January 2006 — Features
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Beyond Borders
A program linking American and Japanese schools reveals the ability of international collaborative projects to knock down traditional barriers to learning.
CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS GOT IT wrong. The world is flat—in fact, flatter now than it's ever been.
In this case, the term flat means 'connected,' and describes the state of the world and its inhabitants, rather than the shape. Indeed, the lowering of trade and political barriers, coupled with the ongoing digital revolution, has made it possible to collaborate instantaneously with billions of Internet-connected people at all points on the planet.
At first glance, the 'flattened' world most greatly benefits global businesses that have deep experience in multiple geographies. But a closer look reveals that individuals, including educators and students, can all gain from this digital globalization. 'The physical distance between two or more collaborators is becoming less and less relevant,' says W. Ken Woo, director of Information Technology and CIO at Northwestern University's (IL) School of Law. 'Increasingly, any piece of information you could ever need is just a mouse click away.'
International Chat
Global technology standards, such as Internet Protocol (IP), Ethernet, Linux, and Windows, have enabled US educators to build international bonds with their foreign counterparts.
Such is the case at Callisburg Independent School District, located 70 miles north of Dallas, near the border of Texas and Oklahoma. Callisburg students are no longer limited by geographical borders thanks to the school's participation in the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Master Teacher Program (JFMFMTP; www.fulbrightmemorialfund.jp), which began in August 2005.
Designed to foster international collaboration and education, the program spans 25 schools in the United States, which are paired with 25 schools in Japan. Unlike 'pen pal' programs of yesteryear, the JFMFMTP goes far beyond simple information exchanges. The program seeks to accomplish several large goals via online and in-person contact:
