Transformative Teaching Around the World

Curtis J. Bonk is Professor of Instructional Systems Technology in the School of Education and adjunct in the School of Informatics at Indiana University, U.S.A.Meina Zhu is Assistant Professor of Learning Design & Technology in the College of Education at Wayne State University, U.S.A.

"This book, edited by Curtis Bonk and Meina Zhu, brings together 44 stellar contributors from around the world to enlighten, challenge and educate us. . . . There are scattered gems, insights, challenges and simply interesting observations. And the book is reader friendly and the chapters are short but chock full of anecdotes and stories and each author is engaging in his or her own manner. Curtis Bonk in his own inimitable style has drawn together a great bunch of scholars and has worked with Meina Zhu to bring us a refreshing gold mine of stories to enchant and entertain. This is an enjoyable yet entertaining and educative text."—Michael F. Shaughnessy, Education Views"Sci-fi author Brandon Sanderson wrote, ‘The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon.’ That is exactly what each of the wonderful storytellers who contributed to this important book do. As a former Fulbright Scholar (Peru 1979-80), it was especially gratifying to read so many inspirational stories from fellow Fulbrighters. Curtis J. Bonk and Meina Zhu co-edited this volume with the overall goal of making a positive impact on teachers and learners. There is no doubt that it will do just that."—Thomas C. Reeves, Professor Emeritus of Learning, Design, and Technology at The University of Georgia, USA"I wish I had had this book years ago. By bringing together the experience and guidance of award-winning teachers and educational technology specialists from all over the world, this book yields a cache of knowledge-with-wisdom and helps make our journey of teaching and learning more enjoyable and successful. Transformative Teaching Around the World is a must-read for both enthusiasts and skeptics of innovative teaching with technologies regardless of their cultural and contextual differences."—Insung Jung, Professor in the Education & Psychology Program at International Christian University, Japan"What is impact? Measuring impact in education is never easy, as it takes time to capture the impact and articulate a causal relationship. Stories are often used to demonstrate personal lived experiences of change as evidence of impact, and this book presents such stories in plenty. They relate experiences of innovation, grit, and resilience across national boundaries and provide food for thought and reflection. This book is a testament to the popularity of its source—R546: Instructional Strategies for Thinking, Collaboration and Motivation, a university course taught by Professor Curtis J. Bonk that has attracted teacher education students from Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, as well as North and South America—and the number of minds it has ignited to promote innovative teaching practices. Once in a blue moon, teachers can demonstrate such huge impact of their teachings. By collating their stories, the editors have taken a further step forward to spread the impact beyond those who benefitted from their classes."—Sanjaya Mishra, Education Specialist of eLearning at Commonwealth of Learning"As a former Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Program recipient who traveled internationally with pre- and in-service teachers from the U.S., I can attest to the importance and timeliness of this enlightening book. These stories of other like-minded educators overcoming various challenges while continually moving forward are truly inspiring. Curtis J. Bonk, a preeminent and visionary author on global education and emergent technologies for learning, and his colleague Meina Zhu have done an extraordinary job sharing genuine transformative teaching examples that can add value for other educators considering similar endeavors. Rarely does an academic book so accurately and compellingly tell the story of what’s involved in the process of transformative teaching and learning within a global context."—Heejung An, Professor in the College of Education at William Paterson University of New Jersey, USA, and editor of Handbook of Research on Efficacy and Implementation of Study Abroad Programs for P-12 Teachers"This book reaffirms that individuals with ideas and passion can change perceptions and practices. Timely and relevant, it provides global educational and historical perspectives through personal stories and shared experiences across a range of countries and educational situations. With a focus on the application of technology to learning and teaching, it is pertinent reading for both pre-service and in-service teachers. There is something very powerful about storytelling, and I applaud how the reflection questions for each story prompt the reader to think more deeply and share their own personal stories. Innovation starts with one idea, and this book provides hundreds of ideas (not to mention contact information for the contributors) such as augmented reality-based curriculum, online collaboration, cultural adaptations of technology use, active and personalised learning objectives, to list but a few. This book leverages the power of storytelling, going above and beyond mere instructional design, to share gems of inspiration that we can all learn from. In today's educational climate, it is a powerful contribution to and catalyst for improving learning and teaching globally."