Communicating with Microsoft Translator

     Microsoft Translator is tool that can process up to 140 languages and helps people of different languages interact with one another. Interpreters, especially in the education system, can be a little harder to come by and there's only so many on hand at a time. It's important that schools have the technologies, like Microsoft Translator, to ensure good communication is given to everyone. Communication is the way we all learn and gain knowledge; communication is the key to success. Microsoft Translator opens that door for good communication on all levels of languages. 

     Russell White, a principal at Chinook Middle School in Washington, had a translation issue one night at an event and it changed his outlook as a principal and overall as an educator and leader. A mother had came into the coffee chat and was looking for her designated area as a Russian woman so she could understand other languages that people spoke around her using an interpreter. Unfortunately, there was no Russian interpreter so the woman only made it halfway through the event and left due to the language barrier. Russel, disappointed by this, made sure an issue like this never came about again. He used Microsoft Translator for future events and had all the parents download the app on their phones so everything he was saying would be translated in the language used by each individual parent. This helped break language barriers and create healthy communication and inclusiveness for all involved.  

    Overall, Microsoft Translator is such an important tool to have. Diversity is growing in the world where meeting people who speak a different language becomes more and more frequent. Language is a beautiful gift to be able to speak and communicate with others and to be able to understand people who speak different languages is a great way to have a gift that keeps on giving. 

Communicating With Sway

Why is communication important?

Communication is a vital component of any classroom, as it fosters an environment where ideas, knowledge, and feedback can be shared effectively. Strong communication allows teachers to clearly

explain concepts and ensure students grasp the material being taught. It also encourages student engagement, as learners feel more comfortable asking questions, participating in discussions, and expressing their thoughts. When students communicate clearly, they can better understand concepts, ask for clarification, and express their ideas confidently. This encourages collaboration with peers, allowing them to share knowledge, solve problems together, and develop critical thinking skills. Furthermore, students who can communicate well are more likely to succeed in academic and social settings, as they are able to articulate their needs, listen actively, and contribute to group discussions. 

About Sway:

Knowing how beneficial communication is in a classroom full of students, it is important to find tools that can help grow positive communication. One incredible tool is Microsoft Sway. Sway is a versatile digital tool that allows users to create visually engaging presentations, reports, content, and actively engage with others. It fosters collaboration by allowing multiple users to work on a project at the same time, making it easier to share ideas and updates in that moment. Its integration with other Microsoft tools, such as OneDrive and Teams, enhances seamless collaboration, allowing team members to contribute and edit content from anywhere. Most importantly, Sway strengthens communication by providing a tool where users can express ideas clearly and creatively. The ability to add text, images, videos, and interactive elements makes it an effective tool for conveying information in an engaging and accessible way. There is an incredible video that will be linked here that shows how to use Sway and how to create a newsletters, presentations, and webpages!

How does Sway grow students' communication skills?

Microsoft Sway is excellent in helping students grow their communication skills by allowing them to create interactive, multimedia-rich presentations. With Sway, students can organize and express their ideas in a dynamic and visually appealing way, through incorporating text, images, videos, and even charts. This encourages them to present information creatively and more effectively, making it easier for both them and their peers to understand complex topics. This tool’s collaborative features enable students to work together, providing a platform for easy communication and teamwork. By using Sway, students can improve their ability to communicate ideas clearly, engage their audience, and collaborate with others, all while developing a deeper understanding of the subject matter. 

Personal Note:

After discovering Sway through my course book Sail the 7Cs With Microsoft Education, I was immediately impressed and eager to start using it. With several upcoming projects in my classes, I'm excited to dive in and explore its incredible abilities. What’s even better is that learning and mastering collaboration and communication tools like Sway, will allow me to leverage them to enhance my future students' learning experiences!

Blog Post 4 - Microsoft Translator Tool

  Microsoft Translator allows educators to break down any language barrier that stands in front of them. It is ok not to be bilingual as a teacher because learning multiple languages is not an easy task and there are many languages out there that you cannot learn all quickly. Luckily there is a tool called “Microsoft Translator,” which allows teachers to have better communication with the students and parents of their different languages. The ability for a student to feel comfortable and be able to perform well in class is very important and Microsoft Translator gives this student a chance because the teacher can understand he/she.

