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It’s a Small World: Creating Global Networks Across Content Areas 
 

Sasha Reese 
 

Jennifer Horgan 
 

Indiana University of PA, USA 
 

Abstract 
 

The intersection of interdisciplinary instruction (IDI) and global education is 
the framework for educators in both basic and tertiary education to create 
authentic and engaging learning environments. Web 2.0 is the media that 
can make it happen. Segregated subject areas can become integrated 
through global project work and attention to the connections that need to 
be made between technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge in 21st 
century classrooms. Global project networks such as IEARN and ePals 
serve as catalysts for creating global experiences at any grade level.  

 
Introduction 

 
In a large, suburban vocational school in southern New Jersey, students crowd around 
a laptop squeezing into the webcam viewfinder for their friends in Ghana to be able to 
see them for the first time. Students in Mrs. Lock’s tenth grade English class just began 
using the International Education and Resource Network (IEARN) and ePals this school 
year, and the classroom environment has changed dramatically. Mrs. Lock has been 
able to incorporate concepts from mathematics, social studies, science, technology, and 
English all in one unit, and keep her thirty-one tenth grade students engaged and 
learning through blogging, podcasting, and videoconferencing. 

 
Classroom projects, which incorporate technology, coupled with a global component 
have the potential to transform the educator and student experience. Over the past 
decade, schools across the United States have begun to implement technology across 
content areas. However, the most exciting development has been in the ability to create 
interdisciplinary instruction through Web 2.0 (Gowers, 2009). 
 
Global project based learning embeds interdisciplinary studies in its framework. 
According to McDonald and Czerniak (1994), the key components of interdisciplinary 
studies include students’ abilities to see concepts from multiple perspectives and 
greater depth, to integrate problem solving, and to build creativity and communication 
skills. Additionally, the thematic organization of ideas within interdisciplinary studies can 
be a powerful tool, which adds a “dimension of experience” that creates valuable 
experiences for students and teachable moments for educators (McDonald & Czerniak, 
1994, p. 9).  Differentiation and personalized learning can occur with ease within global 



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based IDI projects, and can connect learning to society for authentic teaching (McGhee, 
2001).   

 
This article will examine the use of global project based learning to connect content 
areas and create authentic learning experiences for students. It will discuss the 
effectiveness of utilizing real world interdisciplinary projects. Next, global project 
networks and communities such as IEARN and ePals will be discussed. Finally, it will 
provide ways to develop and implement global projects in both basic and tertiary 
classroom environments. 
 

A Rationale for Interdisciplinary Instruction 
 

Interdisciplinary instruction, or IDI, is an approach that consciously strives to combine 
language and methods from more than one discipline in order to explore a central topic 
(Jacobs, 1989).  Therefore, effective IDI should culminate in learning activities that 
simultaneously improve student performance related to standards in two or more 
disciplines (Mohnsen, 2011).  There are many positive reasons to implement IDI into the 
classroom. The use of IDI reinforces the relevance of the subject being taught by 
purposefully linking it with other disciplines (Combs & White, 2000; McDonald & 
Czerniak, 1994). Content areas are integrated rather than being kept isolated from each 
other.  IDI allows for collaborative student work, as well as more opportunity to integrate 
reading, writing, and critical thinking skills than traditional approaches. Therefore, 
learning is authentic and connected (Hall, 1995).  Mohnsen (2011) suggests that 
interest in one subject may be improved through the use of IDI activities.  Students may 
begin to see connections between subjects and therefore transfer information from one 
discipline to another.  Effective IDI should be an enhancement of the current 
comprehensive curriculum, not a replacement of curriculum elements. 

 
There are many benefits of interdisciplinary instruction.  The research suggests that IDI 
promotes greater student involvement and interest, improves teacher morale, and leads 
to increased student achievement (Combs & White, 2000; Michelson & Sriraman, 
2009).  Through the study of one major theme across disciplines, students are offered 
information from a fresh perspective.  They are encouraged to discover new insights 
and synthesize relationships between ideas and disciplines. Effective use of IDI can 
encourage critical thinking skills and creativity, as well as promote the development of 
lifelong learning skills (Duerr, 2008). 
  
