Education and the Challenge of Globalization

Educational Studies/Environmental Studies 370 Fall 2013 Class hours: M/WF 9:40-10:40 Room H216
Sonia Mehta Humanities 100 (651-696-6035) smehta@macalester.edu Office Hours: MW 10:50-11:50 Tues 10-12nn, and by appointment I am committed to providing assistance to help you to be successful in this course. Accommodations are available for students with documented disabilities. Contact the Associate Dean of Students, Lisa Landreman, at 696-6220 to make an appointment. It is important to meet early in the semester to ensure your accommodations are approved to secure your success this semester

Education policy must be contextualized both nationally and globally as a transformative discourse that can have real social effects in response to contemporary crises of survival and sustainability. Mark Olssen, John Codd, Anne-Marie ONeill

Course Description Or, What does it all mean?

How does Education and Educational Issues intersect with the complex phenomena called Globalization?

The complex phenomenon of globalization affects the quality of learning and life worldwide. In the United States and abroad; across dimensions of philosophy, policy, and practice; educators, government officials, policy makers, public intellectuals, and citizens struggle with the implications of globalization for public education and civic life. The purpose of this course is to join in that struggle. We will explore interdisciplinary scholarship and policy design that integrates civic, environmental, moral, and multicultural education for the purpose of countering the negative consequences of cultural and economic globalization.

Through this progress of this course, we will build our learning and refine our skills through the continued examination of a series of essential questions. Look back on these, as you read and formulate analyses, and as you create knowledge that is relevant and useful to the world:

What is Globalization? Why is it conceptualized as such, and why do we care? Do the view and the conceptualization of what Globalization means, change, depending on a geo-socio-cultural or economic positioning of people and structures in the world?

How can you operationalize Education within a Globalized world as a Teacher, a Student or a Worker? Are there better or different categories? What are the implications of the processes of Globalization for socio-educational processes, structurally, ethically, inclusively and generatively? And where do you come into this conversation? How do you situate yourself and how would you place others within a globalized world of education? What are the consequences of positioning, situating and defining? What choices will you make to be the most effective for creating knowledge and deploying knowledge? Who is left out of your design?

What you will learn from this course

At the Very Least:

1) Mastery of academic debates in the field, the basic tenants of Education and Globalization. 2) The ability to analyze and articulate the connections between global-local educational and environmental issues 3) Familiarity and proficiency with a variety of pedagogical approaches to address multidimensional and cross-cultural, as well as cross disciplinary problems in Education 4) Refine skills needed to assess the relevance and sustainability of Reform

5) Write critically and reflexively, which is the ability to analyze and communicate multiple positions in text, supported by documentation and scholarly research. 6) Be able to teach to a diverse community 7) Work out the solution to problems individually and collectively 8) Apply global theoretical approaches to real life situations and to human needs in a variety of environments 9) Evaluate the effects of choices (both in analysis and reform) against consequences for people, processes and situations.

Your Lifelong Learning (my hopes and aspirations for you after you have left this course): 1) The active and empowering engagement with change, fluidity, difference and risk. 2) The ability to re-imagine, re-create and re-deploy new methods of thinking, reading and teaching the Global.

Thinking and Reading the Global: Throughout the course we will adopt a social and exploratory approach to readinga conversational approach that entails reading in a manner that is resonant, recursive, responsible and reflexive. To read resonantly involves attending to aspects of your personal knowledge, values, feelings, and experiences most strongly affected by the texts. To read recursively entails reconsidering the same piece of writing at different stages of inquiry and deliberation, and conversing with others in ways that do not foreclose revisiting assumptions as contexts change. To read responsibly assumes that reading for ones selfto advance personal skills and understandings, or to support ones initial positionis not sufficient. To read responsibly means to be ever mindful of the question: "What does the author say that is not only meaningful to me, but also important to share with others and relevant to broader civic aspirations?" To read reflexively is to become critical of your own work. In order to achieve this to an empowering level, you have to imagine the world from an alternative position, analyze from a contested perspective.

Writing and Communicating the Global: Starting with the intimate self, we will move collaboratively towards the great variety of pedagogical expressions to: 1) Alternative perspectives 2) Seeking the most inclusive and informed reforms 3) Communicating the complexity of a connected and contentious world, and if we can make it there, deploying that very complexity and diversity towards more just and sustainable solutions. This ensures the on-going sustainability of your research as well as your academic and moral stance.

How you will learn it

There are two main vehicles of learning in this course: 1. Social Inquiry a) Conversational Reading close reading of required texts: The Flat World and Education: How Americas Commitment to Equity will Determine our Future, Linda Darling-Hammond Education in a Globalized World: The Connectivity of Economic Power, Technology, and Knowledge, Nelly P. Stromquist Teaching the Global Dimension, David Hicks & Cathie Holden. Relevant print, on-line, and other media resources will supplement required texts. Each student will also complete a series of readings relevant to the topic of their term project.

b) Through on-line (Course Forum) and student led (Peer Teaching) class conversations, you will also have opportunities to acknowledge and constructively respond to issues that resonate most strongly with others. Two attributes of social inquiry are important to note here. First, because effective learning requires active participation and cooperative exchange, regular attendance is essential and therefore required (80% for successful course completion). Second, because deep learning is both radically social and highly personal, self- and social reflection and self- and peer evaluation play fundamental roles in this teaching/learning process.

c) Reflective Paper Drawing from the conversational reading activities engaged in relation to the primary course texts, we will challenge and support each other in responding to questions synthesizing personal reflections on theory, policy and priorities relevant to the future of public education and civil society within the challenging context of globalization. This will take the form of a reflective paper written by yourself, in consultation with your peers

d) Design Project (Based on Critical Social Cartography)- Working in small groups, we will draw from varied philosophic, ethical, and pragmatic perspectives to develop curricular initiatives aimed at addressing specific challenges of globalization through public education.

