GLOBALIZATION IN THE CLASSROOM1
Globalization in the Classroom
Jennifer Thoman
WilkesUniversity
Globalization in the Classroom
Prior to this course, I didn’t have a good understanding of the term globalization. So I had much to learn. For the sake of organization and my sanity, I’m going to divide this paper into two sections. Those sections will cover what globalization is and how the knowledge I gained will affect my teaching. So without further ado, here’s Part 1.
What is Globalization?
I think the best description I found during our coursework was written by Thomas Friedman (2005). He said,
“Globalization 1.0 (1492 to 1800) shrank the world from a size large to a size medium, and the dynamic force in that era was countries globalizing for resources and imperial conquest. Globalization 2.0 (1800 to 2000) shrank the world from a size medium to a size small, and it was spearheaded by companies globalizing for markets and labor. Globalization 3.0 (which started around 2000) is shrinking the world from a size small to a size tiny and flattening the playing field at the same time. And while the dynamic force in Globalization 1.0 was countries globalizing and the dynamic force in Globalization 2.0 was companies globalizing, the dynamic force in Globalization 3.0 -- the thing that gives it its unique character -- is individuals and small groups globalizing. Individuals must, and can, now ask: where do I fit into the global competition and opportunities of the day, and how can I, on my own, collaborate with others globally? But Globalization 3.0 not only differs from the previous eras in how it is shrinking and flattening the world and in how it is empowering individuals. It is also different in that Globalization 1.0 and 2.0 were driven primarily by European and American companies and countries. But going forward, this will be less and less true. Globalization 3.0 is not only going to be driven more by individuals but also by a much more diverse -- non-Western, nonwhite -- group of individuals. In Globalization 3.0, you are going to see every color of the human rainbow take part.”
Friedman used his theories on globalization to talk about how our world is becoming flatter as we gain more and more technologies and work together with those we were unable to work with before those technologies became available. While I found this information interesting, I began to wonder why this course was a required course for graduate education majors. I mean, what impact would this have on me and my teaching. I continued to read. But as I read the article by Hytten and Bettez, I began to understand. They talked about the important issues of critical awareness and social justice. They went on to say, “teaching this topic is also fraught with tensions, particularly since studying issues of suffering, exploitation, and injustice from a global perspective can be overwhelming” (2008). I hadn’t thought about that. But it’s true. So many of today’s students haven’t really thought about others around the world and the hardships they face. They’re focused on their own little world and that’s about it. Their critical thinking skills are lacking. As their teachers, we should realize that “some understanding of globalization issues provides an important context for helping students develop habits of critical thinking and sensitivity. It also can help them better situate local problems and understand the role that privilege plays in sustaining problems.”
This was all pretty new stuff for me and I wasn’t sure what to do with it or where to go. So I continued to read and see what this globalization business was all about. Moving into week two brought with it the prospect of offshoring. This idea shocked me; it even scared me. Sure, I had thought about other jobs being outsourced, but not education. Or so I thought. Some college professors send their students’ papers overseas to be graded. That is very disturbing to me – for several reasons. The professors don’t get to know their students as well by having someone else grade their papers. Also, even though the professors may send the papers to English speaking foreigners, those graders may not have the same command of the English language that a native speaker has. They may miss the importance of colloquialisms and idioms – even slang. But is offshoring for education really all that far away? Probably not. Many high school students are supplementing their education with an online class. While that may be currently taught by someone here in the States, it’s really not all that hard to think that eventually a non American teacher will be teaching those classes. Thankfully, Blinder (2006) believes that “electronic delivery will probably never replace personal contact in K-12 education, which is where the vast majority of the educational jobs are.” College education may be a different story, but I’m not going to worry about that right now. I prefer high school students.
One of the things I enjoyed reading about the second week was the article about working with our hands (Crawford, 2009). It was actually a breath of fresh air. Partly because I have a vocational education. But more importantly because it helped me to realize that not all jobs can be outsourced. While a lot of things will be outsourced, some things just can’t be taken out of the States. For example, hair stylists will always be in demand and can’t be replaced with computers. Someone will need to be present physically to fix plumbing or electricity. Contrary to popular belief, these are jobs that require critical thinking skills. And they are very much needed. So why bring this up in a course about Globalization? Because it’s important to know that many thing are being globalized but there are still things that aren’t. Teachers need to know their students to know what direction to guide them.
