Julene Reed’s article Global Collaboration and Learning remindsus of the evolving nature of knowledge and information. Reed highlights information from ThomasFriedman and Daniel Pink imparting concerns about globalizing economies andresulting changes in education systems. Reed further suggests that changes in communication technology be usedto enhance the global and collaborative nature of education (Reed, 2007).
Howard Gardner further evokes the need for collaboration andglobal understandings:
In a world composed o f a fewhundred nations, speaking thousands of languages, and more than 6 billionpeople … we can no longer simply draw a curtain or build a wall… [We] must somehow learn to inhabit neighboring places – and the sameplanet – without hating one another, without lusting to injure or kill oneanother, without acting on xenophobic inclinations even if our own group mightemerge triumphant in the short run” (Gardner , 2006).
It is without question that international and cultural barriersare quickly transcended in the globalizing world. In order to best prepare students to functionin the workforce and society of this flat world, we must go beyond contentknowledge, processing, and technology skills. We must include the skills of collaboration and foster the “respectful mind.”
In terms of Science, I intend to do this through twoapproaches: historical and modern. Science is a collaborative effort; unfortunately, there are manyhistorical examples of criticism, steadfastness, and belligerence in thedevelopment of scientific thought. A keyexample of this conflict between collaboration and long-held beliefs is seen inGalileo’s conflict with the church over his DialogueConcerning the Two Chief World Systems. Byexamining the historical development of scientific thought, students willdevelop an understanding of the collaborative (though not always easily so)nature of science. Defining and applyingthe definitions of laws, theories and hypothesis students will focus on theprocesses of communication and review inherent in modern science.
Space exploration is another exemplar of the evolution ofscientific collaboration. Evaluating thetransition between the space race of Sputnik and Explorer through Apollo andSoyuz with collaborative approaches such as Apollo-Soyuz Test Project,Shuttle-Mir, and the International Space Station will encourage students torecognize the value of collaboration and respect for culture and view.
Aside from just examining examples of collaboration, I alsointend students to experience it. Through online interactions with NASA’s Digital Learning network,students can learn directly from Aerospace investigators, participate inwebconferencing, and interact with other classrooms. Through NOAA’s OceanExplorer program,students will maintain near real-time connectivity with oceanographicresearchers. Through NASA’s S’COOL andProject Globe students will collaborate with other classrooms to collect andshare data.
Science is as collaborative as ever and the resources toenable interactivity are increasing. Continually exposing students to examples of current research andapplication, as well as participating in collaborative programs will fosterstudent respect, collaboration, and global participation.
References
GLOBE Program. (n.d.). GLOBE Program. Retrieved December 1,2011, from http://globe.gov/
Galilei, G. (1953). Dialogue concerning the two chief worldsystems, Ptolemaic & Copernican;. Berkeley: University of California Press.
Gardner, H. (2007). Five minds for the future. Boston,Mass.: Harvard Business School Press.
Global Collaboration and Learning | EdTech Magazine. (n.d.).EDTECH. Retrieved December 1, 2011, fromhttp://www.edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2007/09/global-collaboration-and-learning
NASA - NASA DLN - Part of NASA LEARN (Learning Environmentsand Research Network). (n.d.). NASA - Home. Retrieved December 1, 2011, fromhttp://www.nasa.gov/offices/education/programs/national/dln/index.html
Reed, J. (n.d.). Global Collaboration and Learning | EdTechMagazine. EDTECH. Retrieved December 1, 2011, fromhttp://www.edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2007/09/global-collaboration-and-learning
The CERES S'COOL Project. (n.d.). Education Resources fromthe Science Directorate at NASA Langley Research Center. Retrieved December 1,2011, from http://science-edu.larc.nasa.gov/SCOOL/index.php
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