Global Learning Case Studies

This week, I am going to share some of my thoughts about a global learning case study, and ways to create a global learning environment. If you are interested in details or additional sharing beyond this blog post, please feel free to refer back to the book The Global Educator, written by Julie Lindsay, from page 229 to 244.

The first impressive case is about THINK Global School (TGS). TGS is a traveling high school visiting four countries per year. Students from TGS study globally through real-life experiences and project-based learning. This is my first time knowing that people travel around the world as a school. I think this is an excellent method allowing both students and educators to learn authentically from the natives. However, my concern is that if they have enough time to adapt to the new environment at the same time to learn something new academically.

A short FAQs video by TGS students. Students share their reasons for joining TGS, and experiences exploring the world.

I will prefer to stay for more than one semester, maybe including the summer break or winter break before the semester starts. Therefore, they can get used to the living environment, then the studying atmosphere. Also, as the school keeps moving, what is their management? As a Psychology major interested in working in the business setting, I would like to know more about the structures and operations of the organization. Additionally, I am interested in the criteria for enrollment. For example, what kind of skills or knowledge I need to be able to study in TGS? From the website, I did not see anything specific restriction limiting only students with high academic achievement can apply. Instead, they are welcome to candidates who are active in specific soft skills, like self-motivating and community orienting. However, it is interesting to know that they appreciate students with parents who are active and supportive participants in their modern and unique teaching methods. I think it is an essential and excellent idea that they also care about students’ family backgrounds and attitudes. I believe students will learn better if their parents agree or even share the same values as the school. 

Besides the most eye-catching case study I mentioned above, I also with the point stated in the textbook. Indeed, lacking understanding and unwillingness to handle online technologies and policy issues are the main reasons suppressing the development of global collaboration. I had a similar experience that I was not able to use an online survey tool for my internship research using my school account. It was because of the school license restriction. It limited my opportunity to learn valuable skills, which will be helpful in the future in the Industrial and Organizational (I/O) Psychology field. Finally, what I could do is passing the project to my colleagues, letting them do it for me. As they are using their network system, I would not have access to the databases. I could only wait until they shared information with me. It lowered my autonomy and motivation. Therefore, it is crucial and essential to communicate with different stakeholders to find out the best solutions harming nobody. However, I understand the need for license restrictions. I want to discuss with my supervisors as well as different departments to check what I can and cannot do regarding the use of various web tools as full-time staff. What are the conflicts between different parties?

So, how to create a global learning environment? According to Julie, here are what she thinks a truly global learning environment should be:

1. Shares a vision that at EVERY grade level students will have a variety of interdisciplinary online global learning experiences with others beyond their immediate learning enviornment.

2. Understands how to “flatten” the learning so that EVERY DAY there is encouragement and opportunity to learn beyond the immediate….

3. Understands digital scholarship, peer review,…, sharing of local resources to build a global database, social entrepreneurship as a global collaborative objective for learning….

Lindsay, 2016, pp.239-240

I like the third point Julie mentioned. I think collaborating in building a global database is the easiest and first step to create a global learning environment for the education and research field. No matter if you are willing to collaborate with global partners or not, being generous to share your projects with others helps them to reflect and gain inspiration. I would name it “unconscious collaborative.” You do not know when your work will positively affect others, inspire others to explore topics differently. I am partly included in the global learning community while following the guidelines from Julie’s book within these few months. Starting global collaborations is not as difficult as I thought. It is always more comfortable with help from professionals and peers. Also, it is more exciting and worthy than learning alone.

What are your ideas toward global learning?
Do you make any changes after reading my blog or some additional sources I provided?

Finally, thank you for visiting my blog, and please do not forget to follow me on Twitter for more related information and discussions.
Twitter: @PoYeeWong4

Virtual Reality – Experience It Yourself

Have you ever asked yourself “how I would feel if I was the person in this situation?” Have you ever wanted the ability to switch your soul with others so you can experience someone’s life? Now, you have the technology to make your dream comes true. Virtual Reality (VR) is a “simulated experience that can be similar to or completely different from the real world” (Wikipedia). To maximize possible learning opportunities for students, VR is now more often to be applied in the classroom setting.

