Beginning to insert the global perspective into your courses can be a tough project to undertake, especially if that subject does not really lend itself to global perspectives (US History). While I was in India, I came across a quote that has really stuck with me. It is from Dr. Ashwin Mahesh. He said, "Difficult problems require creative solutions." In short, get creative with your approach to your course. Begin attempting to add one or two of the global competencies and perspectives at a time. The key is starting!!! So, where to start? Below is a list of resources that make for a good starting spot for ideas and approaches to global education. Where possible I have used the description from the organization in question. I know there are state and district exams and set standards to teach in a limited time. I know that time is limited in class. Understanding that, nobody has mandated utilization of everything now or in its entirety. Just try and be a bit creative. You'll be surprised with how your teaching improves, your students learn, and how excited your kiddos are to come to class!!!!
List of Resources
Asia Society - This is a link to many of the materials, including global competencies, that helped me get on my feet for globalizing my classes. This website also makes a great case for why it is important to teach from a global perspective.
Global Competence Certificate- THE GLOBAL COMPETENCE CERTIFICATE (GCC) is the premier online graduate level certificate program in global competence education for in-service educators. The GCC is designed to increase the number of K-12 teachers who are able to teach for global competence, and effectively prepare students to be globally informed, engaged citizens. The Global Competence Certificate program addresses a critical need faced by schools and educators to prepare students with the real world skills that they need to succeed in a world that is more interconnected and interdependent than ever before. The online format makes the program accessible to educators worldwide who are interested in integrating global competence teaching into their practice, while offering them the option to choose between graduate-level credits or CEUs. The GCC program also makes it possible for district and school leaders everywhere to build a national cohort of globally competent leaders, and integrate global competence education into their schools so that all students can be prepared for the global reality beyond the classroom. The Global Competence Certificate program will set the standard for global competence teacher education programs and transform teaching in the 21st century.
Global Education Checklist- This checklist is a practical tool that teachers, curriculum developers, school administrators, and state education agency staff can use to gauge their work within the realm of global/international education.Global Teacher Education- Good place for research and resources on the importance of global education.
Primary Source- Professional development opportunities and lesson plans.
Teach Thought: 5 Characteristics- This covers and explains the five characteristics of global learning.
Teachers for Global Classrooms- The Teachers for Global Classrooms Program (TGC) provides a year-long professional development opportunity for middle and high school teachers from the United States to become leaders in global education. (This was the program I got involved with. I HIGHLY recommend them.)
University of San Diego- Globalizing Teacher Education is a project of the Department of Learning and Teaching in the School of Leadership and Education Sciences at the University of San Diego. This site features a series of video case studies that are designed to encourage conversation among teachers, aspiring teachers, and teacher educators about the role of global education in K-12 classrooms.
US Department of Education: International Collaboration Resources- The Teacher's Guide to International Collaboration was developed to help teachers use the Internet to "reach out" globally. These materials were prepared as part of the Department of Education's International Education Initiative. This guide is designed for online access. On every page, teachers will find many projects and suggestions to begin or expand classroom projects that reach across the globe.
US Department of State: Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs- The U.S. Department of State offers many programs for American citizens wishing to go abroad for cultural, educational, or professional exchange. This website provides the information you need to get started.
Additional Information and Resources for Teachers
Jay Walker: The World's English Mania- Jay Walker explains why two billion people around the world are trying to learn English. He shares photos and spine-tingling audio of Chinese students rehearsing English -- "the world's second language" -- by the thousands.
Charles Leadbeater: Education Innovation in the Slums- Charles Leadbeater went looking for radical new forms of education -- and found them in the slums of Rio and Kibera, where some of the world's poorest kids are finding transformative new ways to learn. And this informal, disruptive new kind of school, he says, is what all schools need to become.
Bunker Roy: The Barefoot Movement- In Rajasthan, India, an extraordinary school teaches rural women and men -- many of them illiterate -- to become solar engineers, artisans, dentists and doctors in their own villages. It's called the Barefoot College, and its founder, Bunker Roy, explains how it works.
Patrick Awuah: Liberal Arts and Education- Patrick Awuah makes the case that a liberal arts education is critical to forming true leaders.
Chimamanda Adichie: The Danger of a Single Story- Our lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories. Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice -- and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.
Tony Jackson: Global Education and Its Significance for American Schools- Tony Jackson describes what the American education system needs to leapfrog from its current status today, to one of innovation and effectiveness, especially as it prepares children for a global future.
Yong Zhao: Teach Them to Invent Jobs- Teach Children to invent jobs not find them; students as global entrepreneurs.
Gregory Byrne Whitby- 21st Century Pedagogy.
The MacArthur Foundation: 21st Century Education- The MacArthur Foundation's grantmaking aims to determine how digital media are changing the way young people learn, play, socialize, and participate in civic life. Answers are critical to education and other social institutions that must meet the needs of this and future generations.
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