re we satisfied going back to the way things were in education before March of 2020? That is when schools in my district and across the United States shut down for varying lengths of time due to the spread of COVID-19. I remember early meetings with superintendents across the globe talking about their efforts to get technology in the hands of students that would allow them to continue their schooling from home—it was heroic. At the same time, I hoped school would never be the same.
My two daughters were close to completing their education and I knew that the priorities of the system sometimes eclipsed a teacher’s expertise, enthusiasm, and flexibility. I also knew that the standards demanded a deep dive into some topics in high school, World War II for instance, with little room for others, such as World War I, Vietnam, Korea, and the two Gulf Conflicts. Their projects sometimes lacked connections to real-world experiences and connections to their community, their country, and their peers around the world. It was a solid education, with amazing dedicated educators, but I wanted authentic opportunities for them to make global connections. Why? Because that is the way life is! There are no borders in science, math has its own language, and reading novels penned by authors from other continents creates a richer understanding the human condition.
If we consider transforming all essential aspects of the education system post-COVID-19—including content knowledge, civic preparedness, developing social and emotional skills, and empathy—we must also deeply embed global competence into the education systems of the future. The OECD says global competence “… requires a combination of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values successfully applied to global issues or intercultural situations. Global issues refer to those that affect all people, and have deep implications for current and future generations. Intercultural situations refer to face-to-face, virtual or mediated encounters with people who are perceived to be from a different cultural background.” Global competence includes exploring ideas, learning to take different perspectives, communicating effectively to different audiences, and taking appropriate action on matters of global significance. Rather than adding a global competence course to a curriculum, it is best when it is infused across disciplines.
The community nature of school requires that intercultural competencies be mastered by educators and education leaders in addition to being taught to students. While many educators have been cultivating their own global competence, the concept is new to many others. When it is introduced in classrooms and schools, research shows a more engaged student body. Integrating global competence across content areas ignites student interest. Determining algorithmic solutions expands from abstract to highly relevant when plotting a contagious virus’ potential spread. Virtual and in-person exchanges can broaden students’ horizons when considering careers and further studies. Students have tackled and solved issues of local and global significance in their coursework and projects in schools around the world. Using tools like the Harvard University Project Zero’s Global Thinking Routines can take a conversation from a local context to examining worldwide implications in three questions: Why does this issue matter to me? Why does it matter to my community? Why does it matter to the world?
This model of global competence is not built for competitive success, but rather conceived with the idea of collective success. We all need these skills to contribute to a healthier world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. When we consider the complexities of achieving the goal of transforming an education system—of reimagining structures, redirecting resources, building public will, and shifting infrastructure—we must keep global competence as a central pillar of the vision. It is relatively easy to make such a declaration, but enacting such a vision through the system is far more challenging. It involves taking a coordinated approach and holding ourselves accountable. It demands patience and clarity of purpose and requires iterative feedback as the system evolves.
The overwhelming global challenges humanity is facing exist already. Doesn’t our generation owe it to the next to give them the skills they need to work together to solve them? At the center of all of those skills is global competence.
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The Case for Global Competence in Education
Photo by Amy Humphries via Unsplash.
October 3, 2022
If we consider transforming all essential aspects of the education system post-COVID-19—including content knowledge, civic preparedness, developing social and emotional skills, and empathy—we must also deeply embed global competence into the education systems of the future, writes Jennifer Manise.
A
re we satisfied going back to the way things were in education before March of 2020? That is when schools in my district and across the United States shut down for varying lengths of time due to the spread of COVID-19. I remember early meetings with superintendents across the globe talking about their efforts to get technology in the hands of students that would allow them to continue their schooling from home—it was heroic. At the same time, I hoped school would never be the same.
My two daughters were close to completing their education and I knew that the priorities of the system sometimes eclipsed a teacher’s expertise, enthusiasm, and flexibility. I also knew that the standards demanded a deep dive into some topics in high school, World War II for instance, with little room for others, such as World War I, Vietnam, Korea, and the two Gulf Conflicts. Their projects sometimes lacked connections to real-world experiences and connections to their community, their country, and their peers around the world. It was a solid education, with amazing dedicated educators, but I wanted authentic opportunities for them to make global connections. Why? Because that is the way life is! There are no borders in science, math has its own language, and reading novels penned by authors from other continents creates a richer understanding the human condition.
If we consider transforming all essential aspects of the education system post-COVID-19—including content knowledge, civic preparedness, developing social and emotional skills, and empathy—we must also deeply embed global competence into the education systems of the future. The OECD says global competence “… requires a combination of knowledge, skills, attitudes and values successfully applied to global issues or intercultural situations. Global issues refer to those that affect all people, and have deep implications for current and future generations. Intercultural situations refer to face-to-face, virtual or mediated encounters with people who are perceived to be from a different cultural background.” Global competence includes exploring ideas, learning to take different perspectives, communicating effectively to different audiences, and taking appropriate action on matters of global significance. Rather than adding a global competence course to a curriculum, it is best when it is infused across disciplines.
The community nature of school requires that intercultural competencies be mastered by educators and education leaders in addition to being taught to students. While many educators have been cultivating their own global competence, the concept is new to many others. When it is introduced in classrooms and schools, research shows a more engaged student body. Integrating global competence across content areas ignites student interest. Determining algorithmic solutions expands from abstract to highly relevant when plotting a contagious virus’ potential spread. Virtual and in-person exchanges can broaden students’ horizons when considering careers and further studies. Students have tackled and solved issues of local and global significance in their coursework and projects in schools around the world. Using tools like the Harvard University Project Zero’s Global Thinking Routines can take a conversation from a local context to examining worldwide implications in three questions: Why does this issue matter to me? Why does it matter to my community? Why does it matter to the world?
This model of global competence is not built for competitive success, but rather conceived with the idea of collective success. We all need these skills to contribute to a healthier world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. When we consider the complexities of achieving the goal of transforming an education system—of reimagining structures, redirecting resources, building public will, and shifting infrastructure—we must keep global competence as a central pillar of the vision. It is relatively easy to make such a declaration, but enacting such a vision through the system is far more challenging. It involves taking a coordinated approach and holding ourselves accountable. It demands patience and clarity of purpose and requires iterative feedback as the system evolves.
The overwhelming global challenges humanity is facing exist already. Doesn’t our generation owe it to the next to give them the skills they need to work together to solve them? At the center of all of those skills is global competence.
