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In today’s high-tech, global society, no student should
have to learn from a dated textbook alone. Imagine a day when
teachers consider it a matter of course to use the Internet
and technology tools to connect their students to real people,
accomplishing real journeys, in the real world. This is RTW’s
premise, and mandate for growth. Our vision is that one day
all schools, in all communities, will have the resources, training,
and research-based evidence they need to incorporate “connected
learning” – i.e., interaction with online personalities
and the opportunity to drive the course of Internet-based journeys
– into the curriculum as an essential teaching tool.
In the fall of 2004, Reach the World will launch its next adventure
in education: the third around-the-world Voyage of Makulu, a
43-foot sailboat. On board ship, a crew of five educators will
use the Internet to take students and teachers on an odyssey
across 30,000 ocean miles and into more than 40 countries. What
better way for students to learn about world cultures and environments
than to follow a real expedition - and better yet, interact
with real adventurers through intriguing, online dialog?
In New York City, Reach the World’s network of elementary
and middle school classrooms from severely under-funded public
schools will collaborate with the Voyage of Makulu. Our students
and teachers will track Makulu, develop curricular projects,
and expand their skills as a result. The resources that we develop
together will be published online every week for an international
web audience.
Since 1998, Reach the World has worked with graduate student
interns from Teachers College to train and support to our classroom
teachers. We carefully match each of our school sites with at
least one, and as many as three, interns. Interns’ responsibilities
include:
Coordinating weekly teacher meetings to discuss RTW projects;
Working closely with teachers to integrate their curriculums
with the expedition;
Supporting teachers as they develop confidence in their personal
technology use;
Helping teachers identify age-appropriate tech assessments for
their students, and;
Observing teachers’ use of the Voyage of Makulu and associated
technology tools in their classrooms and/or computer labs.
Interns may also accompany their classrooms on field trips to
visit Makulu in New York Harbor.
Interning with Reach the World provides a substantive, engaging
opportunity to integrate technology and the curriculum in a
“real-life” school setting. As an intern, you will
be able to apply the pedagogy learned through your degree and
work with teachers who may become personal mentors to you in
your career. RTW is perhaps best summed up by the comments of
teachers and students involved with the project:
“Reach
the World is proof that all that stuff we study about in class
is really there.” (Raddy, 5th grade, Bronx, NY)
“I
wanted my students to do more with technology than just put
in CDs. Reach the World provides a real context for their learning
– and now, I have tech skills, too.” (Mrs. Rita
Fields, Assistant Principal at CES 70, Bronx, NY)
Reach the World is primarily a school day program. The internship
pays 1-2 credits.
We look forward to working with you on Reach the World’s
next adventure in education!
View the website: http://www.reachtheworld.org/
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