Global curriculum: Why it is needed and ways to implement it

1. Global curriculum: Why it is needed and ways to implement it By Athena Smith, Ph.D. Hillsborough Community College, Tampa

2. What is a global curriculum? Two meanings: 1.National curriculums adopt a global dimension 2. Common courses, with common content taught in various countries.

3. Why do we need a global curriculum? To become world citizens. As world citizens, we promote sustainability, democracy and security. Also, we improve by learning through watching others

4. World citizenship depends on Alleviation of cultural conflict Prevention of �Anti- sentiments� Continuous discussion of globalization

5. The Pew Global Attitudes Project(survey of 14,000 people in 13 nations, IHT, 6/29/06) showed: Westerners and Muslims around the world have radically different views of world events, and each group tends to view the other as violent, intolerant, and lacking respect for women Majorities in every country except Pakistan expressed pessimism about Muslim-Western relations (Germany 70%, France 66%, Turkey 64%, Spain and Britain 61% and Egypt 58%.)

6. Today it is far easier to achieve the bridging of the gap Internet Immigration International sports International art Travel

8. One Laptop per Child You buy one for $400, another one is sent to Africa Participating countries: Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Colombia, Haiti, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Mongolia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu The idea came to him in a remote village called Reaksmy - a four-hour drive on a dirt road from the nearest town. It�s as far from MIT as you can get. They don�t even have running water. Negroponte and his family founded a school here in 1999, putting in a satellite dish and generators. Then they gave the children laptops. Instantly, school became a lot more popular. Kids who had never seen a computer before were now crossing the digital divide. Negroponte was knocked out. "The first English word of every child in that village was 'Google'," he says. "The village has no electricity, no telephone, no television. And the children take laptops home that are connected broadband to the Internet." The rugged, low-power computers use flash memory instead of a hard drive, run a Red Hat Linux-based operating system and use the Sugar user interface. Mobile ad-hoc networking based on the 802.11s wireless mesh network protocol allows students to collaborate on Activities and to share Internet access from one connection. The wireless networking has much greater range than typical consumer laptops. The XO-1 has also been designed to be lower cost and much longer lived than typical laptops. When they take the laptops home, the kids often teach the whole family how to use it. Negroponte says the families loved the computers because, in a village with no electricity, it was the brightest light source in the house Once the computers were there, school attendance went way up. Negroponte says that in Cambodia this year 50 percent more children showed up for the first grade because the kids who were in first grade last year told the other kids that "school is pretty cool." Let me take two countries, Pakistan and Nigeria. Fifty per cent of the children in both of those countries are not in school," Negroponte says. "At all. They have no schools, they don�t even have trees under which a teacher might stand�" "You�re saying give them a laptop even if they don�t go to school?" Stahl asks. "Especially if they don�t go to school. If they don�t go to school, this is school in a box." It looks like a toy - on purpose. But it�s a serious computer with many innovations. For instance, it�s the first laptop with a screen you can use outdoors, in full sunlight. Walter Bender, the president of software on the project, says there are loads of new features. You can draw on it, or compose music. "It actually looks like an animal. These are meant to look like ears, right?" Stahl asks. "Right. These ears are the way the laptop communicates with the rest of the world so the laptop listens with these ears," Bender says. "Those are radio antennas, sorta like the�" "I don�t have that on my computer," Stahl remarks. "No. And one of the reasons why this computer has probably two or three times better Wi-Fi range than your computer is because you don�t have that." "It has two to three times better range?" "Better range than your $3,000 dollar laptop." "How long does the battery work?" "By the time we�re done with all our tuning, the battery should last 10, 12 hours with heavy use." If the battery does run out and you live in a thatch hut in the middle of nowhere, you can charge it up with a crank or a salad spinner. The idea came to him in a remote village called Reaksmy - a four-hour drive on a dirt road from the nearest town. It�s as far from MIT as you can get. They don�t even have running water. Negroponte and his family founded a school here in 1999, putting in a satellite dish and generators. Then they gave the children laptops. Instantly, school became a lot more popular. Kids who had never seen a computer before were now crossing the digital divide. Negroponte was knocked out. "The first English word of every child in that village was 'Google'," he says. "The village has no electricity, no telephone, no television. And the children take laptops home that are connected broadband to the Internet." The rugged, low-power computers use flash memory instead of a hard drive, run a Red Hat Linux-based operating system and use the Sugar user interface. Mobile ad-hoc networking based on the 802.11s wireless mesh network protocol allows students to collaborate on Activities and to share Internet access from one connection. The wireless networking has much greater range than typical consumer laptops. The XO-1 has also been designed to be lower cost and much longer lived than typical laptops. When they take the laptops home, the kids often teach the whole family how to use it. Negroponte says the families loved the computers because, in a village with no electricity, it was the brightest light source in the house Once the computers were there, school attendance went way up. Negroponte says that in Cambodia this year 50 percent more children showed up for the first grade because the kids who were in first grade last year told the other kids that "school is pretty cool." Let me take two countries, Pakistan and Nigeria. Fifty per cent of the children in both of those countries are not in school," Negroponte says. "At all. They have no schools, they don�t even have trees under which a teacher might stand�" "You�re saying give them a laptop even if they don�t go to school?" Stahl asks. "Especially if they don�t go to school. If they don�t go to school, this is school in a box." It looks like a toy - on purpose. But it�s a serious computer with many innovations. For instance, it�s the first laptop with a screen you can use outdoors, in full sunlight. Walter Bender, the president of software on the project, says there are loads of new features. You can draw on it, or compose music. "It actually looks like an animal. These are meant to look like ears, right?" Stahl asks. "Right. These ears are the way the laptop communicates with the rest of the world so the laptop listens with these ears," Bender says. "Those are radio antennas, sorta like the�" "I don�t have that on my computer," Stahl remarks. "No. And one of the reasons why this computer has probably two or three times better Wi-Fi range than your computer is because you don�t have that." "It has two to three times better range?" "Better range than your $3,000 dollar laptop." "How long does the battery work?" "By the time we�re done with all our tuning, the battery should last 10, 12 hours with heavy use." If the battery does run out and you live in a thatch hut in the middle of nowhere, you can charge it up with a crank or a salad spinner.

