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Here are technology resources for TGC-IREX

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Global Citizenship starts with the awareness that there is a world beyond our own nation that we each are responsible for taking part in and taking care of. This includes understanding basic human rights, knowing when they are being threatened, and taking action to defend them.

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Global Language Learning Gives Students the Edge

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Global Language Learning Gives Students the Edge

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The article describes that we are currently in a pivotal point in what is increasingly called world-language education, poised to regain a measure of competitiveness with innovative tools and programs that promote crosscultural understanding. But unless we shed our reluctance to speak any language other than English, the potential of this renaissance may not take hold, and we could lose our edge.

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New methods and technologies are opening up incredible opportunities in this realm, providing real-world connections with those speaking other languages, thus motivating students to learn to communicate in a foreign language. To that end, wired schools are using high-tech tools -- mostly free, like Skype and Google Talk -- that make it easy to connect students with their counterparts in other countries. And government funding is creating opportunities for student-exchange programs.

On the forefront of this cause is the International Education and Resource Network-USA (iEARN), which started in 1988 to foster U.S.-Soviet cultural understanding and has kicked off language learning in 130 countries. Among its key initiatives is an online program where kids from different countries can work together on projects.

Credit: Aaron Meshon

"Some of the Russian-language teachers actually tossed out their textbooks in favor of the authentic interaction we were engaged in," said Ed Gragert, iEARN's executive director. "It's better to present something written by a student, because it's going to be read by a real student."

Gragert calls for more student travel to other countries; it may not build immediate fluency, but that kind of firsthand experience provides critical incentive to learn. As students make friends in other countries, they want to improve their language skills. "If I had my way, everyone in the U.S. would have this kind of experience," he says. But he also notes that at a cost of $5,000 to $10,000 per student, "that's obviously too expensive."

Technology, however, is bridging the gap left by lack of funds by providing affordable new tools that create easy international interactions. Take, for example, the following online services: Elluminate is a conferencing platform that enables schools to collaborate on projects together. Teachers have used Elluminate's videoconferencing technology for a wide range of educational applications, from teacher training to debate competitions to geography lessons. But it's particularly valuable with international connections because it can work over a dial-up connection, the kind still prevalent in the developing world, according to iEARN's Lisa Jobson.

Educators also use VoiceThread, which provides an online space where teachers and students can post dialogue, photos, videos, and audio files that can be retrieved by anyone, anywhere. One person can post a photo or video, for example, and others can add voice or text comments to the item. The basic version of the service is free, and for a small subscription fee, educators can add student email accounts, extra storage, and management tools.

For simple exchanges, there's ePals, a social network for K-12 students: Think online pen pals and digital storytelling. Because ePals was built for schools, it offers secure email and blog tools. Although it is not a specialized language tool -- its Web site deals more with projects on global warming, natural disasters, weather, water, and digital storytelling -- it does help connect thousands of classrooms in 200 countries.

Though some services aren't built specifically for schools, teachers use them in classrooms because of their easy accessibility. The Audacity application allows you to store, edit, and share audio files. Skype and other services make online video chats a breeze. Of course, real-time interactions can be a challenge: Time differences mean students in the U.S. are sleeping while their Korean counterparts are in school, and vice versa. But teachers occasionally organize a Skype chat as a treat at the end of a semester.

Almerinda Garibaldi, who oversees some programs in Brazil for iEarn, says teachers who use these programs are excited by the possibilities for breaking down borders. Garibaldi vividly recalls one teacher, Valda Costa e Silva, telling her "there is no doubt that the use of technologies became the shortest way to overcome borders between the countries and peoples. Now we are here, but we can also be there; everywhere, without limits."

Beyond technology, many other programs are facilitating global encounters. Some initiatives are bringing native speakers from abroad to the U.S. The Chinese ministry sends hundreds of native speakers to America through a program called Hanban to teach the language in Confucius Institutes. These schools are dedicated to Chinese language instruction. In addition, a number of exchange programs work with Hanban to send teachers, administrators, and students to China to supplement the language learning that's happening in the classroom.

Credit: Aaron Meshon

The State Department's National Security Language Initiative provides scholarships for American teens to go overseas for a summer, a semester, or an academic year to get immersed in a language and a culture. "Kids will learn a language better if they have to function in it every day," Gragert notes.

Apart from government organizations, private institutions are also on the task. The Asia Society, for instance, runs 18 schools for more than 4,000 predominantly low-income and minority students. The schools emphasize global themes and proficiency in at least one foreign language (or a world language, as it's increasingly being called in educational circles). The organization also works with mainstream high schools to promote languages, particularly Asian languages, according to Vivien Stewart, vice president of education programs at the Asia Society.

It's a big shift from the backlash that bilingual education suffered several years ago when the issue became entangled with immigration politics and states like California essentially voted it out. Voters resented the notion of immigrants coming to American public schools and being taught in their native language. Yet those students are now getting more of an immersion experience in English, while English-speaking parents are sending their children to schools where lessons are taught in Mandarin, Japanese, or another world language.

Schools that offer language classes are immediately oversubscribed, according to Stewart. Joanne Wright exemplifies the urgency felt by some parents to expose their children to foreign languages. Her children are in their second year at the public Richmond Elementary School, a Japanese immersion program in Portland, Oregon.

"We bought into the idea that learning a second language would make our children better thinkers," she says. "Also, I want my kids to value a culture other than their own. I want them to be exposed to an entirely different way of being -- different values, different foods. They even do math differently."

The first graders spend half the day learning in Japanese and the other half in English, and most subjects are taught in both languages. Although neither of the Wright parents speak Japanese, the children are devouring the language, much to their parents' delight.

On The Precipice

Although this enthusiasm has been a boon for world-language education, these offerings, already relatively slim in the U.S. when compared with other countries, actually slipped in recent years, particularly in the most critical elementary school and middle school years. Budget cuts and the demands of No Child Left Behind have made language education an easy target, according to Nancy Rhodes of the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL).

"What we've seen over the last 10 years is pretty devastating," Rhodes reports. The number of elementary schools offering foreign-language instruction dropped from 31 percent in 1997 to 25 percent in 2008, and the number of middle schools dropped from 75 percent to 58 percent in the same period, according to a study by CAL and Westat, a research organization. Even though 91 percent of high schools offer foreign languages, only 46 percent of students actually take them.

The challenges are multifold. "No Child Left Behind established an overemphasis on reading and math and took away time from the study of languages," says Shuhan Wang, deputy director of the National Foreign Languages Center at the University of Maryland. Because it's not an area being assessed in testing, Wang explains, schools don't teach foreign languages as much.

Compounding the problem is the fact that schools that want to offer a foreign language have trouble finding qualified teachers. Nearly 31 percent of the schools in the CAL survey have some uncertified language teachers. Thirty-six states and Washington, DC, have identified a shortage of world-language teachers, according to Wang.

Inequities also abound. The CAL study found that rural and poor urban schools don't get nearly the world-language offerings that suburban schools do and that while 51 percent of private elementary schools offer language classes, only 15 percent of public schools do.

"People talk about their concern that the U.S. is behind other countries in math and science, but we are much further behind the rest of the industrialized world in language learning than we are in math and science," says the Asia Society's Stewart. "In almost every country, it's compulsory. In almost all of them, it starts in kindergarten. In almost all of them, it goes on for several years. That's a huge difference."

Children who speak only one language may get frustrated with problems that are not easily solved, she notes. But children who speak two or more often seek a new route in attacking the problem.

Changing Priorities

Over the years, Americans haven't considered foreign-language education a priority because it seemed like everyone else learned English, the world's most widely spoken language. It's taught in schools in more than 100 countries and is spoken by 1.5 billion people -- one-fourth of the world's population, according to scholar David Crystal. Adds Stewart, "Because the U.S. has been dominant economically, we felt we could dictate to the world on our terms."

But that scenario has changed drastically. As the economy grows in China and India and, to a lesser extent, the Middle East -- to say nothing of the increasing focus on security after the attacks of September 11 -- studying world languages is becoming a priority. The U.S. State Department's National Security Language Initiative encourages the study of seven languages that are rarely taught in the U.S.: Chinese, Hindi, Arabic, Russian, Korean, Farsi, and Turkish.

But European languages are still valued. Though some have minimized French, for example, the language is spoken in many countries, especially in Africa. And with the U.S. Census Bureau survey counting 34.5 million people speaking Spanish at home, that language is increasingly important domestically.

New programs and classroom innovations that emphasize immersion in culture are boosting the effort. Teachers are beginning to reward students for being able to function in a language, according to Marty Abbott with the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. National standards and state frameworks have all grown out of the idea of encouraging conversation. "We're trying to change the way we assess and teach students," she explains.

In fact, some of the greatest obstacles to world-language education are parents who recall their own miserable experiences. Many Americans were introduced to foreign languages in middle school or high school classes that emphasized conjugation of verbs and other dull grammatical tasks rather than relevant communication skills. "Language teaching in the U.S. has been ineffective," Stewart says. "We start it at the wrong age. Teacher skills are not great. There's a focus on grammar and translation." The result: "Adults who took three years of French don't speak a word," she states.

But the trend toward competency and away from conjugation is helping create a new generation of language learners, one that gains real-world skills with many practical applications.

The Asia Society works toward what Stewart calls "the need for students to graduate from high school college-ready and globally confident. In our shorthand term, the 21st century will be very different than the 20th."

Adds Stewart: "Every issue you can name -- economics, public health, police work, climate change -- there are international dimensions to all of them. You have to have an awareness of other cultures. You can't know about all of them. You can't speak all languages. But languages are going to be important, and we are going to need to continue to learn about them."

Dan Fost is a San Francisco-based freelance writer and the author of a book about baseball called Giants Past and Present, from MVP press.

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How Global Language Learning Gives Students the Edge

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New methods and technologies are opening up incredible opportunities in this realm, providing real-world connections with those speaking other languages, thus motivating students to learn to communicate in a foreign language. To that end, wired schools are using high-tech tools -- mostly free, like Skype and Google Talk -- that make it easy to connect students with their counterparts in other countries.

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Ccommon-sense guidelines for how adults can help their kids use technology to their best advantage.

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7 smart ways to use technology in classrooms

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Elementary school teacher Kayla Delzer’s students tweet, post on Instagram and watch YouTube in class. Here’s why she thinks all kids should do the same.