Virtual Reality (VR) is the use of computer technology to create a simulated environment. Unlike traditional user interfaces, VR places the user inside an experience. Instead of viewing a screen in front of them, users are immersed and able to interact with 3D worlds. By simulating as many senses as possible, such as vision, hearing, touch, even smell, the computer is transformed into a gatekeeper to this artificial world. The only limits to near-real VR experiences are the availability of content and cheap computing power.

Joe Bardi, 2019

In the picture, a female is wearing the VR glasses participating to a simulation. There is a monitor connected to the VR glasses, which shows what can be seen through the glasses. There is a hand holding object at the right bottom of the screen, which represents the actual hand movement of the participant. In other words, the participant will feel like she is actually in the situation given and experiencing like reality.
The participant is wearing the VR glasses and the monitor shows the scene shown inside the glasses.

In my point of view, VR is not directly using to collaborate with people from different areas, but it helps prepare learners and educators to engage globally soon. This article gives examples of VR uses in the classroom that benefits students’ development. Early use of VR in preschools increases students’ attention and interests to explore and learn in different ways, creating an exciting learning environment for young learners. When they get older and be able to think from different perspectives, VR helps them to virtually travel and explore the world. I believe that it is always different in emotions and inspiration when traveling through viewing photos and to “real environment” right in front of you. Google Lit Trips is a great example that allows students to read international famous literature with additional relevant information pop-up windows. This encourages students to be more open-minded with culture outside the comfort zone or the home town. They may also have more common topics to talk to when they collaborate with their global collaborative partners. It is easier to find common ground. With more opportunities trying to stand on other’s shoes, VR helps users to experience others’ “lives,” training their empathy and willingness to help the needs. 

I agree with the application of VR in the classroom, especially in early education such as elementary school. In my junior year of university, I participated in psychological research. The study applied the use of VR that I played two games. The first one was about the reaction speed that someone attacked me and I had to dodge and shoot to revenge. The second one was more peaceful that all I needed to do was painting. As I was not drawing on the paper, but any spaces around me, I was able to draw in 3-dimension easily. This is difficult to explain and describe the experience that I prefer all of you to try it yourself. However, I want to bring this up in this blog post that I think it would be an extremely helpful tool to help students develop their concept about 3-dimensional drawing. My cousin has limited imagination that he cannot draw cubes or objects with distances on a paper. If VR has been widely applied to school settings earlier, he would have a chance to learn differently and even better.

A video shows how VR is applied in the classroom setting with teachers’ opinions.

Do you have any experience regarding VR?

Thank you for visiting my blog, and please do not forget to follow me on Twitter for more related information and discussions.
Twitter: @PoYeeWong4

Storytelling Web – Animoto

This week, I am going to introduce a storytelling tool, Animoto. Animoto is a video making website allowing users to create their stories using photos, videos, and music. It is easy to use that you can either upload personal pictures or insert them from online databases. To start creating a new project, Animoto provides users with different templates for various purposes, for example, birthday slideshow, event recap, and product portfolio. It is user-friendly that some guidelines and icons help you to learn to use this tool within a few minutes. You can easily add pictures and video clips by dragging to the upload area. There are numerous colors and font styles to choose from. You can also use filters to make the videos look more artistic and professional. Animoto does not only allow users to add background music but also allow them to trim song that perfectly fit with the content and story length. Once you finished making your videos, you can share it with YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. 

A short video on how to create a video with Animoto.

I have made my Animoto video about my hobby, doing calligraphy. In my video, I introduced the use of calligraphy, the reasons I like doing calligraphy, and shared some personal experiences. A special thing about my video is that I tried to connect my hobby with happiness. I want to share this with people as a way to know more about me. Doing calligraphy implies my attitudes and goals that I want my friends and potential collaborative partners to know. I pay all my attention when doing calligraphy, which is also my attitude when working on different tasks. I always try my best and want the outcomes to be as well as it can be. Work-life balance is also one of the goals that I care about my mental state and emotions. To me, doing calligraphy is stress reliving that allows me to take a step back from what I am working on and relax. I am not forcing people around me to do calligraphy with me, but I want them to find at least one thing to help them relax.

https://animoto.com/play/4dHRHywAtHbKTqfB1xaomA
My Animoto video about doing calligraphy.

