In
chapter one of this book, the focus is on three forces that shape the lives of
Earth: flattened global economy and changing demands of work, global migration,
and climate instability. With these
forces in mind, companies are looking to hire people with a certain skill set
and knowledge of their surroundings on a global scale. To help prepare future employees (students), there
are several skills that can be focused on in the classroom. While it is important for students to
understand the concepts of math, reading, writing, science, etc. they also need
to be well-versed in their cultural traditions and worldviews, examining how
they affect one another. When thinking
in terms of competence on a global scale, teachers should keep these four
questions in mind:
What topics matter most to teach?
What exactly will students take away from a unit, project,
visit, or course?
What will students do to learn?
How will we know they are making progress?
To address these questions, the book suggests focusing on
design principles that will support global competence among students. The book shows us an Earth Science lesson
that promotes global competence among students and allows us to see how a
teacher can affectively prepare their students for the growing demand of the 21st
Century.
Sister Cities &
Sister Schools Summary:
The goal of Sister Cities &
Sister Schools is to promote collaboration between communities on a global
scale. The technology we have available
today has helped support this organization and promotes growth amongst the
citizens of the world. The communities
can collaborate to complete projects and share their values, traditions, and
backgrounds with one another. The
connections that can be made using technology (Skype, Facetime, blogging, etc.)
help to promote a global understanding of diverse communities, cultures, and
way of life.
Virtual Field Trip –
Hershey’s Chocolate Summary
The
trip takes us through the Hershey’s Factory in Hershey, Pennsylvania. We see how all the beans are processed,
refined, and formed into the chocolate we know and love. The field trip shows students the entire
process behind the making of a chocolate bar, kisses, etc. This field trip helps promote a global
competency because it shows where the beans come from (South America) and how
they farm the beans and ship them to Hershey.
The students can see how many people and machines the beans come in
contact with and how a global collaboration is necessary to make the famous
chocolate.
OERcommons Summary:
Open Education Resources
(OERcommons) is a website that students and teachers alike can visit to gain
access to a wealth of resources. The
resources include lectures, courses, modules, lessons, quizzes, tests, homework,
etc., worldwide. The resources are
available for nearly every grade level, subject, and topic, which allows all
users to find value in this site. Users
can also network and collaborate worldwide using OER. This will allow students/teachers to
experience a diverse learning environment and connect to people across the
world.
Response:
Preparing students to be
global citizens and have global competence through the use of Sister Cities
& Sister Schools, OERcommons, and virtual field trips will benefit future
generations throughout their education and lives. The 21st century is about
teamwork/collaboration and overcoming obvious differences in opinion, ideals,
and values worldwide. IF students
understand, communicate, and make connections with people around the world,
they will be able to be courteous of other opinions and different ways of
thinking. The virtual field trips help
students realize the importance of worldwide collaboration and how beneficial
it can be when people from different backgrounds work together to create a
common product. Global competence will
continue to grow and expand as technology grows and expands giving people more
and more ways to communicate, connect, and collaborate as a planet.
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