Educating Citizens..Introduction Critical Reflection

When thinking about global citizenship, the first thing that comes to my mind is the idea of promoting peace and the best interest of all humans throughout the world. In order to help students become global citizens, I thought that encouraging students to understand the differences between us, as Americans, and others in different countries of the world, in addition to encouraging students to contribute to the well-being of others throughout the world would be sufficient. However, the introduction to Educating Citizens for Global Awareness has led me to believe that educating students in order to make them global citizens is a much more difficult task than I had originally thought.
The question that was asked at the beginning of the reading, “Is there a global way of life?” left me with the answer that yes, the global way of life is to contribute to the good of all countries by helping. Helping others across the world could include making monetary donations to those in need, visiting countries and helping to build up areas in order to give others homes, and to provide people with the care that they may not receive otherwise. Students can get involved with helping people in other countries by first learning about the situations of others and then participating in some sort of learning activity that follows up. The activities that were discussed in last weeks readings are prime examples of how students can connect with students in other countries and make a difference in the lives of others. The book, Brave New Schools discusses the idea that prejudices can be reduced when students participate in cooperative learning with students of different racial backgrounds in order to achieve a common goal. I believe this to be true and I think that when students work together, they forget about the differences between them and look only at the ways in which they are similar. Though I still think that such methods of educating students to be global citizens is effective, I now believe that it is a more complicated process.
When we look at global citizenship, people often think of peace and equality among all people. Nel Noddings, in her introduction to Educating Citizens for Global Awareness, raises an important question that relates to this idea of equality. If a culture or religious group believes that certain groups of people (i.e.—women) are unequal, should we, as Americans who believe otherwise, try to change these beliefs? How do we justify promoting equality among all people to people who think otherwise? Is global citizenship based on the idea that all people should think the same way or that all people should be treated equally? This is a question that has come to my mind.
Another interesting issue raised in the introduction is the difference between national and global citizenship. If we are national citizens who are patriotic and look towards the best interest of our own countries, are we not good global citizens? In a situation such as the war in Iraq, Americans are considered to be good Americans when we support our troops and have a sense of American pride. However, isn’t the promotion of war against the idea of peace and global citizenship? Nel Noddings states, “If it is national unity that concerns us, there is a solution that has almost always worked—war” (p.15). I find myself asking how we can educate students to be good citizens in our own country in addition to good global citizens, when topics such as war arise.
Diversity stretches beyond the differences in racial and ethnic ideals. It also encompasses differences among students in talents and interests. The message within all schools to students seems to center around the idea of lots of schooling, in to college, and beyond. Though I completely agree with the fact that students should be encouraged to stay in school and to reach for high goals, I also think it is important to encourage students to pursue their own interests and talents. By telling students that the best jobs require lots of education, are we indeed telling the truth? Noddings states, “The occupations that will employ the most workers in the next decade are almost all jobs that require little education” (p. 6). As an individual who has completed many years of school beyond high school, I have always been taught that all jobs require education. However, this is not the truth of the matter. Careers in the industries of plumbing, carpentry, and other trades will be in large demand and students who do not necessarily love school should be encouraged to pursue careers in such fields. Though encouraging students to stay in school and continue on through college is an excellent way of beginning one’s life, teacher should recognize that not all students need to complete college in order to gain their own successes. In President Barack Obama’s recent speech to students across America, he stated that most of you (referring to the students) will not be rich; however, all of you can be successful in your own ways. I think that this statement directly relates to the ideas of Nel Noddings and the encouragement of all students to pursue their own interests and become successful in their own ways.
The idea of global citizenship is much more complicated than I had originally believed it to be. Teaching students to become global citizens involves more than simply discussing the situations and problems on other countries. Students need to understand the differences between our own society and the societies of other countries in order to understand what is best for people around the world. In order to help our students to understand and become global citizens, teachers need to have appropriate training and educational experiences, which help them to understand what global citizenship means. By educating teachers, they can have a true understanding of what this means, and therefore help our students, as a result.