7. · Recognizing and validating opposing claims
· Provide academic response to opposing claims
Task: You will make a clear, unique argument about your topic.
Considering the synthesis of ideas from your Literature Review
and the Rhetorical Analysis, you will provide a new direction to
fill in a gap that the academic conversation is missing. This new
direction can take the form of an argument, suggesting further
research (how, why, and its importance), or by providing lesson
plans to show implementation of assignment (for education
topics if you want). The paper needs to be focused on your
solution, not your sources arguments.
Grading Criteria:
· Identifying an issue, propose a “solution” for problem (the
solution becomes the argument), and explain how “solution”
will help solve/alleviate problems within that issue.
· Provide reasons for your claim without logical fallacies.
· Provide counterargument
· Logical organization/structure that is guided by thesis
· 5-7 pages (+ a works cited page), Times New Roman font,
double-spaced with regular margins, and proper MLA format
· 5-8 academic peer-reviewed sources (these do not have to be
different sources than you have for the literature review).
· Grammar conventions and mechanic.
Academic Argument
Peer Review
Full Draft
Monday, November 19th Due In-Class
Draft
Completed
Monday, November 26th Due on Canvas by 8am
Revised Draft
Completed
This will be the version included with the Completed Academic
Researched Paper at the end of the Quarter
9. Association
GLOBAL LITERACY
Teaching and Learning in the Global
Village: Connect, Create, Collaborate,
and Communicate
When Marshall McLuhan (1962) wrote about the global village,
he could hardly envi-sion a 21st- century world so
interconnected
through technology. Take, for example, Claire (all
names are pseudonyms), a young professional in
Ireland, working for an international technology com-
pany, whose daily work routine involves networking
on initiatives and projects through SharePoint screen
systems and daily meetings via videoconferencing
and e- mail. Claire works across geographical bound-
aries, time zones, and diverse cultures with other
professionals in Manila (Philippines), Buenos Aires
(Argentina), and New York (United States). Claire’s
daily workflow exemplifies how the world has flat-
tened (Friedman, 2007) and illustrates that we are
indeed the connected generation (Ito et al., 2013).
Claire’s experiences are by no means unique, and
regardless of profession, we have all become more
globally connected. Membership in a global village
conjures up images of community and neighbor-
hood, and although the world is both interconnect-
ed and interdependent, there is a f lip side as well.
In reality, global citizens face challenges regarding
inequality of opportunity, the changing demands of
the workplace, unprecedented global migration, and
climate instability.
Defining Global Literacy
10. The International Literacy Association (n.d.) defined
literacy as “the ability to identify, understand, inter-
pret, create, compute, and communicate using visual,
audible, and digital materials across disciplines and
in any context” (para. 1). As a global organization, it
recognizes that literacy both connects and empowers
people to reach their potential, live together and in-
teract with the world, and participate fully in society.
Today’s students live in an information age
and increasingly connect and interact with di-
verse cultures and traditions around the world.
Therefore, they need to develop global literacy.
Global literacy encompasses a multiplicity of over-
lapping concepts:
n An advocacy dimension viewing literacy for
all as an inalienable human right (United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization [UNESCO], 2015)
n Global perspectives to analyze contemporary
and historical issues (King & Thorpe, 2012)
n Citizenship responsibility as both local and
global citizens (Rae, Baker, & McNicol, 2008)
n Cultural and linguistic awareness and respect
for diversity (Farmer, 2015)
n Literacy as a multiple construct, grounded in
social, cultural, political, and historical prac-
tices and encompassing critical, media, visual,
digital, and information literacies (Gutiérrez,
2013; Lankshear & Knobel, 2003; Larson &
Marsh, 2005; Street, 2003)
11. To be globally literate, our students need to ac-
quire a repertoire of capabilities, a “dynamic learning
about, with, in, and for a complex and interconnected
world” (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011, p. 2). They need the
knowledge, skills, dispositions, and social practices
to live and work in this global village.
