Using technology can help flatten the world and enhance multicultural education. Video, websites, and virtual exchanges allow students to have virtual experiences with other cultures without traveling. This helps address the accelerating globalization of society and raises international awareness. As the economy becomes more global, understanding other cultures is important for students' future careers in international business, foreign services, non-profits, and more. Technologies like video conferencing, websites, and online exchanges can provide opportunities for students to connect with peers around the world and learn about their lives and cultures.

1. Using Technology to Flatten the World and Enhance Multi-Cultural Education Picture from Yahoo Images By Lauren Luffy

2. “Shrinking Planet” Picture from Yahoo Images This is the term used for describing how the rest of the world is becoming a more accessible, and familiar place. The globalization of American culture continues to accelerate. Picture from Yahoo Images

3. The Questions Remain… Pictures from Yahoo Images How can educators address this accelerating globalization of our society? How can we effectively raise international awareness? How can we interest our students in other cultures that they may have never heard of? Pictures from Yahoo Images

4. Answer Use technology to bring intercultural units to life through use of: Video Television Digital Multimedia resources on compact disc Internet Picture from Dell.com

5. Why Should We Teach About Different Cultures? American businesses have become increasingly international, which means our 21 st century learners may have jobs in these upcoming fields. Picture from Google Images

6. Our Students Might… Enter in foreign services Assume overseas military post Work for international assistance organizations Be involved in humanitarian efforts Work for multi-national corporations Travel to other countries on business Work overseas Tourism How these travelers interact with foreigners will ultimately influence how others perceive the U.S. Picture from Google Images

7. Our Economy Our economy is now global with events in other parts of the world, which is now affecting the financial fortunes of every American. Picture from Google Images

8. Edinboro News Magazine Dr. Jeremy D. Brown speaks of international initiative at Edinbobo University: Wants his students, faculty, to visit, teach, and learn in other cultures Global students to participate alongside Edinboro students in the virtual classrooms Picture from Google Images

9. Welcome to the 21 st Century Instead of real travel, schools can take advantage of technology to convey what a trip to a foreign country would be like. Picture from Google Images

10. Videos Films and videos of real footage from other lands can provide a vicarious experience through culture. TeacherTube / YouTube / United Streaming Video from Youtube

11. The World Wide Web Websites with many pictures and sounds can also communicate a sense of another country Websites on Pictures and Sounds China Today The Greatest Places Sounds

12. Internet Virtual Travel AdventureOnline (adventureonline.com) Virtual Field Trip Tramline Field Trips The Jason Project ( www.jasonproject.org ) Global Schoolnet ( www.gsn.org ) Sites Alive! Documentaries- China- Olympic Games World Wide Web Compact Disc Electronic mail

13. KeyPal http://www.keypal.com/ Make New friends world wide! No registration!

14. Kidworld Keypals http://www.bconnex.net/~kidworld/keypals4.htm Kidworld helps kids from all over the world to write to one another.

15. ePals http://www.epals.com/ Safely connect, collaborate and learn using the leading protected email and blog solutions for schools and districts

16. KIDLINK http://www.kidlink.org/kidspace/index.php Is an organization in Sweden, that helps children understand their possibilities, set goals for life, and develop life-skills. Its free educational programs motivate learning by helping teachers relate local curriculum guidelines to students' personal interests and goals.

17. Video-Based Exchanges The Palace ( www.thepalace.com ) Chat based software with a graphic interface Kids Com.com CU- SeeME , CamFrog , Skype Two classes connect through the internet- video chatting Global Schoolnet Global SchoolNet's mission is to support 21st century learning by engaging teachers and students in meaningful project learning exchanges with people around the world. Picture from Kidscom.com Picture from Global Schoolnet.org

18. Technology: Flattening the World and Enhancing Multi-Cultural Education Daily “ The new technologies provide innumerable exciting opportunities to transcend the distance between countries and explore the great variety of cultures around the shrinking planet.” (Tiene, Ingram, 2001) Picture from Yahoo Images

19. References Amidon, Mary. Edinboro News July-Aug. 2009: 3-5. Print. Tiene, Drew, and Albert Ingram. Exploring Current Issues in Educational Technology . New York: McGraw Hill, 2001. Print. Adventure online. 5 Aug. 2009. www.adventureonline.com/login.asp CamFrog. 11 Aug. 2009. www.camfrog.com China Olympic Games. 4 Aug. 2009. http://en.beijing2008.cn/ ChinaToday.Web. 6 Aug. 2009. www. chinatoday.com. CU-Seeme. 9 Aug.2009. http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/Letsnet/noframes/bigideas/b9/b9u3l2.html Dell . Web. 7 Aug. 2009. <www.dell.com>. Education Record World. 11 Aug 2009. www.erckids.com/summary.asp?media=5 ePals. 4 Aug. 2009. www.epals.com Global SchoolNet. 4 Aug. 2009. www.globalschoolnet.org / Google . Web. 7 Aug. 2009. <www.google.com>. Jason Project. 4 Aug. 2009. www.jason.org/public/home.aspx Keypals. 4 Aug. 2009. http:// www.keypal.com /

20. References Continued KidLink. 4 Aug. 2009. www.kidlink.org/kidspace/index.php Kidscom.com. 5 Aug. 2009. www.kidscom.com KidWorld Keypals. 4 Aug. 2009. http://www.bconnex.net/~kidworld/keypals4.html Skype. 10 Aug. 2009. www.skype.com/welcomeback/ Sites Alive. 4 Aug. 2009. http:// vg.sitesalive.com / TeacherTube . Web. 9 Aug. 2009. <www.teachertube.com>. The Greatest Places Sounds. 5 Aug. 2009. www.greatestplaces.org/medias/media_html/sounds.html The Palace. 5 Aug. 2009. www.thepalace.com Tramline Field Trips. 4 Aug. 2009. www.field-trips.org/trips.htm UnitedStreaming.Web.9 Aug. 2009. www.streamingdiscoveryeducation.com . Virtual Field Trip. 4 Aug. 2009. www.uen.org/utahlink/tours / Yahoo! Web. 8 Aug. 2009. <http://ww.yahoo.com>. YouTube.Web.9 Aug. 2009. www.youtube.com .