SAIS PRESENTATION:Global Education,

Emotional Intelligence and EmpathyOctober 27, 2013

Dr. Janet S. PullenHead of School

Saint Stephen’s Episcopal SchoolBradenton, Florida

Introduce yourselves!Pullen.Janet@gmail.com

Plutchik Wheel

Session Overview

We will discuss:• Global Education• Emotional Intelligence/Empathy• Student culture in a global classroom• Videoconferencing with others in the world• Outcomes from research project

Defining Global Education

“Social continuity of life” where there is “cultivation with respect to an appreciation of ideas and art and human interest”

(Dewey, 1916)

“Since WWII the US has embraced global education—world economics, environmental issues, cultural tolerance and advancements in technology”

(Merriman and Nicolette, 2008)

Global Education Defined continued…

It is not a specific subject to be taught but a way of approaching or looking at subjects taught from a global perspective.

It expands the horizons of children.

It develops skills which enable students to be aware of the world they live in today.

Global Education in Schools

Who has a global program at your school?

How long has your program been in existence?

What does your global program involve?

What are the characteristics of your program?

(Share this with one another )

Characteristics of Global Educational Programs

Global Educational programs include:• Content knowledge on the topics exchanged

or shared• Skills to analyze information and solve problems

with others from topics discussed• Cultural understanding: cross-cultural classroom• Fluency of common language• Learning ways others learn

Additional Characteristics of Global Educational Programs:

• Service projects with students in other countries

• Travel abroad• Exchange opportunities• Thinking global—Acting local

How Do Global Educational ProgramsGet Started?

• List how you began the global education program at your school

• How we began the global education program

at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School

Saint Stephen’s Episcopal SchoolGlobal Education Initiative Goals

The School mission embraces the concept of helping our students become responsible global citizens. Therefore, we created a Global Education Initiative that:

• Exposes our students in Pre-K3 through 12th grade to global topics for discussion and to literature with a global influence

Goals continued …

• Expands our foreign language classes to 5 days a week beginning in Pre-K (Mandarin/Spanish in Pre-K, choose a language in K; can add a language in Middle School—Latin; can add French in Upper School)

• International Travel

• Admits a more international population of students

• Videoconferences with others in the world to share academic lessons

First Skype Photo with Lugalo SchoolIringa, Tanzania Africa

The Global Educational Program Involving Skype at Saint Stephen’s 2007-2013

• Provided video discs that simulated the Internet to schools in Africa with no electricity

• Began Skyping twice a month with the Lugalo School in Africa, sharing lessons on a variety of topics

(We emailed ideas for lessons, planned the lessons, then shared the lessons with our students and theirs)

• Guilin, China

• Killarney, Ireland

• Honduras

• Spain

Added Schools In:

Working on adding schools each year

• France

• Japan

• Cambodia

• Sweden

Sharing a Lesson on Economics

Discussing a Novel

Sharing Government Presentations

Math Tic Tac Toe

Getting to Know Each Other

6th Grade Math Game

Sharing Science Projects

Character Building: Respect

Debate in Front of a Different Audience

Small Group Conversation

Teachers Planning Together

Questions?

Other Connection Opportunities

EPALSwww.epals.com

Alternatives to Skype

• Posting Videos – example - vimeo.com/channels/292731

• Edmodo – website – www.edmodo.com/home

• Wiki – example - whatweknowaboutitaly.wikispaces.com/

• Blog• Snail Mail• Even more ideas– en.community.epals.com/teaching-resources/default.aspx

Options within Skype

• Give & Receive– You do a lesson. They do a lesson.

• Interrelate – You both share/interact on predetermined topic.

• Project Based – Work together to solve a problem.

• Small Groups – Stations

• Younger Students (PK3-1st) – Share a song, a play, an art project

Remember

• Fit it in with what you already do.

• You can do a quick 10-15 minute activity. An entire class period isn’t always necessary.

• A character building lesson is always an option.

• You can do stations vs. a whole class conversation.

• Communication with your partner teacher is key!

Issues to Consider When Using Videoconferencing

• Time differences

• Setting up the communications

• Dealing with dropped communications

• Getting the conversation started—begins like a blind date!

• It’s all about relationships

• It takes persistence and perseverance

One More Goal

In addition to the many concepts the students are exposed to and the skills they learn by engaging in a global education program, over the years we have noticed that the students also have had the opportunity to develop their emotional intelligence.

Do You Remember This Commercial?

In 1971 this commercial was popular and the concept it identified was new and it “stuck” with many. What was shared then is still a hope now!

EQ Outcome with Videoconferencing with Others in the World

“If teachers can help this generation of students learn in schools to show care and concern for one another, especially with “others” from another country, maybe we can help create a world that will be more peaceful than it is today.”

(Pullen, 2013)

Define Emotional Intelligence

“Emotional Intelligence involves the ability to perceive accurately, appraise, and express emotion; the ability to access and/or generate feelings when they facilitate thought; the ability to understand emotion and emotional knowledge; and the ability to regulate emotions to promote emotional and intellectual growth.”

