Taking it Global

This is a guest post from Kate Lang on 21st Century skills and Global citizenship...

"TakingITGlobal (TIG) is an international charitable organization which seeks to empower youth to take informed action to build a more peaceful, inclusive and sustainable world. It serves youth worldwide through a multilingual online learning community and innovative education programs. Often described as a "social network for social good," the award winning www.tigweb.org is the world's leading online community for young global citizens committed to changing their world. It is available in twelve languages and offers a diverse set of educational resources and action tools intended to inspire, inform and involve. Since launching in 2000, 20 million people have accessed the website to learn, grow and realize their potential. Because of the crucial role that education plays in shaping tomorrow, TIG launched TakingITGlobal for Educators (TIGed) in 2006 to empower teachers around the globe to utilize technology to create international learning experiences that build 21st Century Skills and foster global citizenship. TIGed does this by: Connecting globally minded educators with one another through a growing network of 4,000+ educators in 120 countries who are interested in collaborating online to create transformative global learning experiences for their students; Providing an extensive database of global education resources that are linked to curriculum benchmarks and 21st Century Skills; Offering accredited professional development e-courses designed to help teachers bring technology and global perspectives into their classrooms; Hosting a safe and customizable virtual classroom platform equipped with both synchronous and asynchronous ICT tools, specifically designed to support international collaboration; and Coordinating global learning initiatives open to classrooms and schools worldwide. When it comes to learning about global issues and the role of youth in shaping a better future, collaborating online is key. When students learn about issues such as poverty and environmental degradation through interpersonal relationships with global peers, the issues become more real and relevant to them. Educators regularly describe how students who have been involved in global collaborations through TIGed not only come to understand the far-reaching implications of their actions and decisions but also become compelled to take an active role in shaping a better world."