Finding 5: Social studies educators must lead the way for a new citizenship education that emphasizes the global elements of 21st century citizenship.
My graduate work has transformed my personal identity as an educator. I have realized the importance of a new approach to citizenship education. I now understand that I must prepare students to act as citizens in the 21st century world. My pedagogy must allow students to exercise 21st century skills. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21) has articulated what skills young people must develop in order to contribute to the new global environment. The P21 organization cites global awareness as a basic ability for students today. I center my instruction on this premise and attempt to weave global perspectives into everything that I do in my classroom. When I entered graduate school, I had not yet begun my career as an educator. Now, I teach social studies at Leesville Road High School in North Raleigh. I depend on my learning experiences in the New Literacies and Global Learning program in order to effectively incorporate global perspectives into my instruction.
Beyond my own classroom, I know that I must help lead the movement toward wide-spread global citizenship education. My Teachers as Leaders class allowed me to build my understanding of teacher leadership. I defined teacher leaders as individuals who foster school-based reform successfully through rigorous reflection, ongoing collaboration, and effective modeling. I kept a leadership log to record my evolving perspective on the literature. I then wrote a final paper and plan of action for the future. In this work, I described my plan to grow as a leader within my own school and the broader educational community. I focused on I now see how I can act as a leader within my own school, while simultaneously promoting wide-spread educational reform. Overall, I hope to apply the knowledge from this class in my efforts to make global citizenship education a reality.
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