What is a global educator?
"Global educators share certain characteristic instructional strategies: They confront stereotypes and exotica and resist simplification of other cultures and global issues; foster the habit of examining multiple perspectives; teach about power, discrimination, and injustice; and provide cross-cultural experiential learning." --- Merry M. Merryfield
Click on the blue button below to read more from Merry M. Merryfield about global educators.
Click on the blue button below to read more from Merry M. Merryfield about global educators.
Hear from global educators, thinkers, and leaders about what it means to embrace global competencies. The video below offers insight into why it's important for young people to be aware of the world around them, what global competencies are, and what a global citizen looks like.
Global competency, twentyfirst century skills, and multiculturalism are terms that can be controversial and even fearful. Honoring and preserving culture is sacred. The world has a long and glorious history of attempting and, at times, succeeding in eliminating entire cultures' histories. Think about what we know about indiginous peoples on all continents displaced or eradicated through centuries of Imperialism, the slave trade, and expansion. Nevertheless, the world is getting smaller. Crossing borders is becoming easier both physically and virtually. Countries' economies are inexorably intertwined.
Teaching in a high school in the largest and most diverse county in the state, the struggles to maintain a sense of self amidst such diversity are clearly apparent. While this may be the most tolerant generation, it remains insulated to community and world around it. Comfortably insulated. Insulation is a fine breeding ground for fear and apathy.
However, the world continues to spin. Technology advances way before we can determine the consequences of it. The planet struggles to support humanity's rapid growth and industrial evolutions. Finally, as borders become permeable with symbiotic economies, and as humanitarian crises strain infrasture while dangerous and irresponsible political powers rampage through regions of the world, students today will have some of the most significant problems to solve in the future. An ability to investigate, examine multiple perspectives, communicate ideas, and ultimately act will be crucial to that future.
Teaching in a high school in the largest and most diverse county in the state, the struggles to maintain a sense of self amidst such diversity are clearly apparent. While this may be the most tolerant generation, it remains insulated to community and world around it. Comfortably insulated. Insulation is a fine breeding ground for fear and apathy.
However, the world continues to spin. Technology advances way before we can determine the consequences of it. The planet struggles to support humanity's rapid growth and industrial evolutions. Finally, as borders become permeable with symbiotic economies, and as humanitarian crises strain infrasture while dangerous and irresponsible political powers rampage through regions of the world, students today will have some of the most significant problems to solve in the future. An ability to investigate, examine multiple perspectives, communicate ideas, and ultimately act will be crucial to that future.
Teachers for Global Classrooms
My interest in pursing this extraordinary opportunity stems from my study of multicultural education specifically through the high school curriculum. Was it homogenous? Did students study texts in which they see themselves only? Not at all? The online course gave me the tools I needed to take my lessons and leadership far beyond its multicultural foundation. While I had always focused on diversity in texts and literature, the course showed me how to take that foundation beyond the borders of the United States and to incorporate action. If students are going to be able to participate in the human experience with global competencies, then they will need to be able to examine multiple perspectives in all academic disciplines. The symposium in Washington, DC was not only a lovely trip, but it allowed me to bring my administrator, so she could be introduced to this framework and consider how we can merge global competencies school-wide in concert with our STEM intiative. Being assigned to Brazil for the international field experience fit beautifully with my educational philosophy and experience. Brazil has a rich diverse history, and I was anxious to see how their school system in this developing country incorporated that rich and vibrant history and culture. The journey is almost over as I am finishing this capstone project. It is my hope that it will introduce others to this opportunity and encourage educators to take their classrooms out of the classroom.
how to use this guide
This guide is designed to give those interested resources for embedding global competencies within their classroom. It is from a high school Language Arts and Social Studies perspective; however, resources are not discipline specific. Many participants in Teachers for Global Classrooms are math and science teachers ranging from elementary through secondary. There is one sample lesson plan and a host of links and documents that will help you on your own journey.
This blog is not an official U.S. Department of State blog. The views and information presented here are the grantee's own and do not represent the Teachers for Global Classrooms Program, IREX, or the U.S. Department of State.