Think Global

With the leisure of summer comes a feeling of freedom from the pressures of going to class, writing papers, and taking tests. It can be easy to forget just how much of a privilege a quality education is. The path to self-improvement rarely strays from the course of learning, and with such an opportunity perpetually available, it is crucial to stay focused on just how valuable it truly is.

In the opening pages of “The Promise of Open Educational Resources” by Marshall S. Smith and Catherine M. Casserly, it is stated that:

“At the heart of open-educational-resources movement is the simple and powerful idea that the world’s knowledge is a public good and that technology in general and the World Wide Web in particular provide an extraordinary opportunity for everyone to share, use, and reuse that knowledge.”

This idea drives the OER movement to each corner of the globe with the goal of giving everyone the opportunity of self-improvement. There is a ubiquitous need for learning, just as there is a ubiquitous need for food and shelter. Because of this, there will always be students.

Learners have the incredible transformative power to take information, synthesize it, and pass it on to others. The realization that everyone is both teacher and student at some level is integral to the formation of open education for everyone. In a previous blog, a call was made to all online students to help shape the future of online education. As programs reach beyond borders and oceans, connections are made that should be recognized as potential avenues for learning.

Cross-cultural integration is the inevitable result of the World Wide Web, and the possibilities for cross-cultural sharing must be pursued at every opportunity. Encourage your teachers to take advantage of the resources at their disposal and broaden their horizons to encompass the whole globe. Organize an e-mail pen pal program. Find out how other students are studying, how other teachers are teaching, and what other classes are learning. Consider things from a global point of view. As your scope gets bigger, your limitations will shrink.