About 10 years ago, I conducted my dissertation research on the digital divide, which I interpreted as the differences between those who had access to technology and those who did not have access to technology, and thus, seemed excluded from being able to fully participate in society. Early on in my work, however, I discovered that the real examination of the term ‘digital divide’ did not necessarily involve whether or not people had access to technology. Rather, I realized a study of the digital divide should focus on identifying differences in how people use technology to become more socially active and to become global citizens.

As part of my research, I administered a questionnaire to 147 sixth and seventh graders in Brazil for their opinions about what it meant to be a global citizen and how technology contributed to this 'identity'. Here are just a few of their answers:

• "A global citizen has a lot of knowledge about politics and different cultures and how to help others. (This person) is able to fight against inequality, a factor that creates most conflicts in the world. (A global citizen) fights for things he/she believes in and takes advantage of opportunities to make a difference in society."

• "A global citizen has a lot of knowledge about international facts. Because the world is changing and certain things influence our country, (global citizens) keep themselves updated through newspapers, TV news and the Internet, and they are careful not to be manipulated by misinformation."

•  “A global citizen is someone who has access to major changes in technology, has knowledge of linguistic differences, and knows about world history and geography. This person knows different cultures and studies them to understand and value differences in race, gender, and socio-economic status. [This person] is concerned with the environment, participates in rallies against guns, practices solidarity, and is a good citizen who tries to address the problems of his/her own country.”

• “I think that in order to be a global citizen, you have to believe that changes in the world can begin with you! Knowing how to use technology is also important for communicating and getting to know about other countries, which can help eliminate prejudice.”

One of the themes that emerged from student responses on this questionnaire suggested technology use fosters the development of global citizenship by enabling people to take a more active role in making informed decisions about issues that matter. From these findings, I realized students in my study were ready to act as global citizens who think critically, make informed decisions, and actively participate in their community. However, the use of technology for social purposes was not as prevalent in their responses.

However, a decade after, with the explosion of smart phones and mobile access worldwide, we are witnessing an important change in the behavior of our globally connected youth. It seems that now they have discovered the potential of new technologies to promote social change. For example, in his latest book titled Networks of Outrage and Hope: Social Movements in the Internet Age(2012), Manuel Castells described how movements such as the Arab Spring in 2011, that began on online social networks and spread like a virus through mobile media, have created a ‘space of autonomy’ for the exchange of information and the sharing of feelings of collective outrage and hope.

Castells’ beliefs that Internet networks support a new type of political participation reinforce a major finding from my dissertation; that global citizens not only consume materials made available through technology, but they also produce materials and resources and become valued and productive citizens of a global community.

As it could be noticed by the students’ opinions, being informed about what is happening in the world and its different cultures is one of the main traits of a global citizen. To get you thinking about the range of possibilities, I’ve pointed you to just a few examples of websites that might be useful for guiding students in finding information that promotes rich discussions about these topics in your classroom:

• Global Education First Initiative (GEFI) briefly introduces students to several interconnected global challenges that require innovative solutions. This project, initiated by the United Nations Secretary-General also points readers to the GEFI Youth Advocacy Group homepage that features links to an Advocacy Toolkit, Advocacy, Facilitator’s Guide, A Call to Action, and a host of online resources featuring efforts of the 18-member interactional youth group.

• Exploring Our Roles As Global Citizens: An Educators Guide for Grades 3-5, sponsored by TeachUnicef.org, provides a four lesson unit with extension activities and a student-led inquiry project designed to introduce the concept of global citizenship, educate students about universal human rights, foster skills in developing perspectives and decision-making, and empower students to make a positive difference in their local communities.

• Worldometers provides live world statistics on population, government and economics, society and media, environment, food, water, energy and health. Interesting statistics.

• Newsmap is an application that visually reflects the constantly changing landscape of the Google News news aggregator. It shows links to the news being published by countries all over the world in their original languages.

Clarisse Olivieri de Lima is an Educational Technology consultant in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

This article is part of a series from the International Reading Association’s Technology in Literacy Education Special Interest Group (TILE-SIG).