Global Awareness and Digital-Age Communication

          The internet, among opening up worlds of information and useful ways of sharing information, also provides ways to interact with people across the world. One living in a rural town in Pennsylvania can learn about things going on in a Zulu community in South Africa. Perhaps even more useful for education, American students can Facetime or Skype other students in Australia, or Tweet to their favorite authors, actors and scientists to ask questions, and be more informed. The digital age has destroyed the line that was once drawn between people who were nearly impossible to communicate with and the average student. This opens doors for students to hear more about what is happening currently in any place in the world, as well as building tools for networking and communicating with people across the globe.
           Fan mail, letters and phone calls was once the major way to get ahold of celebrities or recognized figureheads. In the digital age, any person with access to the internet may tweet direct insults, praise or questions to their favorite or least favorite celebrity. This knowledge can be used as classroom activity. For example, the famous artist Ai Wei Wei, in China uses his art as a way to protest the government. In a classroom activity during a unit on social activism, justice or even politics, students can work together to form a question for Ai Wei Wei through Twitter to learn more about his message and methods. It is not a guarantee that students will receive an answer from the artist (which can lead to other discussions such as internet censorship, or translation complications), but that is even an opportunity to work through the disappointments that often comes with this sort of outreach to celebrities. There is also a profound lesson in networking, which is how many, if not most, people secure a job and will secure jobs in the future. Learning to navigate the global digital age is a tool students can and will use for the rest of their lives.
         Another idea is having a classroom partnership with an English -speaking classroom overseas. The classroom can have one -on -one penpals, or the classroom can Skype each other weekly and learn more about the differences and similarities their lifestyles have. This will help students get involved and create a meaningful experience and relationships through digital communication. There are many ways one can go about creating a digitally literate classroom, but it is important to keep parents informed and engaged in their child's use of digital communication.