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Students create infographics make data and processes accessible. Students can select from templates, add charts and visuals, and customize their design.

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Dr. Amanda Sterk

Founder of College UnMazed

Saved $100k in total design costs and earned $30k+ in extra income

"Whether I needed visuals saved as PNG for social media, a PDF for a presentation, or any other file type, Venngage facilitated it with a few clicks."

Read Case Study on How Amanda Sterk Turned Stuffy Content into Beautiful Infographics with Venngage Read Case Study

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Venngage | Professional Infographic Maker | 10,000+ Templates

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Join over 5 Million professionals who consider Venngage the infographic maker of choice. Pick from 10,000+ professional templates made for businesses.

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Website that can be utilized for homework, quizzes, and games for students.

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Join a game of kahoot here. Kahoot! is a free game-based learning platform that makes it fun to learn - any subject, in any language, on any device, for all ages!

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Technology is everywhere--entwined in almost every part of our culture. It affects how we live, work, play, and most importantly learn. With mobile and other wireless devices are becoming an increasing requirement across every industry today, it only makes sense that our schools are also effectively deploying mobile technology in the classroom. However, for many schools, implementing the latest technology is a difficult strategy to navigate.

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10 Reasons Today's Students NEED Technology in the Classroom

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With an increasing emphasis on personalized learning and mobility, using technology in the classroom is a must for schools today. Here are 10 reasons why.

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Platform brings together resources, case studies and background information to help teachers and other educators bring a global dimension to their work.

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Global Dimension: the world in your classroom

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Global Dimension is the UK's leading global learning platform, supporting a community of educators in bringing global connection, compassion, and conversation to life for their students.

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Basic global education resource guide designed to help educators and administrators globalize their teaching, curriculum, and leadership. Website includes global education resources, tools, and information that is available to educators. This site can serve as a starting off point in your journey toward global education.

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Globalocity: A Global Education Resource GUIDE

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Globalocity: A Global Education Resource GUIDE

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Greetings Global Educator, This site is a basic global education resource guide designed to help educators and administrators globalize their teaching, curriculum, and leadership. It is only a small...

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NAFSA Connecting People Changing the World

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NAFSA Connecting People Changing the World

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New global perspective to the standards and will allow teacher education faculty and preparation program providers to rethink and redesign their programs to meet the needs and expectations of students and teachers in today’s globalized world.

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NAFSA releases Global Preparation Lens for InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards used by teacher educator preparation programs

WASHINGTON, December 1, 2015 - Today, NAFSA: Association of International Educators released the Global Preparation Lens for the InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards. This tool brings a new global perspective to the standards and will allow teacher education faculty and preparation program providers to rethink and redesign their programs to meet the needs and expectations of students and teachers in today's globalized world.

The Council of Chief State School Officers' (CCSSO) Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) 2011 Model Core Teaching Standards provide a cohesive, well-established set of standards that articulate a common core of teaching knowledge and skills that cut across all subject areas and grade levels. The standards intend to equip teachers with the resources necessary to ensure that all students reach the goal of being college and career ready.

"The Global Preparation Lens will allow educator preparation programs and professional development providers across the United States to develop the globally competent teaching that is needed to equip students with the skills to succeed in the 21st century," said NAFSA Senior Programs Adviser Betty Soppelsa. "A globally competent teacher with knowledge of the world and the cultural backgrounds of learners can make the local impact of critical global issues resonate with students and foster high-performance and socially responsible action."

The NAFSA Global Preparation Lens offers a new definition of global competence, highlights elements in the InTASC standards that speak directly to a global focus for teachers and learners, and includes additional phrases and concepts to articulate further elements of performances, knowledge and dispositions that contribute to global competence.

"The NAFSA Global Preparation Lens, through its coordination with the InTASC standards, will be invaluable to our members as they integrate a global perspective into their educator preparation curriculum," said Sharon Robinson, CEO and President of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). "For members who are collaborating with education abroad, either in student teaching or as partners, this tool will assist them in internationalizing their program while supporting quality assurance."

"The use of InTASC as a framework for applying a global lens creates an excellent resource for colleges of education and policy makers in considering how their teacher preparation programs can be intentionally globally minded," said Jennifer Manise, Executive Director of the Longview Foundation. "It addresses an important aspect of teaching in the 21st century."

For more information on NAFSA's Global Preparation Lens for the InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards, visit www.nafsa.org/globalpreparationlens.

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New Standards to Integrate Global Education into PK-12 Teaching Standards and Curriculum

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NAFSA releases Global Preparation Lens for InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards used by teacher educator preparation programs WASHINGTON, December 1, 2015 - Today, NAFSA: Association of International Educators released the Global Preparation Lens for the InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards.

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Initiatives to help educators across the world teach their students about Peace Day and to involve young people in activities on the day. The website includes free online education resources.

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We have several initiatives to help educators across the world teach their students about Peace Day and to involve young people in activities on the day. These include our free online education resources (accessed by thousands of educators in almost every country), the Schools' Network and a number of other projects.

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Resources that use PBL to address 21st-century skills such as collaboration, critical thinking and communication. PBLs focus on professional practice and reflection.

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It's time to widen the scope of what project-based learning (PBL) can really do. We've used PBL to engage our students. We've used PBL to help students learn important content and address learning standards. We've used PBL to address 21st-century skills such as collaboration, critical thinking and communication. We've even used PBL to focus on professional practice and reflection.

These are all important goals and foci, but we need to continue to think and reflect on the power of PBL and how it can do even more for our students and for ourselves. The publication "Preparing Students for a Project-Based World" emphasizes that PBL is preparation for the world beyond the classroom, including issues of equity and the global economy.

What sticks out to me is one important word: world. If it's a Project-Based World, shouldn't we use PBL to continue to engage with the world beyond the boundaries of countries and cultures?

I think we need to take the attitude and mindset expressed by Sébastien Turbot who ran projects at the Paris School of International Affairs:

How powerful is it when students are doing what is shared above? Teachers are already engaging students in projects such as these, and we should continue to do them to address global competencies.

What is Global Readiness?

When students are global ready, they are able to meet specific competencies that allow them to be successful in the world around them. However, global readiness is more than simply being able to collaborate or communicate.

Instead, these skills are connected to important nuances of cultures, perspectives and equity. It isn't just that students can collaborate with another person, but that they can partner and work within a global community and take action.

Students develop empathy and global sensibilities, as well as connect with people of different cultures and communities across our world. Global readiness really facilitates a complex mindshift from "me" to "us."

Asia Society has Global Competency Outcomes and Rubrics to support teachers in creating and/or selecting goals to have students work on. These might include students "listening to and communicating effectively with diverse people," "explaining the impact of cultural interactions" or "identifying and creating opportunities for personal and collaborative action to improve conditions."

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills also has K-12 Indicators for Global Readiness that focus on the themes of Understanding, Investigating, Connecting and Integrating. Educators and schools should consider how to embed these indicators into the curriculum as students learn content.

It's not about working on all the skills, it's about the intentionality of what skills, when to address them and how to foster and assess them. All students of all grade levels can and should work toward global readiness.

PBL Can Change the World

Consider this project in process from math teacher Ginger Habel at the Shanghai American School. Students were challenged to design a playground for an actual school in Nairobi, Kenya.

Students had to learn scale, measurement and other various math skills to effectively complete the task. They also had to work around challenges that the school faced including flooding and that part of the school is also located on a hill.

Students selected supplies that were easily available for students to purchase there, and made sure the design was solid and had a feasible budget. Students shared their design with their classes and with the school in Nairobi as well.

Some students also created an Exploratory (a student-run learning time) to help raise money needed for the project. Not only were students impacting other students and communities, but they were examining various perspectives and cultures, as well as collaborating and communicating effectively to address an authentic task. Although the first iteration of this project occurred last year, Ginger hopes to continue to work on this project with her students this year as well.

PBL is the "how" for addressing global readiness. Global readiness calls for students to partner across the globe to solve problems in authentic ways. PBL requires authenticity, whether that's investigating authentic problems, using authentic tools or meeting an authentic need.

PBL also facilitates technology integration, and global readiness calls for students to use technology to learn different perspectives and select media to communicate with diverse audiences. Students must learn content to address global competencies just as PBL projects are clearly aligned to content standards and outcomes.

As you begin to unpack the various global readiness indicators, you see a clear tie to the essential elements of PBL. Not only is there clear alignment, but by focusing global readiness on the "what" and the "how" of PBL, we can bring the world into the classroom and bring students out to the world.

In addition to using PBL for student engagement, we can create projects that are not only meaningful to students but have the potential to change the world.
This blog is part of "It's a Project-Based World" series. To learn more about this series and to learn ways that you can contribute, click the icon below to go to the Project-Based World page. Join in the conversation at #projectbased
For more see:

Andrew Miller is an Instructional Coach at Shanghai American School and is a faculty member for ASCD and the Buck Institute for Education. Follow him on Twitter: @betamiller
Stay in-the-know with all things EdTech and innovations in learning by signing up to receive the weekly Smart Update . This post includes mentions of a Getting Smart partner. For a full list of partners, affiliate organizations and all other disclosures please see our Partner page

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Designing Student Projects for Global Readiness

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It's time to widen the scope of what project-based learning (PBL) can really do. We've used PBL to engage our students. We've used PBL to help students learn important content and address learning standards. We've used PBL to address 21st-century skills such as collaboration, critical thinking and communication.

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Global issues and perspectives database of curriculum-linked teaching resources, that include thematic classrooms, such as online learning spaces preloaded with content addressing a range of important issues. It also includes Best Practices Guide, that share how they have utilized collaborative technologies to facilitate transformative international learning experiences for their students.

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Looking for ideas to bring global issues and perspectives into your classroom? Check out our growing database of curriculum-linked teaching resources, as well as our thematic classrooms - online learning spaces preloaded with content addressing a range of important issues.

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Teacher resources that encourage global perspectives across the curriculum. Activities can be filtered by grade level, issues, country, and learning area.

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7 resources to help educators interested in integrating humane education issues and mathematics.