What and how does the Microsoft Translator work? The tool has a whole group of services that teachers everywhere can use. The translator can be used strictly in English as a captioning or transcription tool. It can even add captions to meetings or even create a transcript for a classroom conversation. Professionals use this tool as much as educators for example they use it as a back-channel chatroom. People join the conversation, post in their language, and see the responses in the chat as their language as well. This tool is simple and easy to use, here is the link for it to give it a try for yourself: https://translator.microsoft.com. This tool changes the dynamic of language barriers all over the world. 

As a future teacher, I will keep this tool in my back pocket if my class is diverse and if a teacher needs help with a diverse classroom. To be able to communicate with students or their parents effectively is important to the education and growth as a student and person. It would be my job as a teacher to use this tool to the best of my ability so that students and parents can feel comfortable and confident being in my classroom or in my school.

 

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Educational Technology: Communicating With Multilingual Learners & their Families

 

Communicating with Multilingual Learners & their Families

2/20/25

By Mackenzie Regan

Communication As Teachers

Being a teacher is hard. There are so many things to do, keep track of, and work on. There is one major thing that sometimes can get lost in the chaos of everything else, and that is Communication. Communication is one of the biggest benefactors to you, your students, and your students' families. That communication can be through phone calls, sites like Class Dojo, email, or parent-teacher conferences. Something that those resources don't account for, are language barriers. When there is a language barrier between us and our students' families, things can get tricky. I'd like to talk about a tool that has great benefits for this conflict that so many of us face.

Microsoft Translator: What Is It?

Microsoft Translator is a tool that allows people to talk and be translated in real time. Sail the 7 Cs by by Becky Keene and Kathi Kersznowski, dive into the world of Microsoft technology and tools. In it, they state, "School districts never have enough interpreters, and those who are on staff are burdened with more need than they can cover. Many times, this means that a family won't have access to their student's teacher that day," (Keene, 2020). This is an extremely impactful statement. It can be difficult enough with the anxieties of sending your child to school. Let alone sending them to school without a concrete way of communicating with your child's teacher. I can't imagine the emotional turmoil this could have on a student and their families. 

Microsoft Translator is a great tool to help keep the communication between teachers and families, even Multilingual families, concrete! Of course, when emailing and messaging, you can use any translator to speak with parents, and I urge you to do so! However, Microsoft Translator allows for your words to be directly translated and communicated through the app. It can also show the translation on the reverse side of the phone, making it easy to communicate in real time, such as during parent-teacher conferences. 

Overall, it is a great tool for translation. As a future educator, I urge all aspiring, about-to-be, or even veteran teachers to think about this. What would it feel like, if we couldn't directly communicate with the person who is with our child each and everyday? Take the time and the effort to make sure your students' families can communicate with you, and in turn it will benefit not just them, but your students and you!

In-Game Chat Options

In today’s digital age, learning extends beyond traditional classroom settings, and in-game chat options are emerging as a powerful tool to support this shift. These chat features, found in video games and educational platforms, provide students with an interactive environment that encourages collaboration and communication. Whether participating in a group activity or solving complex problems, students can instantly exchange ideas, ask questions, and offer support. This fosters teamwork and helps develop essential skills like effective digital communication, critical thinking, and quick problem-solving—key competencies for the modern world.

Beyond communication, in-game chats also promote a sense of community among learners. By allowing students to interact in real time with peers who share similar interests and goals, these platforms create an environment where students feel connected and supported. Peer-to-peer learning thrives in this setting, as students often explain concepts to one another, reinforcing their understanding. This collaborative space not only makes learning more engaging but also reduces feelings of isolation, ensuring students remain motivated and invested in their educational journeys.

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In-game chats also offer a unique opportunity to enhance problem-solving and critical thinking skills. As students engage in discussions and strategize together, they develop the ability to analyze situations, consider various perspectives, and test out ideas. This dynamic environment encourages deeper thinking and promotes learning by trial and error, mirroring real-life problem-solving. The casual, fast-paced nature of game chats helps keep students engaged, making learning both exciting and rewarding. By incorporating such interactive tools, education can move beyond traditional methods and better prepare students for the challenges of the future.