Overall, I like using Animoto and highly recommend this storytelling web to all of you. It is easy to use with a lot of features provided. It is an all-in-one tool that I can edit and trim with the same tool. It took me no more than 30 minutes to make a video. You have the choice to make the video informative, interesting, and attractive. If you are searching for a tool for your project, try Animoto!

Have you used Animoto before? What are your experiences using any storytelling tools?

Thank you for visiting my blog, and please do not forget to follow me on Twitter for more related information and discussions.
Twitter: @PoYeeWong4

Exploring the World Online – Out of Eden Walk

Is globetrotting on your bucket list? Have you started it yet? If not, what are your considerations? Have you ever thought of virtually travel to countries online to get a brief idea to kick-off? Now, I want to introduce a project to you that you may find impressive and inspiring – Out of Eden Walk.

Paul Salopek, a journalist, is walking across to the globe following the footsteps of the ancestors to explore and re-discover the world differently. His journey started in Africa in January 2013 and will end in South America. The website records all his journeys that he is posting photos, videos, journal writing, and embedded map to share his experiences. People are welcome to visit his website and comment. In this blog post, I am going to share some of my thoughts on different milestones of the journey.

This is a picture of world map with the Pacific Ocean centered. This map is similar to the one shown in Out of Eden Walk website. This is a little game that asking readers if they are roughly outline the pat of Paul's journey.
This is the world map with the Pacific Ocean centered. After visiting Out of Eden Walk website, can you roughly outline the path of Paul’s journey?

Glance Back: 180,000 Syrian Refugees Flee Into Turkey is the most powerful post. I participated in refugee simulations before, which were held by a non-governmental organization. When I was in the room, with special decorating pretending to be the real environment of the places refugee were living in, and listening to the story of young refugee siblings, I could strongly relate to the story that I felt scared, helpless, and hopeless. I cannot imagine how Paul would feel when he was that close to refugees and places around. No one wants to experience difficult situations caused by war. Therefore, Paul’s project allows readers to reflect and get in touch with some topics that are too panic. I like the question he asked in his post that it is connected and related to his walk. This also brings people’s awareness that they need to consider their backgrounds and perspectives when collaborating with them in the future or on topics related.

“What happens when you become a war refugee? You walk.”

Paul Salopek, 2015

Global Bazaar Celebrates the Out of Eden Walk is the second post that I like. They are hosting international fairs to introduce Out of Eden Walk to students. Both people who are going to present ideas they are representing and people who are joining the event receiving information learned at the same time. They were not focusing only on pictures and the journey but also the culture, religions, and food of the countries Paul traveled. I think to host an event is a great idea that people are not waiting for others to visit and look for information online. Instead, they are actively doing something to grab others’ attention and teach. This also matches with what I learned from the textbook The Global Educator that how and what we can do to engage global collaborative learning. 

Finally, Drinking Women’s Lives is another post that caught my attention. People always love to eat and drink something good and tasty. However, have you ever thought of where does all this food comes from? What are the processes before displaying them in the supermarket for sale? Are we fair enough to people planting and growing crops? In this post, we all learned that women are the only people working in the tea tree planting industry. However, they only earn about USD$2.5 per day. At the same time, they have to face different difficulties, such as tea plants being destroyed by animals. What can we do to help? When comparing them to ourselves, what does it tell? Even though India is the world’s second-largest tea producer, there are still social problems that difficult to be treated. 

There is no limitation on issues or topics for global education and learning. When you are just sitting in the office, classroom, or wherever, you are limiting yourself to work on some areas. This is the time to think out of the box. Even you are not able to travel or join Paul as a partner, visit his website, actively engage, and interact with all the resources posted. What global collaborating learning is not only sharing personal experiences or draw global attention but also following, partnering, being inspired, or even developing something new. Finally, I enjoy reading his journal and explore various aspects of how our world is constructed. If this is your first time trying to virtually travel around the world online, I highly recommend Out of Eden Walk.

For more information about Out of Eden Walk, please visit their website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Thank you for visiting my blog, and please do not forget to follow me on Twitter for more related information and discussions.
Twitter: @PoYeeWong4

The Norms of Online Global Collaborations

I am reading chapter 10 of The Global Educator this week. In this chapter, we are going through different norms of online global collaborations guiding educators on how to build collaborative relationships. There are eight norms in total, but I am focusing the first two in this blog post, and how it can be applied to the Psychology field. If you have no idea how to start online global collaborations, this blog post may be helpful, even you are not a Psychology major.

