Global Competence: Living and Learning Globally

  

Global Competence: Living and Learning Globally

Author: Santosh Kumar Biswa, Sr. Teacher, Damphu CS, Tsirang, Bhutan

 

Introduction

The modern world has been revolutionized by globalization, which is now the most important factor in the current globalized world. The term "globalization" describes how different relationships—from commerce, geopolitics, and technology to travel, culture, and the media—have united numerous nations (Globalization Partners, 2022). Because of increased cross-border commerce in commodities and services, technology, and flows of investment, people, and information, the world's economies, cultures, and populations are becoming more interdependent on one another (PIIE, 2018). Whether they are related to health, the environment, economics, or peace and security, the major challenges demand collaboration and integrated solutions across borders and boundaries inside and local, provincial, national, and regional contexts (Evans, Montemurro, Gambhir, & Broad, 2014). The process of globalization and its results have served as one of the major plot lines in the history of humanity. Thus, the primary findings of this week's reading are that education is essential for giving young people the global competence, sensitivity, and accountability they need to thrive in today's rapidly changing global environment.

The Topic of My Choice: Global Competence

"Global competence" is the disposition and ability to comprehend and respond to challenges of a global nature (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011). For young people to successfully apply their knowledge to handle global challenges or cross-cultural situations in an increasingly diverse and linked world, it is important to foster their development of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values (OECD, 2018). Everyone is aware that global concerns impact everyone and will have a significant impact on both the present and future generations. For instance, globally competent youth can engage themselves through effective global problem-solving and can participate concurrently in local, national, and global civic life without any issues. Making our youth globally competent allows them to: prepare for the workforce as effective communicators and can build trust in diverse teams; have a sense of cultural awareness and respectful interactions in increasingly diverse societies; challenge cultural biases and facilitate harmonious living in multicultural communities; capitalize on inherently interconnected digital spaces; care about global issues and engage in tackling social, political, economic, and environmental issues.

My Own Educational Experiences

In my country, all teachers adhere to the curricular framework and instructional manual, which direct them to instill particular competencies in their students. The entire curriculum of my country strives to instill global competence in students based on the four domains of global competence since I am involved in curriculum and IG planning at the national level. The recognized capabilities that address sustainability through the curriculum encompass local and global issues. To ensure that students are properly fostered progressively as they pass each grade, competency-based questions that measure students' global comprehension must be asked even during exams. Skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, deep engagement, analysis and reflection, global significance, and interdisciplinary grounding are dealt with well in the classroom through activities like project-based learning, field trips, research and writing, decision-making activities, etc., with higher priority on the use of technology.

My Experiential Learning Activities

Project-based learning and research-based learning are the experiential learning activities that are used in my class the most. In these activities, my students "learn by doing" and are then asked to reflect on their learning. In order to help them become globally competent, my students are encouraged to encourage interdisciplinary learning, civic involvement, career development, cultural awareness, leadership, and other professional and intellectual abilities. In order for students to develop new knowledge that is applicable in their future through global awareness, it is done by first recognizing a problem and then following Kolb's Cycle of Experiential Learning. Such activities aid students in seeing the links between various contexts, between theory and practice, and in continually examining the best answers to the issues at hand.

My Classroom Observations Pertinent to Living and Learning Globally

As the department head for English and a member of the school management team, I have so far attended four or five classrooms to watch teachers in action. It was discovered, among the few classes that were actually attended, that a grade twelve English teacher was attempting to teach gender equity and religious diversity through the Shakespeare play "The Merchant of Venice" during the theatrical lesson. It was noted that the lesson assisted all of us who were present in the classroom in reflecting on our own actions in real-life circumstances, in addition to assisting the kids in understanding the subject taught. Through the sharing of reflections and competency-based asking and answers, the teacher explored the lesson. On the other hand, a teacher in grade eleven taught sustainable resource use and waste management (reusing and recycling) during one of the economics sessions. The learning outcome was successfully achieved through critical debate, teamwork, and decision-making processes, which culminated in the promotion of a sustainable world.

Conclusion

With specific knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values, education should stimulate students' curiosity about different cultures, history, politics, geographic regions, and religions. To comprehend topics in their startling complexity, it enables students to have a deeper understanding of the current global conditions, issues, opportunities, and trends through an interdisciplinary lens (Mansilla & Jackson, 2011). They ought to be equipped to make sound decisions, be willing to act, and make constructive contributions to their communities in ways that are intentional, moral, and based on integrity.

References

Mansilla, V. B., & Jackson, A. (2011). Educating for global competence: Preparing our youth to engage the world. New York: Asia Society. Retrieved from https://asiasociety.org/files/book-globalcompetence.pdf

Evans, M., Montemurro, D., Gambhir, M., & Broad, K. (Eds.). (2014). Inquiry into practice: Learning and teaching global matters in local classrooms. Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto (OISE). http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/oise/UserFiles/File/TEACHING_GLOBAL_MATTERS_FINAL_ONLINE.pdf

Globalization Partners. (2020). Benefits and Challenges of Globalization. https://www.globalization-partners.com/blog/benefits-and-challenges-of-globalization/#gref

Peterson Institute for International Economics. (2018). What Is Globalization? https://www.piie.com/microsites/globalization/what-is-globalization

OECD. (2018). PISA 2018 Global Competence. https://www.oecd.org/pisa/innovation/global-competence/#:~:text=Global%20Competence%20is%20a%20multi,for%20current%20and%20future%20generations.