Although this website is titled “The Upside of Global Education” it is my hope that you will quickly see there is no downside to an education that promotes a global mindset. Rather, Global Education allows students to see themselves in the curriculum, make connections with people and cultures across our planet, and take action in issues of global importance. This website is intended to serve as an introduction to these topics and is in no way exhaustive. This is a launch point, for what I hope will be a rich exploration into Global Ed.
Each section of this website is devoted to allowing teachers to explore Global Education in more depth.
The “Study” section provides reasoning and resources for Global Education, including how teachers can better understand global competence and assess the integration of Global Education in various curricula.
The “Teach” section goes into greater depth on how you can incorporate Global Education into your classroom with project-based resources and community resources from Chicago.
The “Travel” section will reflect my experiences studying the integration of Global Competence in Germany’s education system during the summer of 2022 as part of the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms program.
Hello! I am a teacher and curriculum coordinator at Ogden International High School, a public school within the Chicago Public Schools District. During my 12 years at Ogden, I have taught a wide variety of Social Studies classes, primarily to students in the 11th and 12th grades. In participating in the Fulbright TGC program, I have learned new strategies on how to engage students in global thinking and, most importantly, take action on what they learn. I’m always looking for ways to foster more global engagement in my curriculum after having travelled to Germany to complete my fellowship in the summer of 2022.
I hope this guide encourages you to incorporate more Global Competence into your curriculum and instruction. If you have questions or comments, please reach out to me at jtmcginnis@cps.edu.
The photo above was taken at Big Basin Redwoods State Park in California, which burned in the historic wildfires of 2020. Fortunately, many of the old-growth Redwoods survived, although the park's historic structures did not. The wildfires in California, and in many other parts of the United States, are becoming a regular occurrence. These fires, and other impacts of climate change, are being made worse by human activity. Click the image to the left to learn more about the UN SDG 13, Climate Action.