The typical structure of the American public school systems is to create levels of basic 
education: elementary, middle, and secondary. These schools are comprehensive in 
nature and enroll students from diverse background and ability levels (Organization of 
U.S. Education, 2008).  Interdisciplinary instruction is commonly used in elementary and 
middle school settings, but is often abandoned in high school (Combs & White, 2000). 
This is likely due to the internal structure of elementary and middle schools, which 
typically provide common planning time to teachers and the flexibility to combine 
classes for a co-teaching experience. It could certainly be an effective tool in the 
secondary setting, but the departmentalized, bell-driven structure there is an 



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impediment to its implementation (Combs & White, 2000; Duerr, 2008). As a result of 
the secondary school structure, IDI can be seen as a way to address the concerns of 
fragmentation and isolated discipline-centered, skill instruction (What is 
Interdisciplinary/Cross Curricular Teaching?)  

 
Blair’s (2011) study with undergraduate students in a studio/workshop setting shows 
student perspectives of the benefits of IDI in higher education as well. At completion of 
the IDI project students identified the following elements as strengths of interdisciplinary 
group work: “building larger networks and relationships that can be beneficial on a 
personal and professional level, learning from other disciplines, learning new skills, 
working in a team, learning more about your own methods and finding ways to improve 
it, and gaining cultural knowledge from other students” (Blair, 2011, p. 43). The 
strengths of the project are reflective of how students will have to adapt to attain 21st 
century employment and to be competitors in a global world (Bottery, 2006).  

 
Several different models can be employed based on the instructional goals and desired 
outcomes. IDI may be designed according to different models such as parallel 
instruction, cross disciplinary instruction, or infusion (Juliano et al., 2002).  It may occur 
for the length of the course or for the duration of a particular unit (Jacobs, 1989).  Global 
instruction, designed to get students thinking about the big picture, can be 
accomplished by using a combination of parallel and cross disciplinary instruction. 
Figure 1 illustrates the connection between parallel instruction, cross-disciplinary 
instruction, and global education. Parallel instruction involves teachers delivering 
synchronized instruction of a common topic or concept, which allows students to draw 
connections between the two disciplines through shared assessment (Juliano et al., 
2002). For example, a unit focused on World War II and the Holocaust in a 9th grade 
History class would be taught at the same time students are reading and discussing The 
Diary of Anne Frank in English class. While parallel instruction relies almost solely on 
delivery of connected content in multiple disciplines, cross-disciplinary instruction 
depends on team teaching or common planning. Cross-disciplinary projects are also 
more thematic and problem based than those associated with parallel instruction. An 
example of cross-disciplinary instruction would be a health teacher and a science 
teacher co-teaching a unit on healthy eating. The health teacher might focus on different 
aspects of nutrition and exercise, while the science teacher focuses on the physiological 
aspects of leading such a lifestyle (National Consortium on Health Science & 
Technology Education, 2007).  While any combination of disciplines is acceptable and 
encouraged in IDI, it appears the most common combinations include social studies and 
language arts, as well as science, mathematics, and technology. These pairings lend 
themselves well to the creation of IDI units (Combs &White, 2000; Duerr, 2008; Hall, 
1995; Sumrall & Shillinger, 2004). The final type of IDI, infusion, is the most difficult to 
implement. It requires deep knowledge and understanding of multiple disciplines by one 
teacher. For example, to implement infusion while teaching a unit on World War I, the 
teacher must have in-depth knowledge of language arts, history, political science, 
engineering, geography, and the arts.  

 



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It should also be noted that IDI is not, according to Jacobs, a panacea.  There are trade-
offs and limitations that must be addressed.  Adequately and effectively implementing of 
IDI in any form requires a great deal of commitment, planning, and organization 
(Jacobs, 1989).  There are often factors present beyond control of the teacher, which 
may limit the quantity and quality of IDI.  Such factors include state and local mandates 
regarding testing, pacing, and the adopted curriculum in place (Brand & Triplett, 2012).  
Full awareness of these limitations is essential for successful implementation in basic 
education. While commitment and planning may still be an issue in higher education, 
the restrictions of testing and curricular choices evident in basic education are not.   

