HUILI SCHOOL SHANGHAI LIBRARY
上海浦东新区民办惠立学校图书馆
|
|
HUILI SCHOOL SHANGHAI LIBRARY上海浦东新区民办惠立学校图书馆 |
|
In brief, the essay seeks to nurture students’ global consciousness.
The WSEE puts a premium on rigorous academic work and meaningful personal reflection. In so doing, it seeks to help students understand more deeply:
In the definition of global consciousness proposed here, global refers explicitly to local–global dynamics. These dynamics are not limited to a uniform view of the whole world. Instead, they emphasize local–global developments and the global contexts in which they take place.
Global consciousness is the capacity and disposition to understand and act upon issues of global significance. It is the ability and willingness to understand oneself and others within the broader matrix of our contemporary world.
(See Boix Mansilla, V and Gardner, H. 2007. “From teaching globalization to nurturing global consciousness”. In MM Suarez-Orozco (ed). Learning in the global era: International perspectives on globalization and education. Berkeley, CA. The University of California Press.)
Global consciousness seeks to address these three dimensions simultaneously and therefore offers a comprehensive view of the capacities we have in mind.
| Global consciousness encompasses: | |
|---|---|
| Global sensitivity | Sensitivity to local phenomena and experiences as manifestations of broader developments on the planet. |
| Global understanding | The capacity to think and act in flexible and informed ways about issues of global and local significance. |
| Global self | A perception of self as a global actor and member of a local community, a city, a nation and humanity, capable of making a positive contribution to the world. |
| Global sensitivity—a sensitivity to local phenomena and experiences as manifestations of broader developments on the planet | |
|---|---|
| Identify topic |
Student can recognize and frame topics of local–global significance. |
| Selective attention |
Student notices local–global connections to her topic in everyday life |
| Curiosity |
Student raises questions and expresses a desire to investigate topic |
| Media use |
Student tracks chosen topic in the media, internet and sources |
| Perspective |
Student is attentive to multiple perspectives on the topic |
| Action |
Student identifies opportunities to act related to the topic |
| Global understanding—the capacity to think and act in flexible and informed ways about issues of global significance | |
| Rich knowledge base |
Student employs relevant disciplinary and interdisciplinary concepts, theories, methods and findings in appropriate and flexible ways |
| Understanding dimensions |
Student understands multiple aspects of a problem including the global and local dimensions |
| Understanding perspectives |
Student understands a topic considering multiple and different perspectives including their own |
| Effective communication |
Student is able to communicate effectively across disciplinary, cultural, social and geographic barriers and reflect about the importance of effective communication |
| Informed action |
Student has reviewed prior solutions to a given problem to inform her own proposal |
| Informed judgment |
Student considers ethical implications of a local–global issue and develops a reasoned position on the topic at hand |
| Global self—a perception of self as a global actor and member of a local community, a city, a nation and humanity, capable of making a positive contribution to the world | |
| Personal engagement |
Student shows "ongoing inclination" to think about local–global connections |
| Local–global autobiography |
Student views herself (her identity, biography and future plans) in light of local–global understanding |
| Recognizing perspective |
Student can locate his own perspectives (cultural, geographical, social, religious, ethical) and reflect about these in meaningful ways |
| Local–global agency |
Student views himself as local entrepreneur able to act in the local–global sphere |
Sahdal is a 12th grade student in Mombasa, Kenya. His WSEE focused on the relationship between people’s religious affiliation and their level of understanding of HIV/AIDS.
His interest in the topic developed in a biology class where students examined the structure of the virus and its effect in the body, and mapped the spread of the disease in Africa and worldwide.
For his study he collected and compared data on attitudes and knowledge about HIV/AIDS among youth, adults and leaders in the local Christian, Muslim and Hindu communities.
To read the whole story of Sahdal, go to IBO.org and look up Sahdal: Portrait of a globally conscious student.