A picture with the globe as the background, and people with business attire standing at the front. The picture fits with the topic of this blog post that I am going to discuss online global collaboration.
A picture implies a global connection and community with different professions.
A logo of LinkedIn. This social media is one of my tools to build my PLN. This tool is useful that a lot of professionals upload their relevant experiences and resume there.
A logo of LinkedIn, which is one of the online tools for networking and job searching.

The first norm is to be prepared. You need to have your target to connect with and tools to work together. I like to use Twitter and LinkedIn for building the network. Twitter is good at resource sharing and quick discussions, while LinkedIn allows me to keep an eye on the job and conference opportunities. Different from the educators, psychologists seldom share teaching plans or teaching methods. Instead, we share more research studies and statistics. Therefore, professional social media are important for us to exchange resources and keep each other updated. Twitter and LinkedIn only help to get started on global collaborations. Tools can be different and specific depending on your fields. For example, profile creating tools are useful for Organizational Psychology; statistic analysis software is helpful for research studies; brain activity detecting machines are beneficial for neuropsychology. No matter which online tools you are using, most of them allow you to share your file with anyone you want. All the online tools make it easier to work together with everyone around the world anytime and anywhere. 

The second norm is about purpose. You need to know what you are collaborating for. For example, you are doing this for the short-term or long-term, which specific topics you are focusing on, etc. When applied to the Psychology field, you have to think of which area you want to work for, such as organizational psychology, clinical psychology, school psychology, or research. As I am graduating soon, I want to build my PLN, focusing on the Organizational Psychology field. For my short-term goal, I want to find a job working in the Human Resources department. Being active in LinkedIn not only provides me with job opportunities but also chances to practice skimming and scanning one’s resume. In case I am working in the Human Resources department when I graduate, it would be helpful. I can also contact with potential candidates from world-wide through LinkedIn. My long-term goal is to spread the idea of organizational psychology and see how the theory can be applied in real-world settings to create a better working environment. Therefore, I usually share my relevant experiences and knowledge on Twitter. At the same time, I gained from the article and resources professionals posted online. I learned from ideas and comments from their perspectives that they are more professional and experienced than I am. 

Although I am not directly collaborating or working together with the people I follow on collaborating tools, we are active on the same platform to learn and give back. I am now on the first few steps in building my network, and we will be fully engaged in and collaborative with people in this professional community.

What are your purpose and collaborative tools for global collaboration?

Are they specific to your professional, or can they be generally applied in different fields?

Finally, thank you for visiting my blog, and please do not forget to follow me on Twitter for more related information and discussions.
Twitter: @PoYeeWong4

Explore Something Old – Google My Maps

Curiosity is one of the significant elements of learning. Learners should be curious about not only exploring something new but also re-exploring something you have known already. In this blog post, I am sharing my experiences of using Google Maps.

A picture of Google Maps icon, which is a Google feature I have known for a long time. In this blog post, I am going to re-explore different uses of this feature.
An icon of Google Maps.

Google Maps is one of the Google features that users can search for all locations around the world. Google Maps also support 3D satellite data and street views. Users can freely upload photos, leave comments, and search for point-to-point navigation. After logging in to your Google account, you can create your Map with different location tags. It is useful when you are planning to travel, and you want to mark down all “must-visit places.”

A tutorial video on Google My Maps. The video demonstrates how to create a specific map with all the features provided.

In my Web Tools class, I use Google My Maps to create my graduation travel plan to Japan. I visited Osaka during the past summer. I found it ineffective to write all the places and restaurants I wanted to visit on a piece of paper. It was inconvenient to write all YouTube links and websites on the paper. Therefore, I told myself to look for a useful tool next time planning my trip. Luckily, I got one now!

I only stayed in Osaka for a week last time, which I think is not enough to explore everything there. Therefore, I am planning to go again after graduation. I want to go to Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto. In my map, I pinned my “must-visit” list, and also included two transportation routes: from Tokyo to Kyoto, and from Kyoto to Osaka. I embedded pictures of some museums to my map and used different colored pins to indicate different locations from different regions. It is also useful to change to pin icons to differentiate eating places from visiting sites.

