Global Perspectives in Education:
A Road Map to the World Awaiting Students
Did you know that less than 10% of education
majors in the U.S. are exposed to courses or
experiences of a global/international nature?
Maybe that's why greater awareness and
understanding of world issues, languages,
cultures, and our many connections to them, has been endorsed and promoted by such professional associations as:
The National Association of State Boards of EducationThe National Association of Elementary School PrincipalsThe National Middle School AssociationThe National Association of Secondary School PrincipalsThe American Association of School AdministratorsThe Association for Supervision and Curriculum DevelopmentThe Council of Chief State School OfficersThe American Association of Colleges for Teacher EducationMost of these associations have published newsletters, journals, and books on the topic of global/international/multicultural education. Many of them have staff and resources dedicated to international/intercultural programs for students, teachers, and school administrators.
Education with global perspectives is a strong national trend, not a passing fad. In fact, Wisconsin developed a state International Education Council for the promotion and development of comprehensive, ongoing approaches to global perspectives in and among all disciplines, not just in social studies and foreign languages. Rationales, models, and resources for global perspectives exist for the teaching of math, physical education, and technical subjects, to list just a few examples. Teaching with global perspectives has been proven to spark students' motivation to learn -- for many of the same reasons you find such perspectives and issues interesting.
Many leaders in education nationally assert that most school districts are not accomplishing enough along these lines, certainly not to the extent called for by numerous state, regional, and national reports. The time has come to be more proactive in broadening our horizons and addressing the very real issues and challenges linking us daily to an increasingly "small" and complex world. The success of today's students--tomorrow's engineers, musicians, politicians, artists, and CEO's--depends in large part on their ability to comprehend and contribute to that world actively, intelligently, and productively.
