube page

 

 

As always thank you for following my blog post, There will be more posts to come as I continue my education to become a teacher, I will post on my stuggles, my qeustions, my insights and anything else that comes my way.

 

Thank you.

 

The future of education is near, technology is moving quickly, and the new and fresher technology is being introduced in the classroom every year. Some tend to fail and some succeed in massive ways, one of the collaborations and teaching tools that I found most interesting and useful in the classroom would be Virtual and Augmented Reality and the many features that it brings to the forefront of any study, subject or field of learning.

   Virtual Reality is mostly contained in goggles that produce images and simulates real-life locations or abstracts. They originally became popular with gaming software and its ability to improve gaming experiences, many different brands have adopted the concept and implemented them into their own systems, for their own benefits and profits. These brands include brands such as Playstation VR for the PlayStation 4 gaming system, Samsung VR for the high-end Samsung smartphone and even major Social Media company Facebook’s Oculus; among many others.

These systems have impacted the market in almost every way, from gaming, social media, music and videos; the idea of being immersed in what is being predicted is arguably becoming an important factor in what was is offered to the viewer. That being said, this opens up the need and or reason to pursue the use of these items in the classrooms.

There is a big chance that students are currently utilizing these items in their home, whether they are the higher-end products or the universal Smart Phone VRs that fit close to any smartphone; Students are going home to explore them. As like any other new tech, there are possibilities of use in the classroom. That being said I would like to replicate a few ideas that I have accumulated online to help persuade current and future teachers to see the benefits of VR and encourage their use:

Travel to and explore places all over the world without leaving the classroom. 

• Vr Allows Virtual Field Trips to be even more in depth, Students are able to feel as close to actually being in that location as possible. Furthermore, with updating systems, students are able to interact with the environment or location they are viewing; for example, facts could be shown when interacting or even some physical movements can be made to make it even more realistic.

Experience different careers first-hand.

• VR Opens the doors to many different career paths for students. Using Vr students can see first hand the day to day of doctors, surgeons, historians, artists and more that may spur an interest in them.

Helps with understanding complex subjects/theories/concepts.

• Because VR immerses students, they are more likely to understand the more abstract ideas that may be difficult otherwise, these difficult ideas can include anything from visually seeing something happen or some understand weather conditions in a science class.  

Outstanding visualizations, suited to all types of learning styles, e.g. visual

• One of the biggest parts of the VR is the visualizations that they provide. Because of this, VR supports visual learners but also touches on kinesthetic, auditory and linguistic learners as well.

Social Integration of Students

• VR in the classroom can be made into a social integration event as well because students are more likely to find common interests in the tool they will able to interact with each other and make better relationships that promote learning.

 

These are five reasons among many more that promote the use of VR in the classroom. The possibilities of the tool are still being discovered and the as technology continues to evolve it is likely that the tool becomes even greater and provides even more learning benefits.

I would suggest all educators test the tool in their classroom and share their ideas with other educators and PLN’s.

 

Furthermore, in order to get the best out of the Vr, Try using these apps,

 

Google Expeditions

• Google provides a global experience with or without the VR goggles and provides over 900 expeditions for your classroom.

Titans of Space

• A great application when focusing on the space and the solar system and can place your students in the center of it all in order to truly understand the concept.

Discovery VR

• Available to various VR goggles/headsets and opens to the door to countless experience for your students from natures, to science to culture.

Check this video out, feel free to move around…

 

Here is a Visual of 10 benefits of VR,

 

 

Also, check this video of ClassVR, the VR that is made specifically for the classroom.  

 

 

 

References

https://www.teachthought.com/technology/10-reasons-use-virtual-reality-classroom/

https://readwrite.com/2018/03/20/benefits-using-virtual-reality-classroom/   

https://www.vrs.org.uk/virtual-reality-education/benefits.html

 

Technology is among each and every one of those and it can be argued that it is around younger people even more. This is the way of the times and as educators, we should come to realize that there is no fighting technology so we need to use it to the best of our abilities.

 

That being said there is a countless amount of things to do with the use of technology and the opportunities for learning are endless.

 

For instance, Digital Storytelling is a great way to introduce technology into the classroom while still including senses such as, visual and auditory. With a digital story, teachers and students can express a story in any way they see fit; these digital stories can include pictures, videos, and even vocals to add emphasis and importance.

 

There are many different sites that can be used for this activity but my personal favorite is the website called Storyboardthat. This website is a digital storytelling tool that presents the stories in a comic book fashion. The user is able to pick scenes, characters, props and so much more within the easy to use interface. This website even allows the user to manipulate the gestures or posture of the characters within each scene and even enlarge or minimize the available props.

 

With this specific tool, educators are able to introduce technology into the classroom in a fun and lively way. They are able to add text and with the paid versions they can pick from many different comic lengths.

 

Take a look at a story I made, recalling my 6th birthday,

 

 

As you can see, the possibilities are endless with this program and not only can an educator use it to prosper a message, it can be used directly by the students themselves so they can learn the functions of a technological tool and express themselves at the same time.

