Learning about Global Ed
“The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion.”
- Paulo Coelho
Geographical Literacy and Global Competency
To be able to develop globally educated or competent students, we must understand what that entails. Geographical literacy is the first step in the process. According to Merriam-Webster, "literate" is to be educated, or cultured on a subject. Therefore, to be geographically literate, means that you are aware of where things are in the world. It is the most fundamental step in understanding the interactions between countries. You can't possibly discuss the impact of Senegal and Mauritania's fishing dispute if you don't know where these countries are. Geographical literacy is the building block that global competency develops from.
Global Competency has many definitions. According to World Savvy:
Global Competency has many definitions. According to World Savvy:
Global competence refers to the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to navigate and succeed in today’s interconnected world. Globally competent individuals are life-long learners, have an appreciation for cultural differences, an ability to understand and consider multiple perspectives, critical and comparative thinking skills, problem solving abilities, comfort with ambiguity and change, and understand globally significant issues.
According to Ron Moffatt, Director of the San Diego State University International Student Center :
“A global-ready graduate [is] a person with a grasp of global systems, global issues, the dynamics of how things are interrelated and interconnected in the world, and how society can best address global issues.”
The unifying theme here is interconnectedness. Students must know not only where places are, but how they connect to each other, socially, economically and culturally. This is the real challenge. How we teach our students to understand a multitude of cultures, communicate ideas to them, and take opportunities to learn from them?
Fortunately, there are several organizations that have taken the lead in helping develop a structural formula we can use to change how we teach, so our students can become more globally competent. One of the leaders in this area is the Asia Society, who has published a book designed to help teachers improve their pedagogy to nurture more globally competent students.
One of the most important tools to come from the book are four 'domains' that students must be able to complete to be considered competent:
Fortunately, there are several organizations that have taken the lead in helping develop a structural formula we can use to change how we teach, so our students can become more globally competent. One of the leaders in this area is the Asia Society, who has published a book designed to help teachers improve their pedagogy to nurture more globally competent students.
One of the most important tools to come from the book are four 'domains' that students must be able to complete to be considered competent:
From the Asia Society:
Globally Competent Students:
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1. Investigate the world
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Global competence starts by being aware, curious, and interested in learning about the world and how it works. Globally competent students ask and explore critical questions and "researchable" problems—problems for which there may not be one right answer, but can be systematically engaged intellectually and emotionally. Their questions are globally significant, questions that address important phenomena and events that are relevant world wide—in their own community and in communities across the globe
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2. Recognize Perspectives
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Globally competent students recognize that they have a particular perspective, and that others may or may not share it. They are able to articulate and explain the perspectives of other people, groups, or schools of thought and identify influences on these perspectives, including how differential access to knowledge, technology, and resources can affect people's views. Their understanding of others' perspectives is deeply informed by historical knowledge about other cultures as well as contemporary events. They can compare and contrast their perspective with others, and integrate their own and others' viewpoints to construct a new one, when needed.
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3. Communicate Ideas
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Globally competent students understand that audiences differ on the basis of culture, geography, faith, ideology, wealth, and other factors and that they may perceive different meanings from the same information. They can effectively communicate, verbally and non-verbally, with diverse audiences. Because it is increasingly the world's common language for commerce and communication, globally competent students in the US and elsewhere are proficient in English as well as in at least one other world language.
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4. Take Action
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What skills and knowledge will it take to go from learning about the world to making a difference in the world? First, it takes seeing oneself as capable of making a difference. Globally competent students see themselves as players, not bystanders. They're keenly able to recognize opportunities from targeted human rights advocacy to creating the next out-of-the-box, must-have business product we didn't know we needed. Alone or with others, ethically and creatively, globally competent students can envision and weigh options for action based on evidence and insight; they can assess their potential impact, taking into account varied perspectives and potential consequences for others; and they show courage to act and reflect on their actions.
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Now that you understand the four domains of Global Literacy, you might be a little overwhelmed, but there is a good chance you are doing some of this already! Let's take a look at your curriculum you already have in place and see what you are doing right.