GSWLA GLOBAL CONNECTIONS

Education and Technology

Compare the learning styles of the U.S. to that of developing countries. How does/can technology play a role in education? Can distance learning be used in less developed countries to improve education
KATHERINE A BECKER (040) 12/16/2013

Table of Contents Education (Abstract) .......................................................................................................................... 2 Introduction and Statement of the Problem ................................................................................... 3 Limitations of Study .......................................................................................................................... 4 Methodology ....................................................................................................................................5-6 Literary Review ..............................................................................................................................7-9 Education and Technology ........................................................................................................10-18 The Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 19 Works Cited ................................................................................................................................20-21 The Appendix ..............................................................................................................................22-29 o Jenna Frees Interview ........................................................................................22-24 o Debbie Seths Interview .......................................................................................25-26 o Vince Rodkeys Interview ....................................................................................27-28
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Education (Abstract) The research questions explored in this paper are: Compare the learning styles of the U.S. to that of developing countries. How does/can technology play a role in education? Can distance learning be used in less developed countries to improve education? These questions are essential to the field of education because technology is becoming more and more dependent upon in the world today. Some forms of technology that are becoming popular are smart phones, Promethean boards/ Smart boards, laptops, and iPad. Also it is important to study technology because it can help teachers. Maybe we could use distance learning to teach all grade levels in a school with a teacher who is qualified to teach each grade level. The researchers faculty advisor is Mrs. Free. The researchers outside advisors are Mrs. Debbie Seth and Mrs. Kristin Casciani. The role that the student will be assuming is a research and a compiler because these three will have great resources that can be used in the main body of the paper. This project will be focused on developing countries (like Africa, Mexico, India, and the Middle East).The action will be an internship at a nearby elementary school. The target audience is teachers, administration, maybe students, and possibly missionaries too. The internship will be talked about in the research paper. A book drive will possibly be done for part of the action. If a book drive is done the books will go to another country with missionaries who are teaching English in another country. The Internship will benefit the research project because the use of technology will be observed and the different types of learning styles will be observed too.

Introduction and Statement of the Problem The main topic of study is education and a subtopic that is being researched is technology and its role in education. Education is important to study because it plays a huge role in our lives and in society now a day. Another reason why it is important to study education and technology is because people need to be aware of how technology can improve other countries education systems. Also, families have to pay to send their children to school so that they can have the best education possible. This research is important to study education and technology because technology is becoming very popular and its starting to be used a lot it the education field to teach. This is an original topic to study because education is important to people and it can influence the type of job a student will get when they finish school, Also it is original because education is in every country but it may not be the best education for a child to have. Yes, this project could possibly fill in the gaps of other studies because researching both education and technology could find facts, problems, and maybe some solutions in both the education and technology field.

Limitations of Study The countries that will be studied and researched are the United States, Mexico, Africa, and India. Things that could limit the research would be that any person just cant pick up their bags and travel to these countries because it is expensive and they would have to go through a process just to get into the country. Mrs. Free, Mrs. Debbie and Mrs. Casciani might know about other countries education systems so they can put their input in on the research portion of the project. Another limitation would be if the countries dont publicize information about their education then the researcher will have to either find articles on it or find someone who has been there and interview them. Its hard to get in touch with a teacher in a foreign country who speaks English to interview them. The advisors for this project might have connections to people who have taught in foreign countries who know how to speak English. There may not be enough information out about Africas education system so the researcher will have to maybe tailor her research to certain countries in Africa like South Africa for example. The researcher may have go to a college and use their library so that she can see if they have more information about education in foreign countries. Another thing that could limit the research would be if there isnt any information about the use of technology in the African school systems.