Keene, B., & Kersznowski, K. (2020). Sail the 7 cs with Microsoft Education: Stories from around the world to transform and Inspire your classroom. Dave Burgess Consulting, Incorporated.

#WebTS25

Educational Tool Blog Post - Arissa G

           Blog Post 3

    The resource that I would utilize in my classroom is https://www.learningforjustice.org/. Learning for Justice is a great tool for the classroom, I could most likely see it being used in a history class or a race education class. It is a community education program that started in the South, to learn and understand the injustices that plagued many people in the South. Across many avenues, from classrooms to restaurants. This kind civic/political education is especially important to me and I could see myself using this in my social work practice. Especially since race classes may not be a thing in the near future. I also really like that a goal of this tool is to eradicate hate in classrooms across the world. The framework of this tool is truly admirable and necessary. I think many classrooms across the country could learn a few things from this tool. 

Educational Tools

 

Lesson planning can always be difficult no matter the topic. Global Goals World's Largest Lesson is a great tool to use in case if you as a new or experienced educator. World's Largest Lesson is a helpful website with multiple lesson plans for any type of class subject. With multiple lesson plans, assignments, rubrics, and project ideas can be easy to adapt to and incorporate for any age group of students. This tool allows you to choose a lesson plan with common explanations to which you can make your own and create it to the lesson plan! Not only will this help with blocks of inspiration, but it can also be helpful in creating your own lesson plan. Mix, match or copy the lesson plan! 

I believe this tool is important because it can help to make a lesson easier. Imagine you have a list of things you want to speak on, but it is all over the place. Using this tool, you can find a setup that will be able to organize it for you and help your students understand the lesson easier. Understanding is so important not only for the students, but for the educator as well. if an educator is disorganized, then the class material and learning will be disorganized and negatively affected. To avoid this confusion and overall suffering, it is easier to find templates for lessons until you can get into a rhythm for your own lesson plans.

I believe the way I'd use this tool in my own future classroom wouldn't necessarily be to use it by myself to create a lesson plan but print out a few and make packets. With these packets, give them out to the students and allow them to choose which plan would best help them learn and comprehend the information needing to be learned. Not only will this help me, as the educator, understand my students better, but it will also benefit the students in their way of thinking. Once collecting the data, I can make separate packets for certain students that give words and visuals that they can follow along with in order to have a better grasp on the situation going on in the classroom setting. With this tool it not only assists teachers, but students as well. Tools such as World's Largest Lesson help to create a better learning process for everyone. 

International Children's Digital Library

I try to find methods and tools which appeal to young learners. One site that I found particularly interesting is the International Children's Digital Library (ICDL) which can be accessed at http://en.childrenslibrary.org/. This site has an extensive and rich digital collection of books for children in different languages and is truly a treasure for teachers aiming to instill a culture of reading and enhance multicultural understanding among students.

What motivated me to investigate further was the ICDL collection of children’s literature from all over the world. In the education sector nowadays, it is not enough for students to be familiar with their own culture, they must also learn to appreciate differences. ICDL is an important tool for students of all ages as it has thousands of books from all corners of the world and provides an opportunity to read more in a culturally sensitive environment.

Moreover, the ICDL offers children the opportunity to read books in various languages which is especially useful in bilingual or multilingual classrooms. These features help children learn new languages or to retain their native language skills.

Teaching Opportunities with the Library of Congress

The Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., is a research library for the public and Congress and is one of the largest in the entire world, serving as a kind of de facto national library of the United States. In addition to housing more than 170 million items across multiple buildings, the Library of Congress (LOC) also supports digital initiatives for education. 

Since 2006, the library, in conjunction with the federal government, has provided grants to educators to provide teaching materials based on the library's vast collections. Called the Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS), this grant provides moneys to educators in sums ranging from "$35,000 to $100,000," according to loc.gov. Specifically, the funds are used developing innovative strategies, tools, and materials for educators in schools, universities, historical societies, museums, and other educational institutions. 

"A 2017 evaluation of the TPS Regional program, conducted by Gallup, found that 83 percent of teachers who participated in professional development or academic courses funded through this program increased use of primary sources in their classrooms. Eighty-seven percent of respondents told colleagues about the primary sources and materials available on the Library of Congress Teachers Page." (Emphasis my own.)