Below is the link to my map:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1oo0jjgW493QUhtiejGlIMoNw-EQLiIQ2&ll=35.16283236931343%2C137.59890229999996&z=8

Why I love using Google My Maps?

It is convenient, useful, and user-friendly. I can search for all locations around the world, pin locations, and edit anytime. Different layers allow me to organize my trip by locations, dates, or categories. Choosing to show or to hide different layers, I can easily manage my plan when traveling. It is clear in displaying. I also admire the function of sharing my map with others. People with the link, or being invited, can either view or edit my map. By saving my map in Google Drive, I can access my map with any devices, such as mobile, laptop, or tablet. Can you imagine how beneficial is it to, at the same time, check your plan, search for navigation, and visit websites at your fingertips?

Do you have any experiences using Google My Maps, and would like to share with me?

Finally, thank you for visiting my blog and please do not forget to follow me on Twitter for more related information and discussions.
Twitter: @PoYeeWong4

Explore Something New – Microsoft Educators Community

From the previous blog post, I reflected on my experiences using Twitter, how students can benefit from global learning, and the results of misusing social media. In this blog post, I am going to reflect on one of my new joining learning communities – Microsoft Educators Community (MEC).

The picture showing a Microsoft tablet. It shows a brief display of how the Window system looks like.
A picture showing a Microsoft tablet.

Microsoft Educators Community is an online platform allowing educators worldwide to learn new skills, discover classroom activities, and earn badges and certificates. This community provides different courses with various learning materials, such as PowerPoint, PDF, relevant websites, videos, etc. At the end of the course, there is a quiz that you need an 80% accuracy to pass and earn badges and/or certificates and points. The MEC teaches members not only tools provided by Microsoft and Window system but also how to collaborate with other possible learning tools, such as Skype and Minecraft. It is aiming to improve methods of learning and maximize the influences of learning.


Personal Experiences Taking Different Courses

Seventeen sustainable development goals are no poverty; zero hunger; good health and well-being; quality education; gener equality; clean water and sanitation; affordable and clean energy; decent work and economic growth; industry, innovation and infrastructure; reduced inequalities; sustainable cities and communities; responsible consumption and production; climate action; life below water; life on land; peace, justice and strong institutions; partnerships for the goals.
Seventeen sustainable development goals that are trying to be achieved by 2030.

The Teaching Sustainable Development Goals is my first course in the MEC. The course explains not only the aim and definition of sustainable development but also seventeen goals we all agree to achieve by 2030. There are also suggestions on what we can do to help with it, and how we can spread out the idea to protect our planet. I know what is sustainable development before I take this course, but I do not know there are so many goals for the whole project. Therefore, I learned more and am now be updated.

A picture shows students discussing in groups and with the use of different tools to search the answer for the Mystery Skype.
Students are enjoying and discussing in groups for the Mystery Skype.

Introduction to Skype in the Classroom is another course I took. It broadened my horizon that I was surprised at the functions of Skype. Besides guest speaker and general class discussion, the Virtual Field Trip and Mystery Skype are new to me but become my favorite at once. Experts go on live virtual field trips to museums, parks, historical landmarks, etc. with a class of students through Skype. Or students can play a game through Skype with another class, and guess where they are from by asking only Yes or No questions. I think these two are the significant features of introducing Skype in a classroom, helping students to learn better in different cultures, critical thinking, and communication skills. I also believe that relaxing and funny class time boosts students’ interest in learning.

A picture shows the displays of the Microsoft Windows 10 system built-in app, Paint 3D.
A display of the Paint 3D app from the Windows 10 system.

One of the exciting course I took is Introduction to Paint 3D, which is a built-in app in Windows 10. There are different tools, features, and figures inside, allowing you to create both 2D and 3D projects with as many details as you want. I think I would be useful one day when I become an Organizational Psychologist and trying to show my clients our office planning designs. Even, I can include some 3D images in my PowerPoint to make it more attractive and clear in expressing my ideas.