Methodology While in the internship it was observed that elementary school teachers do use a lot of technology while teaching their students. For example, if the teacher is reading her class a book then she will most likely use a document camera to magnify the book so that the students can read along and see the pictures. Also every grade level goes to the computer lab once a week to work on their computer skills. In the computer lab the computer specialist will have a lesson plan for the class that goes hand in hand with what they are learning in their classroom. The technology in the lesson plans range from using a microphone, to retell a story to typing a paper, to doing a project on computers. Also the researcher taught two lessons and with one of them she used technology and the students enjoyed the lesson while getting to interact with the Promethean board to do the matching game. The researcher also used the Promethean board to let the students watch a video about precipitation and they enjoyed that too. The teacher also allowed the students to do math games on an iPad and each student knew exactly how to use them. Technology is being incorporated into education quickly because the students start using technology in kindergarten with learning how to use the computer and then their knowledge and skills with the computer improve/ grow every year as the teacher teaches the students new things. So, technology plays a huge role in the education of elementary school kids in Virginia Beach, VA. Elementary school is also very small group centered instead of whole group like middle and high school. When a second grade, first grade, or kindergarten teacher teaches a small group lesson the class is divided up into multiple groups based on what they can do. For example for reading and word study groups the teacher tries to pair the students who are close to each other for their reading level. Like if a first grade student is reading a level four book the teacher will not put that student with another student who is reading a level 16 book because they both have two

different concepts that they have to meet before moving to the next level and it wouldnt be fair to have a student with a high reading level read books that are way too easy for them to read and retell because then they arent able to grow as a reader, student, and as an individual. The teacher will also try to give students the one on one attention that they need in order to help them grow or improve so that understand what they are learning. When asked if they could be interviewed they said Yes. The interviewees are Mrs. Free and Mrs. Seth; they were asked questions about education and technology because that goes along with the research questions and topics. Research and data was collected from various Education related websites and from mission sites that deal with education and technology. Research was conducted on countries like Africa, India, Mexico, and the United States. Different ministry websites were looked at so that research and data could be collected in different countries and regions throughout the world. Research was also collected on websites that were run by the government of that country. For example, the website that was looked at for the Mexican school system was run by the Mexico government and it was very interesting and informative about how their education system is set up and run.

Literary Review There is a lot of knowledge available about education and technology all over the world, which is good because it helps a lot with this project. The main countries that were researched were India, Africa, Mexico, and the United States. Although they all use technology in some way in their education systems they are all very different from each other. In America all of the technology that is used in the schools is provided by the state/ local government. America uses technology a lot in their school systems because all the schools have laptops and computer labs which the students can use. In American school systems they kind of rely on technology for their students because the school systems have computer labs, laptops, Smart Boards, and some even have iPads. The teachers will also give their students homework to do at home that requires the students to use a computer to look up some of the answers or the whole class assignment will be online. Many schools in America even offers distant learning classes for students who wish to take them in high school and in college. Families that want to send their children to a good school in Africa where they will get the best education have to pay a lot of money (Why Education). The families have to pay for their childs uniforms, school books, and all of the other supplies that are needed. Some African schools have a very small computer lab because they school can afford just a few computers because they are so expensive to buy (Why Education). Education in Africa is also hard to get because if a family cant afford to send their children to school then they cant go and get the best education that is offered to them. Its stated that in Africa they will need around four million primary school teachers to improve their education by 2015 (Why Education). Education in Mexico is divided up into three different levels. A lot of the students in Mexico tend to drop out because of costs or loss of interest in their education (Healthcare). The amount of

students that complete primary school is very small because most of the students end up dropping out after a while for many different reasons (Healthcare and Education). In Mexico they divided their secondary education into two different ways (Healthcare and Education). Students can either study at a high school or at a professional technical education (Healthcare and Education).The high school is for students who arent sure what they want to do once they graduate high school (Healthcare and Education).The professional technical education school is for students who know what they want to do and they can go and study with people who work in their career choice at an early age instead of waiting to get trained in college (Healthcare and Education). Indias education system is just now gaining worldwide recognition because they are starting to pass other countries in certain subject areas (Education in India). India is now making sure that all of their teachers have certain qualifications and their training is very adequate (Education in India) India is also introducing new classes to their different levels of education to improve their educational quality (Education in India). Before recent years people thought that India didnt even have an education system, which isnt true because they had one but it was just very poor in the sense that the teachers werent qualified to teach at the level they were teaching at (Education in India). For instant a teacher could only have the education of an eighth grader but they are teaching a twelfth grade class with only the knowledge that they know so that is one reason why the world thought that India didnt have a significant passing rate of anything. India now has around 17,000 universities in their country with multiple degrees that a student can earn (Education in India). One source that I looked at for research is called Teach for All. Which basically gives some statistics on certain countries education, how many programs they have launched, the poverty percentage of a country, it also tells you the amount of active teachers, the population of the

