With the increased use of technology across the globe, our world is becoming more interconnected at an astounding pace. As educators, we must realize that in order for our students to compete, perform, and effectively interact in a global environment they need to have an understanding of the world and its inhabitants. Therefore, it is necessary to globalize our classrooms and curriculum. Global education and the development of 21st Century Skills attempt to allow students to: effectively communicate through various forms of media, recognize multiple perspectives, investigate global affairs and develop critical thinking skills.
Global education can seem like one more initiative added on to the list of standards and requirements teachers are to implement in the classroom. The more you research and learn about the topic, hopefully, you'll find that global education and 21st century skills are necessary for the success of our country and the future of our world. Here are some quick tips to get you started:
- Before completely redesigning your classroom, begin by assessing your teaching practices (see Assessment Tools).
- Research ways other teachers have integrated global learning into their classroom (see Globalized Standards).
- Implement activities that address skills that are easy for you and your students to learn before conducting major projects. Take baby steps and find a topic or lesson that will be easy for you to add a global twist to (see Global Education Unit).
- As you and your students become more comfortable, globalize your units and begin connecting to other classrooms and educators in your community and around the world (see Problem Based Learning).
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This website is the Capstone Project of Kristi Barnes who teaches at Seneca Middle School in Seneca, SC. This purpose of this project is to provide you with information about global education, how to assess global education in the classroom, and additional resources to help promote and develop global competencies and 21st Century Skills. Please feel free to leave comments, suggestions, questions or reflections.
Note: This blog is not an official U.S. Department of State website. The views and information presented are the grantee’s own and do not represent the Teachers for Global Classrooms Program, IREX, the U.S. Department of State, or Seneca Middle School.
