Running head: A CHALLENGE TO ACT

A Challenge to Act
Michelle Frey
Wilkes University

A CHALLENGE TO ACT

In learning about and understanding globalization, the phrase its a small world, after
all may come to mind. The growth and change in technology has caused the world to become a
more complex and exceedingly interconnected web of information, commerce, culture, and
politics. Thomas Friedman (2005) states that the main challenge to America today comes from
the fact that all the walls are being taken down and many other people can now compete and
collaborate with us much more directly. The speed in which these changes are taking place are
happening at an exponential rate. The burden these challenges present are now largely placed on
education to better prepare the future for an ever changing and uncertain landscape. It would be
foolish for educators and politicians alike to falter in responding to the demands of globalization
if the United States intends to keep up with the rest of the world. Now is the time to take action
in responding to and tackling the predicament of globalization in order to meet its demands.
As an educator, my educational philosophy has been challenged by the teachings of
globalization and the realization that the future that was set before me when I was in school is
not the same future my students will face. The basics of my philosophy, acting as a guide instead
of a dispenser of knowledge while providing a fair and equitable education for all, have remained
the same. However, my approach must change to keep up with emerging technologies and the
interconnectedness of our world. I have been, I will admit with a little shame, thinking too small
with regards to my educational philosophy and therefore my instructional approach. I have not
been taking distant and developing countries into consideration.
Friedman (2012) warns about the four great challenges for the United States: the merger
of globalization and the IT revolution, the competition of American students against the worlds
brightest students for a college education, the rising global curve, and the elimination of
average aptitudes from global competitions. In reflecting upon the teachings of globalization, I

A CHALLENGE TO ACT

am concerned about how I have been preparing students for the problems Friedman (2012)
outlines. Globalization has prompted me to rethink about how I teach biology and how I can
metaphorically kill two birds with one stone. While I must adhere to the standards set forth by
the state and demonstrate student achievement through standardized tests, I must also prepare
students for a future with no guarantees as more and more occupations become off-shored or outsourced (Blinder, 2006).
Howard Gardner (2004) briefly outlines seven necessary skills that should be achieved by
the time a student is finished with primary education: a working knowledge of globalization,
success at critical and creative thinking which spans several disciplines, an aptitude to formulate
solutions for multi-disciplinary issues, productive and civil interactions with individuals of
various socio-economic and cultural backgrounds, acknowledgment and respect for ones own
cultural tradition(s), the ability to uphold a fluid and unifying identity from various cultures, and
the capacity to promote an atmosphere of tolerance.
The skills described by Gardner (2004) and the problems outlined by Friedman (2012)
will be combined with the major tenets of my existing educational philosophy in order to
summarize my updated philosophy as the following: (1) I believe that all students possess the
capacity to achieve given the appropriate environment, support, and opportunity. It is my hope
that I will motivate students in a positive manner to rise to the challenges of globalization and
become life-long learners; (2) I believe that students must form a global identity that is true to
themselves and embraces and accepts cultures and traditions that may be different from their
own in an effort to inspire a truly collaborative and tolerant persona.

A CHALLENGE TO ACT

The need for this updated philosophy is paramount in ensuring a brighter future for
todays students. As a teacher I feel as though I am standing upon a paradox: globalization is
causing our world to become smaller, or as Friedman (2005) maintains, flatter, yet students are
often times unaware or oblivious to how big our world is, both with regards to the United States
as well as the rest of the planet.
Students must first see the changes taking place within the United States. Todays
landscape does not look much like the landscape with which my parents had grown up. The work
place can be broken up into three main categories: non-routine work, routine work, and nonroutine local work (Friedman, 2012). The jobs that fill the second category, such as working on
an assembly line, are quickly becoming off-shored for cheaper labor in developing countries
(Friedman, 2012; Blinder, 2006). Ultimately, students should be prepared for the truth that the
journey for their original desired vocation is not promised in a globalized world (Blinder, 2006).
When possible, it is an opportunity granted to those that have the capacity for a strong work
ethic, an exemplary moral conviction, and a creative flare that will set him or her apart from the
crowd (Milliron, 2007).
Similarly, disparity is growing across the country. While some schools may be seemingly
shielded from this change, it does not make it any less true. When compared to other developed,
more equal countries, the United States almost exclusively comes in last place in general health,
literacy, and crime (Wilkinson & Pickett, 2009; Wilkinson & Pickett, 2011). Social mobility is
becoming more of an issue than ever before. In fact, Judt (2010b) states that children today in
the UK, as in the US have very little expectation of improving upon the condition into which
they were born. The poor stay poor. Judt cites an obsession with wealth creation as the main

