Global Education Standards
The Asia Society (click here for their 140 page eBook) developed a set of standards for global education. Long and the short of it globally educated students..
- Investigate the world--they explore globally significant questions and problems that can be researched.
- Weigh perspectives-- they examine issues from multiple sides and points of view, from all stakeholders
- Communicate ideas-- they share their findings and engage with others in culturally appropriate ways targeted to the audience
- Take action-- their research doesn't sit on a shelf; they use their findings to affect change.
- Apply disciplinary and interdisciplinary expertise-- they integrate the content they have learned in multiple courses to synthesize their solutions
Making the Case for Global Education
Linda Darling-Hammond on the "Finland Phenomenon" and the Importance of Global EducationThis is an eye-opening discussion about the importance of global education and 21st century skills. Ms. Darling-Hammond shares her thoughts on why Finland holds its the special status that it does, and what lessons we can we learn here in the US. Truly engaging!
General Learner Outcomes in HawaiiYears ago, Hawaii adopted the General Learner Outcomes. They're qualities, habits, or mindsets that every graduate from Hawaii Public Schools will exhibit. They're so important, that students are graded on them! Interestingly, they mirror the Global Education Standards.
Mapping the Nation--Data to Support Global EducationThis is a wonderful source of figures and data displayed as infographics, maps, charts, and short readings. It highlights the trends and important need for global education and global competencies.
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This is a short cartoon I made using PowToons. It describes a rationale for why we need to include global education in our classrooms, especially in Hawaii. If you're in Hawaii, it might be a good resource for you to use with your faculty, or principal, as you begin the journey of including global perspectives into your lessons.
If you're not in Hawaii, it's still a great resource. Part of globalization means that what happens in one place, affects another, and we can learn from each other to improve ourselves. The figures came from Mapping the Nation (see link below). The Significance of Global CompetenceThis lecture, hosted by the Asia Society, seconds the importance of global education from Linda Darling-Hammond's interview with Dan Rather. It stresses that future American successes hinge on our students' ability to understand and integrate on the world stage.
How Global is Your School?
This is an excellent diagnostic tool to get a baseline data on the current status of globalization in your school or classroom. It breaks questions into three categories focused on student knowledge and skills, teacher knowledge and perspective, and the overall structure of the school and district.
Ha: BREATH-- Thinking Local, Being Global. Hawaii's GLOs Globalized.In Hawaiian, "ha" doesn't just mean "breath"; it can also mean "essence" or "life". That's why the DoE adopted a new policy this year that emphasizes Hawaiian values and culture in the classroom. The idea is that graduates of Hawaii Public Schools should be grounded in the values and ideals that are unique to these islands, as well as capable citizens of the world.
The policy emphasizes that students should have a strengthened sense of: 1) Belonging 2) Responsibility 3) Excellence 4) Aloha 5) Total Well-Being 6) Hawai'i These goals are even closer to the Global Education Standards than the GLOs! I'm so proud of my state!
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Videos for Discussions and Lesson Inspiration
These are some videos, websites and links that I find very helpful in my classes as I design units and lessons around global perspectives and issues. Some of them are best as discussion-starters or supplemental information for research; others are whole lessons and standards to guide teachers on the journey towards global education.
Don't Ask Me Where I'm From, Ask Me Where I'm LocalI absolutely adore this TED talk! It's a very poignant look at what it means to belong to a culture or a place, especially when we talk broadly about general concepts like American Culture, or culture in general. People can be FROM a place, but have little or no connection to it. But, you can be local... or connected to a different place, that you, maybe, only spend a few months or years at a time. I was trying to explain this to my friend when I said I instantly felt connected to Hawaii and my school. The food was weird, the language was weird, the plan of the cities made NO sense to me. Yet, I instantly felt like i belonged in and even to Hawaii in a way that I never did back in Michigan.