Inside the Jefferson Reading Room

How could you use the LOC resources in your classroom? Well, consider American history. As the eminent research library in the US, the Library of Congress' archives contain more primary sources of American history than a typical library. A teacher can use, via their website, digital artworks, photographs, maps, recordings, and historical documents to incorporate into their lesson plans. 

Childhood Education International

I plan to become an elementary teacher, specifically grades kindergarten to 2nd grade. As I'm preparing to become a teacher, I'm always looking for ways to make my classroom more engaging and relevant for my students. When I came across the CE International website and learned about their Global Schools First (GSF) program,  I was immediately intrigued. What really grabbed my attention was the program's focus on connecting classrooms around the world and fostering a deeper understanding of global issues. I believe it's so important for my students to see themselves as part of a larger global community, and the GSF seems like a fantastic way to help them do that. I can imagine using the resources on the website to connect with other classrooms in different countries, maybe through virtual pen pal programs or collaborative projects. This would not only expose my students to different cultures and perspectives but also help them develop valuable communication and collaboration skills. Plus, the GSF's emphasis on global issues like sustainability and social justice aligns perfectly with my desire to teach my students about the challenges facing our world and empower them to become agents of change.

Beyond the global connections, I also appreciate the GSF's focus on developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills. I don't just want my students to memorize facts; I want them to be able to analyze information, think creatively, and work together to solve problems. The GSF provides resources and frameworks for incorporating these skills into my lessons, which is incredibly valuable. I can see myself using the program's resources to design engaging projects that challenge my students to think critically about global issues and come up with innovative solutions. For example, we could research the impact of climate change on different communities around the world and then brainstorm ways to reduce our carbon footprint in our own school and community. I believe that the CE International website and the GSF program will be instrumental in helping me create a classroom where my students are not only learning academic content but also developing the skills, knowledge, and values they need to thrive in a complex and interconnected world. It's giving me the inspiration and resources to make a real difference in their lives and prepare them to be responsible and engaged global citizens

References

Global Schools First - Childhood Education International. (2023, March 6). Childhood Education International. https://ceintl.wpengine.com/what-we-do/gsf/

Micro-Credentials - Childhood Education International. (2024, May 29). Childhood Education International. https://ceinternational1892.org/cpl/micro-credentials/

What Belouga Can Do For You

    Many classrooms throughout the years have transitioned into a more technology based classroom. That being said, classrooms are using more applications to help with teaching and learning. I’d like to highlight the website, Belouga, as a great resource for both students and teachers. 

What is Belouga? Belouga is a website that uses a video format to connect classrooms all around the world. There are many videos being made, translated, and published for viewing for all students internationally. Adding this connectivity while learning allows students to understand intercultural communication. 

By using this application, as a future teacher, I’ll be able to incorporate different lessons into my own. By adding a multicultural curriculum, students will gain a better understanding of problem solving skills, critical thinking and cognitive development. I will use this tool about once a week to teach a small lesson from others around the world to expand the students’ knowledge overall. 

Virtual Field Trips with Discovery Education

    Not every child is fortunate enough to be able to participate when it comes time for field trips. I remember being a child and being so excited the days we would go on field trips and having to watch certain students be sent to other classes with work to do for the day because they were not able to go. Whether it's due to students not being able to particiapte financially or if the parents just don't want the child going due to their own personal views, it's never fun to be left out espeically while watching all of your friends excited to go have fun. 

     

    Discovery Education has created an opportunity to ensure all children can participate in fun classroom activities and create a small break in "traditional learning". Granted the virtual field trips aren't going to be all day like in person trips would be, but it takes time in the class for the students to learn about differnt topics, and interact in the same ways during a field trip. I watched the virtual field trip, Night Navigators: Build for Bats and they were being extremely informative and used different ways to draw the children in. Not only did they learn, they also used play with legos and how to build a change to protect the bats.

https://www.discoveryeducation.com/community/virtual-field-trips/

    In the future when I have my own classroom, I will 100% be utilizing materials such as Discovery Education to bring some fun into my classroom. Truth be told, not every child is going to enjoy coming to school everyday and learning the basic skills of reading and math. Implementing fun activities such as Discovery Education, and hands on learning and play is a great way to keep the students engaged and keep their want to come to school, to come to my class.

