Global Competency: Sharing Perspectives and

Generating Ideas

By Deanne MooreHingham High School

Overview

• What is global competency?• Students’connection to global competency• Why is global competency important?• How can we integrate global competency

into our school?• How can we integrate global competency

into our English program?

What exactly is global competecy?

Global Competence Definition

Possession of the knowledge, skills, and disposition to understand

and act creatively on issues of global significance.

Source: The Asia Society

• Investigate the World – students investigate the world beyond their immediate environment

• Recognize Perspectives – Students recognize their own and others’ perspectives

• Communicate Ideas – Students communicate their ideas effectively with diverse audiences

• Take Action – Students translate their ideas and findings into appropriate actions to improve conditions.

• Source: The Asia Society

A globally competent student can . . .

Why does global competency matter to our students?

It’s all about our students . . .

• Their interests and passions• Their knowledge and insight• Their skills and abilities• Their morals and values• Their humanity• Their future – as citizens, as family

members, as workers, as human beings

I asked my students . . . Why is global education

important?

Students Speak

“We are a country of mixed cultures and ethnicities, so doesn’t it only make sense that we know and understand the cultures that affect our day-to-day lives and the world around us. Why let the unknown remain a mystery?” - Claire von Loesecke

Students Speak

“The United States is a global power; therefore, it is important to understand the U.S.’s impact on the world. We should not be influencing other countries if we are not educated about them.” Liv Benger

Students Speak

“I feel that the best way to avoid major misunderstandings with other cultures is to learn about them and learn to appreciate them” – Caitlin Durand

Students Speak

“Global education is essential to students at HHS because my peers and I are not only citizens of our nation, but we are also citizens of the world” – Liv Benger

Why is global competency

important?

To name a few reasons . . .• Global economic situation• Global environmental issues• Global humanitarian efforts• Regional and global conflicts• Global health challenges• Global political topics• Global business environment• In other words . . . the globalization that

impacts each and every one of us

Why? Another perspective

“All major hiring companies need global citizens. Global sensitivities, global perspective, global insight, along with maturity and a capacity for risk-taking, are exactly the skills every major

organization is looking for – in every industry.”

– Kevin Gill, Global Director of Staffing for Honeywell

Why? Another perspective

“In the financial world, cultural awareness and cultural adeptness are far more

important than undergraduate major or existing skill sets… These needs touch all industries, from banking to healthcare to

engineering.”

- Jonathan Jones, Firmwide Campus Recruiting Director for Goldman Sachs

Why? Another perspective• “The 21st century isn’t coming; it’s already here.

And our students have the opportunity and challenge of living and working in a diverse and rapidly changing world. Public schools must prepare our young people to understand and address global issues, and educators must re-examine their teaching strategies and curriculum so that all students can thrive in this global and interdependent society.”

• - NEA President Dennis Van Roekel

How can we improve global competency

among our students?

What do we do next?

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Lao-tzu, The Way of Lao-tzuChinese philosopher (604 BC - 531 BC)

How?

1. Bring the world to Norwell

2. Bring Norwell to the world

Bring the World to Norwell High School

• Establish a faculty/student/community committee to champion global competency

• Modify the curriculum• Establish a global certificate program (i.e. https://

hinghamgcp.wordpress.com and http://nhs.needham.k12.ma.us/core/Travel/GCP)

• (further) develop international student exchange program• Participate in the Fulbright Teacher Exchange• Invite globally-focused speakers and performers • Participate in globally-focused service projects• Encourage establishment of globally focused extra-curricular

activities and clubs• Hold globally focused movie nights / book clubs• Create an International Week• Create an international photo gallery• Other ideas?

Bring Norwellto the World

• International teleconferences (Global Nomads)• Exchange programs• One-week February/April break trips abroad• International service trips and programs• World Challenge• Fulbright Teacher Exchange program• Other ideas?

What can we do in the English Department

to help our students develop global competency?

Our First Steps

1. Concrete measurable goals2. Teacher training (Primary Source,

Teachers As Scholars, etc.)3. Rethinking and renovation of curriculum

Ideas . . .

• Create a world literature course• Modify existing courses to include more

global texts and topics. For example, American literature lends itself nicely to this approach.

• Assign students outside reading/ independent reading assignments with a global focus

What does a world literature course look like?

• The mission of the World Literature course is to use literature as a vehicle to better prepare our students to be productive, knowledgeable, and thoughtful citizens of the world. This course will introduce students to the importance and pleasures of reading and writing about an international body of literature. Students will read high-quality fiction, non-fiction, and poetry texts that represent various world cultures and, in the process, will examine various peoples’ history, culture, religion, politics, traditions, perspectives, mores, and values. Students will explore literary concepts in the texts such as narrative style, figurative language, theme, conflict, and characterization, as well as aspects of different world cultures that connect us as human beings. As enrichment, students will also have the opportunity to interact with speakers, films, artifacts, museums, and food from the regions covered in class. By the end of the year, students will have a greater appreciation for and understanding of other cultures and their literary traditions.

Potential texts

• Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi• Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe• To Live, by Yu Hua• Balzac and the Chinese Seemstress, by

Dii Sijie• And many, many more . . .

Let the Adventure Begin!