“The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
Dr. Seuss first wrote those words in the 1970s, I’m sure with an image of a child reading alone, or perhaps a parent or teacher reading to a child. A generation later, what’s happened with reading can sound fantastical, but it’s not a work of fiction.
Case in point? Tomorrow, March 7, is World Read Aloud Day. Its purpose is to raise awareness that one in ten people worldwide are illiterate. The World Read Aloud Day event organizer LitWorld is linking readers and learners around the world via videoconference or video chat in an effort to combat illiteracy. A student in a Birmingham school can connect with students in Beirut or Benin City to learn to read together.
In addition to the global literacy movement, there is also the global digital literacy initiative launching this month.
The Flat Classroom Project, and its eponymously named book, will be the focus of a worldwide book study. Educators around the globe are taking part to learn the 15 steps towards global educational collaborations.
There are many educators and organizers linking children around the world to learn with one another. Giving every student an international experience as part of his or her schooling has never been easier.
The more you learn, the most places you’ll go. With everyday digital tools, that statement has never been more true.