First, they require the knowledge to investi-
gate the world, to become informed, open- minded,
empathetic, creative, imaginative, and innovative
individuals with a knowledge of and an ability to
analyze the complexity of global issues. In addi-
tion, they need to be knowledgeable advocates
and committed to the belief of literacy for all as
Bernadette Dwyer, Editor
132The Reading Teacher Vol. 70 No. 1 July/August
2016 literacyworldwide.org
GLOBAL LITERACY
a human rights and social justice issue (UNESCO,
2015).
Second, they require the skills to be critical con-
sumers of media, to think critically, reflect, form
judgements, and ask questions from multiple per-
spectives. They need the skills to collaborate effec-
tively and conduct intercultural dialogue across a
range of multimodal and print- based platforms.
Finally, our students require the “cosmopolitan
12. dispositions and habits of mind” (Hull & Stornaiuolo,
2010, p. 89) to honor human diversity, languages,
and cultures. They need to embrace an ethical ori-
entation of active participation as curators of the
planet and a sense of awareness and responsibility
as both local and global citizens.
Given these overlapping dimensions, teaching
students to become globally literate is indeed a
tall order. Fortunately, digital tools and technolo-
gies like social media platforms, videoconferenc-
ing software, and collaborative reading and writing
spaces enable educators and their students to con-
nect across time, space, and cultures. However, if
our goal as educators is to enable our students to
be truly globally literate, we need to ensure that we
engage them in authentic literacy events. Further,
we need to employ instructional practices to teach
them to use technology effectively to become more
skillful in accessing, analyzing, critiquing, and
synthesizing information and communicating with
a diverse audience.
In this column, I will discuss ways educators can
amplify their curriculum (Tolisano, 2014) and reach
outside the walls of their classroom to connect in
meaningful ways with educators around the globe.
Connecting Communities of Readers
and Writers
Engaging in peer- to- peer collaboration through on-
line literature circles—across time, space, and cul-
tures—allows students to deepen engagement with
literature and helps to create communities of readers
and writers.
13. For example, in a series of studies (Dwyer & Larson,
2014; Larson & Dwyer, 2015) conducted in Dublin,
Ireland, and Manhattan, Kansas, United States, sixth-
grade students engaged in online literature circles.
The students read a range of titles, such as The Boy
in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne, The Miraculous
Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo, and Out of
My Mind by Sharon Draper, on Amazon Kindle e- book
readers over a number of weeks. They engaged in
personal response and created digital annotations
as they read. Next, they met in face- to- face literature
circles in their respective classrooms, where they re-
sponded to the texts, created discussion points, and
crafted questions and responses to post on an asyn-
chronous message board. Kidblog (kidblog.org/home),
a secure blogging tool, was one of the messaging plat-
forms used in the studies. The message board func-
tioned as the host of a larger global literature circle
in which all students collaborated and engaged in
discussion. Results from these studies suggested that
virtual literature discussions promoted deep engage-
ment with texts in tandem with new levels of global
literacy. Students established a community of inquiry
and were inspired by multiple diverse perspectives
across cultures and geographical boundaries. As
John, a student in Kansas, explained,
It is a great experience to see how people in other coun-
tries think, and this is a good cultural task. I like hear-
ing about other opinions because it really makes you
think that they can make sense, too. I like it because
you are talking with kids millions of miles away and
it’s so fun and interesting.
Students moved between affirming one another’s
14. responses, valuing opinions, and contesting points
of view. However, while the students were respond-
ing to texts, they were concurrently and seamlessly
constructing a community culture, identity, and af-
finity space (Alvermann et al., 2012; Jenkins, 2006).
For example, they explored issues related to the ed-
ucation systems in their respective countries, their
cultures, their religions, and personal topics. Peer
collaboration in an online global literature circle en-
couraged a sociocultural situated response.
