Ellis, K. (2002). New Technologies Link Ancient Cultures. Edutopia. Retrieved from: http://www.edutopia.org/new-technologies-link-ancient-cultures
This article focuses on the First People’s Project, a cultural exchange program that covers five continents. Students from indigenous origins are able to share their stories, poems, art, photographs and videos by posting them online and mailing them back and forth between schools.
Students involved in the project are encouraged to research an area of their own culture and interview elders in their group. After gathering information, students create their own artwork or take pictures/video of dances, sports, chanting and other cultural activities.
The project not only has help students reconnect with their own heritage, but also has sprung an art exchange and humanitarian effort. After watching a video about the poor conditions of a school in Thailand, students decided to help out by sending blankets and raising money for teacher aides, school supplies and even a generator.
Another benefit not specifically mentioned by neither the article nor the video that accompanied it was the student’s interaction with technology and how that has helped them become familiar with computers and the internet by using a very personal and motivating project.
I personally thought that this idea was great and I would love to see it implemented in my own school district. I also thought it could be an excellent class social studies project and instead of just focusing on indigenous people, we could have each member research their cultural heritage and present it with art and words on the internet.
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