How best do you think educators can empower our students to be be global citizens, where they made to take ownership in their learning so that they can explore, learn to take risks; ultimately enhancing critical thinking, creativity, and collaboration?
Dennis, I think this question of yours addresses one of the most important issues in curriculum design, as well as in pedagogical practices, nowadays.
During the years of my PhD and along several European projects I expored how to teach the teachers to deal with cultural diversity as intercultural richness.
There are several methods encompassing intercultural learning as the base to become a global citizen. According to my experience and research, those are:
1- Explore and acknowledge cultural diversity in class, as a small world where the differences can mirror (in a much more controlloed way) those in the external world. Ask the students how do they perceive topics taught according to their own perspective (i.e., History or Geography, or Literature), which are the practices and knowledge at home, etc.
2- Teach the several topics adopting resources that encompass critical perspectives or even opposite visions, and encourage students to debate. You will have to train them to use the techniques of debate, exploratory talk, and dialogue. For example, how colonization was seen from one side and the other; what living in an interdependent world means; which are the stories behind the scientific discoveries, and so on.
3- Use technologies to explore such diversity. You can use the Internet as a window to "see" different places in the world, through the webpages. Most importantly, you can use webconferencing systems or LMS to put your students in contact with students from around the globe. I experienced this and the results were extremely encouraging. My article on this: "A classroom with a view. Networked Learning Strategies to Promote Intercultural Education: Chapter A Classroom with a View: Networked Learning Strategies to Pr...
4- Promote, as far as possible, the so called "internationalization at home": invite foreign people in class to talk about science or culture, or daily life experiences; explore the diversity in the neighborhood, the city, the country.
5- As far as possible, promote students and teachers' exchanges and mobility, properly supported by reflection and joint activities that end up in joint creations (like project-based learning).
The literature supporting the items I listed above is rich.
I would consider, just to start:
UNESCO guidelines in Intercultural Education
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0014/001478/147878e.pdf
Your insightful and exhaustive response is very much appreciated, Dr. Raffaghelli.
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