    Not only does Discovery Education have the perks of no permission slip field trips, the program is free to use for both students and teachers. Students have access to games, videos, labs, lesson plans, homework help, and many more activities. Many schools provide students with iPads, or laptops for classroom use and at home use. Discovery Education is a great program to create accounts for the students to use for extra learning, not only could it be used to assign work to be completed, it can be viewed as "fun work" to be completed. I would probably use Discovery Education for not only their virtual field trips but also for centers, this would be a great program to use for student learning. 

Belouga

As a future teacher, I am always looking for different tools and activities to engage my students. Belouga is an amazing tool for educators to broaden their students horizons. Belouga has thousands of educational videos focused on all different content and age levels available for educators to share with their students for free. Teachers can create playlists for their classes or let students explore topics that interest them on their own. The website even includes learning outcomes and standards alignments with each video for educators. The best part is their content aligns with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.

Belouga also allows for educators and students to collaborate with other classrooms around the world. Teachers can reach out to other teachers and connect on Belouga's site, then invite their students to join and collaborate together. Chats allow asynchronous collaboration, so you don't have to worry about timezone differences and are free to work with classrooms all over the world. Only educators can initiate communication with others until they have invited their class to work with another specific class, so its a safe online environment for students. Belouga can even help match you with other classrooms by suggesting collaborations based on grade level, subjects area, and interests so your classroom can find the perfect match!

Global Education with 'Global Kids'

In today’s world, global education is more important than ever. It goes beyond teaching students about geography or world history, but instead it’s about fostering a deeper understanding of diverse cultures, perspectives, and global issues. By incorporating global education into the classroom, we give students knowledge and skills they need to navigate an interconnected world. This type of education not only broadens their worldview but also encourages empathy, critical thinking, and collaboration. In this blog, I’ll explore how global education benefits students and share a classroom activity that highlights the power of community both locally and globally. 

          As I explored the various amounts of incredible global education tools we have access too, there was one for primary education that really stood out to me called Global Kids. Developed by global education expert Homa Tavangar and the creators of Barefoot Books’ bestselling Mindful Kids deck, Global Kids includes over 50 hands-on activities that are divided into 5 categories to teach children about food, festivals, games, crafts and ways of helping others around the world. 

        Each card features a front side that introduces the activity, offering an overview of its cultural significance and meaning within the specific location. On the reverse side, students will find step-by-step instructions guiding them through the process, empowering them to recreate the dish, craft, or game as it is practiced in the culture they are exploring. One example of a preview offered by the website is an activity where students learn about the Festival of Lights in India. For example, Diwali, which means "festival of lights," is a time when many people in India and beyond celebrate the power of good over evil. Students are then provided with instructions on how they too can create a lantern inspired by this vibrant and meaningful celebration.

        What is inspiring about these cards is that they serve as a solid foundation for lesson plans, offering educators a starting point for exploring diverse cultures with their students. Teachers can easily build upon the activity, expanding it into a week-long exploration filled with deeper discussions, projects, and hands-on learning. This allows educators to tailor the experience to their classroom’s needs and interests, creating an immersive cultural learning experience. In my future classroom, I am eager to incorporate this global education tool, as it will not only enhance traditional lesson plans but also broaden students perspectives, encouraging creativity and critical thinking through the lens of different cultures.

Belouga

 As a future teacher it is really important to know resources like these are here to help us. Belouga is an educational website that connects classrooms all over the world and try’s to achieve a primary goal. Belouga encourages global communication, and creates a virtual learning environment both at home and in the classroom. Belouga helps students develop an understanding of other cultures which is so important and one of my favorite parts of this tool,  students learning about other cultures really broadens their perspective. It helps students understand that there are different ways of thinking, living, and solving problems, encouraging them to see the world from multiple viewpoints. 

Belouga is also Free which is amazing for teacher or parents who want their students to globally learn. There is a $15 dollar version but the free version is just as good as well. While being free it offers available lessons that students can easily learn. Belouga has series which allows you to choose a developmental goal and have your student collaborate have a direct line of communication with other classes. 

Overall I believe this is a great tool and I am excited to use Belouga in my future classroom. 

