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More Than Just Trips

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An expanded framework for global education at Catlin Gabel

Presented at the 2010 PNAIS Educators Conference

Presented at the 2010 Global Education Conference (online)
>> Play the session recording (60 mins)

Presenters

Spencer White, middle school spanish teacher and global education coordinator whites@catlin.edu
Nancy Leonhardt, upper school media arts teacher  leonhardtn@catlin.edu
Cindy Beals, upper school math teacher  bealsc@catlin.edu
Richard Kassissieh, director of information technology  kassissiehr@catlin.edu

Topic Description

Global education projects that go beyond cultural exchange and language learning. Examples highlight international service, the Global Viewfinder Film Series, trip planning, curricular integration, cross‐grade collaborations, technology, ongoing partnerships, and sustainability. We encourage attendees to share interdisciplinary global projects that happen at their schools. Attendees are encouraged to contact presenters for more information or to continue exploring specific topic areas. 

Global Education: More Than Just Trips

Our introduction

The premise of global education at CG:  Providing varied expreiences for all students, starting in the earliest grades, connecting them to communities abroad.  Creating a sense of global citizenship and activism, developing students' cultural competence. 
“Cultural competence is the will and the ability to form authentic relationships across difference.” --Gary Howard
Historically, global education (specifically travel) has been housed within modern language program.
Expanding the scope of what is global education
 

Local/International Partnerships - Spencer

- Global Ed wheel of partnerships - Trying to make connections to others with similar goals
- Connection to Mercy Corps Portland (Haiti, Action center visitations, Julie Koehler, education coordinator, working with trip groups)
- Guatemala OES/CG, 6 students from each school, connection to local non-profit Mundo Exchange, 1st grade collaboration project
- Senegal,10,000 Girls, local non-profit World Pulse speaker, Jensine Larsen
- Bienestar Homework club in Aloha, local service

Curricular Integration - Richard

A Window Into Gaza: what are the key success factors for Skype communication?
- Strong partner organization on the ground in-country (Mercy Corps)
- Compelling learning objective for both sides
- Thorough lesson preparation (more structure at the start)
- A decent enough Internet connection
- Sufficient contact time for students to develop a relationship
 
Botswana trip with HIV/AIDS purpose: inviting teachers to integrate the trip into their classes
- Pathogens and Pathology class
- Advanced Biology class
- Statistics classes
- Media Arts class
- Eighth grade history class
- Classes that our Maru-a-Pula exchange student attends
- Model United Nations club
- Global Citizens club
 
Strong service at home makes for strong service abroad
 
Teachers with international experience integrate global education into their classes
- Eighth grade history, teacher trekked in Nepal
- Fourth grade Storyline project on immigrants
- Second grade teacher visited Zimbabwe
- Fourth grade teacher travels to Haiti on medical mission this fall
- Middle School presentation by 10,000 Girls organizer Viola Vaughn
- Seventh grade World Cultures class
- Several teachers spent a year abroad while at Catlin Gabel (Italy, Turkey, Central America)

Involving Community - Nance

Staying Connected while abroad & trip leaders as journalists
Media and the documentation of trips  (iReport, guidelines for sharing within and outside the CG community)
 
Acting Globally by Engaging Locally
Assemblies & Guest Speakers (Hispanic Heritage Month, Jensine Larsen & World Pulse, Tracy Kidder, National Geographic Photographer, Anne Keiser, Documentary Filmmakers Sandy Northrup and David Lamb) 
Student Organizations
Model United Nations Club
Global Citizen's Club
Ujima
Diversity Conference (Jefferson Dancers, MAP Marimba Band)

International presence in our Community - Cindy

Long-Term International students
- Costa Rica (Cloud Forest School)
- Botswana (Maru-a-Pula)
- Independent programs
 
Catlin Gabel students abroad for term or year
- Ohter programs
 
Teachers living/teaching internationally
- Global experience considered in hiring practices
 
Leaders of global trips are spread across entire community
- LS teacher on India trip
- Science teacher on language trip, etc
 
Short-Term International visitors
- Guatemalan MS student ambassadors for a month w/6th grade integration
- Japanese US student group from Gifu Kita for week
 
Other presence on campus
- Student organizations
- Assembly speakers 
Comments from paper at round table discussion (my comments are in italic)
- Risk management is key, but can be done.  (There are so many independent travel services out there that offer services to schools.  Most have very solid legal practices and we as schools need to take great care in developing this aspect of our programs.  I am not a big fan of using their services.  I find that it compromises the potential for curriculum integration while in a way outsourcing the educational structure of the trip.)
- Leveraging international parents as resource.  This can get tricky while balancing different agendas.
- Global trip in the US.
- Student-led trips (might mean more investment/responsibility)
- Budget contraints for launching program at small school.  OK to begin by taking only kids who can pay full fare?  Is there a way to institute a 'global trips savings plan' to aid families?
- Linking trips to school/classroom curriculum is key.  Trips can't happen in isolation.  It's a big step to 'ask' that teachers collaborate or integrate trip curriculum.
- Pen pal relationships are great, if they work well. This is where parents can come in.  Can they support the communication, do some of the grunt work?  
- Consider bringing in alums to chaperone or give talks.
- Sometimes we use US trip participants to teach units in MS
- Homestays are a key element of risk-management
- Film series happening during school day would be a good step.
- Brown-bag lunch discussions with guest speakers
- How to get buy in from faculty and administration
- Love the film series
 
Questions
- How do you coordinate year long exchange?  Do you use an outside organ?  Or, run it through your school?
- How and when do we select students?  (Contact Spencer W.)
- How do we guarantee quality on trips?  (It begins in the earliest stages of trip development.  See me for trip proposal and approval process, trip planning meetings, etc)