country, and so much more (Home Teach). This is a good site for this paper because it allows the researcher to see the numbers to help her see and understand the difference in education in other countries. It also helps the researcher understand that education is something that needs to be fixed and improved throughout the world. Three separate interviews were conducted, which showed that everyone has different views on education, the value of education, and the importance of technology in education too. The first interviewee was Mrs. Free. She is a twelfth grade AP English teacher who also teaches Virginia Teachers for Tomorrow. Mrs. Free has taught in Mexico (for her student teaching) and in India (for a week). The second interviewee was Mrs. Debbie who is a second grade teacher who has taught for eleven years. The third interviewee is Vince Rodkey. He has taught English in Indonesia, for two months, and in Thailand, for a month. Vince was also an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher in Delaware for four years and he was a youth minister for ten years in Delaware as well. The researcher gained information about how no country has the same education system and that teachers are need all over the world to help improve/ change a countries education system. In conclusion, education is very different in every country because of their value of education. In other countries besides the USA education is expensive which causes students to drop out because their families cant afford to send them to school. Technology is also becoming a little more prominent in other countries in their education, not just in Americas school system, which is good because technology creates many opportunities for education. Countries are also trying to improve their education system, like India, so that their students can succeed in life and be able to have good jobs. Everyone also has different views on education like the interviewees did.

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Education and Technology Education and technology are the two most empowering tools of today because without education you cant get a well paying job and without technology we wouldnt be able to explore and expand our view on the world. Whether people realize it or not education is an extremely empowering tool in our lives because it allows people to change the world. Technology is also an empowering tool because it allows people to expand their viewpoints, research, and learn more information. Education and the use of technology is not the same in every country. For example, the education and technology use in America is different from Africa, Mexico, and India. Education in America is taken for granted many times by the students because public education is free until they get to college. People take education for granite because they dont the government allows us to go and they pay for a lot of the materials that are need for the students like: textbooks, classroom equipment, they pay for some test (like PSATs), they also pay for the schools to have a lot of computers, laptops, Smart boards, and even iPads. The American education system is divided into three sections which are primary education (k-5th), secondary education (6th -12th), and post-secondary education (which is college). Each of these levels helps prepare students for the real world and the students often look back and thank a teacher who has impacted their life. Students in America go to school for six hours a day Monday through Friday. As of right now the American school system is ranked 18 out of 20 nations for the top school systems in the world for 2013(World Top). Some of the United States school systems are doing really well, while others are doing very poor (Ryan, Julia). For example, Massachusetts when compared to other countries alone has a better education system because of their teachers (Ryan, Julia). Parents also play a role in the education system because they have to play an active role in their childs education so that their student stays engaged and will continue to learn.

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The American school systems are very fortunate because they all have technology inside their classrooms and schools. For example, in Virginia Beach all of the schools just got Smart boards and Promethean boards to help the students learn and to keep them engaged in their learning. The teachers use the Smart boards/ Promethean boards for everything. This was observed while in class and while an internship was going on in hand with this project. A lot of elementary school teachers go to computer lab once a week for a lesson to be taught in there so that the students can become more comfortable using computers, to work on their communication skills, and to help broaden their education (this was observed while in an internship). Now, if we switch gears to look at less developed countries like Mexico, India, and Africa then we see a completely different education system and a different value of education in their countries. In other countries teachers hold high standards for their students and they let them fail so that they (the student) see the importance of education (Goldstein, Dana). Children in foreign countries starve for education because a lot of them have to pay for their education and they often cannot complete their primary education because their families cannot afford for them to go to school because of the expense (Why Education). In Africa the quality of education isnt too good because the student to teacher ratio (72:1) is huge so not every child is getting the proper help and attention they need to be successful (Why Education). Also the classrooms dont have the proper equipment to teach the students properly (Why Education). For example if there is a class full of seventy two students and only five math books then not all of the students can learn properly. With over half of the population in Africa living in poverty it makes it hard for the parents to afford education for their child because education is not cheap (South Africa). The Teach For All organization has launched 2009