Exploring The Worlds largest Lesson

As an education major, I explored The World’s Largest Lesson, a resource by UNICEF, UNESCO, and Project Everyone that teaches K-12 students about the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Given my work on SDG 1: No Poverty, I saw this as a great way to integrate sustainability education into my future classroom. This tool offers age-appropriate lesson plans, interactive activities, global perspectives, and teacher resources to seamlessly integrate SDGs into curricula. A standout feature is the lesson plan on SDG 1: No Poverty, which uses real-life stories to help students analyze poverty and brainstorm solutions. I plan to incorporate The World’s Largest Lesson into Social Studies and ELA through readings, discussions, and project-based learning. Students can create artwork, debates, and community action plans to raise awareness about global issues. Collaboration with other schools could also enhance learning and engagement. This tool provides valuable content while empowering students to think globally and act locally. I highly recommend it to educators looking to make a meaningful impact.

Educational Technology: Teaching Little Explorers with National Geographic

Teaching Little Explorers with National Geographic

2/20/25

By Mackenzie Regan

    "Because there's always another wonder for us to go and find," (National Geographic). As teachers, we should be promoting exploration and creation in our classroom every single day. To do this, we need to first show the young minds we are fostering that it is possible for them to grow up and become explorers! What better way to do this than by having them communicate with real-life explorers on National Geographic Explorer Classroom. 

What Is This Tool?

    National Geographic Explorer Classroom "connects learners directly with National Geographic Explorers for a live virtual class, filled with interactive moments and Q&A," (National Geographic). It allows teachers to have their students talk to real life explorers from scientists to conversationalists. The students are able to listen to the explorers live, respond, and ask them questions. This is a can be a great introduction or extension to a variety of activities, such as nature, wildlife, sciences, and other exploration lessons.

How To Use The Tool?

    As a teacher, you can view the event schedule on their website to visit a live session. There are even recorded sessions on their Youtube channel if joining live is not possible. The explorer will tell real life stories and answer any questions the class may have.

    For example, if you are teaching a unit about wildlife conservation, you can have the students talk to an explorer who has had real life experiences with wildlife and nature. You can have the students make a list of questions they would want to know the answers to before the talk and then have a debrief discussion after the chat. Students can draw or write about what they learned from the explorer. You can connect activities and lessons before or after the chat to what the explorer specializes in. For older children it can be a great way to develop some career readiness and learn some things about careers they may be interested in. The explorers are also from all different parts of the world, which can be important for young, influential minds to speak to people of different cultures and ideas. 

Conclusion

    Overall, National Geographic Explorer chat can be a great way for students to get some real life knowledge on different subjects. It is a great and accessible way for classrooms to hear real life stories about topics they may be learning about in the classroom.

Blog Post 3 - Virtual Field Trip & DE Docs - Michael Hoey

Today’s world is truly based on technology and in the digital age, innovative tools like Discovery Education’s Virtual Field Trips and DE Docs are transforming how educators engage and teach their students. These immersive and interactive tools provide learning experiences, allowing classroom instruction and real-world exploration to interconnect. 

            I decided to go with Discovery Education’s Virtual Field Trips and DE Docs because they offer immersive ways to inspire thoughts and collaboration. Virtual Field Trips allows students to see places they might never visit in person, from historical sites to science-based locations all through their screens in front of them. This can elevate your lessons and give cultural awareness and more global perspectives.

            I’ll be honest the Virtual Field Trips caught my eye first, but the DE Docs also empower students to organize information, collaborate with each other, and reflect better on their learning and work. Having the ability to work in real-time with classmates makes DE Docs a great classroom tool.

    As a future teacher, I look forward to using Virtual Field Trips to deepen student understanding across all subjects. For example, a science lesson about ocean animals could be paired with a virtual tour of an aquarium, allowing students to experience everything like they were there. After the virtual tour, then I would have the students use DE Docs to collaborate with one another on a reflection project, where they summarize everything, they saw and learned. This will give me feedback on their thoughts and perspectives from the virtual field trip.

    What I found most useful about these tools is the ability to make my lessons more hands-on and collaborative. They push students to engage more, think critically, and work together. Also, it makes school and learning more fun which makes the student want to learn more about the subject.

            

 

https://www.discoveryeducation.com/community/virtual-field-trips/

 

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The Global Educator Toolkit

The Tools of the Trade

    As an educator it is important to have a wide variety of tools at your disposal to be used for your classroom learning environment. Some of these tools may cover a wide range of needs while others are highly specialized for certain situations. Keeping these tools handy can help both yourself as an educator as well as the students in your classroom.

