Technology and Peace Corps

The following exerpts were taken from an article published in the Summer 2000 issue of The Connection: World Wise Schools, a Peace Corps publication.

The Connection: World Wise Schools(Summer 2000)

Looking to the Future:
Technology and Peace Corps' World Wise Schools
By Beth Giebus, Editor of The Connection

Promoting the understanding that "the way we look at the world and the things we value are not the only way" is one of the primary goals of the World Wide Schools program. As more Peace Corps Volunteers gain access to computers in their towns and villages, and as computer-assisted learning in U.S. classrooms becomes more widespread, WWS' potential to impact larger audiences of U.S. students increases.

By tapping the insights of Peace Corps Volunteers through electronic discussions about, for example, water usage in a Volunteer's village, students can arrive at conclusions that don't rely solely on a specific textbook or one teacher's interpretation of an event.

"About 5,000 Volunteers are currently participating in a correspondence match with a U.S. school, which means that a very limited number of educators and students can access the insights of Peace Corps Volunteers serving overseas," says Betsi Shays, the director of the World Wise Schools. "With the CyberVolunteer project, one Volunteer can send an email to a large number of U.S. classes. The potential impact of this project is tremendous."