—Julie Lindsay, Senior Education Technology Advisor at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia, Director of Learning Confluence Pty Ltd, and Founder and CEO of Flat Connections"The world’s most successful schools encourage students to set goals that are meaningful to them, draw on their own passions and interests, focus on knowledge domains (not subjects and courses), and develop the skills to become lifelong learners. Transformative Teaching around the World: Stories of Cultural Impact, Technology Integration, and Innovative Pedagogy shares the experiences of Fulbright teachers from twenty-two countries who transformed their classrooms to do exactly this. The teachers, from every discipline and across every type of learning environment—from schools and virtual classrooms and gaming worlds to prisons, farms, and cityscapes—describe the leaps they took in their professional lives to establish learning environments that sparkle with motivation and innovation. This book is a rich addition both to the literature about school transformation and to the editors’ previous work documenting practices that teachers can use in learner-centered and technology-enriched classrooms. Transformative Teaching Around the World is valuable not only for teachers but for school leaders and policymakers who must lead the charge for policy change to make these examples the norm in schools in the U.S. and globally."—Susan Patrick, CEO of the Aurora Institute"Few events in our lifetimes are as transformative as doctoral studies—getting married and having baby come close. For most, it will be a significant watershed moment, a turning point for new beginnings and perhaps new lives. Such is the impact of that kind of sustained effort which Curtis Bonk and Meina Zhu have so successfully captured in this book with the lived experiences of a selection of their graduate students. These are stories of the trials and tribulations, joys and triumphs—not only of their graduate study experiences, but of how they themselves are transforming the lives of others throughout the world. Such is the impact of these indefatigable and indomitable educators on their students. Their enthusiasm for what they do is infectious. This is a book you will want to read slowly and savor. Enjoy!"—Som Naidu, Executive Editor of Distance Education and Principal Associate at Technology, Education and Design Associates"Transformative Teaching Around the World is a compendium of compelling stories told by innovative practitioners from across the globe. These are firsthand accounts of the motivational, creative, and joyful practices that characterize the technologies, collaborations, and cultural exchanges of twenty-first-century education excellence. Bonk and Zhu have curated a very comprehensive sampling of short field narratives of educators speaking in their own voices. A reaffirming and worthwhile read."—Tom Reynolds, Professor in the Sanford College of Education at National University, USA"Transformative Teaching Around the World, edited by Curtis J. Bonk and Meina Zhu, was born from a fortuitous and far-sighted program in which dozens of talented teachers from around the world spent four months at Indiana University’s School of Education as Fulbright Distinguished Teachers. They learned from the courses they took, the faculty and students with whom they connected, and the school visits they made. They took back more student-centered and innovative approaches to teaching and learning. Now, in this book, they reflect their learnings back to us. They emphasize the importance of tailoring teaching to each individual, addressing social and emotional learning, and employing technologies as diverse as Zoom, social media, and augmented reality. And they describe the benefits of creating collaborative exchanges among educators from different countries and cultures. This book comes at a pivotal time when the world is facing unprecedented crises. Climate change, COVID-19, and political extremism demand that the next generation of students advance their societies in ways that their predecessors have not. These authors—and this Fulbright program—offer hope for the future and should lead us to support more of them."—Milton Chen, Senior Fellow at the George Lucas Educational Foundation"Transformative Teaching Around the World reads like a recommendation from the United Nations. In reality, this excellent book is the endeavor of two faculty members, Professors Curtis J. Bonk and Meina Zhu, in collaboration with many Fulbright-winning teachers. Successful educational practices in one country often cannot be replicated in other countries, and teachers must often creatively adapt instructional theories for their own environments. Transformative Teaching Around the World includes forty-one exciting stories that exemplify this form of creative adaption. More than ever, in this new era of education, learning depends on learners’ own self-directed learning competencies. This book reveals how instructors and students can change their roles in today’s changing learning environments. I trust that the wisdom from these stories will support how you think of your own educational practices and creative possibilities. Read this book!"