Tuesday, July 16, 2013

2013 summer reading

Note: Sorry for the repeat, but I forgot to sign my first entry. :-)

In reflecting upon Riemers's 3 dimensions of globalization and BB&N, I feel as if ours is, has been and hopefully will always be a work in progress as we adapt / adjust our approach and strategies to educate our children in the 21st century. A critical and challenging first step is acknowledging that we will need to attend Riemers's "3 A's" concurrently.

 I'm glad to be a part of a community that is making the conscious and conscientious choice to address the issue surrounding "global competency" as we work to prepare our students to lead, engage and embrace the 21st century. As a teacher and as a parent, I am well aware of this necessity, and the challenges inherent in this movement – in part because we can no longer blindly rely upon the models and experiences we were introduced to in our youth. While we have always known that change was and shall remain inevitable, what has changed is the rate and degree with which it is changing…and I see adults having a harder time adjusting to this than today's youth. As technology has made it easier for us to learn more about our responsibilities are and ought to be, it has also afforded us the choice to engage with more people in our flattening world, or not (which is something I hope people will not choose to do as our society can not afford to remain isolated from the rest of the world).

 I was also struck by his observation that "global competency is helpful not only from an economic standpoint but as a cornerstone of democratic leadership and citizenship." While economics shall remain a key component to successful societies, I also see moral development and character education as just-as-essential qualities in the future as the kinds of human beings we are educating-them-to-be (directly and indirectly) will have a more meaningful impact upon the future than how smart (as measured by "traditional" standards) they are. 

 While there is more that can be done and that needs to be done, I am encouraged when I see our students (at the upper school, in particular) venturing forth and engaging people beyond the BB&N community (locally as well as globally); they are actively engaging with and acting on behalf of others and putting them before themselves.


Ross

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