Bringing in news from other parts of the world to your class conversation is very crucial, no matter sensitive the news or the issue are sometimes. Awareness and knowledge about global events are one step toward improving one's global competence.
Global competence is a multidimensional capacity. Globally competent individuals can appreciate different world views and perspectives, examine local, global and intercultural issues, get along respectfully with others, and contribute meaningful, responsible action toward sustainability and collective well-being.
Emphasizing the importance of bringing in world events to our classrooms, below is a thoughtful message from Dean Leigh Patel, the Associate Dean for Equity and Justice at the Pitt School of Education. Dean Patel is the program advisor for our Equity and Justice Scholars Program. She can be reached at leigh.patel@pitt.edu.
Dear Colleagues,
First, let me start off by welcoming you back for the Spring semester. I hope that the semester break brought you what you needed.
While most of our informational flyers address issues of oppression and tend to focus on local events and those on Turtle Island, it’s also imperative that we educate teachers and educational scholars and leaders to be conversant with history and current events around the globe. As with all matters in the classroom, political views will vary. Our role is not to shy away from a topic because we believe it to be political; that evasion is itself a political act.
However, it is also our duty to bring up topics with appropriate background knowledge so that we can effectively facilitate a dialogue and acknowledge the destabilization that some students may be feeling due to an event or more than one.
As many of you know, Friday and the weekend have brought many concerning events to the fore, including, but not limited to the military attacks and rising tensions between Iran and the United States. Below please find a link for helpful videos. Additionally, thousands of students have protested from the Jamia Millia Islamia University, indicting the Indian Parliament’s recent restrictions of Muslims rights. Additionally, Australia has been suffering from massively destructive wildfires, with still another month to go in its hottest time in the year.
Below you will find some links addressing these few of many important and concerning events around the world. Generally, though, I encourage you to, if you don’t already, to invite your students to read of events happening around the world, what that means for them, and how our homelands (whatever we consider those to be) are affected.
7 Short Videos About Iran and the U.S.
Student Protests Against anti-Muslim Legislation
As always, please be in touch with questions and comments.
Dean Leigh Patel,
The Office for Equity and Justice