This week my assignment is to choose a topic from the class textbook The Global Educator, that interests me. After reading the chapters I couldn’t get rid of one specific sub-header: Community Engagement – Closing the Gap. I believe it is essential for teachers to receive support not only from their principals, but also from the administration, community, local, state, and government officials. By these various entities coming together to collaborate on the best way to incorporate technology efficiently in our schools, the technology will begin to close.

The following video is a good example of how members of a rural community has come together to help bring their schools up-to-date with technology.

Obtaining community engagement does not only benefit schools local it helps close the gap globally. In nations lacking proper infrastructure are in dire need of technology especially within schools so students can expand their classrooms beyond their regions. The image below is from a classroom in Tanzania where students are able to engage with technology to flatten their classrooms. As, more regions receive the much needed technology student will be able to collaborate and exchange ideas globally.

 

In various low socio-economic regions technology such as computers are needed, however, these regions are making use of older forms of technology like televisions, radios, cell phones, projectors, etc. Developed nations no longer has any use for these products, so most of them are shipped overseas where these countries are transforming them into some incredible educational resources.

In regions like India and the Amazon, the radio is used to transmit information to schools and televisions are used to help teach reading to the illiterate population. There are more astounding ways older technology is used to promote education in disadvantage regions. You can read more about it in this link.