BlackBerries and Popular Culture in Haiti

There's an interesting article in The Wall Street Journal about how RIM's BlackBerry Messenger service still reigns in much of the developing world. The article focuses on the "coolness factor" with BBM but we have certainly seen the benefits of BBM in Haiti with school principals: a fast, secure way to connect with other principals. Click on the link below to read the article or watch an associated video:

Wall Street Journal - BlackBerry in Haiti

Cap-Haitien Educational Leadership Networking - October 2012

I'm firming up plans to return to Cap-Haitien (northern Haiti) in early October. We have a signed agreement in place with WLU, University of Oklahoma and the Haitian Ministry of Education (North Haiti Department) to develop a collaborative partnership for educational leadership research and training. I anticipate having the Public University of the North at Cap-Haitien (UPNCH) come on as a signatory on this trip. We are already in conversation with other universities, schools, and NGOs about getting others on-board as well.

The vision is to establish a network of groups involved in education to support a concerted plan to develop school leaders in that region. As I've posted before, there is very little work being done anywhere in Haiti around school leadership. This research network would develop leadership training, and study its effectiveness, specifically in the north of Haiti.

The first step is to agree to work together and develop some terms of reference. From this starting point, we would then identify the needs in the area and get input as to what immediate, and long-term, steps need to be taken to address these needs.

It's exciting to see this next step in my work in Haiti take shape. I've worked with hundreds of school leaders and feel that some good progress has been made in supporting their leadership skills. However, this next step will provide a more structured framework for not only supporting leadership skills but examining how effective we are in developing these over time.

Stay tuned for more details regarding the trip and this collaborative partnership.

Education Beyond Borders: TED Talk Sept. 22 Oakville

I'll be the lead speaker at the Sept. 22 TEDx Talk in Oakville. My topic is education beyond borders with the focus on the Digital Mentoring Project in Haiti. If your're not familiar with TED Talks, these are 15 minute inspirational/informational presentations done around the world at special TED events.  Check out one of my favourite talks by Temple Grandin:

http://www.ted.com/talks/temple_grandin_the_world_needs_all_kinds_of_minds.html

I've had lots of opportunity to speak to groups about the DMP, as well as my other work in Haiti, but it will be great to be part of a larger conversation on "re-imagining" education in different contexts. The talk I will give will be grounded in a book chapter I wrote this summer. The book considered innovative ways in which education is making a difference in the alleviation of poverty in contexts around the world.

We tend to think of contexts such as Haiti in carte blanche frameworks ... all educational efforts are impoverished ... when, in reality, there are many innovative things being done. Usually in these cases, change is being led by a person (or group) with a vision. Other people come alongside the visionary and change starts to happen. I see my job as providing support to these people and helping others to catch a vision for what might be. This is where "education beyond borders" starts to take shape ... educators helping educators within and across national boundaries.

It is my understanding that the TEDx Talk in Oakville will be videotaped and archived by TED. However, if you are interested in attending, please email me (ssider@wlu.ca).

Should new teachers care about glocal engagement?

In my earlier post, I discussed my personal ethic of care: what I see as the raison d'etre for why I am engaged with glocal education and citizenship. Following this previous post, I now consider whether my personal ethic of care should be "transplanted" (transmitted? transferred? these are all problematic because of the connotations associated with each of these words) into others, particularly new teachers? Should I educate, equip, and empower others with this part of my value system?

It's somewhat of a silly and narcissistic question. First, many new teachers already share a similar ethic of care i.e. it's not all about me! Second, I recognize that many of the "nurture" aspects of my own development, which have led to the development of my ethic of care, are not going to be shared by others. New teachers come with their own "buffet" of background experiences, some of which will motivate them to a glocal citizenship disposition and others which will not. This needs to be recognized and honoured.

So beyond the silliness of the question, I do see value in helping new teachers develop a glocal perspective. Perhaps most importantly, a glocal perspective helps them help their students to see the "bigness" of the world - an amazing (and sometimes ugly) world it is! A glocal understanding also helps teachers to assist their students in seeing the injustices of the world and the nuances within these injustices. Glocal perspective-building encourages teachers and students to see the value in learning languages, the beauty of music and art from different parts of the world, and a more complete perspective of history and geography. It should also motivate us to action.

I don't particularly like the phrase "citizens of the world", partly because I really don't know what this means. However, we do talk a lot about 21st century learning these days - the ability to analyze, the importance of creativity, etc - all skills and traits which can help in discovering the world and shedding light on the blight and beauty of humanity. New teachers have an incredible opportunity!

I love the Haitian phrase - piti piti, little by little - we can help nurture teachers to be active glocal citizens.

Why do I value glocal education and citizenship? A personal ethic of care

Over the past few years I've been motivated by the question, "What can I do to motivate and equip teacher candidates to develop a glocal perspective?" Another way to phrase this question is, "How do we help new teachers become glocal citizens?" I've been wrestling with these questions for some time. Today, I've been wondering why this is important to me. Why should teachers care about glocal citizenship? Why should teachers help educate their students about the local and global community?  Why do I value the idea of learning about, and being active in, world issues?

I suspect, not surprisingly, that part of my motivation in this area is due to my own background: early childhood years in India, family discussions and media awareness about global issues as a young person, traveling during university through parts of Latin America, studies that focused on international relations, and educational work in places such as Thailand and Haiti in my professional life. So, glocal awareness has become a part of my DNA - somewhat like a branch drafted onto a tree, except that the branch is increasingly becoming the tree.

But I think it's more than just a "nurture" aspect.  I have a deep-seated belief that knowing about the local and global community, and being an active participant within them, is part of what it is to be fully human: to care for people, their circumstances and life-situations, whether they live beside me or in places I will never see. This ethic of care is certainly part of most religious value systems ("who is my neighbour?") and it resonates deeply with me. So learning about the world, and being an active citizen of it, gives me the opportunity to learn about others and support them the best I can.

The idea of learning about, and supporting, others around the world is certainly altruistic. It's also messy. Many of the issues of social justice I once considered "black and white" are not so starkly contrasted in my mind anymore. But that's for another post!

Now, if this my personal ethic of care, is it reasonable to think that a similar ethic of (glocal) care should be encouraged of new teachers?

Canadian Geographic interactive map

I have used this interactive map a number of times and find it to be a great resource for comparative education:

http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/worldmap/cida/cidaworldmap.aspx

Teachers can find lots of resources in the "For Teachers" tab.

More educational leadership contacts in Haiti

Yesterday I met with the Haitian consul general in Toronto. He and I had met at a meeting of people who were doing work in Haiti shortly after the 2010 earthquake. We have remained in touch by email as we have followed the work of each other in the time between. In yesterday's meeting, he provided me with more contacts as we considered how we might further support each other in our desire to see educational development take place in Haiti.  He is originally from Cap-Haitien so is quite pleased with the shift in my focus to CH from Port-au-Prince.

I am quite confident that the partnerships we are developing in Cap-Haitien with the public university, the ministry of education, and other groups will provide a strategic focus for educational leadership development in Haiti. I received a long email from the director of the ministry of education office in CH just yesterday outlining his vision for the re-conceptualization of education in that area. As well, I've been invited to do a day of teacher training in Cap-Haitien just before the school year starts (August) so that may lead to further solidifying of my (and WLU's) work there.