Above are only some valuable courses in MEC. I am still on my way learning as much as I can. Although I am not using the Windows system now, I believe most of the companies are making good use of this system. Therefore, I have a high probability of using all the tools mentioned in any courses. Even, I am not using these tools one day, I would, of course, have a chance to teach others. As aiming at working in the business setting Psychology field, I think taking more courses can provide me with diverse ideas on improving engagement. It is difficult to explain all the details and actual feelings taking courses and reaching a lot of resources from this platform. I highly recommend all of you to join. What you only need is to create a free account!

Finally, thank you for visiting my blog and please do not forget to follow me on Twitter for more related information and discussions.
Twitter: @PoYeeWong4

How Can Watching A Movie Be A Part Of Global Learning?

Do you like watching movies?
If yes, what is your favorite genre?
Do you think you can learn about cultures from movies?

I recently watched a South Korean movie called 200 Pounds Beauty. It is a musical romantic comedy released in 2006. It was touching, funny, and the most important, inspiring.

Full movie of 200 Pounds Beauty on YouTube with English subtitles.

Plot

The main girl in the movie is Hanna Kang. She has a dream of being a famous singer. She is talented with a beautiful voice. However, she is overweight that she is not accepted to be a pop star. Hanna’s talent being discovered by a director called Sang-jun. The entertainment company takes advantage of Hanna’s voice, letting her be a ghost singer for a famous pop singer, Ammy. Being insulted by Ammy and overhearing the conversation between Ammy and Sang-jun. Hanna figures out that the only reason Sang-jun being so nice to her is because of her voice. Hanna is heartbroken that she thinks she will never have a possibility to gain his love. Being disrupted while attempting suicide, Hanna finally goes to the surgeon and requests a whole-body plastic surgery.

One year later, with a lot of effort in recovering, dieting, and exercising, Hanna becomes a “naturally-looking” beautiful girl. She then lives with a new identity — Korean-American from California named Jenny. When going back to the entertainment company for an audition, Jenny receives a chance to be an independent singer and is going to release albums. Ammy fears to be replaced and loses her fame. Therefore, she tries so hard to search for Hanna. While talking to Jenny, Ammy accidentally realizes that Jenny is Hanna. Sang-jun also realizes the truth a day before Jenny’s concert. Jenny is disappointed and heartbroken that she is only a “tool” to Sang-jun helping him to make money. All negativity and pressure break out that Jenny cannot handle it anymore. She reflects and regrets undergoing surgery. To hide her secret perfectly, she loses her best friend, ignores her father with Alzheimer’s, and her true self. She cannot withstand it and tells all the truth in front of her audiences and fans in her concert.

Fortunately, Jenny regains her relationships with her best friend and father. Staff from the entertainment company and all her fans appreciate her courage to admit all her faults and disclose them. She then gives up the name Jenny and develops her new singer to identify with her real name Hanna.


Cultural Aspect Learning

As I was born in Asian culture and now living in Western culture, I would like to compare similarities and differences between the two.

First, in Western cultures, plastic surgery seems to be less common than in Asian cultures. Westerners usually focus on body shape only that dieting and fitness training are always enough to make ideal changes. Therefore, Westerners are less likely to undergo plastic surgery. However, for some Asian people, their facial features are less sharpen than Westerners, which is hard to be corrected with make-up only. Therefore, they are more likely to have surgery to make themselves look prettier. According to the reaction of Sang-jun and audiences towards plastic surgery, they are not accepted at the beginning. However, with a clear explanation and disclosure, they understand and mostly accept it as a good outcome.

From the perspective of ideal body shape, Westerners appreciate healthy body shape with muscles. On the other hand, based on Hanna’s point of view, she prefers only skinny and thin. This difference represents the social norm of people’s definitions of beauty. It is the reason why Hanna chooses to have surgery rather than only physical training. What Hanna does to rebuild her beauty are bone reconstruction and liposuction (a surgical procedure to remove fat from specific body parts). I understand Hanna’s thoughts when comparing the scenes that Hanna and Ammy are wearing the same red dress. She believes that Ammy looks prettier with the same red dress because Ammy is skinnier than she does. Hanna is looking for a body shape like a Barbie doll.

How come an overweight lady not beautiful?

A picture of a tablet with a large sized word "beauty" and different sized relevant words surrounded, such as images, ideal features, physical, and attractive.
A picture indicates relevant words to beauty, giving some ideas on how should people define beauty.

