Building a community of global educators and learners!
Where Global Competence Changes the Future
Building a community of global educators and learners!
Global Competence? What? Why?
Physically our world has not gotten smaller. However, our world has gotten smaller in the sense that our individual communities, cultures and countries have become very interdependent and interrelated.
Striving to make sense of our increasingly connected world is essential for everyone but is particularly crucial for the students whom we are preparing to become responsible leaders and adults. Encouraging the skills to become globally competent will help our students as they enter the workforce throughout the 21st Century.
Global competence is the skills students will need to solve local and global problems that they will face in their lives and careers. A student who is globally competent will have the background knowledge and skill sets to Investigate the World, Recognize Perspectives, Communicate Ideas and Take Action.
This following is an excerpt from the article, "To Be Globally Competitive, We Must Be Globally Competent" by Justin van Fleet and Rebecca Winthrop. While the article is 10 years old, the assumptions it makes regarding global competency is as relevant now as it was then.
"While basic skill development and workforce preparation skills are important in the American education system, a paradigm shift must take place recognizing that in order to be truly globally competitive, we must be globally competent. Educating young people to become global citizens will allow them to learn about the interdependence of the world’s systems, believe that solutions to global challenges are attainable, feel morally compelled to confront global injustices and take responsible action to promote a just, peaceful and sustainable world. While at first glance a focus on global citizenship may seem secondary in a system where basic literacy remains a challenge for many, these skills are vital. If we truly aspire to have a world-class education system in America, we must engage with the world. The challenges that face the world today—from global poverty and climate change to financial systems and conflict—require globally-minded solutions. Global competency skills are necessary so the young people can invent a future that appropriately addresses global challenges."
The 2019-2020 Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms. Embracing Global.