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"I thought math was just a subject they implanted on us just because they felt like it, but now I realize that you could use math to defend your rights and realize the injustices around you.... [N]ow I think math is truly necessary and, I have to admit it, kinda cool. It's sort of like a pass you could use to try to make the world a better place."
~ Freida, ninth grade, Chicago Public Schools

"Why do I have to learn this?" A question many teachers dread, but probably no subject attracts that query more often than mathematics. Most school math textbooks try to interest students in math with probabilities, percentages and story problems involving pizza or shopping discounts or other consumerist and pop culture connections. What many students claim - and more teachers are realizing - is that the way math is taught today is fundamentally disconnected from and irrelevant to students' lives. Fortunately, there's a growing movement of social justice or humane mathematics education, which offers, as teacher Kurt Schmidt puts it, "mathematics teaching and learning that strives to help students to make good sense of and make positive change in their world." Here are 7 resources to help educators interested in integrating humane education issues and mathematics.

There are also children's books which explore important humane concepts. Two examples are The Rabbit Problem by Emily Gravett, which explores a puzzle by Fibonacci (as well as overpopulation) and It's Raining Cats-and Cats! by Jeanne Prevost, which explores cat overpopulation.

And, our own downloadable activities include opportunities to explore humane education in a math context. One specific example is Too Much of a Good Thing, which uses Algebra to look at pet overpopulation.

~ Marsha
Like our blog? Please share it with others, comment, and/or subscribe to our RSS feed.

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7 Resources for Integrating Math and Humane Education - Institute for Humane Education

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"I thought math was just a subject they implanted on us just because they felt like it, but now I realize that you could use math to defend your rights and realize the injustices around you.... [N]ow I think math is truly necessary and, I have to admit it, kinda cool.

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Engaging students through global issues that includes materials that they have developed to cover the same things that students need to learn to conform to state standards, but with a focus on environmental sustainability.

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Real World Math: Engaging Students through Global Issues by "Facing the Future" is an interesting approach to curriculum development.

Facing the Future addresses issues such as farming, water, pollution, poverty and energy.

According to their project overview:

Our positive, solutions-based programming is designed by and for teachers, and brings critical thinking about global issues to students in every walk of life. We work within the education system to help teachers help students achieve academic success, while preparing them to create and maintain positive, healthy, and sustainable communities. We provide curriculum resources, teacher workshops, and service learning opportunities used by teachers, schools, and districts in all 50 states and over 60 countries. By 2020, Facing the Future programming will reach over 12.5 million students each year.

The materials they have developed cover the same things that students need to learn to conform to state standards, but with a focus on environmental sustainability.

They have a lot of useful activities that are free to download (you only need to provide your email address. They haven't spammed me, so I believe it's safe.) Typical topics are:

From Issue to Opportunity
Students develop criteria for determining what makes an issue global in scope and then brainstorm, categorize, and prioritize the interconnections among the issues and explore solutions.

Fueling the Future
Students compare energy use and CO2 emissions by sector in the United States and China (and optionally in another country).

How Big is a Billion?
A short demonstration of what 1 billion looks like, using increasing amounts of rice to represent the world's population. Students then create their own representations of one billion.

Is It Sustainable?
Students define and discuss sustainability and its three key components: the economy, the environment, and society.

I've seen some sample materials from the Facing the Future program:

Real World Math: Engaging Students through Global Issues - Foundational Algebra and Geometry

I was impressed with the various topics (population growth, poverty reduction, budgeting, paper vs plastic) used as motivation for the algebra and geometry that students need to learn. There si a meaningful context for the math, and hopefully a lesson that students take with them through life. Their description:

This two-part resource engages students in learning foundational algebra and geometry through real-world data on global issues. The teacher's guide and corresponding student workbook contain 15 lessons on topics such as climate change and financial literacy.

I recommend you check out FacingTheFuture. There is a lot of good material there!

Be the first to comment below.

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Real World Math: Engaging Students through Global Issues

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Real World Math: Engaging Students through Global Issues by "Facing the Future" is an interesting approach to curriculum development. Facing the Future addresses issues such as farming, water, pollution, poverty and energy. According to their project overview: Our positive, solutions-based programming is designed by and for teachers, and brings critical thinking about global issues to students in every walk of life.

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Materials, workshops, and consulting services to improve elementary and middle school math education.

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Global Education Resources - Improving teaching and learning with Japanese lesson study and mathematics materials

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Mathematics Common Core Standards applied within global competencies. Includes global math challenges with engaging short informational texts about various places in the world that are accompanied by math questions, social justice questions and resources, including videos.

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The Standards Based Global Education page describes how Common Core State Standards fit into the Global Competencies. This site also provides several subject specific resources to standards-based, globally relevant lesson-plans, videos, and other teaching

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Worldwide math challenge that contain brainteasers.

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Global Math Challenge: an online contest for math lovers worldwide.

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Designed and managed by Sony Global Education with questions by the Japan Prime Math Olympic Committee. Test your math skills in a fun contest with challengers from across the globe.

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Why College and Career Readiness is an Integral Component of K-12 Education

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Why College and Career Readiness is an Integral Component of K-12 Education

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"Four out of 10 new college students take remedial courses due to their inadequate preparation for the academic demands of higher education."  Article that presents Critical Components of Readiness Curriculum in which careful attention should be paid not only to student achievement on standardized exams, but also to student engagement, social behavior, and academic behaviors.

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Why College and Career Readiness is an Integral Component of K-12 Education

September 24, 2014 by Hanover Research

Ready or not, here they come. Over the past few weeks, a wave of incoming college freshman transitioned from high school to higher education to begin their collegiate careers. For many of these students, the shift to postsecondary education marks the fruition of years of learning, preparation, and anticipation. For the districts, teachers, administrators, and parents that have supported these students through this educational journey, the question becomes: 'Are they ready?'

Four of every 10 new college students take remedial courses due to their inadequate preparation for the academic demands of higher education. "Students who have been adequately prepared for college and a career have multiple advantages. Additional remedial courses, often a surprise to students who have done well in high school, prolong the typical timeline to graduate and lead students to incur additional tuition and book costs," comments Susan Thurman, Executive Director of the National Society of High School Scholars ( NSHSS).

This lack of college readiness means more than a few extra hours in class; often, the expenses associated with these additional classes are significant. Remedial classes add up to thousands of dollars in tuition and fees for students and cost taxpayers an estimated $2.3 billion annually, according to Strong American Schools' Diploma to Nowhere report.

Further, the lack of preparation at the onset of a student's educational career is indicative of a larger trend: non-matriculation. The readiness gap is a huge barrier to college attainment and the likelihood of on-time graduation. Of students that take one to two remedial classes in college, only 29% will go on to earn their college degree. Moreover, 38% of students fail to graduate from bachelor's degree programs within four years. This major challenge in higher education graduation and retention directly impacts the skill level and overall capabilities of today's workforce, specifically in STEM fields.

These startling statistics and a renewed federal focus on educational reform are leading K-12 administrators to evolve their college and career readiness (CRR) standards and strategies to ensure their students are adequately prepared to become productive, successful citizens in today's global economy.

Critical Components of Readiness Curriculum

In order to provide comprehensive college and career readiness to all students, careful attention should be paid not only to student achievement on standardized exams, but also to student engagement, social behavior, and academic behaviors. ACT research has demonstrated that "students' overall risk for failure increases if they are at risk in terms of either academic readiness or academic behavior."

Research has identified the correlation between social skills and behaviors, including social competence, and postsecondary success. In response, definitions of college and career readiness have adopted a more holistic approach in recent years. The Educational Policy Improvement Center (EPIC) outlined four key dimensions of college and career readiness: content knowledge, cognitive strategies, learning skills and techniques, and transition knowledge and skills. These four dimensions incorporate auxiliary skills, including study habits and financial literacy, into a broader conception of college and career readiness.

Most efforts to develop college and career readiness focus on secondary students, primarily those in high school. However, shifts in the CRR mindset have led education agencies and researchers to expand readiness programming beyond high school to ensure that younger students are being prepared for success. In a CCR guide developed for state and district leaders, the American Institutes for Research argues that if districts hope to graduate college and career ready students, "vertical collaboration between elementary, middle, and high schools is essential to prevent gaps in curricula and ensure content mastery."

Readiness comprises much more than academic performance. Specifically, social competency and student behavior may serve as more significant predictors for future achievement. Elise Swann, Content Director in Hanover Research's K-12 Education Practices, shares her experiences from working with a number of school districts, stating that, "A large body of recent research has established the importance of soft skills in fostering student academic achievement and long-term success, but has also demonstrated that many students are graduating without adequate development in these areas. As districts work to incorporate soft skills into the curriculum, they must first identify those skills and then adapt instructional strategies to allow for greater incorporation."

Which soft skills do experts tout as holding the key to readiness and success? Swann notes that topics include a range of critical thinking and social-emotional development areas, including: communication, problem solving, teamwork, leadership, creativity, self-awareness, social responsibility, and self-management.

To successfully integrate and adapt college and career readiness instruction in accordance with this non-cognitive focus, districts must ensure their assessment practices align with the inclusion of soft skills into academic curriculum. Hanover partners often consider project-based learning to be one of the most effective instructional techniques for teaching and assessing 21 st century learning. Through project-based learning, students engage in meaningful, long-term projects to develop and demonstrate essential skills. Not only do projects require students to apply soft skills, but they also provide teachers with opportunities to directly assess student progress in established standards related to soft skill development. Other nontraditional assessment methods, such as standards-based report cards or portfolio grading, are also common.

Susan Thurman of NSHSS further reiterates the importance of integrating non-cognitive learning objectives in the classroom, stating: "Students often believe memorization correlates with test-preparation, failing to fully comprehend and analyze the material. Studying techniques and time management are critical, essential skills for college-bound students... and K-12 administrators may want to introduce [non-academic skills] to students to help them adjust to both college and the workplace." To Thurman, developing the readiness infrastructure required to translate high school coursework into future success can be achieved by enhancing writing instruction and expanding high school student access to dual-enrollment and college summer enrichment programming opportunities.

Moving Millennials into the Marketplace

While the goal of college and career readiness is often described as the journey to college acceptance, in today's classrooms it is increasingly viewed as the path to global citizenship. As such, successful programming must take a coordinated, community-wide approach that integrates districts, families, local organizations, and employers in student development initiatives. For example, Thurman outlines how the business sector can strive to achieve this goal, stating, "Overall, rising generations are seeking employers with social responsibility, potential for growth, flexibility, technological innovations, routine employee and employer inquiries and feedback, and diversity. Corporations or organizations can extend their recruitment efforts through career-readiness workshops and participating in diversity conferences that include generational diversity."