One’s beauty should be determined by internal attributes instead of appearance. A good-looking appearance should only be a bonus, but not the foundation.


At the beginning of the movie, Hanna is asking for a change to her fortune with Sang-jun. She receives an amulet written on a yellow paper with red ink. I think there is a religious difference that Westerners are less likely to ask for something like that, except Buddhist. Instead, I think Westerners prefer Tarot Reading. However, one thing is similar between Westerners and Asian people, like Hanna. People believe in themselves that they trust they can make their dreams come true. Even Hanna is told impossible to be together with Sang-jun, she still tries everything she can think of to gain attention from him. At the end of the movie, Sang-jun starts having a feeling to her. Hanna wants to be a singer, thus, she comes back for auditioning and finally releases albums. Based on my observation of my Americans and Asian friends, they are all hard-working in pursuing their goals. They apply for part-time jobs, look for resources to support their career plans, keep developing both soft and hard skills, etc. Therefore, I believe no matter what cultural background people grow up with, they all hold a strong positive attitude and passion toward their goals.


A picture of Korean hotpot to explain the different eating habit as American.
A picture of the Korean hotpot represents the sharing style of eating habits in Korea. It is different from the Western dining style that there is no specific order of what food to be served first and after.

Finally, I also notice some lifestyle differences in the movie. Hanna and her best friend are eating in a restaurant that has different dishes as restaurants in America. Americans usually have pasta, soup, or salad in the restaurant while Koreans usually have Korean Barbecues or hotpot inside the restaurant. Koreans meals do not have to be set meals. They prefer sharing everything, and no specific order of appetizer comes first with the main course comes after.

From the scene after Hanna finishes her surgery, she goes shopping along a busy street. There are small boutiques like what we have in busy cities. Unlikely to most of the areas in America, there does not have to be a large shopping mall with different brands’ counters inside and a large parking lot outside. Additionally, there are more high-density buildings in Korea. Most of the people live in apartment buildings, and only a small group of rich people live in single houses. Conversely in America, residents are relatively more common in living in single houses or low-density buildings. It is because America, as a larger country, has more spaces for constructions.


Although I mention a lot of comparisons in this blog post, it is not absolutely reflecting the actual culture of America and Korea. I only base on what I see from this movie and what I know about America since I moved here. Also, this movie mainly focuses on the experience of being a pop singer. It is not a typical life of a common young adult. Therefore, the discussion above should be specific to the setting of this movie. There is always room for better, more diverse, and deeper investigation of cultural issues. Therefore, I am always glad and desired to have more comments and suggestions for further conversations. Please feel free to share your recommended movies and your perspectives on cultural differences and similarities between your country and a foreign one.

Thank you, everyone, for visiting my blog and please do not forget to follow me on Twitter for more related information and discussions.
Twitter: @PoYeeWong4

What Do You Think Of Twitter?

The Twitter logo
The Twitter logo.

Twitter is one of the main social media tools I am using for these few months. It is a pleasant experience that I have never thought of how beneficial it is before I try it out. I think more specialists are using Twitter than other social media tools, such as Facebook. Therefore, I am easier to find for professional sources by searching hashtags #edtech#psychology, and #edchat. As a Psychology major, I am surprised that many tweets are sharing various experiences and techniques in learning. Some learning methods and skills are typical and ordinarily used, but I learned how to apply them to different scenarios for tremendous and unexpected results. Therefore, using Twitter in learning to be a global educator and learner widens my horizon in how much I can learn from others. Twitter is a worldwide using tool that all people around the world can share, explain, and debate topics. Here is an excellent example that a sixth-grader expressed his purpose of school, which reminds me to reflect on my purpose of school. 

“The purpose of school is not just to learn, but become a better human being. Sure, you also need to know your math and history facts. But the point of school is to gain skills like, compassion, self-awareness, organization, and kindness. That is a teachers ultimate goal.”

A sixth-grader

It lighted up my mind that I also wanted to ask myself: what is my purpose going to school? What is education? What should I be ultimately learning from others? Now, my answers are critical thinking and perspective-taking. Can you imagine this is inspired by a six-grade student?

To be more specific, I usually search using #edtech and #edchat for more inspirations. As a Psychology major, I learned to apply learning methods shared by educators in the psychology field. I understood that learning and teaching methods are not limited to the education field but in any other acknowledged situation. 

