Nets.T Performance Indicator 4

Nets.T Performance Indicator 4 is designed to "Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility" (The ISTE National Educational Technology Standards (NETS.T) and Performance Indicators for Teachers). It lists various ideals teachers should strive for when considering technology in the classroom, one of which I will discuss is teachers should "develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital-age communication and collaboration tools." As I mentioned in an earlier article, it is important that educators as well as students collaborate with other cultures. It is not only important for the exchange of information specific to a particular subject but it also helps eliminate barriers created by societal differences. Better communication between cultures can build a stronger global society.

Collaboration between students and teachers is a valuable educational tool which can also benefit society. Vygotsky, a developmental psychologist, believed the primary goal of education should be to "generate and lead development which is the result of social learning through internalization of culture and social relationships" (www.newfoundations.com/GALLERY/Vygotsky.html). Collaboration allows for the exchange of ideas between cultures which can in turn bridge societal differences. Using education as a means to cure societal ills, can be a handsome by-product of cultural collaboration.

Today's technology allows for collaboration between cultures to be relatively easy. "Students have opportunities once unimaginable to collaborate with peers from other countries in order to gain insight and understanding about these cultures...and to guide students to achieving greater appreciation for cultural complexity and diversity" (Globalization Culture and Education In The New Millennium, Marcelo M Suarez-Orozco and Desiree Baollion Qin-Hillard). There is a web-site which offers the collaborative tools needed for this learning application ( www.web-conferencing-zone.com/virtual-educational-classroom.htm). They still have a long way to go before all the bugs are worked out (economically as well as the ease to implement any chosen soft-ware application). However, the benefits of such a learning experience would well be worth the time and money needed to invest.