Walk down the street of any city in America, you will see that the different cultures of the world are not as segregated as they used to be. “The [(2007)] Census also reported that 38.1 million foreign-born residents comprised 12.6 % of the population. Then, in 2008, it predicted that by 2042, more than half of the population would be minorities with much of the increase due to immigration.” (Krase, 2009). The continuous rise in immigration means a mixing of cultures. Although the mixture of cultures has a large magnitude of positives, it also brings with it a great deal of difference in beliefs, life styles, and ethics.
As educators and adults, it is our job to foster respectfulness and prepare students for this fact of life. Julene Reed stated in her article entitled, Global Collaboration and Learning, How to create a world of success without leaving your classroom, “Educators need to find ways to connect students from different parts of the world so that they can learn together, share knowledge and develop cultural understanding and relationships. Through these types of learning experiences, students will increase their global awareness and understanding of other cultures in different parts of the world” (2007). Reed’s article provides several different digital media means that can be implemented into any classroom, such as email, digital photography / video storytelling, blogging, websites, video conferencing, etc.
A project that I planned to on doing but ran out of time at the end of this past year involved the majority of these means of digital media. The project was going to be a virtual design challenge within my Introduction to Engineering and Design class. The student(s) would have been paired up with another student(s) to design a prototype product that would solve a challenge while staying within all of the constraints and criteria given. The project would involve the students to videoconference, communicate via email and screencasts, and finally present the solution through the means of a live videoconference presentation. The presentation would have been created through multi-editing software, like Prezi that integrated media such as 3D animations, screen captures, videos, and digital images.
This project sounds all well and good, but without the ethical and mutual respect between the students, the project would not be as successful as it could be. Doing project as such is a great learning experience for an individual of any age, especially 18 years of age and younger. Teaching these young individuals an ethical code of conduct and behavior is a life long lesson. The ethical mind “requires more abstract and reflective thinking about one's behavior. No matter what type of work a person undertakes, [(he or)] she can stand back and ask what [(he or)] she needs to do for [(his or)] her work to be excellent in quality and ethical in conduct, and then follow through with those responsibilities. Without this mindset, a person can be easily swayed into doing compromised work that cuts corners, just to be able to get ahead (Maria Fusaro, 2009).
Fusaro, Maria. "Five Minds for the Future." Usable Knowledge. Harvard Graduate School of Education, n.d. Web. 14 June 2012. <www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu/teaching/TC106-607.html>.
Krase, Jerry. " “Diversity in America: Past, Present, and Future?” by Jerry Krase | BrooklynSoc.Org ." BROOKLYNSOC.ORG. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 June 2012. <http://www.brooklynsoc.org/blog/node/70>.
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