Technology Essentials in Education Episode 23:
How to Build Global Classroom Connections Through Literacy

Hello there. My name is Monica Burns, and welcome to Technology Essentials and Education.

Today's episode is titled Fostering Global Connections Through Literacy and Technology, and I'm joined by a special guest, Amber Peterson.

I've been connected with Lit World, where Amber is the Chief Program Officer for over a decade now.

I've always been inspired by the work that they do, and I even spent some time with them working with one of their programs as part of my doctoral work for my dissertation.

I love everything that they do and spend a lot of time with their team in their office, out in the field, and programming with students and families.

Their commitment to storytelling and technology to bring people together, particularly students or young people, is something that they do across the globe.

Today, I'm chatting with Amber Peterson, the Chief Program Officer at Lit World, all about how educators can use technology from really simple tools, including pencil and paper, to AI-powered platforms that help with translation to connect people across the world.

Our conversation is really about creating meaningful global connections.

When you hear this conversation of me talking to Amber today, you'll hear how Lit World connects kids as pen pals from different continents and facilitates read-alouds online that reach millions of people.

We talk about World Read-Aloud Day, one of their signature events, and how students can share their stories using digital tools.

Whether you're looking to bring a global perspective to your work, explore new storytelling and read-aloud methods, or find creative ways to collaborate globally, this conversation is a great one.

Amber has lots of practical ideas and examples. Let's get into the conversation.

This episode is brought to you by Jotform, which provides an all-in-one solution to streamline administrative tasks, enhance community engagement, and foster innovation.

Using their no-code, drag-and-drop forms and workflows, teams can securely collect and store data, automate tasks, and collaborate on resources.

Educational institutions are eligible for a 30% discount on Jotform Enterprise. Head to their website to learn more at Jotform.com slash enterprise slash education.

Welcome to the podcast. I am so excited to chat with you today, Amber, about all things global collaborations and connections in ed tech.

Before we jump in, can you share with listeners a little bit about your role in education and what your day-to-day looks like?

Absolutely. Thank you for this conversation. My name is Amber Peterson, Chief Program Officer for Lit World. I oversee all partnerships and programs.

Lit World works globally to create spaces for storytelling and literacy exploration, with technology playing a big role in making that possible.

I'm super excited to talk to you about that today.

I've been connected with Lit World for over a decade and it's been wonderful to follow all the great work you're doing.

We think about global connections and what that looks like when technology comes into play in a world that often feels divided by geographical barriers or differing values.

How is Lit World using technology to create a sense of global belonging among children who may never meet in person?

That's a great question. Lit World has always used technology to create a feeling of community.

Our work is global, so we think creatively about bringing people together.

From the beginning, we used digital spaces like email and Skype, and now Google Meets, Zoom, and WhatsApp to maintain relationships with international partners.

Through programming, we create a common language for kids and communities to share and connect, whether displaying heart maps or amplifying kids' stories about belonging, friendship, curiosity, or our seven strengths.

We use technology to connect kids as pen pals, allowing a lit kid in Rwanda to meet a lit kid in Colombia via video chat, forging real sustaining relationships across time and place.

Our work ensures young people have platforms for their voices and stories and an audience they might not otherwise have.

Technology has a broad definition; pencils and paper are forms of technology that help us connect and interact in innovative ways.

While we embrace digital tools, all technologies serve to bring people together and help them understand the world.

Whether recording stories on paper or using AI to translate conversations into multiple languages simultaneously, our goal is to make sure real people are heard and connecting.

These examples range from pencils to AI making things more accessible for children worldwide, ensuring their voices are heard by large audiences.

For places with limited technology or unreliable internet, how do you facilitate global collaboration?

We grapple with this as an organization working in many disparate places.

Our main goal is to meet people where they are, using the technology they have access to.

WhatsApp works in many places, so instead of video chats, we might have text conversations over WhatsApp, use email, snail mail, or radio.

Radio has been a great tool for connecting with partners and their communities.

During the pandemic, we got innovative, broadcasting over whatever media a community had access to or delivering lit club materials via mailboxes.

We always figure out what tools people have accessible and what they are comfortable with.

A big part of our goal is transferring ownership of resources and pedagogy to the communities we work with and vice versa.

By scaling our pedagogy, we offer more flexibility in how resources get from us to partners to kids in the communities we serve.

That flexibility is crucial when people access different types of technology and internet situations.

I love that you mentioned broadcasting or leveraging radio and media specific to an area.

