The trends in the world of education have seen major shifts over the past few years, especially as a result of the pandemic. With the mandated safety protocols to combat the relentless virus, schools and all educational facilities had to switch to remote learning.
As a result, pretty much all education programs became virtual. From online STEM education to digital creative courses and everything in between- now you can learn it all with the click of a button.
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Remote Learning
With modern-day technology, physical presence in classrooms has become less important because you can deliver lectures and conduct classes online. This means students don’t need to be in the same location as their school.
From STEM classes for middle school or art programs for young learners, students can learn it all through a screen. Simply put, remote education has been immensely beneficial in many ways, but perhaps the most impactful is the fostering of global connections among students.
Remote Learning and Global Connections
Staying in touch with pen pals is all in the past now and has been for a while, but ever since the practice of exchanging letters became obsolete, learners in different parts of the world have become distant from one another. Even after the arrival of new technologies, not very many students are able to get in touch with peers globally.
However, with everyone forced to study remotely thanks to the pandemic, teachers began to truly see and appreciate the overarching reach of the online sphere and focused on nurturing global connections.
Preparing Students for Global Connections
Global connections are excellent for instilling confidence in students and opening up endless career growth opportunities for them. If you want your students to build strong international relationships, here is what you should do.
Expose Them to Worldwide Educational Apps
Social media platforms are great at connecting people, but they are not meant to form bonds based on intelligence. Of course, you can do that too through social media if you choose to, but typically that doesn’t happen because people use such platforms for socializing.
In order to expose students to the global community of learners, tell them about relevant apps where they can find like-minded people with similar aptitudes.
If you don’t know any, here are some platforms that you can teach your kids about:
- Flat Connections
Flat connections are meant to assimilate individual classrooms as one whole learning atmosphere where students can work on projects and learn together.
- Biblionasium
Isyour child an avid book reader, but their genre choices are rather peculiar, so they struggle to meet readers with the same interests? Biblionasium is the answer for you and your young learner.
It is an online (massive) readers’ community where students, teachers, and parents can interact from any part of the globe to build bonds based on shared reading choices.
- Narrative 4
Narrative 4 is a non-profit initiative that connects students worldwide and provides them with a platform to share their stories with one another. Simply put, it offers global learners an opportunity to discuss experiences so that they can form friendships and healthy bonds.
These are just a few names from the many online programs that bring students together
Explain the Benefits of Global Connections
In the past, having links with international students was about making friends and learning about different cultures. Now, global connections offer so much more. They give learners a chance to earn foreign citizenship, score jobs in other countries, and of course, learn about unfamiliar cultures.
Knowing about the perks of staying in touch with global peers, students will be enticed and want to build such relationships.
Make Them Tech-Savvy
It goes without saying that if anyone wants to form relationships through technology, they need to know said technology. Therefore, in today’s day and age, kids should learn as much as they can about different technologies.
Students should be pros at operating software like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Skype, etc. And that holds for kids in all grades. Be it children taking STEM classes for middle school or students learning languages; everyone should have at least the most basic (if not specialized) knowledge of how to operate advanced digital systems.
Ending Note
The world of academics has changed drastically in the past decade and continues to do so. Of course, all of these changes have added to students’ experiences. However, making global connections through education offers much more than just learning; it nurtures dynamic personalities and bright prospects. Want to find out more about global connections using education? Reach out to us at Level Up Village and let us answer all your questions.