9. First we have to overcome the �who cares� attitude Interdependence examples Environmental degradation The story of a pencil EU-US trade Security concerns

10. A global curriculum will alleviate cultural conflict by Promoting formal education Teaching global values and behaviors

11. Education with a global perspective will enhance democracy � If we cannot say that a "high" level of education is a sufficient condition for democracy, the available evidence does suggest that it comes close to being necessary condition.� (Seymour Martin Lipset)

12. Cultural conflicts spring from Stereotyping Different assumptions about the nature and purpose of the world Stereotyping is especially prevalent -- and problematic -- in conflicts. Groups tend to define themselves according to who they are and who they are not. And "others," especially "enemies" or "opponents" are often viewed in very negative ways. Similarly, if problems occur, blame is often placed on "the enemy," while one's own contribution to the problem is ignored. Even similarities between parties can be viewed differently: one's own competitiveness may be seen in a positive light as "tough, effective negotiating," while the opponent's competitive actions are seen as "hostile and deceptive." Such stereotypes tend to be self-perpetuating. If one side assumes the other side is deceitful and aggressive, they will tend to respond deceitfully and aggressively themselves. The opponent will then develop a similar image of the first party and respond deceptively, thus confirming the initial stereotype. The stereotypes may even grow worse, as communication shuts down and escalation heightens emotions and tension.Stereotyping is especially prevalent -- and problematic -- in conflicts. Groups tend to define themselves according to who they are and who they are not. And "others," especially "enemies" or "opponents" are often viewed in very negative ways. Similarly, if problems occur, blame is often placed on "the enemy," while one's own contribution to the problem is ignored. Even similarities between parties can be viewed differently: one's own competitiveness may be seen in a positive light as "tough, effective negotiating," while the opponent's competitive actions are seen as "hostile and deceptive." Such stereotypes tend to be self-perpetuating. If one side assumes the other side is deceitful and aggressive, they will tend to respond deceitfully and aggressively themselves. The opponent will then develop a similar image of the first party and respond deceptively, thus confirming the initial stereotype. The stereotypes may even grow worse, as communication shuts down and escalation heightens emotions and tension.

