Our early discussions this week have brought up some wonderful ideas about thee asynchronous environments we've been discussing. I found that my view has been somewhat one-sided, as I am an elementary teacher. I often get an idea stuck in my head, and forget to think about other benefits that could come from such an environment.
Ako talked about her experiences with transfer from the Japanese educational environment to those in America. In Japan, they are expected to stay silent during class unless they are specifically asked a question by the professor. Speaking out or asking questions is seen as disrespectful and out of place. Therefore, coming into an American school where participation is expected and encouraged can be very discomforting for a student of Japanese culture. We must truly remember these ideas when we get to know our students. Their behavior or lack of participation may be due to cultural barriers we have not looked into. Even more, we should take the time to help our students see these difference among cultures, and how knowledge and acceptance can make a difference.
Anyways, it's very interesting to think about how online or asynchronous classroom environments can assist this issue. Students who were afraid to speak out in face-to-face experiences may be able to express themselves more thoroughly through these environments. In addition, the language barrier between students may be broken through the use of such experiences. Students will be able to recap on what is being said in the conversation, whereas in face-to-face meetings, one is easy to get lost. Such an interesting thing to think about.
As an elementary teacher, I'd like to learn more about how these environments could be used in the elementary classroom. How could it be used to communicate with other cultures? Could it be used to communicate with parents, or extend learning beyond the classroom?? How to we help our young ones to become experienced citizens of the technological community? Hmmmm....
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