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The phrase \u201cThink Globally, Act Locally\u201d is most often used in relation to environmental issues. We should consider the entire planet and take action in our own community. When applied to education, the phrase could mean attempt to act locally to increase local understanding on local issue in relation to, and by using access to global knowledge.<\/p>\n
The expansion of digital information and communication technologies (ICT) providing seamless and always available access to large sum of human knowledge is challenging, not only our educational systems, but the whole epistemology on what most of them are based on. The euro-centric educational thinking relies on the importance to master reading and writing, basic math (calculation) as well as memorization of facts and procedures. These skills were crucial in the industrial society, global trade and politics of the time.<\/p>\n
A New Approach is Needed<\/b><\/p>\n
When approaching these skills from the point of view of learning theories \u2014 that includes classical conditioning and mechanical route memorizing but also processes of meaning making, creativity and achieving skills to create new knowledge \u2014 we may see that they do not reach far. Someone with the basic skills of reading, writing, basic math and ability to follow rules, may today complete our educational system. The requirement to understand or to create something new is very weakly in-build to the contemporary systems.<\/p>\n
The conception of learning as memorization of facts and procedures is living strong in our educational thinking and system. The two main supporters of this simplified conception of learning are the industry producing mass products for consumer society and the military organizations training millions of individuals around the world. In both cases the aim is to train people to behave as reliable pieces of the system.<\/p>\n
Knowledge is situated in the time and place where it is generated, modified, and exploited. In this way knowledge is local. We learn in time and place where we are collaborating with other people. Just like knowledge is local, so should be learning. If we are interested in to have citizens with higher mental abilities, meaning making skills, critical thinking skills and creativity we should let people to focus primary to and build on their local environment.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately in education we too often pay most of our attention to such issues as curriculum, learning content, standards, management of learning and assessment. In education the focus should be on building communities, offering people spaces and facilitating their advances in the community’s area of interests.<\/p>\n
Glocal Learning Communities<\/b><\/p>\n
In Glocal Learning Communities digital ICT can be a powerful tool. The communities can build local wikis<\/a> \u2014 a knowledge repositories on topics that are relevant and important for the local people. They may also have services in \u201cthe cloud\u201d that will help people to find other people who are interested in to study same topics (the P2PU<\/a> and Wikiversity<\/a> style). The seamless, always on access to the Internet will provide content to discuss about.<\/p>\n What can do to advantage the founding of glocal learning communities? We should promote use of native languages and production of all kind of digital educational content from encyclopedias to documentary films in these languages. Provide affordable on-demand access to the services and the content with mobile Internet and mobile phones. A local library with free internet access would also be useful.<\/p>\n We could educated teachers to facilitate glocal learning communities. We could promote culture of open dialogue that tolerate critics, values transparency and respects individuals. Glocal learning communities will not only contribute to people knowledge and skills but will enhance respect for human rights.<\/p>\n