 
IDI as described above certainly offers positive outcomes; perhaps the addition of a 
third element would make IDI even more effective for our 21st century students.  As 
Bottery states “Thinking at the global level deepens our understanding and broadens 
our possibilities” (Bottery, 2006, p. 96).  Combining interdisciplinary instruction with 
global instruction is the step that will lead our students into the future.   
 
Figure 1: Interdisciplinary Instruction 
 

 
 

Using Technology to Create a Global Classroom 
 

Education should equip students to be responsible citizens and workers. A purposeful 
education prepares student to live in the future, and to examine issues and offer 
solutions that are creative and imaginative. Global literacy is necessary to complete this 
vision. It has the ability to bring students closer to a world that they are normally isolated 
from in the traditional classroom setting. The project-based models utilized in global 
classroom networks allow educators to combine multiple content areas and utilize 
cutting edge technologies (Boondee, Kindrakarn, & Sa-Ngiamvibool, 2011).  Connecting 
students to other cultures can transform fear and lack of knowledge into understanding, 
and can serve as a catalyst for lifelong learning (Demski, 2008; Gowers, 2009). 
 
In the United States, The Common Core Standards and the Technological Pedagogical 
Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework for teaching are both current trends in 
educational technology. Educators can still follow the mandates of the state standards 
for content areas, while incorporating meaningful learning experiences for students. In 

Parallel Instruction: Focusing 
on a common topic or concept 

across disciplines 

Cross-Disciplinary Instruction:  
Two or more subject areas 

addressing a common theme 

Global Context : study of 
human beliefs and values, 

global systems, history, and 
cross cultural understanding, 



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this type of learning environment teachers can allow students to make choices about 
their learning which impact accountability and leadership. Students from kindergarten 
through higher education can benefit from honing skills in creativity, problem solving, 
critical thinking, and collaboration while learning to use Web 2.0 tools.  
  
Several different types of Web 2.0 tools such as Skype, wikis, blogs, iMovie, discussion 
forums, and podcasts can be used as the media to conduct global educational 
exchanges (Gowers, 2009). While the choice of media is the catalyst for student 
engagement, the importance of global exchange rests on the opportunity to build a 
relationship of understanding through collaboration and inquiry. It is important that 
educators understand the difference between multicultural education (MCE) and global 
education (GE) as well. There are many similarities between MCE and GE, however, 
the main difference is that MCE “examines issues within the context of the nation in 
which students live, and GE looks outside the nation of residence” (Lucas, 2010, p. 
212).  Both MCE and GE deal directly with issues of cultural diversity, human rights, and 
prejudice reduction. Global education is unique because it seeks to build global citizens 
who are knowledgeable about both local and global issues and interested in finding 
ways to solve challenging problems.  
   
To prepare for global education and interdisciplinary unit work, educators must gain 
awareness and social responsibility in the following areas: ecological and political 
awareness, service to the public and local community, attention to accountability, 
building trusting relationships, a commitment to transparency, and a greater degree of 
self-refection and thoughtful evaluation of practice (Bottery, 2006). The mindset of the 
educator must mirror what is expected from students. Educator preparation is crucial in 
developing a successful global project. Initial and ongoing professional development, as 
well as peer leaders and mentors are necessary components in global and 
technological project success. 
 

Global Projects Incorporate Common Core Standards 
  
Inquiry and curiosity are at the heart of global classroom projects, and with the adoption 
of the Common Core Standards educators will need to reexamine the intersection of 
pedagogy, technology, and content.  Forty-six states in the United States have adopted 
the Common Core Standards. One might question how these standards differ from 
anything that we have seen before and why the adoption was necessary. The Common 
Core Standards for grades six through twelve are separated by content and include 
English Language Arts, Mathematics, Reading and Writing for Science and Technical 
Subjects, and Reading and Writing for History and Social Studies. The Common Core 
Standards are the United States attempt at developing a national component to 
education. In the United States, individual states govern curricular decisions, so there is 
a discrepancy between what students learn from state to state and even school to 
school. Inconsistency of this magnitude is not fair to students and places them at a 
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The Common Core Standards also differ from previous standards because they 
incorporate 21st century skill sets designed to build communication, collaboration, 
creativity, critical thinking, and problem solving skills. The standards include 
components which directly address 21st century skills such as credibility, reliability, and 
validity of sources, technology and publication, evaluation and integration of multiple 
sources from different types of media, gathering relevant information from multiple 
authoritative print and digital sources, and making strategic use of digital media in 
presentations (PA Common Core Standards, 2012).  
  
