Thoughts about summer reading

We're in the midst of a paradigm shift.  I loved Libby's question, paraphrased, how can we live more consciously and patiently continue to build a better world?  In practical terms, how can we as a school shift gears to move from preparing our students to excel in traditional academics so they can choose from the most selective colleges, to teaching students the skills they need to participate globally in various realms.  They will have so many new, some not yet even imaginable options...  

• On a practical level, I think about programs at my middle school campus.  I think we are moving along, and we have a long way to go. For example, Youssef Talha engaged his French students in video chatting with students in Morocco.  Great and exciting use of technology. As a librarian, I have attended several lectures by the cutting edge technology educator Alan November who has been advocating such tech. projects for purposes of global education for quite some time.  
• We can infuse global projects nto our curriculum in so may ways.  Example, last spring, I heard Katie Smith Milway talk about her book, One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference.  It's all about microfinancing in a small town in Ghana.  What a brilliant way to teach about finances and economy alongside learning about another culture, and exploring a viable way to lend a hand and help communities around the world to move forward in today's world on their own terms.  Why not teach this alongside how our economy currently works?
• As a librarian, I consider it crucial that I teach students skills so they can  sort through the endless flow of information to which they have access.  

We as educators must be conscious of giving global spins to our curriculum, plus ideally, we should to global ed. curriculum, but what do we remove?  Always a dilemma!

Beth

--
Beth Brooks

Buckingham Browne & Nichols MS Library Director

80 Sparks Street

Cambridge, MA  02138

617 800-2340