Over 45% of millennials expect to find a job in their field immediately following college graduation, reports a NSHSS survey administered to over 12,000 individuals that comprise today's emerging workforce. In professional settings, these future workers expect fair treatment, corporate social responsibility, and competitive benefits. Further, Hanover Research found in collaboration with McGraw-Hill Education that 90% of college students are optimistic about their chances of finding meaningful employment after graduation, and the vast majority report that it is more important to find a job that allows them to do what they love (73%) than to find a job that pays well (20%).
Are educators, parents, and community members equipping students with the skills they need to reach these goals?
All schools, districts, and states approach CRR pathways differently. However, a number of goals, standards, and benchmarks exist to guide these readiness initiatives. Hanover Research's report, Best Practices in K-12 College and Career Readiness, explores the how a combination of assessment, social-emotional development, vertical curriculum alignment, counseling support structures, and CRR awareness activities are proven to impact students' post-graduation preparation for college and the workforce. This report is available for free download at the link below.

Developing STEM Pathways and Career Academies

Integrating CTE Concepts in High Schools

Student Data Analysis, Segmentation, and Profiling

College Preparation Program Evaluation

Best Practices in Project-Based Learning

Benchmarking Technology-Focused High Schools

Peer Practices in Instructional Technology

Incentivizing Advanced Coursework

Models of RTI and Multi-Tiered Support Structures

Implementing Standards-Based Report Cards

Best Practices for Supporting At-Risk Student Groups

Teacher Professional Development Models

College and Career Readiness Metrics

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Why College and Career Readiness is an Integral Component of K-12 Education - Hanover Research

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Ready or not, here they come. Over the past few weeks, a wave of incoming college freshman transitioned from high school to higher education to begin their collegiate careers. For many of these students, the shift to postsecondary education marks the fruition of years of learning, preparation, and anticipation.

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I am a high school art teacher and artist who loves the flowers in my garden, traveling, baking, reading, movies, sports, laughing, and my family :)

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See what Bryan Dickinson (bryandickinson1) has discovered on Pinterest, the world's biggest collection of everybody's favorite things.

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See what Pam Opolsky (pamopolsky) has discovered on Pinterest, the world's biggest collection of everybody's favorite things.

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Global Citizenship in the EL Global Classroom 

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Global Citizenship in the EL Global Classroom 

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Idea from Mrs. Kraft's Virtual Classroom

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This 54-page booklet comprises a collection of papers with contributions from leading researchers on global citizenship in language education in several corners of the globe. It provides not only sound theoretical frameworks for investigation but also practical findings for application in diverse segments of ELT, ranging from university environments to public schools and from EFL to ESL contexts.
Global citizenship has become one of the most important issues for English language teachers around the world, as we witness the growing importance of this language in the international scenario and its incorporation as part of the discourse of socio-economic inclusion. This is owing mainly to the recognition of the interdependence among countries and advances in communication technology that have created opportunities for greater contact between people from various parts of the world. There is a growing sense that local problems are in fact connected to wider social processes in a global scale.

The English language plays an important role in creating a global community and developing planetary citizenship. Consequently, the education of learners to enable them to participate in the global forum has brought new challenges for teachers who have to go beyond the traditional 'tools of the trade'. There is a whole new world to be explored. In order to help teachers in this journey of exploration in 2005 the British Council organised a seminar entitled 'Global citizenship and language learning: education in a multilingual world', attended by teachers, lecturers, researchers and administrators from all continents, in both face-to-face and online modes of participation. It was the first event that provided 'live' coverage, enabling professionals to interact with the discussions via technology. For this reason it created a more global forum that brought together experiences and ideas from both the UK and the participants' countries.

Following on from Audrey Osler and Hugh Starkey's 'Citizenship and Language Learning: international perspectives', published in 2005, this collection aims at offering ideas and practical suggestions on how teachers around the world have tackled the teaching of English within a citizenship education perspective. There are seven chapters, from authors working in different parts of the world, such as Argentina, Bulgaria, Brazil, Colombia, and Pakistan.

There are five report style chapters that deal with courses, teaching materials, research and curriculum innovation. The two remaining contributions can be seen as proposals for implementation of a global citizenship perspective in English language classrooms.

The diverse interpretations teachers of English around the world have been giving to the task of promoting global citizenship in their classrooms are reflected in this collection with understandings that range from a more prescriptive approach to a transformational one. They bring the potential for new approaches to be tried out in different contexts. The aim is to inspire teachers to experiment and evaluate the results.

Contributing authors include Susan Hillyard, Elena Tarasheva, Clarissa Jordão and Francisco Fogaça, Esperanza Revelo Jiménez, Sabiha Khuram, Vanessa Andreotti and Telma Gimenez.

Edited by Telma Gimenez and Susan Sheehan and published in 2008.

This booklet is free to download.

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Global citizenship in the English language classroom

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This 54-page booklet comprises a collection of papers with contributions from leading researchers on global citizenship in language education in several corners of the globe.

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School Social Work Standards for Social Emotional Learning

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School Social Work Standards for Social Emotional Learning

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SEL standards broken down by SEL goal and by grade band, early childhood & early elementary, late elementary, middle school, and high school.

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Students will collect political, socioeconomic, geographical, and other data about 10 countries and record their data in a spreadsheet. The information is used to fuel current events discussions. Students will use a template to type their findings and then discuss items such as mortality rate and life expectancy in various countries.

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Brief Description

Students collect political, socioeconomic, geographical, and other data about 10 countries and record their data in a spreadsheet. The information is used to fuel current events discussions.

Objectives

Students will

collect data and display it on a spreadsheet

compare data

make inferences based on data collection and analysis

share results of their analysis through group discussion and/or writing.

current events, international affairs, spreadsheet

Materials Needed

computer access

Internet access

Microsoft Excel or another spreadsheet program

The Country Comparison Template (provided) or have students create their own.

Lesson Plan

This activity can be completed by students working on individual computers (in a lab or one-to-one setting) or by small groups of students. Before beginning, save the The Country Comparison Template on each student computer, or send it to them through e-mail, school server, or another electronic method.

Introduce the lesson by explaining to students that they will collect information on literacy rates, infant mortality, and life expectancy for 10 countries, and then use the information in a later classroom discussion.

Walk students through the steps providing the following directions:

Open the Country Comparison Template file on your computer.

Save the spreadsheet file as "YourNameCountryComp" (or your group's name).

Minimize the spreadsheet.

Open the Internet (using Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, Safari, and so on.) and go to CountryReports.

On Country Reports' home page, click "Afghanistan" in the pull-down menu and click GO.

Click Country Profile, then scroll down to Infant Mortality Rate (under the People header).

The Infant Mortality Rate in Afghanistan is 142.48 infant deaths for every 1,000 live births. Maximize the spreadsheet and type 142.48 in cell B2.

Repeat your steps to find and record the Life Expectancy and Literacy Rate for Afghanistan.

Repeat the above steps to locate and record the same Infant Mortality Rate, Life Expectancy, and Literacy Rate for the nine additional countries in the spreadsheet.
(Note: The CIA World Factbook is another excellent resource for the required information. You might want to preview both resources to determine which is better for your needs.)

Type your name or group name in Cell A12.

Save your work.

Follow the directions below to print graphs for each type of data collected:

Highlight cells A1 to B10 (That will include all 10 country names as well as data for infant mortality for all nine countries.)

Click Insert > Graph.

Select any Column style and click Next.

Do nothing in Step two. Click Next

For Chart title, type "StudentName Infant Mortality Graph" (or group name)

For x axis, type Countries

For y axis, type Infant Mortality.

Click Next

In Step 4, click the button for "As New Sheet" and then click Finish.

Repeat the above steps to graph additional data, if desired; hold the CTRL button (or Command button on Mac) to select appropriate cells.

Print both the spreadsheets and the graphs.

Invite students to discuss in groups or with the entire class any questions they have or interesting results, including:

Why is the United States' infant mortality rate higher than Canada's, France's, or the United Kingdom's?

To what do you attribute the low life expectancy rate in Afghanistan?

How might the literacy rate affect a country's infant mortality rate (prenatal and well-child education, for example.

Collect student papers.

Assessment

Students will be evaluated on the

Printed spreadsheet from data collection.

Evidence of data analysis based upon student discussions after this activity.

Lesson Plan Source

Education World

Submitted By

Lorrie Jackson

National Standards

SOCIAL SCIENCES: Geography
NSS-G.K-12.2 Places and Regions
NSS-G.K-12.4 Human Systems
NSS-G.K-12.5 Environment and Society

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Country Comparisons in Current Events Class | Education World

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Brief Description Students collect political, socioeconomic, geographical, and other data about 10 countries and record their data in a spreadsheet. The information is used to fuel current events discussions. Objectives Students will collect data and display it on a spreadsheet compare data make inferences based on data collection and analysis share results of their analysis through group discussion and/or writing.

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Millions are affected by hurricanes each year, in this math and science lesson plan, students will interpret graphs containing historical data of hurricanes, and then answer questions that assess their understanding and their ability to analyze the data.  Students will use NOAA's Population Tool, which is an interactive site that provides historical data for storm strikes in coastal counties in the Gulf of Mexico and along the eastern seaboard.

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Brief Description

Students work in pairs or groups to interpret graphs containing historical data of hurricanes, and then answer questions that assess their understanding and their ability to analyze the data.

Objectives

Students will

Interpret data displayed in a graph

Make inferences based on graphical data

Work efficiently with a partner or team.

hurricanes, graphs, environmental science

Materials Needed

computers access

Internet access

Pen and paper

Lesson Plan

Hurricanes impact millions of lives each year. Heighten student awareness of hurricanes and the damage they inflict while reviewing and improving students' graph interpretation skills.

Begin the lesson by reviewing what students know about hurricanes. If you'd like, use CNN's report on Hurricanes to ensure that students understand such basics as the Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane intensity and which areas are hit most often. Depending on the amount of time available for the lesson, students can investigate the site themselves and answer basic questions on its content, or you can project the site to the entire class and discuss it as a class.

