Global+Education

=Global Education= When we began this project, we experienced some confusion between the terms globalization and global education. As we explored our topic further, we saw that globalization was the driving force behind the need for curriculum reform and the need to include global education into our curriculum to best meet the needs of our 21st century learners. We also learned that global education can be defined in different ways.

For some, global education meant reforming our curriculum to ensure our students were equipped to compete in a globally competitive world. (i.e. Canadian students matching or surpassing the achievements of students from Asia, Europe and the United States.) For others, global education means developing cultural awareness and empathy in our students. Global education needs to support students in their role as global citizens in a world that lacks social justice, standard human rights for all, and complete equality. According to Stewart, under this definition global education would include world knowledge, language skills (studying a foreign language), and understanding civic values (2007).

According to another study by Lynne Schultz (2007) in her article, "Educating for global citizenship: Conflicting agendas and understandings," she identifies three approaches to global education: neo-liberal, radical and transformational. Each of these has a distinct impact on global education. In the neo-liberal approach, global citizenship is focussed on participation in the global economy. The belief is that we should be able to make money and enjoy the bounty of resources around the world. From this perspective the disparity between rich and poor will remain or get worse. The radical approach to global citizenship is being acted out around the world with the "Occupy" protests. This approach sees global relations in terms of good guys, bad guys and damsels in distress. This approach would encourage attempts to balance power. The transformational approach to global education would encourage democracy, diversity, citizenship, justice and compassion.

The Canadian curricula for each province incorporate global education in an integrated manner as well as explicitly in specific grade levels and units.

In Canadian Curriculum
//(In provinces relevant to those enrolled in this course)//

Alberta
The Social Studies program vision includes the promotion of "a sense of belonging and acceptance in students as they engage in active and responsible citizenship at the local, community, provincial, national and global level" (p. 1). Specific incorporation of global education can be found in:
 * Grade 3 - Unit 2: Global Citizenship
 * Grade 10-1: Perspectives on Globalization & 10-2: Living in a Globalizing World

British Columbia
An identified goal of Social Studies across the grades is to "develop the skills and attitudes necessary to become thoughtful, active participants in their communities and as global citizens" (p. 11). Specific global education occurs in:
 * Grade 6 - Social Studies: A5 -Implement a plan of action to address a selected local or global problem or issue & C4 -Compare individual and collective rights and responsibilities in Canada with those in other countries
 * Civic Studies 11 - Unit 1: Active Citizenship & Unit 6: International Relations
 * Social Justice 12

Manitoba
K-Senior 4 Social Studies curriculum definition states "...Social studies helps students acquire the skills, knowledge, and values necessary to become active democratic citizens and contributing members of their communities, locally, nationally, and globally" (reference) and includes multiple references to globalization and global education throughout the curriculum overviews for each grade. However, aspects of global education are more explicitly included in:
 * Grade 7 - Social Studies Cluster 2 - Global Quality of Life
 * Grade 9/Senior 1 - Social Studies Cluster 3 - Canada in the Global Context
 * Grade 12/Senior 4 - World Geography - Unit 6 - World Interdependence
 * Senior 4 - New course, //Global Issues: Citizenship & Sustainability//, to be implemented in near future

Saskatchewan
One of the four broad goals of Social Studies is identified as examining "the local, indigenous, and global interactions and interdependence of individuals, societies, cultures, and nations" (p. 63). This goal is identified by an "IN" (Interactions and Interdependence of Nations) designation in the curriculum guide for each grade level and is woven throughout Social Studies. Global Education occur specifically in:
 * Grade 6
 * Grade 7
 * Social Studies 20 - World Issues

Ontario
Ontario incorporates global education in Social Studies, as well. "Students graduating from Ontario schools require the knowledge and skills gained from social studies and the study of history and geography in order to function as informed citizens in a culturally diverse and interdependent world and to participate and compete in a global economy". Global education are located specifically in:
 * Grade 6 - Canada's Links to the World
 * Geography of Canada, Grade 9, Applied
 * Civics, Grade 10, Open
 * Analyzing Current Economic Issues, Grade 12, University Preparation
 * Canadian and World Issues: A Geographic Analysis, Grade 12, University Preparation
 * World Geography: Human Patterns and Interactions, Grade 12, University Preparation
 * World History Since 1900: Global and Regional Perspectives, Grade 11, Open

Resources for Global Education
[|Global Education]

[|Worldbeat Education]

[|Education for Global Education]

[|Oxfam Education: Global Citizenship]

[|Taking it Global]

Reflective Question:
Should global education be taught in isolation or infused throughout curricula?

Please remember to post your reflections under the DISCUSSION tab. After you have completed your reflection, please learn forward by going to the next page titled Final Reflection.