THE INTERNET: BRIDGING THE GLOBAL CLASSROOM

EDible News: Nicholas Catania

News Director, FESA 2014/2015

Students have the opportunity to access information more quickly than they ever have before. As children of the 1990s and early 2000s, computers were just beginning to enter households; thus, canonizing the era of dialup Internet. Fast forwarding to the present day, a tremendous amount of new information has become available for public consumption than what was previously experienced during our childhood and adolescence. As the socio-economic accessibility of using the Internet steadily grows, an ongoing demand for more content and methods of communication actively forward our knowledge of what is happening throughout the world.

Students can access the Internet using computers from school, home, and even at their desks with the epidemic of smartphones and other personal communication devices. When it comes to students and studying, the following data has been proven:

•  Only 10% of students report using books from libraries to help them study
• 99% of students report using Wikipediato study
• 80% of students report using social networks to help them study
• 55% of students report using online services to help them write their papers

Have students become so immersed in the Internet that books no longer provide the necessary knowledge? The statistic stating the overwhelming use of Wikipedia was not surprising at all, despite the fact that students understand the unreliability of this source.

While Toronto has been established as the most multicultural city in Canada, many smaller areas throughout the country still remain predominately Anglo-American. In bridging the gap between culture and classrooms, the Internet is a highly useful resource. Take for example a global chat room called www.studentsoftheworld.info. Here, students can log on and connect with pen pals from an array of countries. Students can learn from first hand sources about cultural values, geographic surroundings and life overall from a foreign country. The website provides specific details about the different countries which students can use to base questions on, and develop insights from.

Although this may seem like a fantastic source, there are still many dangers accompanied with such a source. To create a safe space for students to chat with others from around the world, connect with a specific teacher from another country and establish a private chatroom. It is vital that you remain connected to the parents in establishing an understanding of this source, and that you monitor all activity that takes place. In doing so, students will gain a thoughtful understanding of the world outside their classroom while immersing themselves in culture from within. Another danger that teachers must be aware of is the onslaught of stereotypes. The internet has the power to sever, subvert, or completely uphold the unfortunate and often negative ideas pertaining to a certain group, or groups, of people. To make students increasingly aware, always engage in classroom discussion. Provide answers and understanding to student insights and be prepared to tackle anything that may possibly arise. In the words of R.S. Peters: “To be educated is not to have arrived at a destination; it is to travel with a different point of view.”