Introduction:
Global education as an idea and practice has attracted a lot of attention these days, and researchers have developed a theoretical framework for citizenship in the era of globalization. Three research-based dimensions of global citizenship are presented within this framework: understanding global events, issues, and perspectives; participation in global networks; and advocacy for global issues and problems. Today’s students in the United States, known as the millennial generation, use the Internet more than 90% of the time, and more than half of them use it to research politics. Technology has the power to shape young people’s political, economic, and social environments. As many as 87% of 12- to 17-year-olds use the Internet, and the number of American teens using the Internet has increased by 24% over the past four years. The majority of states in the US offer PK-12 courses in subjects such as American history, world history, government, economics, political science, sociology, and psychology, making social studies education one of the most important platforms for civic education. To prepare citizens for the twenty-first century, the field of social studies must overcome many obstacles. This study looked at three aspects of engaged citizenship in a global age and how students’ use of technology relates to each. He found that using PowerPoint and the Internet affects student civic engagement and motivation, but other factors, such as how the activity is focused on the student, may also have an effect. In addition, the ontology students’ civic beliefs and the ways in which they used various techniques to develop the knowledge, perspectives, and behaviours needed for active citizenship were examined. ( Brad M. Maguth, 2012)
This study focused on parental involvement during the first pandemic-related confinement in Portugal, with most students taking online classes and 80% of parents helping their children study for at least 30 minutes each day. According to this study, parental involvement time decreases significantly as children become more independent, but there are usually smaller differences between primary and secondary education than one hour. Some parents faced difficulty organizing their working hours while helping their children access their online classroom, especially those who went to public schools.(Educ. Sci. 2021)
The challenge of global cooperation for my students in grades 6 through 12 is that the elementary school has been using COVID-19 devices, but many parents report that their children are still having access problems. When adults are working and students are online at the same time, there is a significant fight over access to synchronous learning times. This is in addition to the physical space and Internet access issues.
ISTE standard and goal I want to address are:
ISTE 7a: Inspire and encourage educators and students to use technology for civic engagement and to address challenges to improve their communities.
Course objective four. Model and promote diversity, cultural understanding, and global awareness by using digital-age communication and collaboration tools to interact locally and globally with students, peers, parents, and the larger community.
Questions:
How can technology be used to encourage civic engagement among students and broaden their cultural and global awareness?
Solution:
The previous year, two educators, Nicole Edwards of Educating for Democracy in the Digital Age and Chris Sloan of Judge Memorial Catholic High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, saw the potential of connecting with their students via a Google Hangout. By using online tools like visual.ly and easel.ly, Edwards showed her students how to make infographics, and the students then used those tools to make a group project. By taking the chance to express what they were thinking to others, the students developed the courage to speak their minds and the knowledge that what they say matters. To bring about long-lasting change, civic engagement educators should concentrate on local issues that are important to them, share their infographics online, and raise awareness of these issues. California’s Michelle Espino, a literacy teacher, decided that recycling should be a class project after realizing how important it is on her campus. More than 704 gallons of waste were successfully diverted from landfills for recycling. The best practices for civic engagement educators include starting small, making connections to local issues, and innovating with the assistance of other educators. We now have a ton more opportunities than ever before to communicate with one another and have important conversations.(Young Whan C, 2016)
For example, using digital and media literacy skills to help students understand, investigate, and connect with the world outside of their classroom, teachers need to think about and promote new ways of connecting, collaborating, thinking, and creating beyond the classroom. According to the Partnership for 21st Century Learning (P21), students need to develop the “sensibilities” for advancing solutions that will have an impact on future generations. Global competence is essential for innovation. The teacher expertise framework for developing 21st century skills (P21) is a helpful tool for considering the teacher’s role and responsibility for fostering environments and implementing instructional strategies that promote cultural and global awareness. Teachers can connect with classrooms around the world using digital tools like Flipgrid and Skype to understand, research, and have discussions. Global problems. Students have the chance to learn about the world and pose questions to experts through virtual field trips and guest speakers. Through ePals, teachers can also connect their students with overseas virtual pen pals. Students are encouraged to participate in critical and in-depth discussions about how cultures are represented in print and digital media by ePals, which offers a private workspace for international classrooms. Students can record their screen, annotate over multimedia, and narrate analysis of media content using tools for screen annotation like Screencast. These concepts support the two listed indicators, as well as a wide range of indicators for teachers and global competencies. In order to support and foster global competencies in the students, teachers should look for professional development opportunities to learn how to best integrate digital tools and media.(TEPHANIE BRANSON AND MEGAN JONES, 2018)
The most important information in this text is the eight tactics for increasing student engagement in the classroom. These include using technology in the classroom to guide their learning, work together, and comprehend topics that interest them more deeply. Additionally, blogs are brief online articles that are gaining popularity all over the world. By publishing written assignments as blogs, students can showcase their work and encourage one another. Like Medium, WordPress, Blogger, and Weebly, there are free blogging platforms available. Podcasts and videos are both engaging formats for submitting assignments. A computer or portable media player can download podcasts as digital audio files. Having access to immediate communication with anyone, at any time, via the internet can boost students’ interest on a worldwide scale. Gamifying Your classroom comes to life when you introduce competition or levels of achievement to a lesson, and applying gaming principles can enhance learning. Compared to written text, visuals offer more information and are more engaging. Using presentation software like Keynote or PowerPoint, simple infographics can be created. Every student’s reading should be recorded using voice recording software because occasionally students are unaware of the sound of their voices during reading. Using an interactive whiteboard to hold students accountable for their attendance can save you time compared to taking attendance by asking students to raise their hands. Because online learning is becoming more and more common in educational settings, think about using different teaching and grading techniques. Online, make and exchange digital plans involving the students are made with Plankboard. You can evaluate students’ comprehension of and aptitude for following instructions through online tests. You can learn more about using technology in the classroom by reading our articles Your First Steps in Creating Tech-Savvy Teachers and 3 Tips on Using Technology to Foster Engaged Students.( Chalk, 2023)
Resources:
Maguth, B.M. (2012) The effective implementation of professional learning communities – ed, https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1118192.pdf .
STEPHANIE BRANSON AND MEGAN JONES Ila’s Blog (no date) International Literacy Association. Available at: https://www.literacyworldwide.org/blog/literacy-now/2018/02/23/using-digital-and-media-literacies-to-expand-global-perspectives
Ribeiro, L.M. et al. (2021) Parental involvement during pandemic times: Challenges and opportunities, MDPI. Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute. Available at: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/11/6/302 .
C., Y.W. (2016) Civic engagement in the Digital age, Common Sense Education. Available at: https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/civic-engagement-in-the-digital-age.
Bennett, S. (2023) How to increase student engagement with technology, Chalk. Available at: /https://www.chalk.com/resources/increasing-student-engagement-technology/
ISTE student standards. Available at: https://iste.web.unc.edu
Digital Education Leadership 