Using technology to celebrate culture

Written by Suzy Cox on October 31, 2016. Posted in Internet Resources.

One of the beautiful things about our Digital Age is that we have the ability to easily explore and celebrate the amazing cultural diversity throughout the world. While we recognize this day as Halloween in the U.S., it is also the beginning of the Day of the Dead celebration in Mexico, Samhain in Ireland, and National Unity Day in India, among others.

This is a great time for us to engage our students in learning about other cultures, and here are some great resources to get you started:

CultureGrams – which you can find in Pioneer Library through UEN

National Geographic Kids – click on a flag on their interactive world map

You might have your students preserve a story or tradition from their culture using Stupeflix or Soundtrap and share them with the class. They could also create infographics (using Canva or Piktochart) comparing and contrasting their own culture with one that they learn about online. These projects could start some great conversations about diversity in our community, and engage students in honoring and sharing their funds of knowledge.

Suzy Cox

Suzy Cox is an Associate Professor in the UVU School of Education, specializing in Educational Technology and Adolescent Psychology, and is the program coordinator for the UVU Master's degree program in Educational Technology. She is the Higher Education liaison on the UCET board.