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educational programs to help educate Africa which is good because they only get on average eight and a half years of education (South Africa). Although in Africa they struggle with many academics like reading some of their schools have small computer labs so they have some type of access to the internet to which allows them to explore the world (McMunn, Richard). A lot of people in Africa have smart phones so they have an opportunity to search things on their own time and they can use that for educational purposes too (McMunn, Richard). It is expected that 69% of all Africans that have a smart phone will have access to education and internet in 201 on their phones (McMunn, Richard). This is huge for Africa because then their education system could improve tremendously. If a childs parent has a phone with access to the internet then the child could go to an online distant learning school which would be good because then the parents would pay little to nothing at all for the childs education. The parents wouldnt have to worry about their child not getting an education if they cant afford to send their child to an actually school. Now lets look at Mexico and their education system. Their education system is broken up into three levels which are: basic education, upper secondary education (high school and professional technical education), and tertiary education (higher technician, bachelors degree, and postgraduate studies) (Healthcare and Education). In the upper secondary education level the system is divided into two different types of schools which are: high school and professional technical education. In the professional technical education school students are prepared for the real world and typically graduate after three years of studying and in the high school the students graduate two to four years after entering: it just depends on the curriculum of that school (Healthcare and Education). Their tertiary education is basically their college just divided into three different schools that a person can go to depending on what they want their career to be

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(Healthcare and Education). High school is not mandatory in Mexico, which is sad because the government is holding high standards for their future (Quinez, Isabel). The parents of the students in schools in Mexico arent that involved in their childs education because they leave it to the professionals to teach their children (Quinez, Isabel). Its sad that a parent doesnt have a hands on role in their childs education because without parental support a child may not feel supported so there for they may feel the need to drop out of school. Also without parents being hands on with their childs education a child isnt getting the extra help that they may need and they also dont have guidance in their educational career. Teach for All has launched 2013 educational programs that have impacted the Mexican education system ("Ensea Por Mxico) Technology use in Mexican school systems is very limited just like it is in Africa. Some of the schools have Smart boards for an interactive classroom which keeps students engaged in their learning; it also makes learning fun for them (Quinez, Isabel).The Mexican government is doing a pilot program with technology in forty schools (Mexico Education 3.0). They are doing this with the hope that the technology will improve their education systems, quality, access, standards and so much more (Mexico Education 3.0). Its good that a government system is starting a pilot program with technology because technology is an important tool in education because it allows the teachers to keep students attention, it allows for the students to explore beyond their boundaries, and everyone can learn more about the world. The Mexican government is working with some NGOs called Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT) and Promethean to install technology inside of classrooms for the students to continue learning, give teachers proper training, and 21st century and communication skills (Mexico Education 3.0). Proper training with technology is important to have so that the teachers know how to work the Smart boards and they know how to document their students progress.

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India is surprising many countries because their education system is on the rise and it is improving which is great because they had a pretty bad education system. In India 4% of the children never start school, 58% of the children dont complete their primary education, and 90% of all of Indias children never complete their education, and only 10% of the students go to college (India Education Crisis). These are scary statistics because not a lot of people in India are educated. These statistics are also heartbreaking because every child should go to school and earn their education no matter what. India divides their education system into seven different schools which are as follows: pre-primary, primary, middle, secondary, higher secondary, undergraduate, and post graduate (Education in India). The Indian government is now implementing new curriculums and programs that will help the students succeed (Education in India). Indias new education system is now attracting students from all over the world to study there because its improving and their tuition is much lower than colleges and universities throughout the western hemisphere (Education in India) Now the teachers in India are also getting the proper training that they need to have in order to be an effective teacher which is great because then their students will be able to succeed and make a difference in their communities (Education in India). Some schools in India are now using technology in their classroom which is great because they are allowing their students to gain 21st century skills and they are allowing them to explore the world in which they live. A lot of the schools in India are using Apple products like iPods and iPads in their classroom to make learning fun for their students (Isaac, Aaditi). One of the principles at a primary school in India says that their students think that math is fun and that one of the new applications that they have deals with interactive reading books to help their students began to read fun and interesting books (Isaac, Aaditi). Before India gave their students iPads they trained their teachers on how to properly use them and they gave all the teachers their own iPads so that they can create lesson plans for their students (Isaac, Aaditi). Indias education system thinks that within a

