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Viewpoint

The Global Mindset of Students, Teachers,

and School Leaders

By Brenda Kay Small
The global perspective of education is in the mindset of students, teachers, and school leaders

present in schools. They have organically adapted to this transforming education environment.
Technology has opened doors for communication with like-minded students and school staff. The
changing demographics of classrooms have welcomed a shifting pedagogy that focuses on the
learning of individuals. This global perspective, now and in the future, enhances the education

community.

Educators have an innate global mindset. Why? of one’s own borders. Regardless of a person’s
An educator’s objective is to increase learning by political beliefs, such fears create alliances and
applying strategies that reach all levels of learners. enemies. These reservations are real barriers to
In a perfect world, shared global ideologies of global education. This buzz of threats generates
how all humans learn would exist. Each country’s political moves that preclude pure global education
educational system, whether based in a province, cooperation.
district, or a continent, would then collaboratively However, if one looks closely, it is clear that
apply these ideologies with the pure objective to an organic globalization of our education systems
educate all. An educator with a global mindset is surpasses these harmful barriers. Globalization
committed to enhancing learning for all. is here. It is in our schools. The artificial barriers
Historically, globalization or intercontinental are disappearing. Herein, I share a micro-view of
cooperation has generated a fear or skepticism of the globalization of education from the view of a
an underlying impure intent of countries outside student, a teacher, and a principal.

A Student’s Global Mindset

Victor has been playing video games for over a decade with
people from other countries.
One of his favorite partners lives in Japan.
They are a powerful team with a natural ability to
communicate. This activity brings an ease to crossing
boundaries that impacts other activities, including learning.

Students communicate in a language of similar of scholar. However, teachers new to the classroom
interests. Few limitations exist in the minds of arrive with a global mindset and frequently jump
students who reach outside their home countries in with the students to explore the world together.
to research or compete. They are not bound by Global interactions occur organically as students
borders. Their “cyber speak” bonds them as they learn from similar interest groups in countries
problem solve in teams. where their peers have a different look, language,
Educators watch as students skillfully search and culture.
global databases on their quest for answers or ideas For the future, the student perspective of
for assignments. Seasoned educators may be new “global education” will morph as today’s young
to these exercises. Archaic card catalogues and people watch their own children seated in front of
physical libraries are relics serving a different kind a computer or, better yet, as the computer is barely

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