Journal #10
Developing Global Citizens: The Global Run Project
Jody H. Kennedy and Jan Zanetis

Current global education projects began to emerge after 9/11. Educators in New York, at one elementary school in particular, began to see the need for teaching diversity and tolerance as a requirement. They used video conferencing as a tool to connect their students with students around the world and collaborate on projects and assignments that offered different perspectives and points of view.After a while though, the video conferences between students began to lose some of its effectiveness because it became routine to the students. So what teachers did to spark the interest of students again,was to organize video conferences with professionals and first hand accounts in the field. One example given was that of a Health teacher leading a lesson on AIDS. She set up a video conference with an orphan in Africa who had the disease and spoke of growing up and living in a community where almost everyone was afflicted or had someone close to them affected. There are several other instances given where this type of video conferencing can be effective. This way students are learning not only about the beautiful places in the world, but also of its darker side. By seeing and hearing some of these accounts, students can now put people and faces next to the tragedies and injustices that plague the world. This started a new movement, and techers in that New York Elmentary school started seeing a number of students begin to be more proactive in the movement to right some of the wrongs that they had seen through the video conferences. It prompted them to write letters and inquire more about ongoing situations that obviously had touched them so deeply. With these letters and inquiries, students themselves were reaching out to the global community and building bridges of communication that had rarely been seen before. This led to the creation of the Global Run Project in 2005. More than anything, the Global Run Project has taught students here in the United States to be thankful for what they have and to realize how hard people in other countries have it compared to us. They also realized that helping people out is an addicition, and it feels good to them to do so.

1. Is video conferencing soemthing that is easy to set up?

I feel that with the advent of new technology, video conferencing will become easier for teachers to set up and integrate into their lesson planning. The power of this tool has already proven to be a force in global communication and awareness. Most students take for granted what they experience on a daily basis, such as the freedom of going to school and earning an education. In some countries students don't have those liberties, and are exposed at an early age to the brutality of the real world. you feel for them because they don't have the choice of freedom, but as an outside observer we can make a difference. This generates a buzz, as seen in the example of the New York Elementary school video conferencing project, and makes students in the United States and other priviledged countries feel an obligation to help those less fortunate than us.

2. In what other way can the Global Run Project educate students?

By using the tools in place for the Global Run Project, students can not only see the negative side of global affairs, but they can also see the positive side of global diversity. It will enable educators and students on different aspects of everyday life in foreign countries. There is so much good in the world and it needs to be seen and experienced by all. Seeing different approaches to education by students around the world will give students here a perspective from which to draw comparisons to their own daily work.