This can also be very informative as we frame lessons around immigration, or even in shaping our own thoughts immigration and students from other places. Gordon Brown on Global Ethic vs National InterestsThis is an excellent discussion between former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Chris Anderson about the complexity of global citizenship vs national identity. Arguments against global citizenship assume that both are mutually exclusive: working to improve or support one nation (without immediately profiting from it) weakens the strength and identity of the helping nation. Those who argue for global citizenship state the opposite: national interests are global interests, and vice versa. Interesting points: nations have come together before, realizing that global interests are national interests; current structures are outdated; we need to want it locally, first.
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What Does it Mean to be a Citizen of the World: Hugh EvansI'm a huge fan of TED Talks! They make for excellent points of discussion for my students and colleagues. They're perfect for showing presentation and public speaking skills, while also sharing powerful messages about social issues that can tie with virtually anything I'm teaching.
This TED Talk by Hugh Evans seconds Prime Minister Gordon Brown's point: the structures in place aren't enough. We need to mobilize at the local level. But, we need to make sure we don't fall into the Beach Cleanup Effect: if beach cleanups worked, we wouldn't have to do them. They treat the symptom, not the cause. The one big event of action is a nice spike that can inspire and mobilize change, but we need to locally create the movement to motivate our political leaders to want to affect long-lasting change. Perfect tie ins for science units on environmental disasters, climate change, energy resource, or.. any issue that students can solve using the scientific method or engineering practices. |
Lessons, Templates, and Ideas
The World's Largest Lesson: UNSDGsIn 2015, the United Nations adopted a set of goals to protect the planet and support the development and progress of the world's various peoples. Together, these 17 goals are called the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). Within 15 years, the UN hopes to end hunger, promote peace and prosperity, reduce the effects of climate change, and heal much of the damage that has been done to the environment over the years. They are very ambitious and inspiring goals, but they are achievable. The informational video, narrated by Emma Watson, explains each of these goals, along with what kids around the world are doing and how they align to the 17 goals. The UNSDGs can provide an excellent framework for a unit, interdisciplinary unit, or project. The hosted lessons on the UN's site are very well done, and can be adapted to fit any most any need.
I don't Normally Support For-Pay Sites...Normally, I'm not a fan of for-pay sites. I'm inherently stingy, and begrudge every penny I have to give away for anything. But, Primary Source has some pretty cool resources, and they post a few of them for free, which can easily be downloaded and stored. For someone inclined to pay, the lessons are decent and could definitely be adapted to suit most curricula.
The Complete Guide to Service LearningI'm not sure if this is product placement, but this is an amazing book to help organize, plan, and guide service experiences. Cathy Berger Kaye is an amazing presenter and leader at the forefront of service learning. The video above is a professional development session she led at Miami Dade about service learning so you can see what she does and how it all works together. Her book, the Complete Guide to Service Learning, is truly phenomenal and would be an amazing resource for any educator seeking to include the global education standards in their curricula. It's especially useful for that all-important Take Action standard.
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United States Institute of PeaceThe United States Institute of Peace is an independent organization that promotes peace-building, conflict resolution, and stability throughout the world. They provide numerous lessons and opportunities for educators
An Exemplar Lesson from New YorkThis is an excellent exemplar lesson to follow when developing your own global education lessons. Not as what they "should be", what they "could be". I think it's vital that we examine these exemplars and reflect on how they connect with our teaching styles and comfort levels of engagement.
This Makes Me Wish I Taught Social StudiesC3.org has a pretty interesting design plan. It's pretty similar to the NGSS model that I'm currently toying with: the students work through primary and secondary sources to answer a series of formative questions that build off the central question of the unit. The design model is great and the lessons are solid. This would make for an excellent set of exemplars for any social studies teacher.
National Geographic and Global EducationGosh, I can still hear the theme song! National Geographic has a ton of resources. Even if the lessons don't fit your unit or style, the other resources could definitely be useful for any unit you may want to teach. Kudos NatGeo! Kudos!
UNICEF is a Great Global Education ResourceUNICEF offers some great lessons that place a heavy focus on taking action--they need to develop an action plan about an issue, and then the teacher can motivate students towards following through with their plans. Very good resource.
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