Constructing Meaning in a Technology-Rich,Global Learning Environment

Abstract

This paper introduces the Global Forum on School Leadership (GFSL) as a Type II application of interactive computing technology suitable for 21st century learners, teachers, and school leaders. Simply put, the concept of the GFSL brings together learners who share a common goal, a common subject area, or a common profession, and encourages them to interact and learn together. Among the many differences that learners bring to the learning task, the one central and very obvious difference upon which the GFSL depends is culture. In the example presented here, the GFSL creates a learning partnership between a class of neophyte school leaders enrolled in a school leader preparation program in the United States and a similar class of students enrolled in a school leader preparation program in Australia (it could be anywhere else in the world). The discussion begins with a focus on the evolution of technology use in schools and the related evolution of learning in technologically rich environments. The GFSL is introduced as a Type II application increasingly necessary in a learning world where a global focus is being forced upon learners and where global understanding and awareness is becoming a basic survival skill. The paper generates a global version of the five characteristics of Type II applications, and concludes with an analysis of the impact of the Global Forum on participants' learning experiences and professional skills.