There was a time when:-
- The world was considered to be flat
- then was found to be round
- but is increasingly “flat” again as technology increasingly breaks down the barriers of hemispheres, oceanic and climatic divisions, time zones, festival seasons, communication, culture, language, ideologies, passions and religion.
There was a time ……. when I learnt about the world through a text book or through the knowledge or travel experiences of my family, teachers and friends. I thought that:-
- Christmas was celebrated by Christians across the world on the same day — 25th December and that everyone across the globe knows about Christmas
- New Year occurred for all on the 1st January each year. (The Chinese people celebrate their New Year 4–6 weeks or so after us, depending on the moon , the muslim community celebrate a couple of weeks before us — first sighting of the new Moon crescent in the month of Muharram, so date may vary with location. See 11 cultures that do not experience New Year on Jan 1st.)
- People across the world have 26 letters in their alphabets. (How many letters are there in the alphabet?)
- We all used the same calendar year (List of calendars)
- Everyone experiences 365 days in a year.
- All countries experience four seasons (see the message from Africa below)
- School years start and finish on the same dates globally
- A school week anywhere is always Monday to Friday
- Education was a right that all should and do actually experience
- We all have the right to freedom of speech
- Personal safety is a right not a privilege
………And so much more. (What more would you add to this list?)
As a teacher in a small rural school in Australia where students are geographically and culturally isolated, technology has allowed me to develop an amazing global professional network. An online network that spans countries across the world from developed to developing countries, across hemispheres, time zones, geographical barriers, language difficulties, cultural differences, ideologies etc. My knowledge, understanding, perception and experience of the world is through the ‘eyes’, experiences, feelings and passions of those who actually live there. Empathy, tolerance, compassion and a deeper appreciation of what the world is about, why it is what it is and an ever increasing acceptance that the majority of global citizens want peace, happiness, a healthy world — a world featuring tolerance, empathy and generosity to those who have less. A world where there is understanding rather than conflict due to misconception!
And now …… my
- family
- classes
- staffroom
- learning network
- knowledge
- is increasingly …….
GLOBAL!
