What Needs to Happen?

The timing of the renewed focus on international education is fortuitous.

The educational technology stage has been set and many teachers are eager to utilize the InternetÕs potential to bring the world into their classrooms. What is now needed are:

1) A demonstration program in each state or region to create professional development models, building on the expertise, methodology and materials that have been produced over the past decade by educators who have pioneered this work. In many cases, this will require the development of effective team teaching methodologies among language, global studies and other subject area teachers. Examples of such teams exist for both elementary and secondary schools which can be offered to teachers to adapt and further develop for application and replication nationwide.

2) A compendium of "best practices" in learning through online international collaboration for wide dissemination via the WWW.

3) Comprehensive research to assess the learning impact of the interactive use of the Internet in international exchanges, including an analysis of how international collaborative project work addresses specific national and state educational standards. We need to learn from those who have blazed the path. With the power of the Internet in the hands of teachers and students, we have the potential for realizing the dreams of two Presidents of the Americas, Lyndon Johnson and Oscar Arias.

Not only will the conduct of our foreign policy be furthered as international education permeates classrooms, it will be based on the consciousness that the issues of "environmental destruction and human deprivation, of disease and malnutrition, of conspicuous consumption and military build-up are worldwide problems--problems that affect us all."

 

Source: http://www.ed.gov/Technology/techconf/2000/gragert_paper.html

The full conference can be found at; http://www.ed.gov/Technology/techconf/2000/