Too often our students look at the job market and their aspirations and choose a career based on what makes the most money. It seems that the current high school generation is more concerned about money than about what jobs would benefit society or even what they enjoy doing. They are obsessed with the pursuit of material possessions. I would like to think that by teaching globalization, they would see the error of their ways – at least to some degree. I do not think it would fix everything, but it sure would help. That brings me to Part 2 of my paper.
My Classroom as a Result of Globalization
During week 4 of our class we made 2 lesson plans. While I thought they both had possibilities, I really liked the second one. In fact, I could see making a few changes and then adding it to my curriculum. A few of the key points include:
Lesson 2 Title: Globalization and McDonald’s.
Introduction - I will begin the lesson with a brief review of the Presidents. Then I’ll talk about the time the Fords and Nixons went to China in 1972. They were witnesses to a major breakthrough in the internationalizing of American business and the creation of a global economy.
1. Begin the lesson by asking students if they know what globalization is, if they can give any examples of its effects, or if they’ve heard anyone talking about it.
3. As an example of globalization, give students the time to explore the three sites listed below outlining the history of McDonald’s, and showing the international reach of the
company. Particularly interesting are the pictures of McDonald’s in other countries, their advertising, and pictures of their customers.
1. Ask students to list all the impacts they think globalization might have on these cultural groups. [Note: Make sure they understand that these groups are gross generalizations and that there are really many cultural groups within each one.] They should list both positive and negative. They will need to conduct some basic research on these cultures before making their lists. This can be done on the Internet or in the school or community library. They will use PowerPoint, Prezi or Blabberize to make a presentation of their culture and the effects globalization has had on it.
2. Each group will give their presentations.
3. There will be a panel discussion after the presentations have been given. I will moderate and ask the following questions: What might be the pros and cons of globalization for the world's cultures? Do the you agree with Erla Zwingle's statement that "globalization will give us new ways not only to appreciate other cultures more, but to look on our own with fresh wonder and surprise"? Do you think globalization will have the same type of impact on indigenous cultures?
Some of the changes would include finding the percentage of change in the price of food at McDonalds in the 1972 versus now. And I would also have them figure out the prices based on minimum wage – then and now.
Outside of the lesson plans that we created, I would try to have more problems revolving around current global issues. When talking about percentages, I could also use the nuclear issues in Japan to help students gain an appreciation for why the knowledge is important as well as foster empathy for others. When talking about the quadratic formula, I would use the tidal waves in the recent tsunami to help cement that knowledge.
I’m also beginning to develop an understanding of the amount of technology that’s available and how it would be useful. But I think the biggest thing that I personally learned about globalization is how our society is changing as a result. My students have no clue. I want to constantly be sharing with them what I learned in this course and how it will affect them. But I also need to get to know my students so that I will know how to direct them. Some of my students would do better to gain a vocational education and work with their hands. I would be doing them a disservice to push them toward college. But whether my students would do better in a vocational environment or a white collar work force, they need to develop problem solving and critical thinking skills. I want to do my best to make sure they gain those skills in my classroom. Sometimes being in a project based learning setting will help them achieve those skills.
I will do my best to engage my students in various manners of math and non-math related projects to help them have a better understanding of what’s going on in our world.
References
Blinder, Allan. (2006). Offshoring: the Next Industrial Revolution. Foreign Affairs,
(March/April), 113-128.
Crawford, Matthew. “The Case for Working with Your Hands.” The New York Times,
May 24, 2009. Available at
Friedman, Thomas. “It’s a Flat World, After All”. The New York Times, April 3, 2005.
Hytten, Kathy & Silvia Bettez. (2008). Teaching Globalization Issues to Education
Students: What’s the Point? Equity & Excellence in Education, 41(2), 168-181.