Global competence is the capacity to understand and act on
issues of global significance.
issues of global significance.
So, let's break that down:
the capacity Meaning the ability or willingness or availability to allow new information to enter the mind and be processed by an individual. Old ideas might change. Preconceptions might break down. Misunderstandings might be cleared up. As long as a student's mind is open, he is able to take in far more than leaders' names, important historical dates and geographical features; he is open to truly learning about the people who make the decisions and how citizens adapt to change and how their lives are affected by geographical features.
to understand and act on It isn't enough for a 7th grader to read something in a text or watch a video and say "Ohh, I get it. People in Africa are poor." Sweeping generalizations don't allow students to fully process new information. As a teacher, giving students time to formulate questions about what they've seen or read can yield significant rewards. With technology or through discussion, students can seek their own supported responses to classmates' questions that go beyond the text. An activity like captioning photographs from a region of study allows students to show a deeper understanding.
Students don't need to have a fundraiser or create an evening program to demonstrate that they can act on significant issues. A thirteen year old telling an acquaintance that her joke is insensitive to minorities is a HUGE act in middle school. Taking a seemingly small step can have a rippling effect on others. Sure, there are opportunities to engage the community and advocate for change, but sometimes the personal changes are what students take with them for a lifetime. At the very least, it's a beginning.
issues of global significance "What are these issues? Are we supposed to try to solve for world peace in my 45 minute Social Studies class?" Nah. Local issues and regional or state concerns might be things that affect others around the world, in similar or different ways. Have students explore these and see how local issues might lead to global understanding.
In my town, a proposed industrial park was protested by a local neighborhood for more than six months. Residents were concerned that the noise and pollution would have negative effects on a nearby wetland (and negative effects on their home values). Updates were in the paper weekly; each hearing and protest and neighborhood meeting was chronicled with photos and quotes from both sides. Challenge students to find similar concerns across the state and country. What about other countries? Do citizens have a voice in Beijing when industry wants to expand? In Delhi, is noise and pollution an effective argument, given that there is already significant noise and pollution there? If not, what is?
(The industrial park proposal failed, by the way. Citizens took to the streets in celebration. Does this happen when citizens "win" in other areas of the world? Have students find out!)
the capacity Meaning the ability or willingness or availability to allow new information to enter the mind and be processed by an individual. Old ideas might change. Preconceptions might break down. Misunderstandings might be cleared up. As long as a student's mind is open, he is able to take in far more than leaders' names, important historical dates and geographical features; he is open to truly learning about the people who make the decisions and how citizens adapt to change and how their lives are affected by geographical features.
to understand and act on It isn't enough for a 7th grader to read something in a text or watch a video and say "Ohh, I get it. People in Africa are poor." Sweeping generalizations don't allow students to fully process new information. As a teacher, giving students time to formulate questions about what they've seen or read can yield significant rewards. With technology or through discussion, students can seek their own supported responses to classmates' questions that go beyond the text. An activity like captioning photographs from a region of study allows students to show a deeper understanding.
Students don't need to have a fundraiser or create an evening program to demonstrate that they can act on significant issues. A thirteen year old telling an acquaintance that her joke is insensitive to minorities is a HUGE act in middle school. Taking a seemingly small step can have a rippling effect on others. Sure, there are opportunities to engage the community and advocate for change, but sometimes the personal changes are what students take with them for a lifetime. At the very least, it's a beginning.
issues of global significance "What are these issues? Are we supposed to try to solve for world peace in my 45 minute Social Studies class?" Nah. Local issues and regional or state concerns might be things that affect others around the world, in similar or different ways. Have students explore these and see how local issues might lead to global understanding.
In my town, a proposed industrial park was protested by a local neighborhood for more than six months. Residents were concerned that the noise and pollution would have negative effects on a nearby wetland (and negative effects on their home values). Updates were in the paper weekly; each hearing and protest and neighborhood meeting was chronicled with photos and quotes from both sides. Challenge students to find similar concerns across the state and country. What about other countries? Do citizens have a voice in Beijing when industry wants to expand? In Delhi, is noise and pollution an effective argument, given that there is already significant noise and pollution there? If not, what is?
(The industrial park proposal failed, by the way. Citizens took to the streets in celebration. Does this happen when citizens "win" in other areas of the world? Have students find out!)
Here is what a globally competent student should be able to do, according to the Asia Society (an excellent resource, linked below):
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