Then discuss issues of population movement towards coastal areas, as well as the role that media plays in warning of approaching storms. Explain to students that they are going to work in pairs to compare past storms and then decide which storm was the most damaging, based on population changes and available means of communication.

Arrange students into pairs or small groups and assign each group or pair a coastal county on the Gulf of Mexico or along the eastern seaboard. Then

Have students go to NOAA's Population Tool. This interactive site provides historical data for storm strikes in coastal counties in the Gulf of Mexico and along the eastern seaboard. )

Tell students to use the drop down menus to choose their assigned state and county and click SUBMIT. A new window will pop up with a graph of storms that have hit that county during the past 100+ years.

Discuss with the entire class the various parts of the graph's legend. It can be a bit confusing at first.

Have students discuss with their partner or team questions about the graph (See suggested questions below) and then record their answers either with paper and pen or with a word processing program.

Have students turn in their work when complete.

Extension Activity:

If time permits, have pairs or groups share their information with their classmates, and then work together to create a larger picture of the types of hurricanes that hit various counties of the coastal United States.

Suggested Graph Questions
Questions for Understanding

How many total hurricanes struck your assigned county in the last century?

During which decade did the most hurricanes hit the county?

How many of those hurricanes were category 1-2?

How many hurricanes were category 3-5?

How many hurricanes were direct strikes vs. indirect strikes?

What is the difference between direct and indirect strikes?

How many of the hurricanes that struck your county moved from water to land (Conventional Landfall Storm)?

What was the population of your county as of 2000?

When did a hurricane last hit your county? Describe it (direct/indirect/ category?/conventional or exiting).

Questions for Analysis/Inference

Given all the information on the graph, which hurricane in your assigned county (give the year) was most damaging? Consider population, media, as well as hurricane data.

Using the information on the graph, describe the typical hurricane that hits your county (direct/indirect, conventional/exiting, category 1-2 or 3-5).

Considering the hurricane data on the graph, would you choose to live in that county? If you did live there, what precautions would you take (construction, location.)

Assessment

Assess students on their

ability to work with a partner/group.

ability to complete the steps of the assignment (technology skills and time management)

Accuracy of information on completed work.

Lesson Plan Source

Education World

Submitted By

Lorrie Jackson

National Standards

MATHEMATICS: Data Analysis and Probability
GRADES 6 - 8
NM-DATA.6-8.1 Formulate Questions That Can Be Addressed With Data and Collect, Organize, and Display Relevant Data to Answer
NM-DATA.6-8.2 Select and Use Appropriate Statistical Methods to Analyze Data
NM-DATA.6-8.3 Develop and Evaluate Inferences and Predictions That Are Based on Data
GRADES 9 - 12
NM-DATA.9-12.1 Formulate Questions That Can Be Addressed With Data and Collect, Organize, and Display Relevant Data to Answer
NM-DATA.9-12.2 Select and Use Appropriate Statistical Methods to Analyze Data
NM-DATA.9-12.3 Develop and Evaluate Inferences and Predictions That Are Based on Data

MATHEMATICS: Problem Solving

SOCIAL SCIENCES: Civics

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Hurricanes in History: Where, When, and How | Education World

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Brief Description Students work in pairs or groups to interpret graphs containing historical data of hurricanes, and then answer questions that assess their understanding and their ability to analyze the data. Objectives Students will Interpret data displayed in a graph Make inferences based on graphical data Work efficiently with a partner or team.

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Lesson Plan in which students develop critical thinking skills, their understanding of the Third World and First World problems, and discuss issues related to computer games and thir role in education.

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Subject(s)

Educational Technology
Social Studies
--Civics
--Current Events
--Economics
--Geography
--Government

Grade

Brief Description

Students develop their understanding of Third World and First World problems and discuss issues related to the role of computer games in education.

Objectives

Students will

evelop critical thinking skills

develop their understanding of the Third World and First World problems.

discuss issues related to computer games and their role in education.

Keywords

Third World, First World

Materials Needed

Lesson Plan

Explain to students that they are going to play a computer game that involves making a number of survival choices. Tell them they need to keep notes about their choices and the outcomes of their choices.

After they've played for 10-20 minutes, ask them to stop. Arrange students into pairs and ask each student to tell his or her partner what happened to them in the game.

Ask students as a class what problems they faced in the game and if they developed any strategies for being successful at the game.

Develop some of the themes from the game for a class debate.

Discuss/debate these or other questions:

Who do you think this game is aimed at?

What did you learn from the game?

How accurately does the game depict the two different lifestyles?

Does playing a game like this trivialize the actual situations?

Can computer games like these educate people and change their opinions?

Does the game depict stereotypes rather than realities?

What do you think the makers of this game wanted to achieve?

How would you define a Third World country?

What is the difference between a Third World country and a developing country?

Why are some countries very poor and others very rich?

What other political or educational computer games do you know about?

How good do you think this game was?

Did you enjoy playing it?

Would you recommend this game to a friend?

Assessment

Students are evaluated on their participation in the discussions.

Lesson Plan Source

Adapted from an original posting from the Learning Technology Teacher Development Blog.

Submitted By

Nik Peachey

National Standards

SOCIAL SCIENCES: Civics
GRADES 5 - 8
NSS-C.5-8.1 Civic Life, Politics, and Government
NSS-C.5-8.2 Foundations of the American Political System
NSS-C.5-8.3 Principles of Democracy
NSS-C.5-8.4 Other Nations and World Affairs
NSS-C.5-8.5 Roles of the Citizen
GRADES 9 - 12
NSS-C.9-12.1 Civic Life, Politics, and Government
NSS-C.9-12.2 Foundations of the Political System
NSS-C.9-12.3 Principles of Democracy
NSS-C.9-12.4 Other Nations and World Affairs
NSS-C.9-12.5 Roles of the Citizen

SOCIAL SCIENCES: Economics
GRADES 5 - 8
NSS-EC.5-8.1 Productive Resources
NSS-EC.5-8.2 Effective Decision Making
NSS-EC.5-8.3 Allocating Goods and Services
NSS-EC.5-8.4 Positive and Negative Incentives
NSS-EC.5-8.5 Voluntary Exchange
NSS-EC.5-8.6 Gain from Trade
NSS-EC.5-8.7 Markets and Market Prices
NSS-EC.5-8.8 Supply and Demand
NSS-EC.5-8.9 Competition in the marketplace
NSS-EC.5-8.10 Market Institutions
NSS-EC.5-8.11 Money
NSS-EC.5-8.12 Interest Rates
NSS-EC.5-8.13 Income and Earning
NSS-EC.5-8.14 Entrepreneurs
NSS-EC.5-8.15 Investment
NSS-EC.5-8.16 Government in the Economy
NSS-EC.5-8.17 Cost of Government
NSS-EC.5-8.18 National Productivity
NSS-EC.5-8.19 Unemployment Influences
NSS-EC.5-8.20 Federal Budgetary Influences
GRADES 9 - 12
NSS-EC.9-12.1 Productive Resources
NSS-EC.9-12.2 Effective Decision Making
NSS-EC.9-12.3 Allocating Goods and Services
NSS-EC.9-12.4 Positive and Negative Incentives
NSS-EC.9-12.5 Voluntary Exchange
NSS-EC.9-12.6 Gain from Trade
NSS-EC.9-12.7 Markets and Market Prices
NSS-EC.9-12.8 Supply and Demand
NSS-EC.9-12.9 Competition in the Marketplace
NSS-EC.9-12.10 Market Institutions
NSS-EC.9-12.11 Money
NSS-EC.9-12.12 Interest Rates
NSS-EC.9-12.13 Income and Earning
NSS-EC.9-12.14 Entrepreneurs
NSS-EC.9-12.15 Investment
NSS-EC.9-12.16 Government in the Economy
NSS-EC.9-12.17 Cost of Government
NSS-EC.9-12.18 National Productivity
NSS-EC.9-12.19 Unemployment Influences
NSS-EC.9-12.20 Federal Budgetary Influences

Updated 5/14/12

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Educational Technology Social Studies --Civics --Current Events --Economics --Geography --Government Students develop their understanding of Third World and First World problems and discuss issues related to the role of computer games in education. Students will evelop critical thinking skills develop their understanding of the Third World and First World problems. discuss issues related to computer games and their role in education.

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Provides teachers with many resources, such as lesson plans and global games.

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An American tradition since 1950, Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF is the original Kids Helping Kids® initiative, empowering generations of children to become global citizens. In addition to the iconic orange collection boxes, classrooms receive free educational resources that can be incorporated into everyday curriculum. These lessons help students learn what it means to be global citizens and also converts their learning into real-world impact. Along the way, students become empowered to help their peers around the world.

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Kid Power School Program | UNICEF Kid Power

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An American tradition since 1950, Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF is the original Kids Helping Kids® initiative, empowering generations of children to become global citizens. In addition to the iconic orange collection boxes, classrooms receive free educational resources that can be incorporated into everyday curriculum.

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PBS provides a lesson plan titled “Slums in the Spotlight: Will the Millennium Development Goals’ Target be Met?” The lesson plan is very detailed, and provides a multimedia lesson plan on slum conditions around the world offering exercises, activities, worksheets, videos and more for grade 7-12 students. Other teaching topics that PBS include s are: global water supply, featured in the presentation “Water Fights Present Dangerous Challenges in Coming Decades.”

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China from the Inside provides a rare insider's view of a country of 1.3 billion people undergoing astonishing growth while facing prodigious obstacles.

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Website that provides students with resources with information and interdisciplinary learning opportunities on this complex issues. Website provides teacher curriculum, as well as videos and teaching tools.

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Globalization101.org | globalization | globalisation | what is globalization | globalization dilemmas | globalization debates | pros cons globalization | global issues | international relations | international issues

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Globalization101.org: a resource to learn about the trade-offs and dilemmas of globalization

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Series of lesson plans in which students, through math, explore how inequality affects the lives of children in different parts of the world.

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Everyone Counts supports key elements of the maths curriculum with real-life statistics and stories. Using data about children living in four countries, learners will develop their skills and understanding of topics such as time and data handling.

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Lesson plan in which students use soccer to examine inequality between and within countries, explore players and other people who have taken action to make the world fairer, examine news around the World Cup, consider how making new rules in soccer could make the game fairer, and understand the causes and effects and solutions to inequality in Brazil.

