Caroline+Cordell

After multiple attempts to local an educator I could consider a "global educator", I have failed. Instead, I am interviewing an educator as to why they have not chosen to incorporate globalization into their curriculum. The elementary curriculum for Pre-K through fifth grade does not generally invite introduction into other countries and cultures. I viewed the K-5 Social Studies curriculum and discovered:

Second grade mentions "cultures in communities" (SS 3.03) and "cultural traditions and holidays around the world" (3.05). Also, "Identify individuals of diverse cultures and describe their contributions to society" (3.06). The wording is incredibly vague and generalized. Lastly, 4.02 states for students to "analyze environmental issues, past and present, and determine their impact on different cultures".

Third grade includes "cultural celebrations" (1.06), "Distinguish and compare economic and social roles of children and adults in the local community to selected communities around the world" (2.01), and "Identify the deeds of local and global leaders" (7.01), along with continued discussion about change in communities, not necessarily globally.

Fourth grade covers North Carolina history and specifically mentions "Trace the growth and development of immigration to North Carolina, over time from Europe, Asia, and Latin America" (2.02), and "Describe how different ethnic groups have influenced culture, customs and history of North Carolina" (2.04).

Fifth grade focuses on "North America" with goods, services, movement of people, governments, families, religion, art, patterns in settlement, and technology, with no mention of the rest of the world.

I interviewed a local fifth grade teacher and a local elementary art teacher. To begin, I asked each to define globalization as they understand it.

The fifth grade teacher, we'll call her "Sally" to preserve her anonymity at her request, defined globalization as "the integration of world wide skills including technology, core reading knowledge, math (specifically measurement), and general exposure to other cultures". I asked if she teaches globalization skills to her fifth graders and she apprehensively said that she exposes her students but that there is absolute room for improvement. I asked her specifically what she exposes her students to, and she said that since they come to her with little to no background knowledge of other countries or cultures, her effort is to make them aware through Internet research. Her example was that even though students have learned about Native Americans ever year before Thanksgiving, they come to her not knowing that there are different tribes in different locations. She said she has to discuss trading and slavery, and the students actually think she's lying because in all of their previous classes the teachers have painted the picture as a happy one, although it wasn't, and she has to teach them otherwise. She expressed concerns that her students do not know where we are in the world. They know their city and state, and can locate it on a map of the United States, but have no concept of where we are on a globe or world map. She automatically tied this to the fact that she teaches in a rural, poor school and the teachers do not have high expectations for students. Therefore, when I asked how our students would stack up against the rest of the world, she replied, "How do you think they would stack up against other schools in the state? They don't." On a bigger level, I asked how American schools in general compare globally since she has children in middle school and high school, and she spoke about the reduced standards in their school and how she cannot believe how little homework her own children have each night, and when they do get it that it is too easy. She was also very succinct in her last statement to me. "Instead of creating proficient problem solvers we are creating proficient test takers".

As for the art teacher, her response was very different and more along the lines of my thoughts of globalization. Her definition was "getting along multiculturally". She was very forthright in her explanation, perhaps because she is from another country, and although she has been here many years she still has a heavy accent. She stated, "It's here whether we like it or not". I liked her attitude. I asked her similar questions, but related to her art curriculum. She said that she does not teach global art specifically because the program she uses is called "Picturing America". It is a national program that she received and it leads her through all of her objectives Kindergarten through fifth grade. She told me that in middle school and high school the focus shifts to art from around the world. When I asked if there are any benefits to that system, she said no. She said that she feels that it is supporting profiling, the philosophy that ours is always better, and not really teaching students to accept other cultures even within the U.S. But, she teaches her curriculum.

The comparison between these teachers is interesting. It seems we all have a common understanding of what globalization is and how we can teach it and even integrate it when it is not in the curriculum, but we (as teachers) are so loaded down with other parts of the curriculum that we cannot seem to squeeze it in. I feel the same pressure in second grade. The only place I could think to incorporate it was into reading centers, where my "high" students can do an independent study on a country of their choice and then create a PowerPoint to share with the class. A possible solution to our lack of preparation of students it to include it as "research in technology" in the statewide curriculum. I understand globalization not being part of the Social Studies curriculum because of the developmental progression of a child's thought process, starting first with themselves and then to family, community, city, state, country, and lastly, world. (This is usually shown through a progression of concentric circles with the child in the middle). However, a link with technology might be successful and purposeful.