(P. Salovey, M. Brackett, J. Mayer, 2004)

Global Programs Include the Opportunity for Students to:

• Know Thyself

• Know Others

• Give of Thyself

Know Thyself

“Learn more about themselves, their own emotions, perceiving and interpreting emotional information, recognizing feelings and be more conscious of our own reactions to situations.”

(Goleman, 1995; Wilson, 2009)

Know Others

“Learn more about others in the world, recognizing and understanding other people’s emotions and managing the relationships with others.”

(Goleman, 1995)

Give of Thyself/Empathy

“Learn to recognize and appropriately respond to other people’s emotions and having compassion for others—empathy.”

(Goleman, 1995; Ioannidou & Konstantikaki , 2008)

Define Empathy

“Having the capacity to recognize and understand how others feel about the observed experienced and responses of another.”

(Piaget, 1932; Davis, 1980; Goleman, 1995; Ioannidou &Konstantikakki, 2008)

How Do I Know It’s EQ?

• Not from prior research as there is limited to none that combines academic progress, global education, videoconferencing and EQ/empathy

• From observed Skype lessons for years

• Through Penn dissertation—to explore and understand how middle school students demonstrate emotional intelligence, specifically empathy, when involved in global education videoconferencing lessons

Study with Middle School Students at Saint Stephen’s and DeZhi School in Guilin, China

• 17 eighth grade middle school students from Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School, Bradenton, Florida who were in a first period English class studying the book, Of Mice and Men, by Steinbeck; 10 eighth graders from DeZhi Foreign Language School in Guilin, China.

• 8 non-consecutive days of lessons; 45 minutes per lesson in April and May, 2012 at 8 a.m., 8 p.m. in China

• Each class was set up with Skype capabilities.

Study Information continued…

• English was the spoken language. The Chinese students were able to understand and speak English, but translation was an issue from time to time

• Pre- and Post-EQ evaluations were completed using an assessment tool (SEI-YV) developed by Six Seconds, an emotional intelligence network: www.6seconds.org; and using the empathy instrument developed by Dr. Mark Davis (1980): Davis Interpersonal Reactivity Index.

Study Information continued…

• Qualitative Study identifying and recognizing responses, reactions and reflections through words, behaviors, gestures, attitudes and/or expressions of the middle school students that showed empathy through an understanding of the feelings within themselves and/or concerning others during the lessons

• Methods: Pre/Post assessments; journals, interviews and observations.

Outcomes from My Research

1. Role of the teacher: Strong correlation between the teacher’s role in the lessons and the ability for communication to occur and relationships to form.

2. First, the students identified their own feelings as they related to participating in each lesson, to discussing the book and to spending time with the Chinese students

Outcomes continued…

3. Then, the students began to recognize the feelings and points of view of the Chinese students through the discussions about the book and from the lessons. They were able to identify the pressures the Chinese students faced, the high expectations they were given and the frustrations experienced.

4. After a couple of lessons, the students were able to identify cultural similarities and differences as they shared dreams, reactions to characters and to life experiences.

Outcomes continued….

5. The depth of responses between the two groups grew stronger over time with the students realizing these students were beginning to become friends, some more than others, but all felt a closeness.

6. Using Skype and having face-to-face contact, the students felt they were a part of a “bigger picture” saying “it opened my eyes to the world.”

Empathy Awareness Progression Pattern from Study

Identifying one’s own empathy led to

Recognizing the feelings & points of view of others, which led to

Making Friendships, which led to

Cultural Awareness, which led to

Global Awareness for some of the students

Concluding That…

Students were able to identify their own feelings, recognized the feelings and points of views of others, started making friendships, became culturally aware and gained global awareness.

What Our Teachers Think

“My students developed their presentation / speaking skills & also became more patient in interacting with other people.”

(Mr. Parton, 6th Grade Teacher)

“The students and I were enriched by sharing with students and teachers across the globe from a different culture.”

(Mrs. Klein, Upper School Biology Teacher)

What Our Teachers Think

“The students enjoyed learning that children of the same age enjoy the same things even in different countries. We also found that we are teaching many of the same things at the same time. This communication also encouraged our children to look at the globe and reinforce geography skills by thinking about who and where we are.”

(Mrs. Pritchett, 3rd grade teacher)

What Our Teachers Think

“Students from each country can put a human face / voice to an American, an African, a Chinese, a Honduran – helps to really sink in that we are all here on this planet and we are all the same – humans living a life somewhere!”

(Mrs. Jurgensen, 6th Grade Music Teacher)

Programs in EQ in Schools

• Turn to your neighbor and share what you think about this.

• Using your phones, email me at pullen.janet@gmail.com to let me know what emotions you’re feeling now.

References

• Dewey, 1916• Merriman and Nicolette, 2008• P. Salovey, M. Brackett, J. Mayer, 2004• Goleman, 1995• Wilson, 2009• Ioannidou & Konstantikaki , 2008• Piaget, 1932• Davis, 1980