Download presentation
Presentation is loading. Please wait.
Published byLea Camel Modified over 9 years ago
1
Bringing Costa Rica to U.S. classrooms: Cases of global experiences and teachers’ pedagogies Gerardo Joel Aponte-Martínez Comparative and International Education Society 2014 Annual Conference Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2
Overview Introduction Global perspectives and pedagogies Experiences abroad/Translations at home What it means to teach about the world Discussion
3
Introduction Costa Rica: A cross-cultural experience
4
“[Before the GPA to Costa Rica], I didn't know about Pura Vida. I'd heard this as a welcoming or greeting, not as a philosophy, but it very much sums up how I am. I have, or I try to have, a very relaxed, fun-loving atmosphere ” “I wanted to use Pura Vida as a [language] object to practice the infinitive ‘For me, Pura Vida is….’ but I also wanted to set a classroom culture, that lifestyle, of accepting what comes and taking life as it is.” Lisa
5
Looking with depth on teachers’ global cross-cultural experiential learning (Wilson, 1982) and the pedagogical implications of these experiences. What are best teaching practices for global education? (Wilson, 1983; Merryfield, Jarchow, & Pickert, 1997; Gaudelli, 2003) Pedagogical reasoning for curriculum development (Shulman, 1987) Goals (cognitive, affective, pedagogical) for global education Disciplinary and school community influences on pedagogies for global education What is the educational value of the cross-cultural professional development experiences? The Study
6
Cross-cultural experiential learning: planned, affective, individual, and thoughtfully evaluated experience in which a person from one culture is immersed in another culture. (Wilson, 1982) Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad (GPA) in Costa Rica. Cultural and language immersion for five weeks, summer 2013 9 in-service and 3 pre-service U.S. secondary teachers (Spanish, Language Arts, and Social Studies) Theme: UN Millennium Development Goals and their implementation in Costa Rica. Cross-Cultural Experiential Learning (Wilson, 1982)
7
Activities: Language training, U. Peace workshops, meetings with government officials, private large- and small-scale organizations, rural community development association, teachers, and community members Goal: Building teacher capacity and skills needed for teaching in, and preparing students for, an increasingly interdependent and global world. Participants created curriculum materials to teach these global issues in U.S. classrooms. Cross-Cultural Experiential Learning (Wilson, 1982)
8
Research Uncovering teachers’ experiences abroad and their translations for a home audience
9
Three of the Costa Rica GPA participants: Lisa teaches high school Spanish in a suburban school in New Jersey Christina teaches middle school Spanish in a rural school in northern Michigan Nancy teaches high school social studies in an international school in New Mexico Participants were selected through judgment sampling based on level of participation and reflection during in-country activities and commitment to future engagement in the topic. (Marshall, 1996) Participants
10
Narrative inquiry within the naturalistic settings: in-country activities as teachers experienced Costa Rica and the school buildings where they teach about it Data sources: In country Journals (prompted and unprompted entries) Interviews: At the start of the school year (goals for the unit) During implementation of the unit (reactions to/from students, adaptations to the unit) After the unit (reflections, learning experiences) Observations during implementation of the unit Methods
11
Theoretical Framework Bringing global issues into the classroom
12
Five dimensions of a global perspective (Hanvey, 1975) Perspective consciousness “State of the planet” awareness Cross-cultural awareness Knowledge of global dynamics Awareness of human choices Two dimensions of a global perspective (Case, 1993) Substantive dimension that includes knowledge or topics that students should know Perceptual dimension involving dispositions and attitudes. Global Perspectives
13
Ukpokodu’s (2010) framework for global perspectives pedagogy emphasizes infusing global perspectives in everyday learning experiences, going beyond having a global topic to include skills, classroom dynamics, and instructional strategies. Six areas to infuse global perspectives: Course objectives and descriptions Content integration Knowledge construction and reconstruction Instructional resources and materials Delivery strategies Assessment of self-transformation Global Perspectives Pedagogy
14
Findings What it means to teach about the world
15
Spanish TeachersSocial Studies Teacher Intent of participating in the GPA was specific to disciplinary purposes -Practice/improve their language skills - Bring back cultural artifacts (dialectic differences, cultural norms and traditions, traditional objects) -Explore perspectives from MDG stakeholders -Create case studies for students tied to curriculum Teaching global issues defined within disciplinary goals -Spanish as a tool to broaden an individual’s perspective by teaching about Spanish-speaking cultures (Curricular goals) -Students become more open-minded on domestic, international, and global issues -Solving problems relevant to the country -Drawing connections to other countries and global trends as outlined in Human Geography curriculum Disciplinary framing
16
Five dimensions of a global perspective (Hanvey, 1975) Perspective consciousness ✔✔✔ “State of the planet” awareness ✔✔ Cross-cultural awareness ✔✔✔ Knowledge of global dynamics ✔ Awareness of human choices ✔✔✔ Two dimensions of a global perspective (Case, 1993) Substantive dimension that includes knowledge or topics that students should know ✔ Perceptual dimension involving dispositions and attitudes. ✔✔✔ Disciplinary Framing ✔ Lisa ✔ Nancy ✔ Christina
17
Ukpokodu’s (2010) framework for global perspectives pedagogy emphasizes infusing global perspectives in everyday learning experiences, going beyond having a global topic to include skills, classroom dynamics, and instructional strategies. Six areas to infuse global perspectives: Course objectives and descriptions ✔ Content integration ✔✔✔ Knowledge construction and reconstruction ✔ Instructional resources and materials ✔✔✔ Delivery strategies ✔✔ Assessment of self-transformation Global Perspectives Pedagogy ✔ Lisa ✔ Nancy ✔ Christina
18
Passion and shortcuts to knowledge were identified as the value added by the experience. In-country self-reflection and group debriefings, especially in pedagogical areas, were key to developing their personal understanding and later their instructional decisions. Experience as the key to bringing global perspectives
19
Discussion
20
Implications for the design of study abroad programs for teachers: importance of participants’ training and reflection. Evidence of how negotiating school culture and context allows teachers’ global perspectives pedagogies to flourish Nuanced perspective of the role of disciplinary knowledge and structures on global education as an interdisciplinary topic Significance
21
Contact information: Gerardo J. Aponte-Martínez Doctoral Student & Instructor Department of Teacher Education Michigan State University apontege@msu.edu www.msu.edu/~apontege Questions?
Similar presentations
© 2024 SlidePlayer.com. Inc.
All rights reserved.