During the past few weeks, I joined different Twitter chats that are related to psychology. There are more live conversations that people answer three to six questions and respond to others’ replies for educational chats. However, there are more weekly questions than live discussions for psychological chats. I am glad that I can share my relevant experiences with moderators and learn from people’s suggestions. I appreciate that Human Resources (HR) professionals share scientific articles and working skills on Twitter, which are useful for me to develop my Personal Learning Network and career plan being an Organizational Psychologist. However, there is one thing that I can do better in the future. Since I have not started my internship yet, I have no working practice as an HR staff. I am now mainly relying upon others’ sharing, imaginations, and case studies in class. I hope I can share more working experiences with different HR professionals so that they can give me more advice on how the HR office looks like.  

A YouTube video telling people why you should use Twitter.

Overall, I enjoy exploring on Twitter and be active in keeping conversations with learners, educators, and professionals. I think I will keep using Twitter as my primary learning tools to build my network. 

Thank you, everyone, for visiting my blog and please feel free to share your ideas and experiences with me.

Please do not forget to follow me on Twitter for more related information and discussions.
Twitter: @PoYeeWong4

How Students Benefit From Global Learning?

Welcome back to my blog! This week I am reading chapter 4: The Impact of Global Learning of Julie Lindsay’s The Global Educator. The book discusses based on the main four sections:

  1. Global learning’s impact on the educator. 
  2. Global learning’s impact on the student.
  3. Global learning’s impact on the community. 
  4. Golas, challenges, and enablers to global learning. 
A picture that three students holding hands with books around the them and the world implies that people are learning globally with no barriers.
A picture implies students are learning globally without barriers.

In this blog post, I am going to focus on global learning’s impact on students studying Psychology. 

What do you think global learning can change a student? 

According to Lindsay, global learning increases changes for students to engage and partner with all educators and learners worldwide. Students can then hear and share life experiences and cultural differences with each other. Throughout the detail explanations, global learners become more open-minded, trying their best to stand on other’s shoes and finding out both similarities and differences. A journal article, written by Carie L. Forden and Amy M. Carrillo (2014), states that applying global learning to a Psychology course using an online platform brings good impacts on students. The U.S.A. students collaborate with college students in Egypt through the Facebook page to finish assignments. At the end of the semester, students report an overall better understanding of course conceptscultural diversities, and declining in prejudice. Besides, some students also find that they understand themselves more

Back to Lindsay’s point of view, she believes the introduction of global learning on the online platform increases students’ interest in travel and international study. I agree with it that students are inspired to step out and experience the real-world. Hearing from others is a kind of passive learning, in contrast, traveling by themselves is actively viewing and feeling everything around you. Here is the study abroad program website of the University of California, Davis. One of the programs is going to Berlin to study Personality Psychology. The program includes not only lecture classes and exams but also guest speakers, social events with German psychologists and students, and museum visits. Students will have plenty of time and opportunities to explore the city. There are also other education abroad programs recommended to Psychology majors, which mostly have no language prerequisite. However, if you are interested in learning a new language and practice in a native speaking environment, you are welcome to take the language course. 

With some personal experiences, I understand Lindsay’s idea that global learning help with future employment. I studied in Hong Kong for more than twelve years, and I am now studying in the U.S. for almost four years. I always included both places for my future career plan that I am interested in working in both regions with their specific pros and cons. I had a summer internship in Hong Kong last year. It was an excellent experience that I learned a lot about myself, the working culture in a non-governmental organization, and I met different professionals. Now, I am applying for an internship in the U.S. working in the Human Resources department. I am designing to do an independent study during my internship as an HR staff. Therefore, at the end of the semester, I will have both national and international working experiences with people from different backgrounds and cultures. 

International students share their thoughts about studying Psychology in a foreign county.

It is impossible to tell you all the benefits of global learning here, with only a few examples. Luckily, I am sure that global learning does widen students’ horizons and provide them with more opportunities to make their lives colorful. 

Thank you, everyone, for visiting my blog and please feel free to share your ideas and experiences with me.

Please don’t forget to follow me on Twitter for more related information and discussions.
Twitter: @PoYeeWong4