Another hurdle could be time zones, especially when working with people in different places.

What are some effective ways you've seen technology used asynchronously?

That's a great question. I just had a call this morning with a team member in Rwanda, which was 4 AM for them and 10 AM for me.

Some calls happen at 6 AM for us, some at 9 PM for others.

There are many tools that allow conversations to continue continuously, like social media and websites that don't have time zones.

We post independently around shared hashtags from partners answering particular questions for everyone to see.

We post in WhatsApp, knowing people respond at different times.

We act as a hub for work happening in real time on the ground in different places, sharing and creating an international coalition learning from each other at different paces.

Making things accessible and keeping flexibility in how and what we report is key.

Jotform lets you build forms in minutes, including student surveys, homework submissions, and quizzes.

You can start from scratch or use free form templates designed for educators.

Educational institutions get 30% discount on Jotform Enterprise at Jotform.com slash enterprise slash education.

Knowing there may be a common place where things go, like a hashtag or WhatsApp group, helps build understanding within a group about sharing methods.

With all the activities you do, you mentioned heart maps, which are a favorite way to share about oneself and build community.

Read alouds are a core part of your work. Why is the simple act of a read aloud such an effective tool for global collaboration compared to other digital communication?

You've been part of the Lit World community for a long time and know how important read alouds are.

Read aloud is a beautifully intimate act, powerful for brain development, language acquisition, literacy, and social development.

Amplifying these experiences is incredible, and read alouds are well suited for digital spaces.

You can read aloud over video chat or record a read aloud shared with hundreds of millions at once through partners like Story Voice.

This intimate act becomes exponentially amplified, creating intimate relationships with many people.

It's an engaging way to connect with storytelling, visuals, and modeling best practices for readers.

There's much to do after reading, like discussing characters or creating alternate endings, fostering deep engagement.

Looking back over the school year, was there a specific digital interaction that captured the spirit of global collaboration?

I'm going to raise you two experiences: World Read Aloud Day and the Memory Keepers Project.

World Read Aloud Day is the world's annual celebration of reading aloud on the first Wednesday of February, with millions participating globally.

It creates an incredible sense of community.

The Memory Keepers Project promotes intergenerational conversation and memory keeping, emphasizing the importance of stories and learning from each other.

It's a meaningful initiative showing global collaboration in real time, developing through feedback from partners worldwide.

Curriculum is sent out, feedback and stories are received, adjustments made, and the project happens simultaneously in Rwanda, Colombia, New York, and India.

This honors community history and allows students to understand they are growing into their life stories, sharing memories and stories.

How is Lit World helping kids move from listening to stories online to creating and sharing their own digital narratives?

This is the most important question. All Lit World's stories are children's stories.

We create space for kids not just to listen but to analyze, play with, debate, and ultimately create stories.

Our media and website amplify those experiences and invite others whose stories may not often be told to share their own.

Sharing your story is often the first step to advocacy, civic engagement, and global citizenship, especially for marginalized people and women.

These voices and stories literally change the world, and our work helps young people understand and experiment with that, providing scaffolding.

There are many ways for kids to capture their stories, from video to text or even talking to someone nearby.

Lit World offers flexibility in programming, combining powerful read-aloud experiences with complementary storytelling to foster belonging and honor all voices, including marginalized ones.

Looking forward, where can people interested in global collaboration and storytelling connect with Lit World?

Visit our website, litworlds.org, for information about partnerships and global work.

Follow us on social media at Lit World on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Lit World Says on X.

Stay tuned for the Memory Keepers Project campaign launch on June 1st, happening in New York City and amplified worldwide.

Amber, thank you so much for your time, resources, and big ideas for fostering global collaborations.

It was so much fun chatting with Amber about all the things Lit World is doing and her fantastic tips.

Let's finish with key points to make edtech integration easier.

First, use technology from WhatsApp to pen and paper in the mail to meet global partners where they are.

Read alouds are uniquely well suited for digital collaboration because of their intimate and accessible nature.

Help students move beyond listening by inviting them to create, analyze, and share their own narratives.

Sharing personal stories can be a first step toward advocacy, civic engagement, and global citizenship.

You can stay connected with Amber and Lit World after today's episode with plenty of links in the description.

Thank you for tuning in and thinking about fostering global connections through literacy and technology this year.

A big thank you to Jotform, the presenter of today's episode.

To learn more about Jotform and how educational institutions can get a 30% discount on Jotform Enterprise, head to Jotform.com slash enterprise slash education.