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Use football to examine inequality between and within countries, explore footballers and other people who have taken action to make the world fairer, examine news around the World Cup, consider how making new rules in football could make the game fairer,

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Lesson plan from Oxfram Education in which students learn to create simple infographics which raise awareness of some of the inequalities that exist between people’s lives. Students will also learn how to first consider how and why governments
and organizations use data to make decisions when planning for the future.

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Energise your computing lessons and delve into data from across the world. Data Power supports learners to strengthen their data handling skills and consider how data can be used to improve lives. Learners take on an investigative role by

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Website with lots of resources, articles, graphs, and videos about basic global facts.

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Gapminder uses cookies to improve its statistics and user experience. By continuing to use the site you agree to our cookie policy. X
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Website that provides free access to various types of world data, such as graphs for students to analyze. Some of the graphs included are: Access to Electricity, Climate Change CO2 Emmisions, to name a few.

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World Bank Open Data from The World Bank: Data

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This article explains that "through a Global Citizenship approach to maths, learners critically analyze the statistics they are exposed to in daily life; make connections between the local and the global and then share their understanding with others," which tied to week 3's topic of glocalization. The article provides ideas for each area of focus in math, such as measuring, interpreting data, presenting and manipulating data, etc.

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8th Grade Lesson Plan: Education for Global Peace

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8th Grade Lesson Plan: Education for Global Peace

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Lesson plan from the Developing Global Perspective for Educators website.  The lesson plan focuses on teaching about statistics its uses and it's importance; and to apply statistics to real world facts and analyze data to make general conclusions.  Students take a survey identifying where their shirts came from and tabulate the results using Microsoft Excel.  Teacher then posses the following questions: Why do most of our shirts came from third world countries? Why doesn't Canada produce shirts instead of
having them imported form other countries?

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Developing a Global Perspective for Educators 

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Developing a Global Perspective for Educators 

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K-12 lesson plans that include thematic units or grade level lesson plans by theme and the use of age level appropriate books.

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Developing a Global Perspective for Educators " Lesson Plans

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As our site grows, we will provide lessons plans for K to 12 in all subject areas. If you have a lesson plan that you would like to contribute, please follow these steps for submitting your work. We especially need your help in collecting lesson plans for kindergarten, grades 1, 4, 6 and 11.

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Films for Teaching About Globalization and Modernization

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Films for Teaching About Globalization and Modernization

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The films provide students with a different point of view of what has occurred to other countries due to globalization and modernization. Each film is aligned with interdisciplinary lessons plans aligned with Common Core State Standards and are recommended for secondary education students.

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With the advent of modern mass communication and world tourism, dramatic change has come to nations and cultures which had previously seen little change for centuries. Each technological or social innovation has brought unexpected and unintended consequences. One of the challenges of teaching global issues in middle or high school is helping students grasp abstract economic concepts like globalization and modernization. A well-chosen film, watched actively and with supporting curriculum, can make the difference in helping students understand how these abstract processes work out in human terms.

Irrevocably Connected

Globalization is used here to signify the worldwide integration of previously distinct cultures and economies and the consequent exchange of products, ideas and methods of operation. In such a globalized world, many of your students will eventually enter jobs that will require knowledge and understanding of other cultures.

A simple exercise will show the extent of globalization: assign your students to go through their closets at home, looking at clothing labels and listing the countries where the clothing was made. Or send them to the supermarket to see how many imported products they can find. (As I write this, there are strawberries from Chile, cheese from Ireland and bananas from Nicaragua in my kitchen. The scallops in the Chinese-style stir-fry I plan for tonight's dinner may be from Peru, Mexico, Canada, China or Japan.) Or have students scan a major newspaper. A recent scandal for the winter U.S. Winter Olympic Team's fundraising mitten sale revolved around the fact that the mittens were made in China rather than in the U.S. And of course, we are all aware of the credit card security breach at Target late last year, resulting from malicious code allegedly written by a 17-year-old Russian and allegedly sold to Mexican scammers, among others.

All these examples come from the United States. What has happened elsewhere as a result of globalization, to a greater or lesser degree, is termed modernization. New technologies seep into, are welcomed by or forced upon traditional societies, with a consequent influence on traditional culture. Japan's adoption of Western weapons during the Meiji Revolution or Peter the Great's modeling Russian palaces after French architecture are classic examples of rulers forcing modernization upon a sometimes unwilling populace. Today, proponents of political revolutions and even terrorists rely on the growing availability of social media technology to overthrow governments.

Journeys in Film

To help your students grasp these terms, consider showing them engaging feature films from other countries. Three outstanding films, suitable for secondary classrooms, will engage students, teach them about three great traditional cultures, and illustrate the impact of globalization and modernization. Journeys in Film, a nonprofit educational publisher, has created interdisciplinary lesson plans aligned with the Common Core and available as free downloads to help you share these films with your students.

Scene from "The Cup"

Credit: Fine Line Features

The Cup (1999) is based on a true story about Tibetan monks, refugees living in a Buddhist monastery in the foothills of the Himalayas. Fourteen-year-old Orgyen, obsessed with Brazilian soccer star Ronaldo, is determined to bring television to his monastery in time for a World Cup soccer game. The film demonstrates to students that even remote regions and traditional cultures are no longer completely isolated. The filmmaker has been careful to introduce other examples of modernity slowly entering the monks' world -- the Coke can which has replaced the traditional vase on the fortune-teller's ritual altar, for example. Download lesson plans at http://www.journeysinfilm.org/for-educators/the-store/discovering-tibet/. A trailer for the film is also available on that page.

The Iranian film Children of Heaven (1997) is another story that will appeal strongly to students. Nine-year-old Ali, the usually responsible son of a poor Tehran family, accidentally loses his sister Zahra's only pair of shoes, and the children know that their parents cannot afford new ones. In addition to math, English, science, social studies and art lessons, there is a lesson in the Journeys in Film curriculum that explores the growing economic and cultural divide between the traditional family living in the older, poorer section of Tehran and a wealthier family whose lifestyle has been transformed by Western-style modernization. For lessons and trailer, see http://www.journeysinfilm.org/for-educators/the-store/discovering-iran/.

Scene from "The Way Home"

Credit: CJ Entertainment

In The Way Home (2002), a seven-year-old South Korean boy accustomed to the comforts and conveniences of modern Seoul is left temporarily with his grandmother in a traditional village. Born and raised in Seoul, he must learn to live in a tiny community, and he is even forced to live without his video games when his batteries run out. Students will relish the scene when he whines to his grandmother about his longing for Kentucky Fried Chicken. She goes to great lengths to procure a live chicken, kill and pluck it, boil it and serve it up to her horrified grandson as a real treat. In this film, the students explore the values in traditional ways of life in the face of inevitable change. Lessons and trailer are at http://www.journeysinfilm.org/for-educators/the-store/discovering-south-korea/.

Foreign feature films can be used very successfully in the classroom. All three of these free Journeys in Film curriculum guides include suggestions for using the film in your classroom, working with subtitles, film festivals and more.

How have you used film in the classroom to teach your students about other parts of the world?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
3 Great Films for Teaching About Globalization and Modernization

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
With the advent of modern mass communication and world tourism, dramatic change has come to nations and cultures which had previously seen little change for centuries. Each technological or social innovation has brought unexpected and unintended consequences. One of the challenges of teaching global issues in middle or high school is helping students grasp abstract economic concepts like globalization and modernization.

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Website presents a series of myths and facts that have circulated in the education world. The website also describes that more rigorous standards goals and standards should be set for our students so that they are better prepared compete in a world that demands just the necessary basic skills.

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Article that provides a brief description on SEL and how children need to learn social and emotional skills. The importance of those skills come in to play because many jobs mechanized transforming the workplace. Future jobs will require employees to posses skills such as collaboration, communication, and problem solving.

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Students play with their iPads at the Steve Jobs school in Sneek August 21, 2013. The Steve Jobs schools in the Netherlands are founded by the O4NT (Education For A New Time) organisation, which provides the children with iPads to help them learn with a more interactive experience. Image: Reuters/Michael Kooren

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Students require 16 skills for the 21st century Image: WEF

Since 1980, jobs requiring social skills have surged Image: WEF

A variety of general and targeted learning strategies foster social and emotional skills Image: WEF

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A vicious circle of barriers impedes the adoption of SEL and ed-tech for SEL Image: WEF

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5 charts that explain the future of education

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Children must learn social and emotional skills if they are to thrive in the workplace of the future, a new report says.

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Jacobs describes the importance of teaching students literacy and critical thinking skills, yet as teachers we are not focusing on also providing our students with digital literacy and global literacy. We have to take advantage that our students are so technological savvy and use videoconferencing to expand their learning.

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We've all seen the headlines: today's schools not preparing a rising generation for the workplace of the future. Tomorrow's professions do not yet exist today. Half the world's population was born after the Internet. Schools today are preparing students for the year 2030, plus or minus.

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I thought this was an excellent collection of apps that could be utilized in the classroom because it is categorized by content area. Each app has a description and grade level range.

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Computers and, later, Web 2.0 have changed the way young people learn. Now apps are set to do the same.

An "app" is short for software application. For example, Angry Birds and Facebook are popular apps on mobile devices. More than 30 million apps are downloaded to mobile devices every day. There are apps to help manage time, convert measurements, lead a healthier lifestyle, and for fun. A good percentage of apps are by nature educational.

Most teenagers have cell phones. And iPads are outselling personal computers. There are now an estimated 1.5 million iPads in U.S. classrooms, and with new digital textbooks introduced this year, that number will likely grow.

Before using apps, remember that learning objectives come first; recommend specific digital tools and communicate clear guidelines to help students meet expectations. Consider, too, whether apps should be used in guided instruction, or if they should be relegated to self-directed learning time. Many teachers now use the Flipped Classroom model, where class time is used primarily for discussion and collaborative work. Digital tools help students develop knowledge and skills prior to class, and help them contribute more substantively to discussions and project work.

So which apps can help build global competence? With a world of possibilities, what follows is a short list of mostly Apple iOS apps to help you get started. To download, go to the Apple iTunes store, search for the app by name, and click on the price button to synch with your device. Several of these apps are available for Android and other devices, too.

