Senegal 2017
Matt Hoffman
Global Education Introduction
Times are changing quickly and without an understanding of the people and the flattened world, and without an understanding of global citizenship, students, soon to be adults, will struggle to find their niche in the ever changing global environment. Communication is often mistaken with talking, but gabbing does not necessarily mean true communication. Someone can blab and blab all day, but if the person on the other end is not listening, or not understanding, or not connecting with the person that is pushing those vibrations out, then there is a breakdown in communication, which will most likely result in a failure to accomplish the task at hand. The best way to ensure that communication is effective is for the people involved to be able to have an idea what it is like to see out of different lenses. The understanding of different views and outlooks will help create empathetic people that will be able to “understand through inquiry, by recognizing different perspectives, communicating with diverse audiences, and acting in competent ways” (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011). In order to investigate the world around them, students first need to be able to appropriately interact with the people and the environments that they will be dealing with on a daily basis. The world will be much kinder to those who understand how people and different cultures function. Investigating the world will be needed in order for students to gain global perspective. After this global perspective is achieved, the skills and talents students possess will fit properly in the environment that they are immersed in.
Teachers need to be self-aware when properly modeling global citizenship by making sure that they are eliminating ‘blind spots’ or subtle biases that are embedded in all people. Have to be willing to be critical of ourselves and willing to adapt.
The world is getting smaller, and a world culture is forming. Just take a look at the social media culture.
It is a fine line respecting one’s culture while trying to ensure that basic human rights are being upheld. Treading lightly, while having an empathetic dialogue, will help resolve issues in certain cultures.
On the surface it seems that my school community is lacking in international opportunities, but after digging a bit deeper and reflecting on the survey, I realize that my rural community in the Upper Peninsula is doing an impressive job of giving our students and faculty the opportunity to experience the globalized world.
My principal was the one who introduced me to this program, for a few years back she had traveled to Georgia to participate in the TGC program. She was instrumental in convincing the board and other administrators to approve of my travels. Without her guidance and support, I would not be able to bring global education back to our district. I have a student who just got back from Romania, and the teacher I replaced taught in India as part of a Fulbright scholarship, so there is some definite international experience hidden in our building. Also, every year our Spanish teacher takes students to the Dominican Republic. There are opportunities, and the district seems to be very receptive to these unique experiences.
In my classroom, students read Upfront magazine, which is an affiliate of the New York Times. It is a great resource that allows kids to read about the different happenings that are going on in the world. These current events are synthesized, discussed, and reflected upon. I use this informative text to teach APA formatting, synthesis, and research; ultimately, we are discussing what is going on in the world, but I would like to take it to the next level. We have teachers who have been utilizing the Skype program to connect with authors and experts around the nation, but no one has ventured outside of the United States.
My global unit revolves around research and taking action. Students will select an issue that they are concerned about, and based off this issue, they will create a multi-genre research paper that will shed light on the topic and also will include a plan to help combat the problem.
I was able to pose my research question to students and staff over in Senegal. We were able to have a dialogue about these issues, which I was able to share with my students when I got back. My students were able to see that the fears and concerns of Senegalese students were similar to how they felt about the world. This was effective in helping bring the world a little closer together. I hope that my stories and teaching will inspire students to think and act on a global scale.