The children of these adult refugees don’t struggle as much with technical skills as their parents do because they attend American schools with access to technology.

Lack of digital access can hamper refugees in many ways. An Australian study found that the lack of tech skills and access to technology affected refugees’ ability to integrate into their new communities.

There are many slang terms, acronyms, idioms and confusing words like “mouse” rapidly thrown at these new arrivals.

We found a universal language using memes. Often dismissed as trivial and silly, memes can communicate across cultures. The image paired with a caption can immediately convey a message or feeling.

Creating global collaborators

Many refugees have lived in multiple countries, speak many languages and have family members living overseas. A hallmark of being a global collaborator, as outlined in the ISTE Standards for Students, is using digital tools to connect with learners from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, engaging with them in ways that broaden mutual understanding and learning.

Resources for teaching refugees

If you have refugees in your classroom, here are some organizations that offer resources you can incorporate into classroom settings.

The Wonderment. This nonprofit connects students from all around the world in collaborative service projects.

UNICEF. This global organization has up-to-date reports on the refugee and migrant crisis as well as ways you can get involved.

International Rescue Committee. This nonprofit helps refugees resettle in their community as well as provide both international and local resources.

Carrie Rogers-Whitehead is an ISTE member and CEO of Digital Respons-Ability. Her company teaches digital citizenship to refugees and she plans to publish findings about this work