Global Understanding is a website designed by educators to expand people's perspectives by triggering “fundamental shifts of attitudes.” (Senge p. 207) A significant responsibility of educators is to prepare young adults to embrace the world they will someday inherit. In order to be successful in such an endeavor, we believe a student or individual must learn to understand, empathize and communicate with people of all walks of life. To achieve this goal, mental models must be challenged. One must first learn about himself and examine his own mental models about his own culture, as well as that of others. Only then can we begin to develop a global dialogue. To encourage awareness and understanding of the people of the world, students must be given an avenue through which they can be introduced, physically or electronically, to real people sharing their perceptions about their own cultures. They must then reflect on what has been learned and articulate those thoughts.

Research included in the “Technology as a Tool to Reduce Prejudice,” shows that global understanding is promoted by “healthy personal identity devoid of the tendency or need to denigrate those who differ from self.” The use of technology such as e-pals and interaction on the web helps to “establish learning exchanges between students of diverse cultural backgrounds and thereby reduce prejudice and stereotyping.” (Anderson, 1998, Baugh & Baugh, 1997; DeGarcia & McGlynn, 1999; Roach, 1999.)

Global Understanding believes individuals need to be challenged in order to expand their perspectives. Educators must reexamine, reevaluate, and possibly reconstruct their pedagogical methodology to reflect the needs of the changing world. As educators we can draw upon theories such as transformative pedagogy as a model of teaching which allows an individual to “tap into the deep learning cycle, which provides a means to think critically about the world so that learning is a process of self- and social transformation.” (Senge, p. 207)

Our goal as educators is to open the pathway to meet with others and respond to perceptions and beliefs which will, in turn, initiate a cycle of communication that can lead to social change.