Let’s all make some noise!
Self-regulation and independent thinking are two important goals educators seek to promote in their students. We should stand up and cheer for those students who have taken initiative and created meaningful products that are designed to support a higher cause. I am privileged to observe quite a few educators who are consistently striving to support learning situations and environments which propel students to be thinking outside of themselves and outside the classroom and school walls. This year has been a banner year for global student connections. Let’s hope for a critical mass during 2008 (although that is incredibly optimistic!).
Recently a few students took the initiative to begin an ongoing student blog, Students 2.0. Curiously, their audience seems more designed toward their adult teachers rather than their own peer group. It is an interesting glimpse into the thoughts of some intelligent young people who likely have a better grasp of the big picture of social networking than do most teenagers.
Student-driven social-networking initiatives are not entirely new. A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of attending another conference presentation by the young people of Taking IT Global. Once again, I was incredibly impressed by the achievements and vision by the young people who started TIG a few years ago. They were teenagers at the time and now maintain the world’s most popular and successful social networking site that is centred around global issues. I encourage you to watch the video and to visit their site - I am sure you will be impressed by the thousands of student voices who share the passion for bettering our world together. Taking IT Global also offers opportunities for teachers and students from around the world to collaborate and partner together. The education component of TIG is a recent addition - TIG’s primary mission is to connect individual students who join on their own initiative.
I am pleased to note that LEARN, here in Québec, has partnered with Taking IT Global so that our teachers and students can use the online environments and services of TIG for classroom global exchanges. If you are interested in knowing more, please contact me!