Hello World, Meet Global Education

In the words of many programmer’s first print statements: Hello World!

First, an introduction: My name is Jason Torres, and I teach programming at Florida Virtual High School. I have been an educator for 21 years, teaching at FVHS for 18. While teaching at an online school is a story within itself, my reason for telling this particular story starts late 2023, when I applied for a position in the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classroom program (Fulbright TGC). In July 2024 I was accepted into the program; little did I know that acceptance into this program would place my career on a different trajectory, one that would help me rethink how I teach programming.

The Fulbright TGC program is is a yearlong professional learning opportunity and short-term exchange for elementary, middle, and high school educators from the United States to develop skills to prepare students for a competitive global economy. This is achieved through the use and integration of global education, a framework designed to help students become global citizens. By transforming curriculum and lessons through global competencies, we pass on more than just our content to our students; we can leave students with a way to critically think about global issues, learn how to recognize diverse perspectives, communicate across cultures, and ultimately move toward taking action on these issues. It seems like a tall order, but one that is completely achievable in any course.

At first, this seemed like a steep hill to climb; as a virtual school teacher, my courses are pre-written, creating a challenge to develop original lesson plans, and global education isn’t exactly awash in resources for programming. But it was exactly these challenges that inspired me, and provided me with a goal of becoming an educator that could effectively combine programming and global education concepts in an online environment, and inspire others to do the same. 

I hope this blog serves as a platform to fulfill my purpose, allowing me to share thoughts and experiences as a global technology educator. I plan on using the blog to share my lesson plans and projects that combine programming with authentic tasks that will engage students in global learning. Finally, I aim to share the ever-growing array of resources I've accumulated on my journey toward integrating global education.

Whether the blog lasts for a decade or falters after a year, I am excited to explore global education and how I can bring it to my students. Let the journey begin!