What Tool is Best?

    Out of all the tools in the Global Educator's Toolbox the one I found to be the most useful is Learning for Justice. I chose this tool because it aligns with my goal for my classroom to create a welcoming environment that is inclusive to all of my students. This tool offers research strategies to address issues such as racism, bias, and social justice. Each of these issues being addressed are critical to understand in today's educational environment. With this information educators can be equipped to help students develop the skills necessary for navigating a diverse world.

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What I Found Useful in this Tool

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    One of the most beneficial aspects of Learning for Justice is its wide variety of available lesson plans that are categorized by grade level and topic. These lessons provide content that can be adapted to suit different classroom settings. Learning for Justice also offers professional development resources that help teachers become more culturally educated educators by including action guides and toolkits to help with discussions on equity and justice. The student texts and perspectives portions featured highlight diverse voices and experiences, ensuring that students engage with materials that reflect a wide range of backgrounds. The site also includes unique content such as film kits and teaching strategies that encourage critical thinking and active engagement with social justice topics. All of these aspects combine to make a highly effective tool for an educator looking to improve the quality of their learning environment.

How I Would Use Learning for Justice in My Classroom

    There are several ways that I would use this resource to improve my classroom. Since so many lesson plans are provided by Learning for Justice I would look through each one and decide which ones to incorporate into the curriculum. Doing this would help include ideas such as diversity, identity, and equity into my classroom. In addition to the lesson plans provided I would also include some of the student texts on the website to help introduce more diverse voices into my classroom. The inclusion of all of these diverse and sometimes complicated ideas can help facilitate respectful discussions of these heavy topics in a safe environment.

USIP

 The tool I chose and researched was the United States Institute of Peace or USIP for short https://www.usip.org/US-Schools. The USIP is a tool used by teachers and students in order to promote the idea that international peace is attainable. They cover issues that are specific to the 21st century in order to keep everything productive. Some of the topics they cover include the relationship between civilians and military, conflict prevention, the environment, all the way through human rights. 

What really stuck out to me about this was how committed this organization was to this cause. It truly seems like they are giving every effort they have to promote nationwide and worldwide peace. They allow discussions from all across the nation involving peace or any of the topics above to show the different opinions people have about a topic. They also engage students by doing contests based on certain topics they pick and give out recognition to winners of these contests. They are actively in 15 countries where they help provide training and resources for people and other groups who want to promote peace. I would use this in a classroom setting to show students the problem other countries face as I feel like it is super important for children to be educated on world problems and advocate for world peace.

"Everybody Cooks Rice" 

    The tool I decided to research is a book called, :everybody Cooks Rice," by Norah Dooley, illustrated by Peter. J Thornton. The book is for prek-3rd grade, which is perfect because I am competing my P-3 certification. The book is about a little girl who goes to her neighbor's houses to look for her little brother. Where she finds that everyone is getting ready for dinner and all of them preparing rice in a different way to eat for dinner. This story is very cute and age appropriate in explaining cultural differences to children. It shows them differences in people but through food which I think is very clever and relatable for a child because who doesn't love food. It helps them see that all people are the same, they just may do things slightly different, like preparing rice. I also like that it shows students that all rice is the same but it can be prepared differently making it look or even taste different and that is kind of how we are as people. We are all the same but we may be raised with different beliefs and values  making us "different' but really we are all just people the same way its all just rice. 

 I have actually read this story before. I can't remember if it was to one of my classes or if my professor introduced it to us but I really enjoyed the story. If I were to read the book again to a class I would create cute activity to go along with the book. I would ask the kids questions before I began reading, like who has had rice before? What kind of rice do your parents makes? and then I would make connections through out the story. I would have students raise their hand during reading about each family to see who also makes rice in that manner. After the story I would have the students do a turn and talk, discussing not only different rice but other different foods they have at dinner. Once they share I would create an anchor chart documenting all the foods the children eat for dinner. Finally, I would have the students draw a picture of different foods they can find at their dinner table. Once the students are done with their pictures I would do a gallery walk where all of the students can look at their classmates work and each student would have an opportunity to tell us about the food they eat. 

