December 2020 – The Ocean of Technology

Sometimes we are inspired in life, but there are also moments when we inspire others. This is especially true in the world of educators. When it comes to Online Global Collaboration, there is a heavy reliance on educators sharing their stories and ideas they have used to connect with others around the globe. Even if the idea does not result in success, it is still important to share because you never know when someone else might come up with the missing gear to make the project work.

In The Global Educator book, Julie Lindsay does a great job using case studies to highlight educators who promote Online Global Collaboration. These case studies are great examples of sharing information so that others are inspired to achieve a level of collaboration within their classrooms and schools.

Two specific case studies that I feel can be used to show the importance of caring about others around the world include:

Case Study 3.5- Tracy Winey: One Million Lights
Case Study 3.7- Pernille Ripp: Global Read Aloud

In Case Study 3.5 we learn about Tracy Winey’s redeveloped project to help bring light to different parts of the world at night so that children can read. The project was originally developed in her school in Colorado. With the project, she redesigned elements to allow for a better alignment to global collaboration. What I like most about the project is the idea that students get to work with others to co-create something.

Using 3-D printing, students could design lights that could be used in various parts of the world. Students from the United States and Canada worked to bring these lights to disadvantaged communities in Uganda. The problem was one that the children could help solve which is a good way to get them involved in wanting to help others. If the students do not feel as though they can make a difference, it can be much harder to motivate them to work on a project.

If you are interested in learning more about One Million Lights you can check out this blog.

Case Study 3.7 from The Global Educator has a similar message of the importance of global collaboration. This case study focused on Pernille Ripp and the Global Read Aloud. Those involved decide on a book that is appropriate for the class that is participating. From here, they work together with other classes to organize when chapters are read. The students can then discuss ideas that come up from their reading and can collaborate with their partner classes to work through them. They can be inspired to create projects to address any social injustices they come across.

The best part of the project that Pernille Ripp discusses is that collaboration does not need to necessarily take place globally. The connections can be made with other classes from within the United States. By using a commonality, the students find ease in communicating with others that would typically classify as different. More information about Global Read Aloud can be found on their website.

The idea that students can be introduced to Online Global Collaboration in a way that is not overwhelming will allow for more complex connections to be made in the future. These educators and students can share what they have learned from these experiences to hopefully inspire others to collaborate as well.

I encourage you to read more case studies with similar messages in The Global Educator. We can learn by example and then be inspired to do something more that will show care and compassion to those who may need it most.

Please let me know if you have any examples of projects that can help facilitate Online Global Collaboration below!

One of the goals of education is to teach students about cultures and ideas that are different than their own. While traditional tools and methods have helped achieve this to some extent, giving students a more immersive approach can make learning more long-lasting. With this approach, students can hopefully be able to recall more information from their long term memory.

This is where virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality can make a significant impact on global collaboration. These types of apps and programs allow a user to feel as though they are physically in the space they are viewing. With Virtual Reality, you can be immersed in the environment. In Augmented Reality, you can navigate through a place without needing to wear a device. Mixed reality is a combination of the two. You can get up close and personal with whatever image or scene is around you in comparison viewing it on a traditional 2D surface. It has been suggested that when students experience a more immersive approach to learning, they retain more than traditional methods would provide.

While VR, AR, and Mixed Reality can be used across many different subject areas, using them for art education has proven especially successful. This is supported even more so during the Covid-19 pandemic because students and classes are being forced to stay home.

One of the leading companies providing virtual access to art is Boulevards Arts. This app can be downloaded for android as well as iOS platforms. There is even an option to use it on a computer as well. Per the Boulevard Arts website, the app can be used with Samsung Gear VR, Oculus Rift Oculus Go, and Google Daydream View. It can also be used with ARKit Ready iOS devices and Microsoft Hololens.

While the cost of the app is rather inexpensive at $2.99, the expense lies with the physical tools needed to experience the virtual reality. This is where the augmented reality experiences might be more attainable for schools with a limited budget.

In addition to the features within the app to view various paintings and museums, Boulevard Arts also provides free lesson plans, object lists, as well as resources that can be used alongside the app. Teachers simply need to visit the Contact Us page from their website to request these materials. They also offer “Virtual Reality Based-In-Class Labs”. These are designed for middle school and high school students to get them excited to learn about two different periods in American History.

Even though their standard app itself is useful in education, Boulevard Arts has teamed up with Edmentum to create the Boulevard x ED app. This allows for a customized version that works with publishers to match accreditation course needs.

It is great to see how the company is working to create more ways to bring culture into the classroom that fits a variety of diverse needs. It is also great to know that these kinds of apps can be used to develop a connection with other classrooms and students.

Making sure to work with others is key to following a global approach to learning. An important factor to this is that collaborating does not need to take place across different continents. This can happen in areas close to each other. While geographically close, the cultures in these areas can be vastly different. It is important to work with local collaborations before you approach global collaborating. Two schools within the same country can work together to talk about the artifacts they have been exposed to using virtual reality, augmented reality, or mixed reality. Even with being located within the same area, the artwork can present different meanings and stories for the students.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, schools can then work with classes that are not close to one another to see what kind of collaboration they can develop. A school in London might have students who have gone to a museum that a classroom in the United States has visited via VR or AR. The students from London might be able to discuss something about the artwork that the students in the United States may not have been able to pick up on. From here, they can then work together to create a project inspired by the experiences they had.

It is so important for educators to always search for new ways that students can be engaged in their learning. VR, AR, and Mixed Reality are growing in popularity and are a big part of the future of education. If we do not keep up, the students will be the ones teaching us about these exciting new tools.

Do you have any suggestions for other VR, AR, or Mixed Reality tools? Please leave a comment below for me to go check them out!