2. Public Scholarship

Teaching the Global: Curricular Unit - Throughout the semester we will work to challenge and support each others efforts to develop a significant piece of public scholarship, in this case a curricular unit aimed at teaching a socially significant and challenging theme to a strategically selected audience. Your unit will begin with a timely, informative, accessible and compelling summary of background knowledge necessary for effective teaching of your selected theme. You will then develop a formal unit plan devoting careful attention to:

Statement of Purpose: Teaching Goals/Learner Outcomes Statement of Purpose: Content Objectives (focal concepts/themes/questions) Description of Target Audience and Learning Context Primary Resources and Materials Instructional Methods (presentation/processing/assessment) Annotated Bibliography

Each unit should be formatted in a manner appropriate for Internet posting, and incorporate several alternative modes of representation (visual aides, poetry, music, information sheets, tutorial, PowerPoint, etc.) to reinforce thoughts communicated through the traditional verbal/linguistic formats.

Evaluation
This course is structured to encourage all students to demonstrate a high quality of performance. Self, peer, and faculty evaluation are incorporated. Late assignments will not be evaluated unless arrangements are made with the instructor or peer reviewers in advance. Final grades are assigned upon completion of all course components and based upon the following guidelines: Social Inquiry Course Forum Reflective Paper Peer Teaching Design Project Curricular Unit 70% 20% 30% 10% 10% 30%

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Course Overview

Week 1 (9/4,6)

Entering the Map Education in a Globalized World (Introduction, Chapters 1, 2& 8)

Introductions, protocols, time-lines Course Forum/Peer Teaching

Week 2 (9/9,11,13) Knowing the Terrain The Flat World and Education (Chapter 1) Globalizing Education: Perspectives from Above and Below from Globalizing Education, ch1, eds: Apple, Kenway & Singh Globalization and Complex Thought, from The Globalization of Education J. Spring, ch 8 Week 3 (9/16,18,20) Taking Positions Teaching the Global Dimension (Chapters 1 & 2) 6

The Flat World (Chapters 2) The Globalization of Education from Globalization of Education, J. Spring, Ch. 1. Sept 19 Thursday: Screening of Girl Rising JBD, 7pm

Week 4

(9/23,25,27)

Taking Positions Education in a Globalized World (Chapters 3 & 4) Flat World (Chapter 3) Peer Teaching Groups Readings Due

Week 5

(9/30, 10/2,4) Alternative Pathways Toward Reform The Flat World and Education (Chapters 4 & 7) Education in a Globalized World (Chapter 8) Peer Teaching I _________________________________ Reflective Paper topics and abstract due

Week 6 (10/7,9,11: NOTE NO CLASS 11TH- 0CT 10 & 11 INTERNATIONAL ROUNDTABLE) Education in a Globalized World (Chapters 5 & 7) Teaching the Global Dimension (Chapters 3&5) Peer Teaching II ____________________________________ ** International Roundtable Oct 10-11** Week 7 (10/14, 16, 18) Education in a Globalized World (Chapter 7) Teaching the Global Dimension (Chapters 6, 7&8) Peer Teaching III ____________________________________ Reflective Paper Draft due next week

Week 8

(10/21, 23, 25)

No class 10/25 Reflections on Environmental Sustainability

Educating for a Global Environmental Ethic The Classroom Practice of Commons Education From Epistemology to Eco-politics Teaching the Global Dimension (Chapters 9, 10, 11) Peer Teaching IV______________________________ Reflective Paper Draft due Course Forum collection for weeks 1-7 due **Midterm Break 10/24-27**

Week 9 (10/28, 30 &11/1) Alternative Pathways toward Reform Education in a Globalized World (Chapters 8 & 9) Teaching the Global Dimension (Chapters 11 & 12) Workshop: Critical Discourse Analysis Peer Teaching V _______________________________ Curricular Units Workshop (Abstracts Due 10/30)

Week 10 (11/4,6,8) Pathways to Reform: Operationalizing the Global The Flat World and Education (Chapters 6-8) Teaching the Global Dimension (10-12) Workshop: Critical Social Cartography

Week 11 (11/11,13,15) Operationalizing the Global Teaching the Global Dimension (Chapters 13 & 15) Flat World (Chapter 9) Introduction to Design Projects Critical Social Cartography Continued. Reflective Paper Due (11/15)

Week 12 (11/18,20,22)

What we have learned (What was all that about?) Design Project Preparation Curricular Units Drafts Due Curricular Units Conferences (TBD)

Week 13 (11/25, 27, 29: NO CLASS 29TH) Design Project Presentations/Revisions Course Forum Collection Due (weeks 8-12) **THANKSGIVING BREAK 28-30TH** Week 14 (12/ 2, 4, 6) Curricular Units Presentation

12/9

Class Wrap up Curricular Units Due (12/16) Design Project Due (12/16)

If we are ever to move from our inegalitarian order to a diverse, egalitarian and democratic one, we must speak and listen in a way that sustains and extends the possibility of actively making sense together. Susan Bickford