FOCUS: Using International Education and global citizen citizenship as stimulus, I hope to improve our communities tolerance and acceptance, as well as preparing pupils for positive destinations in their future.
QUESTION: In what way does diversifying the curriculum affect our community’s tolerance and acceptance of one another?
After the second period, and current, period of school closures, I have taken time to reflect on my project and have decided to take myself on a journey I am more familiar with. As Glasgow’s Leader of International Learning , supporting schools with their IE provision is my passion and something which I am actively engaged in. I am therefore going ahead with promoting tolerance through diversifying the curriculum as my project focus. To do this, one of my main focus will be using Global Storyline methodology and the other will be using my role as an EAL teacher to promote a culture of acceptance and tolerance.
Global storyline
The Global Storyline experience is extremely powerful for learners. Pupils have described how their confidence has grown, how they feel more able to debate and discuss issues, and how they feel that the issues explored are hugely relevant and important to them.
Head teachers and local authorities are now using experienced Global Storyline teachers to achieve wider improvement of the school curriculum. Head teachers explained that Global Storylines had also provided an opportunity for the school staff in general to learn as global citizens.
Teachers from the Global Storylines project have described how their children had shared their learning with school peers, with children at other schools in the learning community and with parents and other family members.
Dr Tanya Wisely is now working on a new theme for research, in light of the GTCS Professional Update scheme, and the standards for Career-Long Professional Learning. Values and social justice are at the heart of the vision for Scottish Education in the future. What does this mean to teachers in their everyday practice?
As an EAL teacher, I use the document, ‘Learning in 2+ Languages’ to ensure the inclusion of my bilingual learners. However I don’t feel that mainstream class teachers are made aware of this policy.
It aims to help staff understand better the strengths and development needs of Bilingual learners and to address them more effectively within the mainstream classroom. It states, ‘Inclusion, race equality, cultural diversity, bilingualism and effective additional language provision must be considered by all educational establishments, regardless of their current ethnic composition.’
It has checklists and guidance to ensue establishments are providing an inclusion and supportive environment that will benefit all pupils, not just bilingual learners.