 

I would recommend this site to all current and future educators so that they may bring a different perspective into their classroom and promote learning through digital technology.

 

Moreover, take a look at this video for my ideas,

 

 

Make an account on Storyboardthat HERE,

 

As always thank you for your support, feel free to comment and leave any recommendations. Also, be sure to follow me on twitter

@mrjoshtorres

Out of Eden Walk,

I was recently able to explore a new subject regarding a completely global topic. On that explores and highlights the globe in fascinating ways. The out of Eden Walk is transnational experience by Paul Salopek, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and a partner of National Geographic. In this experience, Salopek is traveling the route of our ancestors who migrated out of Africa and the across the globe. His journey will take years to complete and he will have walked 21,000 miles beginning in Ethiopia, our revolutionary “Eden” and his journey will end at the tip of South America. moreover , Salopek’s journey by foot will allow him to witness the many cultures along the way and by the end of his trio will be able to piece together a global mosaic of stories, faces, sounds, and sights.

• Read more about Paul Salopek and the project HERE.

With that being said, I feel it is important to acknowledge the importance of this trip in regards to global education and also acknowledge is usefulness in the classroom. Salopek’s trip mirrors all that is “Global Education”. This journalist in exploring the world, documenting it and also expressing in for others to witness. This type of information can be further be used in the classroom and can have exceptional results. Moreover, in reference to the study of history, this project can provide topics of study, questions and even spur research.

Today I would like to explore Paul Salopek’s journey and express my ideas and my inferences on the topic and hopefully provide tips on how it can be implemented in the classroom as well. I will touch on three milestones on the journey each milestone is made every 100 miles Salopek’s travels, in attempts to highlight his travels and what he witnesses.

Lets begin:

 

Milestone 5: The Red Sea

Day 107 – Mile 400 – Elevation 0

 

On day 107 Salopek’s travels on ship on the Red Sea, he is aboard the MV Abuyasser II traveling upstream towards the city of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. Like all Milestones, Salopek’s post pictures, videos and even the exact coordinates where he is located. Students are able to see where the traveler was during that point in his travels and this track where he is going next. This specific milestone provides a picture of the ship, a video of the ship in route expressing the conditions he is witnessing (The winds and weather ) and also the milestone provides a picture of an encounter he made while on the ship. Moreover this trip was part of Salopek’s first Chapter entitled “Out of Africa”

 

Check out the specific milestone HERE.

 

Check out this amazing Picture and Video:

 

 

 

Milestone 15: Shoreline

Day 293 – Mile -1400 – Elevation 3

 

On day 293, Salopek touched on his 15th milestone. This milestone was part of his second chapter titled “Holy Lands”. The chapter itself focuses on the lands which are considered holy in the world and this specific milestone was on the Pilgrim Trail from Cairo to Mecca. Like always this milestone includes graphics such as pictures and videos so others able to witness the travelers and feel that much closer to the going ons on the trip. Moreover this specific milestone also contains a link titled “ Spotlight” which contains real conversation and a dialog via online media sites such as twitter: These spotlights  touch on the regional politics, the international news, sports, religion and even the beauty of the nature.

The spotlight location is a great piece of the journey to touch on in classroom. To see exactly what other people are talking about, the topics, the policies and the issues are able to create a connection between the nations an hopefully the globe. Classrooms can see these tweets and posts and discuss how alike or different they may be to American social media.

 

Check our the spotlight for this milestone HERE.

 

Check out this amazing Picture and Video:

 

 

 

Milestone 25: Flocks

Day 636 – Mile 2400 – Elevation 3652  

 

On day 636 , Salopek beings his 25th milestone, at this point his is nearly 2 years into his decade long journey and he has traveled 2,400 miles. On this milestone he witnesses and touches on the flocks near Karacadag, Turkey. By flocks, Salopek means the pastoral people of this area, He even takes a video of a person, presumably from that area directing his herd. This Milestone is like the rest, considering that contains pictures, videos, coordinates and the spotlight section. moreover , the milestone also contains a comment section, where anyone can comment on the milestone and share their ideas. This is a great way to include a classroom, so that they can be part of the journey as well.

Furthermore, this particular milestone opens up the idea of culture. The pictures and videos show a different world that is common to students in the states and it should be celebrated. Students in any classroom in the world can see this milestone and witness something new.  

 

Check out this milestone HERE.

 

Check out this amazing Picture and Video:

 

 

These milestones are but a small part of a much bigger journey, a journey that is still in the process, currently Salopek is traveling through India embarking in new adventures and preparing to post much more information for the rest of the world to see. This is true global education and it can be utilized in the all our classrooms, especially social studies.

 

Luckily the website provides helpful ideas and resources for teachers to implement in the classroom, these tools are great but as educators we can make even more and continue to share them.

 

Check out the resources HERE.

 

As always thank you fro following this blog, be sure to follow me on Twitter: @mrjoshtorres