According to the Michigan Department of Education, “The challenges of the 21st century will require students to be globally literate regarding major global issues and the processes necessary to inquire about issues, gather information and make decisions that arise during their lifetimes. They will need to be ready and willing to assume citizenship responsibility and to make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a pluralistic, democratic society in an interdependent world.” (Sixth Grade Social Studies Grade Level Content Expectations) There is no doubt that globalization is becoming more and more a part of our society. American students often do not understand globalization or the importance of understanding people and cultures from around the world. At a small school, students often become comfortable with their close-knit community without considering others in their greater world community. However, it is becoming apparent that being a part of a global world is something that students will need to understand and yet this can be difficult to teach children. We need to solve this problem and learn how to bridge the gap between a world that is not globally connected and one that is.
I see this problem with middle school students to be important because so many young adolescents are self absorbed. Working in a charter school, I have additional goals that accompany our school's philosophy. One goal we have in our charter is that students will learn to become globally responsible citizens. How will we do this if we do not consider the ways that students will be impacted the most? How are we to teach students to be globally literate and make informed, reasonsed decisions, without taking them to experience these places first hand? Technology may have an answer for this compelling problem.
(Your instructor - Carolyn) This is a great problem to tackle. Are you thinking of tying one of your upcoming units in with a class group from across the world? In Michigan you have access to virtual field trips and great resources from TWICE (http://www.twice.cc/) and there is also CapSpace (http://www.twice.cc/projects.html). They help connect your class to projects going on globally. ePals is also a place to sign up to work with others. If Skype is available in your room, then you could actually connect with other classrooms that way.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea, and I see your point about middle school students. They are in a state of constant flux as they are trying to figure out where they belong in the world. The experiences they encounter during this time greatly affect how they view the world. Technology would be a great tool to show them that there is more going on that just what they see in their own little niche of the world. On the local level, connecting to neighboring districts through classroom managerial programs (MOODLE) can allow students to interact with peers from another school. This may help slowly broaden their horizons.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great idea and an essential part of society today. Most Americans, let alone Middle School students are unaware of the complex global environment that we live in today with interconnected economies, the dilution of the nation states and the rise of larger cross cultural socio-economic-political lines.
ReplyDeleteIf you need any help or have any questions I have a degree in International Relations.