You and your students could participate in on-
line literature circles through the Global Read Aloud
project (theglobalreadaloud.com). The project, with
the motto of “One Book to Connect the World,” was
established in 2010 by Pernille Ripp, a seventh- grade
teacher from Oregon, United States. The project has
grown exponentially during the past six years and
has connected over 500,000 students in more than
60 countries. Spin- off projects of Global Read Aloud
are also available in New Zealand (https://new
zealandreadaloud.wordpress.com) and in France
(ecouterlirelemonde.net). The books are chosen on
a yearly basis across a range of flexible age group-
ings (see Figure 1 for the Global Read Aloud titles
and author study for 2015). Teachers and students
commit to read each book over a six- week pe-
riod. Global connections are forged using digital
tools such as Skype, Twitter, Edmodo, Kidblog, and
Google Hangouts. Grand conversations are held
http://kidblog.org/home
http://theglobalreadaloud.com
https://newzealandreadaloud.wordpress.com
https://newzealandreadaloud.wordpress.com
http://ecouterlirelemonde.net
15. 133The Reading Teacher Vol. 70 No. 1 July/August
2016 literacyworldwide.org
GLOBAL LITERACY
with authors of the chosen books through Google
Hangouts and YouTube videos.
Creating Cultural Understanding
Through Literature and Folklore
Introducing your students to literature and folklore
from around the world is an effective way to engage
them in learning about global cultures and traditions
and helps develop their conceptualizations and per-
ceptions of the wider world.
The Global Book Hour (globalbookproject.buf
falostate.edu/global-book-hour), as shown in the
website screenshot in Figure 2, is an example of a
program designed to foster cultural understanding
and empathy (Truesdell & del Prado Hill, 2015). The
program has been running successfully at Buffalo
State University since 2010 and involves teacher
educators and their students reaching out into the
community in a well- structured program.
The program aims to engage families, mostly
recent immigrants and refugees, in a global read-
aloud that explores the participants’ cultures and
experiences. The program is differentiated to the
participants’ unique requirements and is held on a
weekly basis in the local community. The program
enables participants to “travel” to different parts of
the world and incorporates children’s literature, ge-
16. ography, art, music, and nutrition, allowing the par-
ticipants to forge deep and meaningful connections
between cultures.
Since 1996, ePals (www.epals.com/#/connec
tions) has provided a moderated, safe, secure so-
cial learning platform to connect educators and
their students with a global community network
of classrooms in more than 200 countries through
well- designed project- based learning opportuni-
ties. The projects, as detailed on the ePals website,
are designed to nurture the key 21st- century skills
of creativity, communication, critical thinking, and
collaboration.
The Global Folklorist Challenge (challenges.ep
als.com/folklife2015/the-challenge) is a collabora-
tion between ePals and the Smithsonian Center for
Folklife and Cultural Heritage. The purpose of the
challenge is to engage students in cross- cultural
exchanges across diverse neighborhoods, commu-
nities, and nations. The students research, inter-
view local experts and tradespeople, document, and
present their unique cultures and traditions by cre-
ating short videos on areas such as local crafts, folk-
lore, traditions, customs, music, dance, and food.
In2Books (in2books.epals.com) is another ePals
program. Students and carefully screened adult
eMentors read a selected range of children’s litera-
ture titles. Through e- mail exchanges, the students
and adult eMentors engage in ongoing structured
online conversations about important issues and
themes in the books. Teachers also engage in in-
class literature discussions, provide genre- specific
instruction, and teach specific skills and strategies
17. related to the chosen texts.
Figure 1
Screenshot of the Global Read Aloud Website
http://globalbookproject.buffalostate.edu/global-book-hour
http://globalbookproject.buffalostate.edu/global-book-hour
http://www.epals.com/#/connections
http://www.epals.com/#/connections
http://challenges.epals.com/folklife2015/the-challenge
http://challenges.epals.com/folklife2015/the-challenge
http://in2books.epals.com
134The Reading Teacher Vol. 70 No. 1 July/August
2016 literacyworldwide.org
GLOBAL LITERACY
Communicating Across Time,
Space, and Cultures Using
Videoconferencing Tools
A powerful way to raise global awareness in a “just
like us” par t icipator y culture ( Jenkins, 20 06) is
through the use of videoconferencing tools. Skype in
the Classroom (https://education.microsoft.com/sky
peintheclassroom) is one example of how to reach
beyond your classroom’s four walls to connect to
classrooms across the world.
You can create a Skype in the Classroom account
by logging on to the Microsoft Education website via
your existing Skype account or other social media
platform and providing your location and time zone,
the grade level you teach, details of the interests of
your students, and your curricular goals related to
18. language arts, geography, or history. You will then
be matched through a directory with similar and
like- minded educators and guest speakers across
the world.