—Okhwa Lee, Professor in the Department of Education at Chungbuk National University, Republic of Korea"The value of any book on technology and innovation in K-12 and higher education is in its application of personal storytelling into the real and complex world of a classroom. Curtis J. Bonk and Meina Zhu have assembled powerful and truly useful stories by experts from around the world—innovative classroom teachers themselves, who share what has worked in their educational practices. This is an excellent resource to which teachers can come back time and again for practical examples to enhance their teaching and learning."—Edwin H. Gragert, Co-Founder of Global Woods Consulting and Interim Executive Director of iEARN-USA"Instead of going to the theorists for a portrait of education at its best, Curtis J. Bonk and Meina Zhu have made a radical choice: they’ve gone to the teachers. This exceptional collection of classroom stories brings together the voices of forty-one outstanding educators from twenty-two countries, many of whom have been honored with Fulbright teacher scholarships or other educational recognitions. Whether reflecting on their own educational journeys, exploring teaching with technology, sharing their innovations, global educational adventures, and active learning strategies, or reflecting on the ongoing lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic, these contributors offer the authenticity and honesty that can only come from lived experience. Each story offers a window into the challenges of teaching and learning in a distinct educational and cultural context, and each ends with reflection questions designed to spark growth for the reader, as well. Bonk and Zhu have gathered an important array of narratives, and any educator’s thinking and pedagogical practices will be expanded by reading them."—Jennifer D. Klein, CEO of Principled Learning Strategies and author of The Global Education Guidebook: Humanizing K-12 Classrooms Worldwide Through Equitable Partnerships"Transformative Teaching Around the World explores how innovative and courageous teachers can be regardless of the challenges they face in the classroom, but especially in response to a worldwide pandemic. Each classroom described in the book has its own unique story, but they come together as a series of transformative teaching narratives that both preservice and in-service teachers can learn from and be inspired by. I was amazed at the level of diversity that these stories represented."—Joan Kang Shin, Associate Professor of Education and Academic Coordinator of the Teaching Culturally & Linguistically Diverse & Exceptional Learners program at George Mason University, USA"Transformative Teaching Around the World is a refreshing and critical new look at education. Curt and Meina offer a perspective into the changing world of education, both in how we impact it and in how it impacts us. A must-read!"—Marshall Goldsmith, author of Triggers, Mojo, and What Got You Here Won’t Get You There"Bonk and Zhu have assembled a collection of essays by world class individuals from twenty-two countries who have gone beyond the limits of what they thought was possible for their students. Their passion for teaching and learning fills these pages, and they convey their struggles and creativity as they pursue innovative teaching practices. Each essay concludes with a set of challenging and thought-provoking questions that would stimulate both the collaborations within teaching and learning communities as well as the imaginations of university students who aspire to teach. Bonk and Zhu have captured the vast diversity of teaching in the real world. Their narratives are insightful and powerful."—Jack A. Cummings, Professor Emeritus of School Psychology at Indiana University, USA"This book is Bonk at his brilliant best, and, with Zhu as a notable co-editor, it is supercharged for success. Embrace our new era of the online world, yet note that a handy volume still plays its part."—Brian J. Ford, Fellow of Cardiff University, UK, President Emeritus of the Cambridge Society for the Application of Research, and award-winning research biologist, broadcaster, lecturer, and author of dozens of books including Nonscience Returns, Too Big to Walk, and Secret Weapons"Bonk and Zhu take us on a fascinating journey into the world of innovation in education through compelling experiences of educators around the world, woven together to provide an inspiring guide to using technology to transform learning."