Abstract

During the 2007-2008 school year, students from Nathan Hale High School and students from a refugee camp in Palestine, introduced themselves, exchanged interests, discovered similarities and differences, and learned about a culture half way around the world, all without having to leave their classrooms. Global Learning Networks (GLN) exist where media, the internet and Information Communication Technology converge with education. At this crossroad there are many opportunities to engage students in real life issues and increase intercultural understanding. However, with the increase in curriculum standardizations in U.S. classrooms, teachers face time restraints that can discourage them from integrating extra projects into the class activities. GLN programs may offer unique learning opportunities to students, but in order to find a place in U.S. classrooms, they need to be compatible with curriculum and accessible to teachers

For my research I conducted a case study investigation on the program between Nathan Hale High School students in Seattle, WA and youth from the Ibdaa Cultural Center in the West Bank, Palestine. My research focuses first on the potential learning of GLN programs, and secondly on what program design elements will help promote learning and meet pre-existing demands in the classroom. Education theories include constructivist and transformative learning, and program models rely heavily on collaboration and authentic assessment. My research does not exhaust the possibilities of how GLN can be designed, but instead walks through the challenges that one program faces and suggests adjustments that will help the program be more sustainable and effective.

Disciplines

Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education | Curriculum and Instruction | Instructional Media Design | International and Comparative Education

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