Global+Awareness


 * Global Awareness: “The Way We Are” **
 * __ Description: __** The idea of creating lessons that promote global awareness to the fullest extent is something that is becoming more popular in schools. With the help of websites such as ePals, which I used for this activity, the idea of teaching global awareness is more realistic. ePals is a Microsoft supported website that provides an environment for students to collaborate on selective technology projects in a safe project-based learning network. “ePals has classrooms in 200 countries and territories. Learners can easily connect locally, nationally or internationally”. With the support of Microsoft, ePals is now able to expand beyond computers to mobile phones, and any other browser. The reason for expansion is the Epals existing e-tool, Live@edu. ePals is not the only website available to assist with teaching global awareness. Some other websites include, globalschoolnet.org, PBS Kids, and iEARN.
 * __ Link to Global Awareness Lesson: __**


 * __ Process for Determining: __** I chose the website ePals because the layout and language is age-appropriate for middle and high school levels that we teach. I also chose the sight because the teacher and administrators have access and control of student interaction and use of the technology in the classroom. For example, “SchoolMail”, the product we will be using with our Unit, is a free service provided by ePals that allow students in grades K-12 to send emails in a safe-school enviroment. SchoolMail is not only safe; its features allow e-mail content to be monitored while students enjoy the freedom of safely communicating with their peers worldwide. Some of the features offered at no extra cost include e-mail set-up, monitoring, privacy and content control, free e-mail accounts for each student, home to school connections, and familiar features such as Inbox, Delete box, Sent box, Compose, and more. One of the features I particularly like is the filters provided that allow teachers to block teasing and threats, racial attacks, hate messages, vulgar speech, and possible interference from outside predators. As far as the lesson that I chose to create for the global awareness lesson, I chose the activity “The Way We Are”, to make my students aware of the differences among people from other descents and cultural background, and to understand that their behavior is predicated upon their beliefs, which more than likely are different than ours. My focus will be to collaborate with students’ world wide using e-mail provided by the ePals website, blogging, and open discussion among students of various cultures within our school. The activity will begins with the introduction of cultures and ePals. Students will first learn about the ePals site and set up an account. The introductory activities include a My Culture Worksheet, Cultural Bingo, All About Me, and My Pen Pal and Me. These activities will help students discover what they know about the term culture, other cultures, what they say, write about, believe, think is good, and how they act toward people of different backgrounds.


 * __ Reflection: __** I really found this activity to be an eye opener for me. I never knew that there were ways that you could connect your students with an entire class or other students in a completely different country. I remember when I was little and having a pen pal that I would have to communicate with in school. With the advancements in technology and the idea of websites such as ePals, our students are now able to experience the same things I did but on a more “virtual” level. The best part about the resources that we researched this week is the control that the teachers have over the communication that their students are participating. In today’s society there are so many fears for parents, having their children online talking to people, let alone from a completely different country. With the access and control that teachers are given, the students can still communicate and learn about other cultures while putting their parent at ease.