Tag Archives: #Psychology

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

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 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

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

How To Create Sticky Learning?

Hello everyone! Welcome to my blog, and here is my first post! As a Psychology major, I am always interested in reading research articles related to my field (either clinical or organizational psychology). Also, with good use of Twitter, I can easily find information by search #edtechchat and #psychology. The article below is one that caught my eyes the most recently. 

How To Make Learning Stick: Top Tips From Learning Psychology

The article “How To Make Learning Stick: Top Tips From Learning Psychology” is written by Steve Penfold and published on the eLearning Industry webpage. Penfold was inspired by Stella Collins, a Learning Psychologist, on how to learn better. Penfold introduced 7 ways to make learning more effective as a long term memory. Below is an outline of the article:

  1. Encourage active engagement – try to be an active learner. Beyond only listening to your educators’ explanations on different topics, learners should actively show their responses. For example, learners can give feedback, join discussions, and participate in related activities.
  2. Use what people already know – make connections with past knowledge. You can imagine it as adding a new thing to an existing network which you are accustomed to. Linking new information to what you have already known and familiar with makes it easier to be part of your long term memory, which is then easier to retrieve.
  3. Make deliberate links – try to make as many connections to the things you know as possible. Similar to the previous point, connections are hints in learning and memorizing. The more hints you have, the easier you can recall when needed. 
  4. Tap into emotions – strong feelings help memorize. Both positive and negative emotions help to learn because those feelings also represent your own experiences and reactions to the situations.
  5. Repeat – regular practices keep brain neurons and muscles active. Repeating the same materials help move the information from short term memory to long term memory, as well as, leading to the faster recall.
  6. Keep it fresh – excitement catches attention. Even you are learning the same things, learn from new perspectives and different methods can make you feel more passionate to learn and review.
  7. Use storytelling – remember and share materials like you are telling others an impressive story. When you gather all the details and relevant points of a topic you want to learn, try to make them an easy remembering story. You are learning, recalling, and teaching when you are telling the story to others.

Have you ever tried any of these ways? Are they useful?
Or any other learning methods you wan to share with me?

I was firstly attracted by the keywords “Tips” and “Learning Psychology.” I took Psychology of Learning class before, and I understand that everyone can learn as diverse as they want and as efficient as possible. They just need the appropriate strategies!

I agree with the tips shared in this article that I use most of them for my years of school life. Learning and teaching are lifetime activities that people should find ways to keep themselves passionate. Together with other reinforcement strategies, I believe that learners can boost their learning capability in a stress-free environment.

If you are interested in more learning tips, this article may help. Full video of Learning Psychologist Stella Collins’s interview is included in this article.
A image of two people chatting.
Feel free to share your experiences!

Thanks for reading my first blog and sharing your ideas with me! 

Please don’t forget to follow me on Twitter for updates and more article sharing.
Twitter: @PoYeeWong4