Curriculum & Instruction: New Literacies and Global Learning

In my time in the NLGL program, the global learning aspect  played a major role in my education. It is a large portion of  my compelling question, "How can we teach Global Education using Inquiry-based Learning through a Technology Enriched Curriculum?"

Global education is simple. I had mentioned in one of the discussions in ECI 524 that, "It is important to understand and gain a deeper insight of the world as a whole. We, as educators, must look at all the aspects that connect us, as humans, globally. We’re fortunate enough to live in the 21st century, where technology connects us globally. With a simple click, we can connect ourselves to people all across the world. We can learn, provide, and become more involved with existing contributors and collaborators in any matter that comes to our mind. . It’s so much easier building a global perspective and an open-minded child. Children are more accepting and tolerating in a way that their thoughts and ideas can easily be shifted and created in a way that meets the goals of global education. It is our job to be global thinkers, global educators, and global contributors in order to pass on those traits to our students and children. We, first, as adults, need to be filling our minds with important information and fill our lives with experiences that enable us to critically think of the world around us. We need to acknowledge and fully comprehend global education, and fully comprehend it, to be able to help create these global minded thinkers." 

This is just a glimpse of what I have gained from my global education aspect in the program. As through the Theory and Research in Global Education course and Theory and Research in Social Studies, I learned the value of John Dewey's point in Global Education.  As John Dewey belief, which that the essence to moral awareness and curiosity is by learning from everything that is around the person; he “emphasized learning from all the encounters in life, not just those that are familiar and confirming” (Hansen, 16). Although it may not be always possible for someone to learn about everything around them, and having a full understanding of themselves and of others isn’t certain, but when a person is cosmopolitan, there wouldn’t be any limitations or barriers that could stop them from being interested and willing to learn more. Moreover, educational cosmopolitanism concludes that this is a world where people hope to be “universal without being universalistic, to be local without being parochial, to be culturally conservationist and tradition-respecting without being traditionalistic, to be open to learning lesson for life from other traditions and inheritances, and to esteem the individual human being without becoming individualistic” (Hansen, 6).  

The inquiry-based teaching through Social Studies is beneficial in many ways. First, I was able to understand inquiry-based learning through projects we have done, and then I was able to understand inquiry-based teaching through creating units, involving students in my inquiry-based lessons/units, learning about the C3 Framework, practicing the C3 Framework, and building upon my knowledge of the C3 Framework and Inquiry-based teaching to form a Global Education Curriculum. 

As I learned about the C3 Framework through our class readings in ECI 526, it wasn't until I attended the NC-CSS Conference that I was able to fully grasp on the concept of the framework, as well as experience it. 

Not only did I understand the C3 Framework better, but I also understood the meaning and benefit of using it in various social studies/global education context. 

The conference also was enlightening because I was able to attend other types of Seminars, such as Principals that Thrive. That particular seminar had helped provide me with ideas for my Teachers As Leaders course this semester.

The Financial Literacy Seminar also provided great resources that we will be using in the Global Education Curriculum. 

Through the ECI 546 (Theory and Research in the Social Studies) class, I was able to learn about the Technology Integration, and learn about multimedia learning in the Social Studies, historical inquiry, research reports about the use of technology in a social studies classroom, and technological applications.  

The Global Education Curriculum will be the ultimate product of my work and learning from the NLGL program. It will cover all the aspects of curriculum development, technology integration, global learning, and inquiry-based teachings. It will allow the teacher to be the leader as voices of students are heard. 

To further my own global learning, we've discussed various topics in ECI 508 (Teachers as Leaders) about Finland's strategies in ranking as the "best education in the world." As I met with Dr. Beal, she had provided me with a great amount of resources that will be beneficial to helping prepare Global learners. I do hope with my travels to Finland, I would be able to expand on my global learning and contribute more to my educational community, family, friends, and to the world.