To illustrate the connection between the Common Core Standards and global 
classroom projects consider the possibilities presented by a cultural exchange via video 
conferencing. Communication, collaboration, and creativity are at the forefront of any 
global exchange. When Mrs. Lock decided to begin a global project with her 10th grade 
students the first step she took was communicating with her students about their global 
interests. Once students decided on Ghana, Mrs. Lock used the International Education 
and Research Network to find partners to work with her students. After a partner was 
found, students had to decide on a web 2.0 platform to create their projects and 
exchange information. The class chose a class blog and the discussion forums in 
IEARN as means of collaboration and communication. Through the sharing of life 
stories, creation of avatars and content, and generation of discussion questions 
students were critically thinking and problem solving. All of these important steps should 
take place before embarking on a conferencing experience.  
  
The use of multiple forms of media also emerges from global project exchanges. 
Communicating across continents requires a great deal of creativity and variety in 
presentation. While using word documents, power point presentations, and PDF files 
can suffice, it is necessary for students to learn to navigate and construct within new 
technologies such as iMovie and VoiceThread. These technologies offer a third 
dimension that power point does not. Students are able to use video, audio, images, 
and text to create. 
 

The Content Connection: Technology, Pedagogy, and Content Knowledge 
  
The TPACK framework seeks to guide instruction to the ideal recipe for technology, 
pedagogy, and content knowledge.  Figure 2 provides an example of how each 
component of TPACK ties into global project learning.  Web 2.0 technology is the 
medium for the projects. Flexibility in pedagogy is created by how educators choose to 
use the technology for instruction and assessment. Because global projects are usually 
problem based, they lend themselves to interdisciplinary planning and collaborative 
teaching. Global projects are also grounded in individualization and attention to real 
world tasks. 
 
The content knowledge component of the TPACK framework is accomplished through 
interweaving 21st century skill development, interdisciplinary studies, and global 
education.  For example, 21st century skills include critical thinking, communication, 
collaboration, and creativity (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2011).  Creative 



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assignments, instruction, and assessments provide students with opportunities to hone 
these skills while creating meaningful projects related to the students’ own interests. 
The TPACK model also values and encourages collaboration between educators. The 
purpose of interdisciplinary or cross disciplinary teaching is to “build community and 
promote curricular integration” (National Middle School Association, 1996, p 29).  
Through interdisciplinary instruction students should be able to see the connections 
between content areas, and the content’s connection to real world activities and 
scenarios.  

 
Pedagogically, educators must make a conscious decision to connect multiple 
disciplines and reflect on current practice. At the basic education level, co-teaching, 
team teaching, and academic teaming should increase (Reed & Groth, 2009). This will 
allow experts in each academic content area of the project to contribute, and provide a 
high quality of instruction in each discipline. In tertiary education, instructors meet by 
department and should make a conscious effort to plan projects, which may be used in 
conjunction with other courses. For example, an instructor teaching College 
Composition I teams with a nursing instructor for a research project. A project is created 
where the class must compare and contrast the experiences of nurses in the United 
States versus nurses in other countries around the world. As a team, the instructors 
search for nurses in France and Turkey willing to serve as guest speakers. Via 
videoconferencing technology, such as Skype or Oovoo, the students observe the 
speakers, ask questions, and use the interview opportunity as the basis for their 
research projects.  
 