13. The �anti�-sentiments evolve around Civilization Religion Denomination within religion Sex Age Country of origin Region within country of origin You name it!

14. How we stereotype Arabs The three B syndrome: bombers, belly dancers, or billionaires. 21 major movies in the last ten years show our military killing Arabs. (Iron Eagle, Death Before Dishonor, Navy SEALs, Patriot Games, the American President, Delta Force 3, Executive Decision). Russell Baker: "Arabs are the last people except Episcopalians whom Hollywood feels free to offend en masse."

15. How Indonesians stereotype the Chinese Chinese are rich Chinese keep to themselves Chinese are arrogant Chinese think that money can buy anything

16. A global curriculum will teach different world perspectives We have entered a new global order based on cultural comparative advantage. Japanese social discipline. Indian intellectual rigor Korean loyalty to superiors Cantonese entrepreneurship Indian traffic We Westerners believe that everyone should, at some level, be like us. We see our way as the only rational way. We are sensitive to cultural differences, but for us these are such surface features as language, cuisine and custom. In our heart of hearts we assume that everyone is basically the same inside. The evidence is everywhere. We speak of universal human rights, but they are an invention of eighteenth-century Europe. We see no viable alternative to a democratic form of government. We divide the world into �developed� and �developing� nations, and the developed nations are the ones more like us. We convince not only ourselves, but much of the world, that our economic system is the only rational way to organize commerce. We Westerners believe that everyone should, at some level, be like us. We see our way as the only rational way. We are sensitive to cultural differences, but for us these are such surface features as language, cuisine and custom. In our heart of hearts we assume that everyone is basically the same inside. The evidence is everywhere. We speak of universal human rights, but they are an invention of eighteenth-century Europe. We see no viable alternative to a democratic form of government. We divide the world into �developed� and �developing� nations, and the developed nations are the ones more like us. We convince not only ourselves, but much of the world, that our economic system is the only rational way to organize commerce.

17. From Kindergarten we can teach social development: Use pictures to show people�s happiness and sorrow- To show common needs and practices To exchange travel experiences

18. Communication and language Discuss stories with common justice messages (Indian Fairy Tales ) Different religions Different foods Different family settings Different customs and art (dances, theatre, music, humor)

19. Mathematics Counting games using objects from around the world (coins, flags, cheeses, musical instruments) photographs and drawings show how cultures use numbers and shapes Chinese tangrams

20. International collaboration Pupils from Dorton House in Kent, and Milton Margai School for the blind in war-torn Freetown, Sierra Leone, have visited each other and worked together on disability rights and conflict resolution projects. Here is the story from BBC NEWS

21. This year's collaborations Hove Park school has organized cookery visits to Thailand Drama collaborations in India A web project on geography, history and cookery in Ghana Hove Park has also hosted visits from China, Japan and Russia and is leading attempts to set up national links with South Korea.

22. Global engineering ethics An international partnership network with Virginia Tech has included Politecnico di Milano in Italy and Jadavpur University in India. North Carolina A&T State University and the University of Illinois at Chicago will test the final courses that are developed.

23. In high school and college, a global curriculum should include Social sciences Economics International Relations/History Literature Science

24. Common courses in International Relations Developmental theories (modernization and dependency) Human Development Reports (UNDP) Political tensions have contributed to underdevelopment and radicalism.

25. Transparency examples Legislators post expenditures online Corruption distorts public spending in 3 ways: from shaping the official priorities of government, by deflecting allocated resources away from their original purpose, and by undermining the tax base of government.  the briber never receives any kind of firm or reliable assurance that the advantage he intends to obtain�with money paid in advance to the bribee�will effectively be delivered. A businessman who resorts to corruption will never be sure that he is paying the �fair price� or the �market price.� In other words, he can never be certain that the price he is ready to pay is equal to the value of the service he intends to buy. The �bribery market� indeed is opaque. There is nothing like a reliable index, a transparent reference, objective quotations, price indications or a posted tariff allowing for a quantification of the bribery cost.the briber never receives any kind of firm or reliable assurance that the advantage he intends to obtain�with money paid in advance to the bribee�will effectively be delivered. A businessman who resorts to corruption will never be sure that he is paying the �fair price� or the �market price.� In other words, he can never be certain that the price he is ready to pay is equal to the value of the service he intends to buy. The �bribery market� indeed is opaque. There is nothing like a reliable index, a transparent reference, objective quotations, price indications or a posted tariff allowing for a quantification of the bribery cost.