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few years every student will have an Apple product ,whether it is an iPad or a Mac Book, they will be taking those to school and learning on those instead of just being lectured by their teachers all day everyday (Isaac Aaditi). Indias school systems are adapting to the new technology so that their country wont be left behind while every other country is improving their education and their country as a whole (Isaac, Aaditi). Its great that developing countries like India, Mexico, and Africa are all using technology in their schools because without the use of technology they wouldnt be able to stay caught up with the world in the sense that almost every country uses technology in their schools to help children learn. Without technology in schools it would be very difficult to do research projects, homework, and students wouldnt be able to become global citizens. Technology can help students become global citizens by allowing them to research and learn about all the different types of cultures in the world and it allows students to communicate better with others in different countries. When asked How do you think technology plays a role in education? Mrs. Free, Mrs. Debbie and Vince all responded with great answers. Mrs. Free says that: Technology helps with differentiation (allowing students multiple ways to accomplish a task, as based on ability, interest, or skill) and also accessibility of education (online learning.) I think right now technology is a big educational buzzword due to the generational gap between teachers (some of whom grew up with little to no technology) and students (who dont know a time when the internet didnt exist.) In 1020 years, technology will just be another part of education that flows seamlessly and allows for the different styles and ways in which different people learn best (Free, Jenna). Mrs. Debbie says that: Technology helps keep children interested. It also creates a new aspect in childrens learning. What I mean by new aspect is that its not about how and what youre learning. It also helps with creativity inside and outside the classroom. It creates new opportunities

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for problem solving for projects and communication (Seth, Debbie). Vince says that: Technology allows for more information to be at the tip of our fingers. It also makes us reliant so we dont have to do anything because we lean on technology. I also think that technology and Microsoft are very powerful tools because we use them all the time (Rodkey, Vince). Another question they were asked was: If we used technology in less developed countries. How do you think that would improve their education and their education system? Once again they all have amazing responses to this question which is great. Vince says that: Technology would exponentially improve their education. It means a lot to have technology. The more connections they have the better they will grow as an individual and as a country (Rodkey, Vince) Mrs. Debbie say: We could bring in new ideas with the use of technology. Technology would also make education more affordable and portable. Technology also makes it easier to expose other countries to the world around them and it doesnt limit their learning. It would help their education system by teaching their kids how to help improve their communities (Seth, Debbie). Mrs. Free says: Well, its hard to say for sure, but I think that more technology would mean more people who have access to education. This would require not just the schools to have technology, but the students as well, and I think that would be the challenge. If more people were educated, there would be less poverty more empowerment (Free, Jenna)! With great responses to these interview questions it opens up a new question that could possibly be a solution to improving education in less developed countries. That question is: Can distance learning be used to improve education in less developed countries? The answer is yes because some countries like India are already using distance learning and their education system is improving exponentially whether the world around them believes it or not. Right now India has ten colleges/ universities that are using distance learning to teach their students which is great (Top