Figure 2: TPACK in Action 
 

 
 

Developing and Implementing Interdisciplinary Global Instruction 
 
Global instruction requires extensive planning to be successful and to produce 
meaningful learning outcomes. One way that global exchanges occur is through web-
conferencing. The first steps in preparing students for a live web conference includes 
establishing pre-existing knowledge, developing questions for inquiry, and conducting 
research to answer inquiry questions (Quillen, 2010). For example, Mrs. Lock began by 

•Focus on 21st century 
skills 

•Integration of multiple 
content areas 

•Global education 

Content 

•  Interdisciplinary 
planning 

•  Team teaching  

•Individualization  

•Authenticity 

Pedagogy 
•Podcasts 

•Blogs 

•Video Conferences 

•  Multimedia 

•Discussion/Chats 

Technology 



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asking her students to think about countries of interest, and compiled a list of those 
options. She then took her choices to IEARN and created a discussion forum in the 
teacher collaboration area requesting participation from secondary level schools only. 
She received inquiries from schools in both Ghana and Afghanistan and was able to set 
up exchanges with each. A challenge in live video conferencing with countries around 
the globe is the time difference, but this can be averted with careful planning.  

 
Through the exchanges students were able to improve their reading, writing, speaking, 
and listening skills, while also working on concepts from history and geography. 
Throughout the unit, students participated in discussion forums online where they wrote 
about the typical American school day, culture, and languages. This informal learning 
occurred naturally. Students read about the lives and cultures of their partners in other 
countries and were intrigued by the similarities and differences. Students shared the 
information that they learned via the discussion forums in small and large groups, 
created posters and wikis, invented avatars, and worked collaboratively to research new 
information they wanted to learn and questions to drive discussion during scheduled 
video conferences. The power in the project came from Mrs. Lock’s enthusiasm and 
excitement and the students’ engagement.  
  
Both IEARN and ePals provide teachers with a database of existing projects to join and 
begin as well. It is easy to search for specific grade levels, subject areas, and 
languages. Teachers can also use the existing discussion forums to search for current 
partners, since the projects are all ongoing. Figure 3 provides a brief description of 
IEARN, ePals, ecoach, and TakingItGlobal, as well as links to each resource. While 
Mrs. Lock enjoyed using the projects for content related projects, she also was able to 
find light-hearted and fun ways to get students interested in learning. One such project 
was a Christmas Card exchange with students in Taiwan. Again, students used the 
message boards to get to know each other and were assigned students in the 
Taiwanese classroom to write to. Students wrote letters, drew pictures, and decorated 
the cards. While the project was holiday related, it also taught students about 
Taiwanese and Chinese culture.  
  
School climate can changed dramatically as a result of participation in global projects. 
While Mrs. Lock was the sole educator at her school participating in global projects and 
thematic interdisciplinary projects, the initiative soon spread to other teachers within her 
school. Mrs. Lock believed in the benefits of global projects enough to meet with 
administration and request a school membership to IEARN. The principal was on board, 
and Mrs. Lock began offering professional development sessions in IEARN, ePals, and 
using Skype to set up video conferencing events.  
   
Mrs. Lock focused on building global projects and various examples of IDI into her 
existing English curriculum. However, if teachers have more curricular freedom they will 
be able to use a project as the basis for an entire unit of study. An example of an 
interdisciplinary project, which can be used with grades one through ten is The Great 
Bean Race project from ePals. It combines geography, science, mathematics, and 
English. The project takes place over a timeline of four weeks and is “a competition 



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among classrooms from different countries to see which collaborative team can grow 
the tallest plant” (Baskota, 2012). Students are expected to design and conduct a 
controlled bean plant experiment and investigate for ideal growth conditions. Students 
take daily growth and temperature measurements in a log and take weekly digital 
pictures. Each week, student teams compare their plants’ progress with other 
classrooms. The interdisciplinary nature of the project is seen through assessments and 
assignments involving scientific investigation, experimentation, measurement, 
calculations, photography, observational drawings, and written tasks. At the end of the 
experiment students are expected to discuss what might have caused the difference in 
their plant’s growth. The common consideration points to climate and geography, thus 
the incorporation of social studies. The Great Bean Race project was created by a 
school in Kathmandu, Nepal, and sought partners from anywhere in the world for 
participation.  
  