26. Bribes Countries whose firms are least prepared to pay bribes: Switzerland Sweden Australia Austria Canada Countries whose firms are most prepared to pay bribes: India China Russia Turkey Taiwan

27. Projects from recent events Gibraltar's referendum UAE names eight women to advisory council History of Terrorism

28. Common courses in economics Economic models (US, Sweden, Japan, Cuba) FRONTLINE: sick around the world | PBS

29. Need for world history 1. Help students to understand that their country never existed in a vacuum and that events occurring within their borders affect other peoples. 2. Help students to recognize that historical interpretations are colored by national interests.

30. Re-writing texts Cyprus history book rewrites spark outcry To avoid 'us vs. them' in Balkans, rewrite history When we examine humanity's shared past we can view today's world in a meaningful context.When we examine humanity's shared past we can view today's world in a meaningful context.

31. Common courses in world literature Readings from the developed and the developing world authors demonstrate common trends in humanity amongst cultures Ibaa Ismail Learn, our little white, black, red, and yellow ethnic buds, how to emerge from rocks, and flourish for life, not for destruction, not for wars, but to spread your petals peacefully and say your prayers, the way you like it, in any religion you believe in.

32. Computer science/math/science This knowledge is vital for access to the global e-community and for efficient competitiveness in a globalized economy. Amid current efforts to improve mathematics and science education in the United States, people often ask how these subjects are organized and taught in other countries. They hear repeatedly that other countries produce higher student achievement. Teachers and parents wonder about the answers to questions like these: Why do the children in Asian cultures seem to be so good at science and mathematics? How are biology and physics taught in the French curriculum? What are textbooks like elsewhere, and how much latitude do teachers have in the way they follow the texts? Do all students receive the same education, or are they grouped by ability or perceived educational promise? If students are grouped, how early is this done? What are tests like, and what are the consequences for students? Are other countries engaged in Standards-like reforms? Does anything like "standards" play a role in other countries? Naturally, interest is greatest about countries whose students seemingly outperform U.S. students. Sometimes this intense interest stems from a desire to identify those practices that are associated with student achievement, characterized by the question, "What are other countries doing that works?" Sometimes the interest is rooted in a defensiveness, expressed as "They only score higher because they exclude so many of their students by high school, while we educate all our students" or as "The pressure on their students is excruciating."Amid current efforts to improve mathematics and science education in the United States, people often ask how these subjects are organized and taught in other countries. They hear repeatedly that other countries produce higher student achievement. Teachers and parents wonder about the answers to questions like these: Why do the children in Asian cultures seem to be so good at science and mathematics? How are biology and physics taught in the French curriculum? What are textbooks like elsewhere, and how much latitude do teachers have in the way they follow the texts? Do all students receive the same education, or are they grouped by ability or perceived educational promise? If students are grouped, how early is this done? What are tests like, and what are the consequences for students? Are other countries engaged in Standards-like reforms? Does anything like "standards" play a role in other countries? Naturally, interest is greatest about countries whose students seemingly outperform U.S. students. Sometimes this intense interest stems from a desire to identify those practices that are associated with student achievement, characterized by the question, "What are other countries doing that works?" Sometimes the interest is rooted in a defensiveness, expressed as "They only score higher because they exclude so many of their students by high school, while we educate all our students" or as "The pressure on their students is excruciating."

33. From �The Global Curriculum�http://www.i-learnt.com/Paradigm_Global_Curriculum.html

34. Performance on the science scale of PISA 2007 Finland Canada Japan New Zealand Australia Netherlands Korea Germany UK Czech Republic

35. Performance on the mathematics scale in PISA Finland Korea Netherlands Switzerland Canada Japan New Zealand Belgium Australia Denmark

36. In Finland we observed that the results were characterized by high homogeneity Differences due to region, socioeconomic background or gender were rather small. Finns tend to achieve very well in international comparisons of literacy

37. Possible set-ups for a global classroom among countries Synchronous distance learning Asynchronous distance learning Correspondence courses Exchange programs