Global Education Network

New technologies and telecommunications networks have dramatically transformed all facets of life, from medicine to agriculture, entertainment to politics, and economics to service industries (Milken Foundation, 1999). Rapid technological improvements, heightened interest and increased affordability have created a bridge to for information access and worldwide transparent communication among the people of the world (World Bank, 1998/99). These developments represent a watershed of opportunity. Access to information, and therefore knowledge, is becoming increasingly available to citizens in many countries where access was formerly enjoyed only by a privileged few. They also present challenges in many forms (Hallberg and Bond, 1996).

Most observers acknowledge that there are barriers associated with technology acquisition and use, no matter what the intended purpose. These are sometimes in the form of government policies that restrict access for political reasons, as in China, for example. Cultural conventions often do not value outside information. A lack of knowledge of the possibilities associated with technology often prevents acquisition. Many of the world's economic systems are deeply steeped in a principle of tradition that discourages access to technology.

The Milken Foundation identifies five criteria that characterize a scenario for technology acquisition, informed use, productive output, and contributions to development. Those considering acquiring new or additional technology should consider these questions as a framework.

• First, what is it that technology will do for students and educators that is compelling enough to make all the effort worthwhile? (The Incentives)
• Second, what is it that communities need in order to make informed decisions and wise use of technology and telecommunications for improvements in learning? (Capacity building)
• Third, what is getting in the way of educators and students effectively using technology and how can we fix the system to get rid of these barriers? (System Changing)
• Fourth, what is it that we need in order to ensure that all students have the opportunity to learn in a technology-enriched learning environment? (Mandates)
• Fifth, how will we know it when we see it? What does success look like in terms of student performance? What indicators will we be using? How will the data be collected? What evidence will be analyzed and evaluated against which benchmarks? (Benchmarking) (Milken Foundation, 1998.)

The rapid development of global technological capacity and abilities create opportunities for students worldwide as well. In addition, as technology has the power to breakdown geographical, economical, language, and time-zone barriers, it can be instrumental in creating global learning experience. According to Margaret A. Powers, in her blog (, she defined global learning as any classroom activities which expose young children to new ways of thinking about the world, their own and others’ cultures, world languages, communities and families. However, in this case, global learning experience is not only for young children but also students at any level that expose the new way of thinking about the world.

Through technology, students may have more interesting learning experience, such as the World Links for Development program links students and teachers in secondary schools in developing countries with students and teachers in industrialized countries for collaborative research, teaching and learning programs via the Internet, for instance two secondary schools in Senegal were connected to the Internet and partnered with schools in Quebec, Canada, in June 1997.

So demanding has been the response to the program that capacity of the World Bank has been exceeded (McGinnis, 1999). As a result, WorLD has linked with two organizations, Schools Online and I*Learn to form the Alliance for Global Learning (AGL), which creates sustainable school networking models in developing countries by providing technology, training and support for collaborative educational projects with peers around the world. Moreover, there is also an online access tool, like TheTalkList that can be used to reach the peers nearly anywhere in the world. This allows you to hold peer-to-peer video conferencing that can build contact networks with other students internationally, learn about other cultures, and improve spoken language skills.   

Technology also enables students to attend virtual university, such as The African Virtual University centering in Nairobi and The Virtual University of Monterrey Institute of Technology in Mexico. American public institutions of higher education are also beginning to address means by which to accommodate increasing domestic and worldwide demand for distance education. For instance, many of California's institutions of higher education offer online courses and other services offered by California colleges and universities. Students may access information about courses and certificate or degree programs offered at a distance by California's leading institutions of higher education (California Distance Education Project, 1999). Students from all over the world are eligible to participate. While, for high school students, several "cyber-schools" provide educational opportunities for students that transcend American soil. CyberSchools.NET is a global network that exists to fulfill the two-fold mission of strengthening school and global communities while developing real life experiences that teach children vital technological skills (CyberSchools NET, 1998).

The trend towards distance education includes other organizations as well. The International Center for Distance Learning (ICDL) is an international center for research, teaching, consulting, information and publishing activities based in the Institute of Educational Technology which received world class rating in the 1992 and 1996 Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) Research Assessment Exercises. ICDL promotes international research and collaboration by providing information from its library and databases; other audiences are reached through publications. Another example is the Globewide Network Academy (GNA) is a non-profit organization in Texas, USA that provides assistance in all aspects of virtual and distance learning with an Online Distance Education Catalog (ODEC). There are more than 17,000 courses and programs currently listed. GNA consults on the development of virtual organizations and training materials, and is involved in the searches; set up and maintain mailing lists; and set up and maintain mail robots that return files in response to an e-mail request. GNA also maintains a central web server that instructors may use to post course materials and texts. There is also GET. GET is a global education and technology offshore company aims to provide a complete education and technology solutions provided by best selected international and local partner organizations and sister companies to obtain the optimum.

In addition, both students and teacher may have easier access to read online journal. For example, The Journal of Technology Education is a fruitful starting point (JTE, 1999). The Agency for Instructional Technology publishes TECHNOS Quarterly, which examines the policies and pedagogical implications of the electronic revolution (AIT, 1998). Educom Review monitors computer and communications developments (Educause, 1999). The Journal of Information Technology for Teacher Education is a refereed international journal concerned with the implications of teacher education of all aspects of information technology (JIT, 1999). The University of Wisconsin's Center for Materials and Computing offers a free database of educational journal annotations, many of which are available online (CIMC, 1996), and many more.

Briefly, technology can ease and give new and interesting experience of learning activities for both students and teachers. As a teacher to be, it is important for me to engage technology in my classroom so that students may have better understanding either about their lesson or about the world.