If there is a specific type of assignment or project that educators are looking for that has 
not yet been created, they are invited to create it. Instructors and educators in all 
instructional areas can create their own global projects to share with the world and 
utilize websites like IEARN and ePals to find collaborative partners to do so. For 
example, an Earth Science instructor at the basic or tertiary level would like to examine 
science in daily life in different geographical locations. The instructor wishes to provide 
students with the opportunity to write about science from a unique perspective. The 
catalyst for this assignment is Annie Dillard’s memoir, “Finding Science in An American 
Childhood” (Educational Broadcasting Corporation, 2004). The memoir is based on 
Dillard’s experiences growing up in Pittsburgh, and discusses interest in rock collection, 
the properties and formation of rocks, and changes in the earth’s crust. The instructor 
would like students to share their own interest in science by choosing a science related 
topic and connecting it to their geographical locations and or childhoods. For the 
assignment to be authentic, meaningful, and real, students are asked to share their 
writings with a partner class via email, wiki, class website, etc. The element of audience 
is a powerful incentive to produce and create quality work (Combs & White, 2000).  
  
Many of the available projects for global education and IDI initiatives target K-12 
education; however, there are important implications for higher education. According to 
Brigham (2011), global citizenship is a way of understanding how the world works, 
linking our lives to others, exercising political rights, critically thinking, and challenging 
injustice. In order for students to be prepared to work and live in a global world they 
must possess knowledge of it, acknowledge social injustice and act upon it, and learn to 
collaborate and problem solve in a variety of contexts both face to face and online. 
Global projects can give students practice in this arena before they enter the public 
sphere and competitive employment.  
 

Enough Tolerance: A Framework for Understanding 
 

When Mrs. Lock began her global classroom experimentation, she was not sure how 
her ideas would be received by faculty, staff, and students.  She began global partner 
work with IEARN in around the time that Barack Obama was elected to the presidency.  



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She decided to start small, and invited students to participate in the National Writing 
Project’s Letters to the Next President Project. The assignment fit well into the tenth 
grade persuasive essay curricular requirement and provided students with a national 
audience. Students were required to use the Letters to the Next President website to 
research their chosen candidate, and had to choose three issues of concern that they 
wished to speak about with the president. Letters were drafted and peer edited, and 
during the research and writing component students debated often about their chosen 
candidates stance on abortion, immigration, military involvement, and healthcare.  
 
Figure 3: Finding Global Partners 
 

 
 

Overall, the academic writing that emerged from the project was a success, and 
students enjoyed reading student work from around the country on similar issues. They 
spread the word to classmates and teachers saying, “Google me.” There was a sense 
of pride that emerged from both the face to face and electronic audience (Duerr, 2008). 
However, this was also the first time that international issues of discrimination came to 
light. Some students had strong feelings about the possibility of President Obama’s 
foreign heritage and voiced forceful prejudiced opinions equating all Iraqis to terrorists. 
The stark realization is that students across the globe “see images and hear opinions 
about complex global issues, but are seldom well equipped to process this information” 
(Gowers, 2009, p. 41). Influences within the home and school community shape 
students’ perceptions and they do not always possess the factual information needed to 
make an informed decision. Perhaps this is where global education may serve us best-
as an arena to interact with, and learn from, people from all over the world. In the 
process, we will share and develop new perspectives.   

 
At first, Mrs. Lock’s invitation to a global exchange was not warmly welcomed by her 
students. They were irritated and confused. They asked questions like, “Why do we 
have to talk to people from Africa? How are we going to talk to them? Do they even 
speak English?” To combat their aggravation, Mrs. Lock met their questions with 

IEARN 

•Largest non-profit global network serving 130 countries  

•iearn.org 

TakingItGlobal 

• Developing global citizens through social action 

•www.tigweb.org 

ePals 

•Safe social learning network for elementary and secondary students 

•epals.com 

My eCoach 

•Global project Based learning Resource List for teacher searching for multicultural and 
multiclassroom projects  