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10). The use of distance learning in these colleges/ universities is making the tuition more affordable for their students which is amazing because colleges/ universities are not cheap at all (Top 10). The African Council for Distance Education (ADCE) is working with some of Africas institutions and higher level education schools to start distance learning programs at their schools (About ACDC). The African Council for Distance Education is working with them in hopes of bringing better quality education to Africa, to reduce the cost of learning, and to make education more accessible for those who want to get an education (About ACDC). ACDE first launched their program in a university in Kenya in2004 (About ACDC). So, this program is still fairly new and is making strides in Africa to better their education which is great because they want their future generations to be very successful and to be well equipped with technology. There is also another group that is working in Africas education system to encourage and set up distance learning is called the Association of African Distance Learning Centres (AADLS) (Association of Africa). AADLS works with the Global Development Learning Center to establish distance learning in the Universities (Association of Africa). Mexico is even using distance learning to help improve their education which is great (Experience With). Although distance learning is still very new to Mexico they only have six universities with distance learning in Mexico City which was first launched in 2009 (Experience With). Mexico is currently using distance learning to help university kids earn their degrees which lowered the cost in tuition (Experience With). The Mexican government hopes that using distance learning in their universities and later in school will lower the cost of education, make it more accessible, and bring education to the people who cannot get an education (Experience With).

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Some school systems in America use distance learning in their high schools, middle schools, and in their colleges. For example, in the Virginia Beach City Public School System they use distance learning in the high school settings to teach foreign languages because not all schools may have a foreign language teacher. Tallwood High School, for example, has a Russian teacher and none of the other high schools have a Russian teacher so they use distance learning from Tallwood to teach the other students Russian, which is great because then the students are learning in a new way and are expanding their use of technology. The United States even has a program dedicated to distance learning and its called the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA United States). Their main goals are to inform, advocate, and promote leadership, diversity, and partnership (USDLA United States). Its great that the USA and developing countries are using distance learning to teach their students because it can improve their education. Another thing that distance learning can do is open students eyes to the world around them because their teacher could be at another school, in another state, or in another country. Distance learning in a long run can connect people in other countries and it could be used for communication between countries, schools, governments, and students.

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The Conclusion Malala Yousafzai once said Let us pick up our books and pens. They are our most powerful weapons. One child, one teacher, one pen and one book can change the world. Education is the only solution. This is a great quote to sum up this research paper on education and technology because they both are changing the world one step at a time. Education in one country is not the same in another country. Education throughout the world is improving which is great because the students are now learning how to change their communities for the better and more and more people are becoming educated in the less developed countries. Technology is now shaping the education systems in developed countries as well as less developed countries by allowing students to use iPods, iPads, laptops, computers, and smart phones. Teachers are now getting the proper training they need in order to be an effective teacher and in order to use technology inside their classrooms effectively which is fantastic. Distance learning is also becoming more popular inside of universities because government systems are creating councils in order to help promote the importance of education. Also distance learning is making education more affordable for the families that cant afford to send their children to school. In conclusion, education and technology are the most powerful tools in todays society because schools are becoming more and more reliable on technology to educate their students. Schools are using technology keep their students interested in learning. Education throughout the world is improving which is great because the teachers are setting their students up for success later on in life.

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Works Cited "About ACDE." ACDE. African Council for Distance Learning, n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2013. "Association of African Distance Learning Centres - Services." Association of African Distance Learning Centres - Services. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2013. Education in India." , India Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2013 "Ensea Por Mxico | Teach For All." Teach For All. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2013. "EXPERIENCE WITH A DISTANCE LEARNING DEGREE COURSE OF MEXICO'S NATIONAL PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY - IATED Digital Library." EXPERIENCE WITH A DISTANCE LEARNING DEGREE COURSE OF MEXICO'S NATIONAL PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY - IATED Digital Library. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2013. Free, Jenna. "Education and Technology." Personal interview. 21 Nov. 2013. Goldstein, Dana. "Why the World Is Smarter Than Us." The Daily Beast. Newsweek/Daily Beast, 9 Aug. 2013. Web. 08 Dec. 2013. "Healthcare and Education in Mexico." Expatriate Community for Expats Worldwide. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2013. "Home | Teach For All." Home | Teach For All. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2013. "India's Education Crisis | Teach For India." India's Education Crisis | Teach For India. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2013. Isaac, Aaditi. "Schools Use Latest Technology to Enhance Classroom Learning." The Times Of India. N.p., 8 Oct. 2012. Web. 10 Dec. 2013.