Art

Art
View artworks and artist bios from around the world. Play a quiz game; high scores can be linked to an online social gaming site. Parental controls allow teachers and parents to censor nude forms in art as necessary. (Grades 6-12 /iPhone / $0.99)

Love Art: National Gallery London
With one of the greatest collections of Western European art in the world, the National Gallery app shares over 250 pieces in a way that allows kids to touch the art. Includes commentary by artists, writers, and experts. (All ages / iPhone, iPod, and iPad / $2.99)

Science/Chemistry

The Elements: A Visual Exploration
This one helps students learn about the periodic table in a hands-on way. Each element has various objects associated with it-many international. For instance, copper (Cu) features a Persian weave chain, a Chinese ritual bronze, and more. Each object can be rotated or viewed in three dimensions. Get current market prices for some elements, like gold. (Grades 8-12 / iPad / $13.99)

CDC Solve the Outbreak
Students become the detectives as they try to save lives by stopping the outbreak of diseases around the world. Students get clues, analyze data and solve the case while learning about diseases and outbreaks in an engaging way.
Free for iPad.
High school

Earthviewer
This interactive, engaging app allows you to look at the Earth's continents and oceans and how they have changed over the last 4.5 billion years. Look through layers of data such as atmospheric composition, temperature, biodiversity, day lengthy and solar luminosity.
Free
iPad

Nature's Notebook
Choose a local observation site and use this app to record plant changes and animal sightings once a week. These findings will contribute to the nature tracking project from the USA National Phenology Network.
Grades 4 - adult / iPhone, Android / Free

Project NOAH (Networked Organisms And Habitats)
Students can join citizen scientists around the world by tracking wildlife in the local habitat. Activities include photographing animals, documenting observations, classifying findings using the community field guide, and sharing with the project to participate in missions and earn digital badges.
Grades 4 - adult / iPhone and Android / Free

iLiveMath: Animals of Africa and Asia
This app series combines math and zoology. Going beyond math equations and flash cards, iLiveMath tests students with illustrative questions and challenges their applied math skills. The iLiveMath series (including Animals of Africa and Animals of Asia) uses photos, videos, wikis, and sound to stimulate learning via various levels of difficulty. It targets 1st through 6th graders on basic concepts of calculating time, weight, and other measures. (Age appropriateness vary by app / iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad / $4.99 each)

Jungle Fractions
This multilingual, talking app helps students learn fractions in English, French, or Spanish. It has multiple levels. (Ages 4-12 / iPad / $2.99)

MayaNumbers
Everyone knows 1 + 1 = 2. But did you know Dot + Line = 6? Take your math skills to the next level while learning the ancient Maya's remarkable number system in this fast-paced counting game! (Late elementary school to adult / iPhone or iPad / free)

English Language Arts

StoryKit
This app by the International Children's Digital Library allows students to create their own storybook by adding text and images (including photos or images they draw), and sharing their books via email. (Grades K-12 / iPhone, iPod Touch / Free)

Toontastic
Another storybook creation app, this one allows students to create their own stories as cartoons. Students learn about a story arc, how to create characters, and about other cultures, customs, and lifestyles through stories created by their peers around the world. (Grades K-12 / iPad / Free)

Flat Stanley
The Flat Stanley and Flat Stella characters have traveled the globe connecting children to the world. Students track their travels and document their adventures. No longer confined to cardboard cutouts, this free app enables students to create their own digital Flat Stanley or Flat Stella. Students can customize the character's hair, features, and clothes and superimpose Flat Stanley or Stella on photos. Share photos and stories via email, Facebook, as well as the Flat Stanley map and network. In combination with a digital storytelling app such as StoryKit, VoiceThread, Animoto, or Scribble Press, the possibilities are endless. (All ages / iPhone, iPod touch, iPad / Free)

ICDL Books for Children
The International Children's Digital Library brings thousands of children's books from over 60 countries to young readers. (Preschool and Elementary / iPhone, iPod touch, iPad / Free)

Flight of the Pamplemousse
Book for elementary students involving travel through dreamlands and France. Accompanying educator guide available.
$1.99 on iPad (50% discount for educators)

Global Sleepover
A website and related storybook apps that has activity, games, and bedtime stories from around the world. (Preschool and Elementary / iPad / each story is $0.99)

Languages

Being Global
This multimedia story and activity app is based on the award-winning children's book What Does It Mean To Be Global? by Rana DiOrio with illustrations by Chris Hill. Writing, art, music, and educational activities in Spanish and English are designed to help children learn about cultures, languages, and values from around the world. (Ages 4 and up / iPhone and iPad / $1.99)

Word Lens
This Quest Visual app instantly translates signs, menus, labels, anything written into Spanish and French (more languages are promised soon). Try it in a scavenger hunt activity. (Grades 1-12 / iPhone, iPad / Free, but accompanying dictionaries, if you want them, are $9.99 each)

FREE [Language] Tutor
Games in Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish engage language learners. Good for beginning students. To find this app, insert desired language in the title, for example, "Free Chinese Tutor." (Grades 1-12 / Free for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch / Free)

iTranslate
Translate written English into more than 50 other languages, or you can flip it and translate other languages into English. Some languages (not all) come with a text-to-speech button as well, so you can hear how to say it and see how it's written. And a few languages have voice recognition translations. This is a great app for English language learners and foreign language classes. (Grades 6 - adult / iPhone, iPad / Free, but deluxe versions start at $3.99)

Spanish Word Bingo
Practice over 150 Spanish words in 10 different categories by playing four different games. Allows you to track and view words that you got wrong.
Grades 1-5
Free online or .99 cents for the iPhone iPad app

History

Today in History
This app lists notable international events in history as well as important figures' birthdates and deaths. Use this app for quizzes, facts of the day, or home practice. (Grades 3-12 / iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch / Free)

Geography/Social Studies

Virtual Water
Meat, grains, fruits, paper, and clothing-all require water to produce. The Virtual Water app informs consumers about their daily water footprint. Use this app to help students learn more about the earth's precious resource and the relationship between water and food security. (Grades 4 and up / iPhone, iPod touch, iPad iOS / $1.99)

History: Maps of the World
Explore maps from around the world, including ancient maps. You can search by country, category, topic (money, transportation, etc), or era. Other apps by the same company (which cost $4.99 each) include Maps of Asia, Africa, Oceania, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. (Grades4-12 / iPhone, iPad / Free)

Google Earth
Fly around by swiping your finger, zoom in or out by pinching, and browse layers including places, photos, and Wikipedia articles by tapping on the screen. (All ages /iPhone, iPad, and Android / Free)

National Geographic World Atlas
Explore the nations and territories of the world with National Geographic maps. View maps in the traditional "Executive" and "Classic" styles or seamlessly transition to satellite and road maps from Bing. This app also offers a library of maps that can be downloaded for offline use. (All ages / iPhone, iPod touch, iPad / $1.99)

World Factbook
With an intuitive and flexible interface, this app makes it easy to navigate the CIA World Factbook including geography, government, economics, communications, transportation, military, and transnational information. Maps and comparisons make it easy to locate and compare data across countries. (Grades 4-12 / iPhone, iPod touch, iPad / $0.99)

OECD Factbook
This app from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) provides comparative information about global economic indicators including population, migration, energy, technology, education, health, and the environment. (Grades 4-12 / iPhone and Android / Free)

Kids World Maps
A visually appealing tool with easy navigation between political and physical maps as well as maps highlighting cities, deserts, mountains, or rivers. (Elementary / iPad / $0.99)

GeoBee Challenge by National Geographic
Master this game, and you're ready to become the next National Geographic Bee Champion! Challenges come in three rounds: multiple choice questions, interactive map questions, and the bonus round where students match National Geographic photos to their locations on the map. (Grades 4-12 / iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, Android, and NookColor / $1.99)

Geo Walk HD - 3D World Fact Book
This app makes learning about the world interactive and a lot of fun. Navigate the globe to discover points of interest. Tap the cards to zoom into interesting images and information. Search by topic or filter for specific categories: places, animals, plants, people, or events. (Grades 4-12 / iPhone, iPod touch, iPad / $2.99)

Stuck on Earth - Free World Travel Guide
"The ultimate for photographers, explorers, and daydreamers," this app is a great way to explore and discover fascinating and beautiful places around the globe captured by talented photographers worldwide. (Grades 4-12 / iPad / Free)

7 Billion
This National Geographic Society app explores the challenges of a growing human population in a world with limited resources. See informative videos, interactive maps, in-depth articles, and photography. (Grades 9-12 / iPad / $4.99)

Stack the Countries
Quiz students on country capitals, landmarks, geographic locations, and more. They can touch, move, and drop the animated countries anywhere on the screen. They must build a stack of countries that reaches the checkered line to win each level. (Grades 7 - 12 / iPhone, iPad / $1.99)

Tap Quiz Maps World Edition
Learn countries of the world through this global geography game.
Free for iPhone and iPad
Middle and high school to adult.

Service Learning

Boom Boom! Revolution
Boom Boom cards turn random acts of kindness into a social game. Participants perform intentional acts of kindness¬-or underground acts of guerilla goodness-stated on the cards, then pass the card forward. Players inspire each other and celebrate their good deeds by documenting and sharing their stories via the app or Boom Boom Cards website. (All ages / iPhone, iPod touch, iPad / Free)

And Something for Every Category
Honor Moorman and Heather Singmaster contributed to this story.

Computers and, later, Web 2.0 have changed the way young people learn. Now apps are set to do the same.

An "app" is short for software application. For example, Angry Birds and Facebook are popular apps on mobile devices. More than 30 million apps are downloaded to mobile devices every day. There are apps to help manage time, convert measurements, lead a healthier lifestyle, and for fun. A good percentage of apps are by nature educational.

Most teenagers have cell phones. And iPads are outselling personal computers. There are now an estimated 1.5 million iPads in U.S. classrooms, and with new digital textbooks introduced this year, that number will likely grow.

Before using apps, remember that learning objectives come first; recommend specific digital tools and communicate clear guidelines to help students meet expectations. Consider, too, whether apps should be used in guided instruction, or if they should be relegated to self-directed learning time. Many teachers now use the Flipped Classroom model, where class time is used primarily for discussion and collaborative work. Digital tools help students develop knowledge and skills prior to class, and help them contribute more substantively to discussions and project work.

