Photo: (Global Nomads Group)
We're all looking for a way to make high school classes a bit more, ahem, FUN. Petitioning to have Jersey Shore become a required course is probably out of the question. However, talking to your peers halfway across the globe about what you watch on MTV Thursday nights, not to mention the uprising in Egypt, is actually quite possible. Just take a note from this New Jersey classroom...
Earlier this year, Ms. Menake and her students at Passaic Valley High School in New Jersey prepared for a not-so-typical school day. It would last just about 24 hours, and instead of shuffling from one class to the next, she and her 14 or so students would shuffle across the world via videoconference. They were participating in "Around The World," a discussion with more than 14 countries about issues in the news and pop culture. It was the climax of their yearlong elective class--Contemporary Issues Through Videoconferencing--and the experience was nothing short of eye-opening.
"Twenty-four hours of class would sound like torture for most kids my age," said 17-year-old Mariah Ross. "To hear from a teacher in Egypt who had experienced the revolution with his son...and talk to students who were participating in their governments to make a change...it changed my perspective on what I want to do in my life."
There are no books to drive the conversation, no teachers to hammer the facts home, just kids talking about issues and personal experiences. The PVHS students were part of the Global Nomads Group network, a global NGO that "creates interactive educational programs for students about global issues." In just under a decade, GNG has connected more than a million youth and helped facilitate cultural understanding across borders. It has also teamed up with the State Department to further its reach.
After the death of Osama Bin Laden, "we knew how our country reacted," said Joe Bavazzano, another Passaic Valley kid. "But to hear how other kids across the world responded, to hear all their biases, gave us a true perspective on the situation." Later, they vibed with kids in Ireland about Jersey Shore and other pop-culture fixtures. Reportedly, no fist-pumping was involved...but, hey, maybe your class can make that happen?
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