I studied Spanish in high school, and it was one of my favorite subjects. For a while I considered minoring in it. Even though I haven’t formally studied it in a while, I’ve kept up by reading Spanish novels and an occasional movie or two. Even with all of that, I’m by no means fluent. I can’t help but wonder how different my learning experience would have been if my Spanish AP class in high school had included video conferences with students in Spain or Mexico. As a learner, I’m aware that my biggest weakness is comprehending native speakers of Spanish. I was taught mostly by teachers who acquired Spanish as their second language. I had no trouble understanding when they spoke because they and my classmates all had the same American accent that I’ll never quite be able to lose (oh, those rr’s…). Having a chance to converse with a group of native speakers like the students at Walter Payton are able to would have made a huge difference in my learning experience.
Their interactions embody the type of meaningful cultural exchange that ties our increasingly interconnected world together. I was one of a lucky few students during high school who had the opportunity to travel abroad as a Student Ambassador. I’d be willing to bet that I learned more during the eight weeks I spent overseas over the course of three different summers than I did in any one classroom. Bringing people together allows them to share their unique perspectives on the world. We not only learn about a different culture; we learn a great deal about our own. Imagine how much richer our society would be if every student had the opportunity to interface with students from around the world.
I’m fascinated with the possibilities for the use of video conferencing in the classroom. I’m sure there will be another post soon about that.
All of this talk about using communication to bring people closer together makes me think of that most iconic of Disney structures: Spaceship Earth (Sorry, I’m a Disney nerd. They brainwashed me when I worked there…). I leave you with the old incarnation narrated by none other than Walter Cronkite. His version is a little dated, but the sentiment is the same, and he'll always be my favorite narrator. Is it possible that my repeated visits to this attraction as a child shaped my views about technology and communication?