So which apps can help build global competence? With a world of possibilities, what follows is a short list of mostly Apple iOS apps to help you get started. To download, go to the Apple iTunes store, search for the app by name, and click on the price button to synch with your device. Several of these apps are available for Android and other devices, too.

Art

Art
View artworks and artist bios from around the world. Play a quiz game; high scores can be linked to an online social gaming site. Parental controls allow teachers and parents to censor nude forms in art as necessary. (Grades 6-12 /iPhone / $0.99)

Love Art: National Gallery London
With one of the greatest collections of Western European art in the world, the National Gallery app shares over 250 pieces in a way that allows kids to touch the art. Includes commentary by artists, writers, and experts. (All ages / iPhone, iPod, and iPad / $2.99)

Science/Chemistry

The Elements: A Visual Exploration
This one helps students learn about the periodic table in a hands-on way. Each element has various objects associated with it-many international. For instance, copper (Cu) features a Persian weave chain, a Chinese ritual bronze, and more. Each object can be rotated or viewed in three dimensions. Get current market prices for some elements, like gold. (Grades 8-12 / iPad / $13.99)

CDC Solve the Outbreak
Students become the detectives as they try to save lives by stopping the outbreak of diseases around the world. Students get clues, analyze data and solve the case while learning about diseases and outbreaks in an engaging way.
Free for iPad.
High school

Earthviewer
This interactive, engaging app allows you to look at the Earth's continents and oceans and how they have changed over the last 4.5 billion years. Look through layers of data such as atmospheric composition, temperature, biodiversity, day lengthy and solar luminosity.
Free
iPad

Nature's Notebook
Choose a local observation site and use this app to record plant changes and animal sightings once a week. These findings will contribute to the nature tracking project from the USA National Phenology Network.
Grades 4 - adult / iPhone, Android / Free

Project NOAH (Networked Organisms And Habitats)
Students can join citizen scientists around the world by tracking wildlife in the local habitat. Activities include photographing animals, documenting observations, classifying findings using the community field guide, and sharing with the project to participate in missions and earn digital badges.
Grades 4 - adult / iPhone and Android / Free

iLiveMath: Animals of Africa and Asia
This app series combines math and zoology. Going beyond math equations and flash cards, iLiveMath tests students with illustrative questions and challenges their applied math skills. The iLiveMath series (including Animals of Africa and Animals of Asia) uses photos, videos, wikis, and sound to stimulate learning via various levels of difficulty. It targets 1st through 6th graders on basic concepts of calculating time, weight, and other measures. (Age appropriateness vary by app / iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad / $4.99 each)

Jungle Fractions
This multilingual, talking app helps students learn fractions in English, French, or Spanish. It has multiple levels. (Ages 4-12 / iPad / $2.99)

MayaNumbers
Everyone knows 1 + 1 = 2. But did you know Dot + Line = 6? Take your math skills to the next level while learning the ancient Maya's remarkable number system in this fast-paced counting game! (Late elementary school to adult / iPhone or iPad / free)

English Language Arts

StoryKit
This app by the International Children's Digital Library allows students to create their own storybook by adding text and images (including photos or images they draw), and sharing their books via email. (Grades K-12 / iPhone, iPod Touch / Free)

Toontastic
Another storybook creation app, this one allows students to create their own stories as cartoons. Students learn about a story arc, how to create characters, and about other cultures, customs, and lifestyles through stories created by their peers around the world. (Grades K-12 / iPad / Free)

Flat Stanley
The Flat Stanley and Flat Stella characters have traveled the globe connecting children to the world. Students track their travels and document their adventures. No longer confined to cardboard cutouts, this free app enables students to create their own digital Flat Stanley or Flat Stella. Students can customize the character's hair, features, and clothes and superimpose Flat Stanley or Stella on photos. Share photos and stories via email, Facebook, as well as the Flat Stanley map and network. In combination with a digital storytelling app such as StoryKit, VoiceThread, Animoto, or Scribble Press, the possibilities are endless. (All ages / iPhone, iPod touch, iPad / Free)

ICDL Books for Children
The International Children's Digital Library brings thousands of children's books from over 60 countries to young readers. (Preschool and Elementary / iPhone, iPod touch, iPad / Free)

Flight of the Pamplemousse
Book for elementary students involving travel through dreamlands and France. Accompanying educator guide available.
$1.99 on iPad (50% discount for educators)

Global Sleepover
A website and related storybook apps that has activity, games, and bedtime stories from around the world. (Preschool and Elementary / iPad / each story is $0.99)

Languages

Being Global
This multimedia story and activity app is based on the award-winning children's book What Does It Mean To Be Global? by Rana DiOrio with illustrations by Chris Hill. Writing, art, music, and educational activities in Spanish and English are designed to help children learn about cultures, languages, and values from around the world. (Ages 4 and up / iPhone and iPad / $1.99)

Word Lens
This Quest Visual app instantly translates signs, menus, labels, anything written into Spanish and French (more languages are promised soon). Try it in a scavenger hunt activity. (Grades 1-12 / iPhone, iPad / Free, but accompanying dictionaries, if you want them, are $9.99 each)

FREE [Language] Tutor
Games in Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish engage language learners. Good for beginning students. To find this app, insert desired language in the title, for example, "Free Chinese Tutor." (Grades 1-12 / Free for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch / Free)

iTranslate
Translate written English into more than 50 other languages, or you can flip it and translate other languages into English. Some languages (not all) come with a text-to-speech button as well, so you can hear how to say it and see how it's written. And a few languages have voice recognition translations. This is a great app for English language learners and foreign language classes. (Grades 6 - adult / iPhone, iPad / Free, but deluxe versions start at $3.99)

Spanish Word Bingo
Practice over 150 Spanish words in 10 different categories by playing four different games. Allows you to track and view words that you got wrong.
Grades 1-5
Free online or .99 cents for the iPhone iPad app

History

Today in History
This app lists notable international events in history as well as important figures' birthdates and deaths. Use this app for quizzes, facts of the day, or home practice. (Grades 3-12 / iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch / Free)

Geography/Social Studies

Virtual Water
Meat, grains, fruits, paper, and clothing-all require water to produce. The Virtual Water app informs consumers about their daily water footprint. Use this app to help students learn more about the earth's precious resource and the relationship between water and food security. (Grades 4 and up / iPhone, iPod touch, iPad iOS / $1.99)

History: Maps of the World
Explore maps from around the world, including ancient maps. You can search by country, category, topic (money, transportation, etc), or era. Other apps by the same company (which cost $4.99 each) include Maps of Asia, Africa, Oceania, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. (Grades4-12 / iPhone, iPad / Free)

Google Earth
Fly around by swiping your finger, zoom in or out by pinching, and browse layers including places, photos, and Wikipedia articles by tapping on the screen. (All ages /iPhone, iPad, and Android / Free)

National Geographic World Atlas
Explore the nations and territories of the world with National Geographic maps. View maps in the traditional "Executive" and "Classic" styles or seamlessly transition to satellite and road maps from Bing. This app also offers a library of maps that can be downloaded for offline use. (All ages / iPhone, iPod touch, iPad / $1.99)

World Factbook
With an intuitive and flexible interface, this app makes it easy to navigate the CIA World Factbook including geography, government, economics, communications, transportation, military, and transnational information. Maps and comparisons make it easy to locate and compare data across countries. (Grades 4-12 / iPhone, iPod touch, iPad / $0.99)

OECD Factbook
This app from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) provides comparative information about global economic indicators including population, migration, energy, technology, education, health, and the environment. (Grades 4-12 / iPhone and Android / Free)

Kids World Maps
A visually appealing tool with easy navigation between political and physical maps as well as maps highlighting cities, deserts, mountains, or rivers. (Elementary / iPad / $0.99)

GeoBee Challenge by National Geographic
Master this game, and you're ready to become the next National Geographic Bee Champion! Challenges come in three rounds: multiple choice questions, interactive map questions, and the bonus round where students match National Geographic photos to their locations on the map. (Grades 4-12 / iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, Android, and NookColor / $1.99)

Geo Walk HD - 3D World Fact Book
This app makes learning about the world interactive and a lot of fun. Navigate the globe to discover points of interest. Tap the cards to zoom into interesting images and information. Search by topic or filter for specific categories: places, animals, plants, people, or events. (Grades 4-12 / iPhone, iPod touch, iPad / $2.99)

Stuck on Earth - Free World Travel Guide
"The ultimate for photographers, explorers, and daydreamers," this app is a great way to explore and discover fascinating and beautiful places around the globe captured by talented photographers worldwide. (Grades 4-12 / iPad / Free)

7 Billion
This National Geographic Society app explores the challenges of a growing human population in a world with limited resources. See informative videos, interactive maps, in-depth articles, and photography. (Grades 9-12 / iPad / $4.99)

Stack the Countries
Quiz students on country capitals, landmarks, geographic locations, and more. They can touch, move, and drop the animated countries anywhere on the screen. They must build a stack of countries that reaches the checkered line to win each level. (Grades 7 - 12 / iPhone, iPad / $1.99)

Tap Quiz Maps World Edition
Learn countries of the world through this global geography game.
Free for iPhone and iPad
Middle and high school to adult.

Service Learning

Boom Boom! Revolution
Boom Boom cards turn random acts of kindness into a social game. Participants perform intentional acts of kindness¬-or underground acts of guerilla goodness-stated on the cards, then pass the card forward. Players inspire each other and celebrate their good deeds by documenting and sharing their stories via the app or Boom Boom Cards website. (All ages / iPhone, iPod touch, iPad / Free)

And Something for Every Category
Honor Moorman and Heather Singmaster contributed to this story.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Computers and, later, Web 2.0 have changed the way young people learn. Now apps are set to do the same. An "app" is short for software application. For example, Angry Birds and Facebook are popular apps on mobile devices. More than 30 million apps are downloaded to mobile devices every day.

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Article that describes how the world in interconnected and that math content helps guide students towards global competence. As teachers it is important to "consider how math helps students make sense of the world" by enabling them to use the learned mathematical tools to make contributions to the global community.

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The body of knowledge and practice known as mathematics is derived from the contributions of thinkers throughout the ages and across the globe. It gives us a way to understand patterns, to quantify relationships, and to predict the future. Math helps us understand the world - and we use the world to understand math.