Ask anyone what young people need to be successful in an increasingly interdependent world, and the answers are likely to be all over the proverbial map. Considerable attention has been focused recently on math and science, but that is not the concern here. This report uses the term “global competence” to describe a body of knowledge about world regions, cultures, and global issues, and the skills and dispositions to engage responsibly and effectively in a global environment.
There may be differences of emphasis; however, most who are concerned about this field describe some variation on the definition below. A globally competent student has:
Knowledge of and curiosity about the world’s history, geography, cultures, environmental and economic systems, and current international issues
Language and cross-cultural skills to communicate effectively with people from other countries, understand multiple perspectives, and use primary sources from around the globe
A commitment to ethical citizenship. To help students become globally competent, teachers must have the knowledge, skills, and dispositions described above, as well as:
Knowledge of the international dimensions of their subject matter and a range of global issues
Pedagogical skills to teach their students to analyze primary sources from around the world, appreciate multiple points of view, and recognize stereotyping
A commitment to assisting students to become responsible citizens both of the world and of their own communities.
It follows that training teachers for the global age also requires that teacher educators, who are preparing future teachers in our colleges and universities, need to develop the capacities noted above as well as the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to help teacher candidates acquire them. Any institution interested in developing teachers’ global expertise may want to begin by creating or adapting a detailed list of knowledge and skills to inform practice and guide assessment.
- See more at: http://www.globalteachereducation.org/global-competence#sthash.J4TbKQ1J.dpuf