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New research shows Global Competency enhanced through online professional development

Press release from iEARN-USA:

"The International Education Technology Cluster increased teacher global education skills [and] The greatest gain in pedagogical skills recognition was … the teachers' ability to integrate International Education into the Curriculum," concludes Dr. Wendy Modzelewski in her recently completed EDd dissertation. Her research was a multi-year study of the Delaware Department of Education Cluster, created in partnership with iEARN-USA.

"An unintended finding of the study was that the teachers greatly enjoyed the professional development experience and in turn shared their excitement and enthusiasm for learning with their students," writes Dr. Modzelewski.

The Delaware International Education Technology Cluster utilizes a hybrid model, combining face-to-face interaction with an iEARN online professional development course and classroom international project-based learning. Participating teachers from across the state, most having little background, noted that one of the most important skills learned was how to integrate global education into a teacher's existing curriculum for content areas other than global education. "As Dr. Modzelewski points out, this study ‘demonstrates that teachers can be taught the skill of integration,'" noted Dr. Edwin Gragert, Executive Director of iEARN-USA. "And based on her research, the model can be replicated in states across the country," he added.

"iEARN enables young people to go beyond learning about the world, to learning WITH peers around the planet by using connective technologies. Instead of just a few students who are able to physically visit another country, the entire class can have personal and educationally valuable experiences with other cultures," Gragert points out. iEARN is the world's largest K-12 educational network with programs in 125 countries and projects involving all curriculum areas. Educators can integrate secure and safe student interaction into their science, literature, social studies, language arts and other curriculum activities.

iEARN-USA's 8-week facilitated and totally interactive online professional development courses guide educators in the US and abroad in evaluating and aligning global projects with curriculum standards as part of an integrated project plan.

In addition to its various course offerings, iEARN-USA frequently partners with leading content providers, software companies, and educational institutions and organizations to offer high quality online courses related to different topics and skills. These have included "Teacher Education for the 21st century," in partnership with the Organization of American States (OAS), Adobe Youth Voices (AYV) Online Course, in partnership with Adobe, Inc and EDC (the Educational Development Center), and a Fulbright Teacher Exchange Online Course, in partnership with Academy for Educational Development (AED) and the Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Office of the U.S. Department of State.

Dr. Modzelewski contrasts the curriculum integration results of her study with several others using different methodologies and concludes that, "This can be partially credited to the content of the iEARN online course. Participants in the iEARN online course were grouped by content area and networked with their peers [internationally]. Participants examined the international projects they conducted with their students, had online discussions about integrating international projects into their curriculum, aligned projects to their curriculum and content standards, and addressed integration issues with experienced educators….This curriculum focus and peer support appears to allow for integration to take place." Teachers noted that first-hand authentic communication between student peers increased the level of their students' engagement and interest in the project. One teacher stated, "My students are reluctant learners but as soon as they heard that they would be sharing their principles for successful living, one of an iEARN project's goals, with others from around the world, they were eager to get started."

A copy of the dissertation abstract is available here.