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McMunn, Richard. "The Influence of New Smart Phone Technology on Education in Africa." AfricanBrains. N.p., 27 Mar. 2013. Web. 09 Dec. 2013. "Mexico Education 3.0 Pilot Programs." CISCO, n.d. Web. 9 Dec. 2013. Quinez, Isabel. "A Comparison of Mexico and US Educational Systems." N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Dec. 2013. Rodkey, Vince. "Education and Technology." Personal interview. 6 Dec. 2013. Ryan, Julia. "The Atlantic." The Atlantic. The Atlantics Education Channel, 24 Oct. 2013. Web. 09 Dec. 2013. "Search the Website." Atom. N.p., 27 Sept. 2013. Web. 10 Dec. 2013. Seth, Debbie. "Education and Technology." Personal Interview. 30 Nov. 2013. "South Africa." TEACH For ALL South Africa. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Dec. 2013. "Top 10 Distance Education Universities in India." Uth Time UT RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2013. "USDLA - United States Distance Learning Association: Goals." USDLA - United States Distance Learning Association: Goals. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2013. "Why Education Asante Africa Foundation." Why Education Asante Africa Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2013. "World Top 20 Education Systems." Sitewide ATOM. World Top 20, n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2013.

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Appendix These are the personal interviews that the researcher conducted herself with Mrs. Jenna Free, Mrs. Debbie Seth, and Mr. Vince Rodkey. All three were asked the same exact questions but each answer is different and unique due to their teaching backgrounds. These are Mrs. Jenna Frees interview responses: 1. What do you think is the most important thing about education? Free: The most important thing about education is that its empowering! The more educated we become, the more we can advocate for ourselves and for others. And I mean education in the broad sense of the term, not necessarily just school! 2. Have you ever taught in any other country besides the US? Free: Merida, Mexico: I did my student teaching here. Three months in a bilingual junior high school. I taught English reading, writing, and speakingthey were three separate classes. Lucknow, India: I was an instructor at a teachers conference (I taught teachers about strategies that I use and that are successful in my experience.) This was just a one-week trip. 3. Is education important to you? Why or why not? Free: Yes, of course! For me personally, I love being in class listening and taking courses of any kind. I love learning. I hope to one day get a Ph.D.! Im not sure what Ill get it in, but I know I want to keep taking classes and earning degrees! For everyone, like I said before, education is empowering. I feel that people should have a attitude of being lifelong learners, constantly improving who we are, what we know and how we think. Education keeps our minds open and forces us to learn more about the world.

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4. How do you think that we could improve education throughout the world? Free: Okay so if I had a REALLY good answer to this, I would be an education consultant and would be traveling the world making a LOT of money but Ill try to answer. I guess the answer is that governments need to make education a MAJOR priority. (Top 3 most important priorities: safety, food, education. Kiddingbutnotkidding.) At least more of a priority. One more specific improvement would be to make education free (or cheaper) and available to everyone. This applies more to other countries than the USAI know when I was in India, families who couldnt afford to buy a school uniform couldnt send their children to school. (So sad.) If people want to attend school, they should be able to learn in some way, on a schedule that works for them. 5. If you could go to any other country to teach in where would you go? Why? Free: I would go ANYWHERE! I love an excuse to travel! I do know that it was difficult to teach in a country where I didnt speak the language fluently. Even though I could communicate on a basic level with my students in Mexico, there were times when it would have been helpful to make a connection in Spanish that they could understand, in order to explain an English concept. (Does that make sense?) But really Id teach anywhere. 6. How long have you taught for? Free: I got my first full-time teaching job in February of 2007. (It was a long-term sub position until the end of that school year.) I have been teaching ever since, so I guess6 years?

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7. How do you think technology plays a role in education? Free: Technology helps with differentiation (allowing students multiple ways to accomplish a task, as based on ability, interest, or skill) and also accessibility of education (online learning.) I think right now technology is a big educational buzzword due to the generational gap between teachers (some of whom grew up with little to no technology) and students (who dont know a time when the internet didnt exist.) In 10-20 years, technology will just be another part of education that flows seamlessly and allows for the different styles and ways in which different people learn best. 8. If we used technology in less developed countries, how do you think that would improve their education and their education system? Free: Well, its hard to say for sure, but I think that more technology would mean more people who have access to education. This would require not just the schools to have technology, but the students as well, and I think that would be the challenge. If more people were educated, there would be less poverty more empowerment!