—Richard Culatta, Chief Executive Officer of the International Society for Technology in Education"Teachers, school-leaders, teacher-trainers, education researchers, and policy-makers will gain insights from this book due to its scope and relevance. It is a must-read for any reflective educator who is interested in gaining an enriching perspective on varied impactful teaching practices in recent times, and in different settings around the world. The key practical pointers from Transformative Teaching Around the World are applicable to an array of teaching and learning settings."—Marwa El-Gaby, Educational Review"One of the key and enduring questions in education has always been how to meet learners' expectations and provide answers to their quest for a meaningful learning journey. In that regard, this book is first and foremost a response and a tool for teachers to navigate educational challenges. The content is a much-needed additoin to the literature on innovative pedagogy, a valuable contribution to the field of technology integration, and a key research piece in international education."—Dodzi Amemado, Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance, and e-Learning

• 1. Time for Making Impact Section 1: Personal Transformations 2. Professional Growth and Cross-Cultural Exchange: A Glimpse into a Fulbright Program’s Life-Long Impact on Global Educators 3. Education Found Me; Energy Kept Me: Thoughts on Power, Sharing, and Service 4. The World of Endless Possibilities - The Educator in Me 5. Questions that Matter – An Epistle to the Learner 6. Sun on the Snow: Ad Meliora - Toward Better Things 7. From Ancient History to Current Practice: Experimenting with the Pedagogical Tools for Teacher Creativity and Student Empowerment Section 2. Innovative Education 8. “You can't use up creativity: The more you use, the more you have”: The Story of Chris Gadbury 9. Community Health and Environment: A Learning Project from India 10. Metacognitive Experiences on an Urban Concept Farm: Local, Project-based Learning in Science and Sustainable Agriculture 11. Empowering Teachers to Become Transformational Leaders through Reflective Conversations: A School-based Inquiry and a Professional Development Project 12. “Poipoia te kakano kia puawai” (Nuture the seed and it will blossom): Affective Spaces in Education -- Prison, and Beyond Section 3. Teaching with Technology 13. Fostering Student Motivation and Engagement through the Relevant, Appealing and Personal (RAP) Pedagogical Guideline: Tech Stories from Singapore 14. Social Media to Tickle Motivation to Learn: From Saudi High School to USA Graduate School 15. Sparking Inspiration through Motivation and Technology Integration 16. Interactive writing instruction in Zoom 17. A Learning Journey by being Far and Near: A Lesson Designed in the R2D2 Framework 18. It's All about the Experience: Technology Enhanced Designs to Generate Value Section 4: Pandemic Practices 19. Chicken or Egg? Achieving the Right Balance between Technology and Pedagogy in Online Learning 20. Learning in Lockdowns: Creating Safe, Structured, and Student-centered Classes During the Pandemic 21. Actively Engaging Students in India During COVID-19: A Former Fulbrighter Finds Hope 22. Online Education in a Korean Elementary School During COVID-19: Focusing on My Experience using Blended Learning 23. Moving from Face-to-Face to Online Environments in Mexico During the Pandemic Section 5: English Education and Collaboration 24. English Education Enabled by Technology: Story from an Online Teacher for an Under-Sourced Village School in China 25. Highlighting Collaborative Learning in Language Classroom: A Story from Thailand 26. Live Classes of Lives: English Reading to Ponder Life, Social Phenomena, the Fate of the World 27. Student Collaboration Starts with Teacher Collaboration 28. Transformative Learning? Yes, Possibly in a Flipped Classroom Section 6: Active Learning Strategies 29. Why Weren’t we Taught Like This?: Introducing Creative Strategies to Indian Teachers 30. Hooking Students into Science with Engaging Activities 31. Pedagogical Innovations from Finland: Using Positive Phenomena for Powerful Learning 32. Active learning through using Actively Learn 33. Activating the Active Learning Classroom: Making the Connection from Local to Global Section 7: Global Education 34. Distant Horizon, Close Friendship: Learning through Cross-Cultural Projects and Exchanges 35. Learning through Student Exchange Projects 36. From Moment to Momentum: Technology Expanded Classrooms from Mexico to France and Back 37. Empowering Teachers with Technology and Pedagogy: Distance Teacher Training in Uzbekistan 38. We Can Still be Global Citizens: Virtual Exchange Program to Connect Yemeni EFL Youth with their AFL American Counterparts Section 8: Overcoming Challenges 39. Cancer, Covid-19, and the Cultural Impact of Technology in the Classroom, Rhuperdia Crowe-Clay, Special Education 40. Equitable Learning in Inequitable Classrooms: Cases of Teacher Design Thinking in Rural Schools in Bhutan and Papua New Guinea 41. The Story Behind Jacky’s Cell Phone: Bring the Invisible Forward 42. The Story of Keeping Education Wheels Turning: Motivation and Collaboration when Teaching in a Post-war Context 43. Augmenting Curriculum in a War-torn Country: Augmented Reality Online Teaching 44. After Making Impact