A Vision for Global Learning: Discussion for BLC11

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Permalink Reply by Anne McKenzie on July 26, 2011 at 3:29pm

Since I still need to finish projects before leaving the office and pack before heading to Boston, I am not taking the time to craft a well written response- here is my best extemporaneous shot.

Two weeks ago, the cover of the Economist depicted characters in 18th century dress at a coffee house saying things like, "Wilt thou be my Visagebook friend?" "I saw her on ThouTube" and "Is this the South Sea Bubble 2.0?"  The lead article discussed the impact of the internet on news media and social discourse.  Here are a few quotes from the article that really made me think about a vision for global learning in 21st century.

"The internet is making news more participatory, social, diverse and partisan, reviving the discursive ethos of the era before mass media.  That will have profound effects on society and politics."

"The first worry is the loss of 'accountability journalism', which holds the powerful to account."  "A growing band of non-profit outfits such as ProPublica, the Sunlight Foundation and WikiLeaks are helping to fill the gap left by the decline of watchdog media."

"...the money seems to be in creating an echo chamber for people's prejudices..."

"But as news is becoming more opinionated, both politics and the facts are suffering"

"As producers of new journalism, they can be scrupulous with facts and transparent with their sources.  As consumers, they can be catholic in their tastes and demanding in their standards."

So a vision for global learning - learning that fosters connection not exacerbates isolation, learning that emphasizes how access to information is an exigent condition of personal liberty and a functional democracy, learning that helps students and teachers understand that one's ability to evaluate, synthesize, and apply knowledge determines the degree of autonomy or dependence one experiences, and that the most powerful learning experiences are those in which we evaluate our learning in terms of contribution not acquisition.  Learning that increases our capacity to contribute to our world rather than take from it = a vision for global learning.  I believe November or someone else calls this legacy learning.

A vision for global learning is also one that recognizes the critical juncture that liberal (meaning guaranteed individual rights not left leaning) democracy faces.  Zakaria and Kurlantzik discuss the implications of a world that is "becoming less free" (Kurlantzik).  My vision for global learning - learning that helps students understand that personal liberty, polyvocality, and collective, beneficial action through compromise are not incompatible ideals.

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