Global Competency in the classroom

Global Competency in the classroom 

Curriculum Development

Reimers defines Global Competence as “Global competencies are also the attitudinal and ethical dispositions that make it possible to interact peacefully, respectfully, and productively with fellow human beings from diverse geographies”. Keeping this as perspective, I would some very clear attitudes that I’d like to build for each group, based on their psychology and age. Then I would integrate my lessons around those attitudes by creating clear experiences.

For example:

1. (Collaboration) Problem solving in collaboration with 3 other peers.
2. (Inquiry) Research into a topic with a partner.
3. (Empathy, Choice) Gifted students to have a choice between helping others or doing advanced work, as differentiation.
4. (Global issues) Creating project based learning around global issues. For example, to check the girl:boy ratio of all Indian states while learning ratio and proportion.
5. (Open mindedness) Compare and contrast method of solving problems of any topic in different countries. analyzing the effectiveness of each.
6. (Accepting failure) Have ongoing formative assessment on daily basis.
7. (Critical Thinking) Bring in discussions and reflections as a culture in the classroom.
8. (Critical Thinking) Engage in creation of rubrics for assessment with students help.
9. (Critical Thinking) Bring in self-assessment for the students in the class assignments.

It is one thing to integrate skills and values in lessons. However, if it is not measured against a framework, then one may be just following one’s own way blindly. I would hence use V.I.F.I  “grade-level frameworks for integrating global awareness into classroom practices”. This would be a reflection for me to learn about my own capabilities.

Beyond Academics
‘So, you can teach maths well. That is great. What else can you do’? The director of the IB school I worked in would badger us with this question over and over. Evans, Montemurro, Gambhir, & Broad state, “It is a cliché that teachers wear multiple hats in our work—educator, coach, caregiver, social worker, to name a few”.

There is a school beyond our classrooms. It is the area of travelling with students, participating in annual day preparations, engaging in community service or running clubs. Each of these provides a unique opportunity to be with the students. A space without academic’s pressure. This is where one meets the students face to face and can do a lot to facilitate skills and values in the students.

Community service provides an opportunity to explore the issue of wealth and inequality in society. Traveling opens up the cultural differences between countries. India is so diverse that traveling within one’s own country also gives space for cultural exploration. Camping brings to forefront climate issues and what human beings are doing to the planet. Cultural events bring forward skills and attitudes in the students. Sports brings forward the subject of success and failure in our lives and how to face them both.

For me, Evans, Montemurro, Gambhir, & Broad “…teaching means creating a space for transformative education…” and any area of work with students can be used for the same, when one has the right intent in the heart and mind.

Conclusion

Reimers  states, “Good teachers and principals, in the United States and elsewhere, know that good education begins with clarity of purpose”. If one is clear about the purpose as evoking critical thinking, empathy, collaboration or other skills and values that go towards building a global citizen, one can use any situation to one’s advantage for the same.

That is the inner purpose of education, to use any external situation as a transformative space for the students (and oneself). Keeping that on, one gives the students a framework to face all events in life. As an ex-student of mine said, “You did not just teach me how to face maths but also how to face life”.