Classrooms are brimming with learners who demonstrate their talents by responding to interactions in a global world. These learners are astute at acknowledging global context and building an awareness of the cultural, ethnic, racial, linguistic, and socioeconomic diversity that exists within themselves and others. They are nuanced in recognizing the multifaceted aspects of identity and constantly make connections to their home and community. Yet, the curriculum they experience in schools does not openly value or solicit this type of knowledge. This chapter presents a continuum for educators to reflect on their curriculum through a critically conscious lens. Instructional constructs are provided to guide educators in acknowledging and integrating global and cultural competencies into classroom learning experiences. This chapter presents reflection questions and curriculum connections that teachers can use to nurture and sustain Cultural and Global Competence in all learners.
TopIntroduction
In today's educational landscape, one of the foremost challenges for educators is fostering Cultural and Global competence in their students. Cultural and Global competence empowers learners to become aware and know how to navigate the cultural, ethnic, racial, linguistic, and socioeconomic diversity that exists in a global landscape. These competencies are critical to building more inclusive societies, respectful of cultural diversity, ethnicity, gender equality, and human rights. Broadly, these competencies reside under the umbrella of global citizenship, defined as “awareness, caring, and embracing cultural diversity, while promoting social justice and sustainability, coupled with the responsibility to act (Pierce et al., 2010, p. 167). Global citizenry is a natural condition of all human beings, but one that requires the development of specific characteristics such as a commitment to bettering the world (Myers, 2010). These characteristics can be developed, fostered, and nurtured in all learners through the curricular opportunities they are provided in the classroom. This chapter provides classroom teachers, instructional coaches, and educational leaders with a framework for evaluating their current curricular experiences with a cultural and globally conscious lens. The specific constructs in this framework serve as guideposts and reference points that:
- ●
Present content in authentic ways that directly solicit students’ home and community funds of knowledge;
- ●
Foster a sense of place that highlights the interactions and interconnectedness between systems in the world;
- ●
Examine the generational implications and impacts of decisions on people and the environment; and
- ●
Directly challenges traditional constructs of power and privilege that have been maintained in the education system to reinforce the status quo (Banks, 2009 & Freire, 2000).
When examining the curriculum we teach, it is important to recognize how the curriculum is positioned to reflect privilege and power. It is incumbent upon us, to acknowledge and respond to the legacies of colonization and systemic injustice in our history. Andreotti (2014) highlights how Eurocentric groups have held the privilege of defining citizenship and creating educational systems and experiences to reflect their perspective. The development of Cultural and Global competence and the curriculum constructs are grounded in culturally sustaining pedagogies, anti-racist pedagogies, and decolonizing pedagogies. A brief definition of these pedagogies and how they are being used to anchor the work in this chapter are provided below.