A really cool extension that could be done with this story is doing a potluck. This would be a great way to increase family engagement in the classroom. I would send home a letter and an email asking parents if they have family recipes for different rice dinner and organize a day for all of the students to bring in a dish and try different families recipes. This would be a super fun way to try new foods and for children to be introduced to different culture's foods. All in all, I think the story has a really great message for kids and there are many activities that can be done to enhance the message within the story. Below is a YouTube read aloud of the story! Sometimes a read aloud is great use of technology in the classroom. It serves as differentiation of instruction for different learners. 

Belouga: Online global learning

Belouga, not to be confused with the beluga whale, is a learning platform, that connects classrooms with global topics created by worldwide educators. This tool would be greatly beneficial in opening the eyes of students to the world. I went to the 9-12 grade section as I intend to teach highschool, and to be entirely honest, this tool caught my eye because of its name and logo. I saw a whale and I, an animal lover, instantly clicked. I must say, the click did not lead me to disappointment. Upon reading into Belouga, I found it to be a rather interesting tool, with a lot of potential in the classroom, especially a classroom that wishes to have global thoughts. I must say, this path to finding Belouga is quite silly, but I think that ultimately that is perfect. That showcases how an intriguing brand name can increase site traffic, and in turn potentially increase Belouga users!

What a mascot!

But that is getting off track; Belouga seems to be a great tool for a myriad of reasons. They claim to be able to connect "K-12 students and teachers worldwide with real-world content and personalized, self-paced learning."(Belouga.org)What stuck out the most to me is that this tool allows for self pacing, allowing students to be able to work at their pace, without worrying about time constraints. The homepage touts their variety of resources and learning programs. Variety is really awesome because what that alludes to is that this site really has near endless opportunities for learning which can give a classroom endless opportunity to learn. Being a global brand,  educators across the world can contribute to and/or be recipients of the learning programs created on Belouga. Perhaps the most important thing, Belouga can foster a sense of community across borders, across oceans, across the world, and that community is crucial for bringing all corners of the world together, building a better tomorrow!

Bringing Belouga into my classroom could yield great results; as an aspiring history teacher, the global story is a story that is uber important. Being able to pull from all over the globe can help American students gain a broader perspective, allowing them to exit the bubble they live in. Belouga has the potential to be both a major aspect of the delivery of education or a minor aspect. Regardless, the capabilities are there, and through the aforementioned positives of this tool education can be heightened. Since Belouga is aligned with the UNs SDGs, in my classroom it can be used as a method to bring light to these goals. In my K-12 years I never once heard of the SDGs, so utilizing Belouga in such a manner could be a way to expose a classroom to said goals. Overall, this is a versatile tool with a great potential of manners it can be used in the classroom. 

Global collaborating

collaboration transforming education and real life.

Collaboration is a very important tool both in the educational field and in real life. It can make our way of learning, working and living in a simpler way. Chapter 1 shows us not only the different ways in which we can collaborate but also how we can achieve more by working together instead of alone.

In this new blog you will be able to see that collaborating is more than just educational, but that learning from it can also make many of the things that are found in daily life easier.

In the educational field, collaboration is one of the biggest factors used by all people involved. Collaborating among colleagues to create better material and content for students, sharing resources that can benefit each other and, above all, collaborating helps us as educators to provide greater understanding and comprehension for students.We will be able to know which materials or ways are best for teaching, how to improve our learning techniques and materials, and be able to share the best we can do to include each student and understand their needs individually and as a group.

As educators, we can have our students collaborate with each other for their own benefit. Some examples could be group work, peer reviews of papers, or class discussions. This collaboration will have students working as a group on these projects that help communication where they can help each other to discover their best qualities and improve them. 

Collaboration is so important both in the educational field and in real life. Sometimes we don't realize that we are collaborating with each other in our daily lives and we are facilitating and improving our own qualities and our way of life. Whether we are studying or working, we will see different moments where collaboration is the key to both personal and group success.This tool will really help us in our daily lives if we start using it more frequently.

Although collaborating is sometimes difficult for us because it is not easy for everyone, the benefits of doing so will be very good and will be worth it in the long run. Collaborating will make us and help us understand that if we apply it, we can achieve our goals.