•http://my-ecoach.com/online/webresourcelist.php?rlid=6499  



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questions. She asked her students to consider what they knew about Ghana, 
Afghanistan, and India. Unfortunately, most of the information that the students 
produced was prejudiced and based on stereotypes absorbed from social media, 
television, and movies, and their own ignorance. Students realized how little they 
actually knew about international cultures, religions, and geography, and chose to 
continue with no further protest. Solomon and Schrum (2007) suggest that educators 
must consider the implications of 21st century content areas such as global awareness, 
financial literacy, civic literacy, and health awareness. Global awareness potentially 
leads to understanding. Therefore, tolerance of other cultures should not be the goal of 
global instruction, because it implies a continued ignorance and misunderstanding of 
culture. The end goal, must be global understanding, knowledge, and mutual respect. 
Simple tolerance is not enough for today’s global community.  

 
Ultimately, a paradigm shift is necessary to equip students to live a culturally diverse 
world. By definition, tolerance implies enduring not accepting, understanding, and 
empathizing. The concept of empathy is not present within the curriculum in American 
schools, but it should be. Educators who seek to build this ideology within students 
prepare them to be responsible global citizens and powerful agents for change far 
beyond the four walls of the classroom (Hollingsworth, Didelot, & Smith, 2003). The 
most effective action that can be taken to change classroom climates is for the educator 
to consistently speak up and address misunderstandings and stereotypes as they occur 
(New Resources from Teaching Tolerance, 2012).  
 

Conclusion 
  
Global educational projects have the potential to provide students with skills that they 
will be able to use in daily life and careers beyond the four walls of the classroom. 
Communication, creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration skills are an integral part of 
working and living as a global citizen in the 21st century. While some would say “the 
world has changed,” the philosophy should be that it is changing and evolving daily. 
Current pedagogical practices must change to “equip students for the interdisciplinary 
and multidisciplinary world they are inhabiting” (Blair, 2011, p. 33). The spillage of 
knowledge into the student vessel is a concept of the past and the shift to constructivist 
and connectivist ideologies is necessary to create classrooms, work spaces, 
laboratories, and communities for the future.  
  
Interdisciplinary instruction provides opportunities for deeper learning and engagement. 
Learning networks such as IEARN and ePals make it easy to find projects, students, 
and educators in a safe and secure online environment. The importance of global 
learning reaches beyond knowledge that can be assessed and measured. Its most 
powerful component is its ability to shape the life-long learner and to broaden the 
narrow mind. Reflection on one’s own perspective and learning to understand the 
diverse perspectives of others is a common occurrence in global project work.    

 
Instead of memorizing facts and dates, taking assessments, and losing the information, 
a lasting impression is made, and perhaps a lasting relationship built. Knowledge is 



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solidified because it is experienced in the context of real world experiences and in 
collaboration with others. Mrs. Lock and her students have kept in contact with Mr. 
Abdul Makail and the students from his school for boys in Afghanistan because there 
was a sincere interest born out of their project work. Communication with individuals 
from diverse backgrounds is a necessary part of life’s journey and building these skills 
at any age is imperative to successful schooling, employment, and global citizenry 
(Bottery, 2006). To provide students of all ages with these tools requires providing 
educators with professional development and peer mentoring opportunities. Proper 
planning, teaming, and curriculum development are imperative in interdisciplinary 
instruction and global education. We are living in a global world. We should be 
designing global instruction.  

 
References 

 
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______________________________________________________________________ 
About the Authors 
 
Sasha Reese is a special educator at a cyber charter school in Pennsylvania. She is 
also an adjunct English instructor for Burlington County College in New Jersey. Sasha 
has been an educator for the past seven years. Prior to entering the classroom, Sasha 
worked with children with Autism in the home and school setting. Sasha is a doctoral 
candidate at Indiana University of PA. She can be reached at kbfs@iup.edu.  
 
Jennifer Horgan is a doctoral candidate in the Curriculum and Instruction program at 
Indiana University of Pennsylvania.  She earned a Masters degree in history from IUP in 
2005.  She also has more than twelve years experience in teaching various courses in 
history and geography at the junior and senior high level. She can be reached at 
j.l.horgan@iup.edu.  
 

mailto:kbfs@iup.edu
mailto:j.l.horgan@iup.edu