Conducting an effective Skype in the Classroom
session involves three stages, as shown in Figure 3.
In the Before stage, students access their prior knowl-
edge, brainstorm, and research information to famil-
iarize themselves with information required for the
session. For example, students could explore Google
Earth (https://earth.google.com) to find information
Figure 2
Screenshot of the Global Book Hour Website
Figure 3
Conducting an Effective Skype in the Classroom
Session
Note. For further information, visit langwitches.org/blog/wp-
content/uploads/2010/11/Skype-call-learning-call.pdf.
https://education.microsoft.com/skypeintheclassroom
https://education.microsoft.com/skypeintheclassroom
https://earth.google.com
http://langwitches.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Skype-
call-learning-call.pdf
http://langwitches.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Skype-
call-learning-call.pdf
135The Reading Teacher Vol. 70 No. 1 July/August
2016 literacyworldwide.org
19. GLOBAL LITERACY
related to the geographical location of the connect-
ing classroom. In addition, students could plan key
questions and acquire vocabulary related to the topic
at hand. In the During stage, students will develop
media skills, such as uploading images and video
files, and communication and interpersonal skills,
such as hosting sessions, performing introductions,
and fielding questions. Finally, in the After stage,
hold a debrief session where students can reflect on
what they have learned, post critical and reflective
pieces on the class blog, and evaluate, collate, trans-
form, and synthesize information from the process.
Collaborating With Learning Partners
A number of organizations help educators to find
learning partners to conduct project- based learning
opportunities that are innovative by design, collab-
orative by nature, and challenging for students while
fostering civic responsibility and creating multicul-
tural understanding.
The Global SchoolNet (GSN) mission “is to support
21st century, brain-friendly learning, and improve
academic performance through content-driven
collaboration” (para. 1). The organization provides a
directory of e- learning projects worldwide designed
to promote science, math, literacy, and commu-
nication skills. In addition, the online expeditions
section (www.globalschoolnet.org/gsnexpeditions/)
features live content programs from, for example,
the Australian rainforest, the coral reefs of the
Caribbean, the wetlands of Mexico, and the forests
of Costa Rica. Students can pose questions and add
20. comments during these programs.
The motto of the International Education and
Resource Network (iEARN; www.iearn.org) is “Learn
with the world, not just about it.” iEARN operates
through a well- structured professional develop-
ment network and focuses on operating purposeful,
collaborative, project- based learning circles world-
wide. Resources are available on the website for
planning the circle: preplanning, opening the circle
to an authentic audience, exchanging student work,
and showcasing outcomes. The circle’s publication
phase allows for the all- important review and con-
solidation of what has been learned and evaluation
and reflection on the project. As evidenced on the
website (see Figure 4), current themes include places
Figure 4
Screenshot of the iEARN Website
http://www.globalschoolnet.org/gsnexpeditions/
http://www.iearn.org
136The Reading Teacher Vol. 70 No. 1 July/August
2016 literacyworldwide.org
GLOBAL LITERACY
and perspectives (encouraging students to explore
world geographies, investigate historical perspec-
tives, and share cultures), global issues (investigat-
ing environmental issues and issues related to ac-
cess to education as a human right), mind works
(creative and expository writing exchanges), and
computer chronicles (producing an online news-
21. paper where students contribute to sections of the
paper).
Conclusion
In an age of accountability in education (Coburn,
Pearson, & Woulfin, 2011) and with an already over-
loaded cur r iculum, you may be wonder ing why
you would adopt global perspectives and incorpo-
rate global literacy initiatives into your classroom.
However, given the wealth of opportunities, projects,
and platforms available to you and your students as
discussed in this column, the effort is well worth
the reward. Further, not doing so hampers students’
abilities to view the world through an array of lenses
(Peters, 2009), to communicate effectively with those
who hold diverse perspectives, and ultimately to live
and work in the global village.
Through connecting, creating, collaborating, and
communicating across a global network, we can
scaffold our students’ acquisition of the habits of
mind and the ways of knowing, thinking, and acting
that lead them toward developing global literacy in
the 21st century.
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