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These are Mrs. Debbie Seths interview responses: 1. What do you think is the most important thing about education? Seth: Education opens the door for more opportunities. It also helps build confidence, selfesteem, and self awareness of the world around you 2. Have you ever taught in any other country besides the US? Seth: No, I have not. 3. Is education important to you? Why or why not? Seth: Yes, lack of education in my opinion limits your progress in life. With education you have the ability to reach a higher potential, impact more people, and make a change in your community. Education isnt just about academics it can be a trade, a craft, or a skill that enables you to be a productive part of a better good. Education helps you not be dependent on society but to be a part of it. 4. How do you think that we could improve education throughout the world? Seth: We need to be exposed to all aspects of the world not just one set of beliefs or standards. By understanding a variety of cultures and their history we can learn how to better communicate and interact with those who think differently than we do. Through technology maybe kids could interact with people on our same level so that the students can see what advantage they have in America.

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5. If you could go to any other country to teach in where would you go? Why? Seth: I would go to a third world country because they starve for education and they have a stronger desire. They also appreciate education. 6. How long have you taught for? Seth: I taught for six years then took fourteen years off when my second child, Allison, was born. Recently I have taught for five years for a total of eleven years. 7. How do you think technology plays a role in education? Seth: Technology helps keep children interested. It also creates a new aspect in childrens learning. What I mean by new aspect is that its not about how and what youre learning. It also helps with creativity inside and outside the classroom. It creates new opportunities for problem solving for projects and communication 8. If we used technology in less developed countries. How do you think that would improve their education and their education system? Seth: We could bring in new ideas with the use of technology. Technology would also make education more affordable and portable. Technology also makes it easier to expose other countries to the world around them and it doesnt limit their learning. It would help their education system by teaching their kids how to help improve their communities

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These are Mr. Vince Rodkeys interview Responses: 1. What do you think is the most important thing about education? Rodkey: Knowledge is power. Education is the seabed of success for life. Without education you will be stuck in mediocrity. . 2. Have you ever taught in any other country besides the US? Rodkey: Yes, I have taught in Indonesia and Thailand. 3. Is education important to you? Why or why not? Rodkey: Yes, because you cant really progress as an individual or society. Its also a gift not everyone can get. 4. How do you think that we could improve education throughout the world? Rodkey: We can improve education throughout the world by technology. A computer should be in every home. Others also need the basic resources like: pens, pencils, and paper. 5. If you could go to any other country to teach in where would you go? Why? Rodkey: I would go back to Indonesia in a heartbeat because of the tremendous dire to learn. The least amount of opportunity for education the more desire for the education. 6. How long have you taught for? Rodkey: I have taught for a total of 15 years! I taught in Indonesia for two months and Thailand for a month. I was an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher in Delaware for four years. I was also a youth minister for ten years in Delaware. Now I am a preacher here in Virginia Beach and have been for a year and a half now.

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7. How do you think technology plays a role in education? Rodkey: Technology allows for more information to be at the tip of our fingers. It also makes us reliant so we dont have to do anything because we lean on technology (Google it!). I also think that technology and Microsoft are very powerful tools because we use them all the time 8. If we used technology in less developed countries. How do you think that would improve their education and their education system? Rodkey: Technology would exponentially improve their education. It means a lot to have technology. The more connections they have the better they will grow as an individual and as a country.

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Quotes: Malala Yousafzai and Nelson Mandela are trying to change the world one step at a time. The two quotes below are ones that they have said about education. Malala Yousafzai is a womens right activist and education activist who is from Pakistan. People all over the world are standing up and saying I Am Malala to help raise awareness about education and the importance of it too. "Let us pick up our books and pens. They are our most powerful weapons. One child, one teacher, one pen and one book can change the world. Education is the only solution," Malala Yousafzai Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world Nelson Mandela