The Monarail - Globalizing the Classroom
Are you interested in globalizing your classroom? Have you wondered how to incorporate global citizenship into your curriculum? This global education guide was developed as part of my year long fellowship as a Teacher for Global Classrooms, funded by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and managed by IREX. This guide was developed to meet the specific needs of my school, although there are many resources and ideas that could be applicable at any school or in any classroom. So no matter your discipline or grade band, become an explorer and bring the world to your students and your students to the world!
What is global education and why should it matter to teachers?
There are lots of way to define global education, but for me it comes down to two words - world ready. I want my students to be ready to take on the world, to make it a better place, to find successful careers, and to enjoy the beauty of all Earth and its people. For this to happen, students must be able to appreciate cultural differences, understand and consider multiple perspectives, communicate in more than one language or medium, possess strong critical thinking and problem solving skills, be comfortable with change and be able to recognize and identify issues of global significance.
My hope with this guide is to get my fellow teachers excited and inspired to shift the frame of their classroom just a bit to incorporate some explicit global education teaching and learning. No one needs to throw out their lesson plans! A tweak here, a modification there, and maybe a little collaboration can breathe some world readiness into your current curriculum. Maybe you're thinking, this sounds like something for Social Studies teachers or English teachers, and yes they are instrumental in building a global education foundation in a school, but all teachers can prepare students to be global citizens. Not sure if globalizing your classroom is a necessity? Check out these videos on why you need to globalize your teaching:
My hope with this guide is to get my fellow teachers excited and inspired to shift the frame of their classroom just a bit to incorporate some explicit global education teaching and learning. No one needs to throw out their lesson plans! A tweak here, a modification there, and maybe a little collaboration can breathe some world readiness into your current curriculum. Maybe you're thinking, this sounds like something for Social Studies teachers or English teachers, and yes they are instrumental in building a global education foundation in a school, but all teachers can prepare students to be global citizens. Not sure if globalizing your classroom is a necessity? Check out these videos on why you need to globalize your teaching:
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The world is waiting for you - start exploring.
All ideas and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent Teachers for Global Classrooms, IREX or the U.S. Department of State.