A CHALLENGE TO ACT

cause behind this stagnancy. Todays students are certainly hard-pressed with serious issues that
need to be addressed for future generations (Judt, 2010b).
These points should not, of course, be made to scare or depress students, but inform them
of the dangers that exist in our country and the problems they present for us as a society with
regards to competing in a global economy. Bringing attention to these existing social issues will
raise awareness and cause a level of distress that will challenge students to be civically
responsible. Students will need to think critically about how they fit into this puzzle. Teachers
can approach this topic by honestly exploring the issues of domestic job loss and growing
inequality with students. In order to help students develop an identity with regards to these
growing concerns, teachers should facilitate a discussion around the moral and ethical
implications of this change. Allowing students to express their feelings on if they think it is fair
or right will help develop this identity and lead students towards the critical thinking that is
necessary to solving these problems.
When thinking about the largeness of our small world, students can sometimes find it
hard to relate to distant parts of the world. As Gardner (2004) indicates, not only is a working
knowledge of globalization a requisite for surviving in this changing world, so too, is tolerance
of individuals and cultures that are dissimilar to our own. One major flaw with education of
diverse cultures stems from the fact that (1) they are usually only offered at a collegiate level
which may be unattainable for some and (2) the individuals who usually take the aforementioned
course represent the culture for which the course is about (Judt, 2010a). This is a fine line to
walk when given the financial restraints of most schools, but I feel it is possible to adequately
immerse students in cultural studies through the use of global project based learning projects.
Students can become virtually connected with students in various places around the world.

A CHALLENGE TO ACT

Students will have the opportunity to interact with a real live person from a different culture as
well as collaborate toward a solution on a common problem. If a global PBL cannot be
achieved, celebrating the diversity within ones school should be more than sufficient as diverse
cultures continue to immigrate to the United States (Surez-Orozco, 2004). Schools can celebrate
diversity within their own walls and find common or shared experience across cultural
boundaries that can work to promote tolerance and unite dissimilar individuals. Surez-Orozco
(2004) states that the ability to formulate an identity that allows comfortable movement
between worlds will be at the very heart of achieving a truly global soul (pp. 173).
With the increased pressure of standardized testing beating down on most educators, it is
not often that I will say I am lucky to teach biology. However, when thinking about my new
educational goals with respect to globalization, I could not be more thankful for this dynamic and
multi-disciplinary topic. Many of the topics included within the curriculum are safely aligned to
standards for state testing but also lend themselves to creative thinking and global perspectives.
The Ecology Unit in biology provides me ample opportunities to adapt the curriculum to
meet the needs of globalization while still satisfying the state standards for my content area. For
example, when exploring renewable versus non-renewable sources, students could start by using
Google Earth. Using this tool, they could explore the topography of various parts of the world
with regards to water ways. Upon further inspection, they may notice the recessed water
boundaries of the Aral Sea. By doing a bit more exploring, they may be able to research how the
Aral Sea is slowly starting to dry up completely. Not only will students have the opportunity to
explore the environmental effects of plants and animals in the area, but they will be able to
research how this environmental issue is affecting individuals native to the area. Using a
collaborative website like http://www.globe.gov/ I could connect with a classroom near the Aral

A CHALLENGE TO ACT

Sea. Together, our classrooms could work together to study a problem, like the desertification of
the area.
Along the lines of environmental issues is always a discussion about species preservation.
Although many issues initially appear as cut and dry or black and white, experience tells us that
they very rarely are clean cut. Deforestation is an obvious assault to the worlds most beautiful
rainforest, and as I discussed with the previous example, can have long-term, detrimental effects
on environments near and far. The main culprit behind the majority of the worlds deforestation
is palm oil plantation farming. One scenario that students are seldom aware of is how much palm
oil has infiltrated our daily lives. A discussion first would center on students analyzing the
contents of items they use every day (ex: peanut butter, shampoo, lip balm, etc). Next, students
would explore the culture of palm oil plantations: who are these farmers and why are they doing
this? They may be surprised to know that this practice is just a job for many individuals.
Ultimately, students would work together to come up with a solution for palm oil and the
farming techniques that are robbing our world of our precious rainforests. Using a variety of
technology tools, such as VoiceThread, YouTube, and GoogleDocs, students will be able to
conduct their research, collaborate, and present their findings.
Both of these ideas present students with the opportunity to hone their creativity, critical
thinking skills, and communication skills. Students must critically analyze the environmental
issues of the world: how they affect us and how they affect others. Students must work together
to problem-solve and understand the cultural differences that are strongly related to these issues.
Students will also realize that just because they are in a science class does not mean that they can
ignore social studies, language arts, or math as these are all important components of the issues
at hand.

A CHALLENGE TO ACT

As our world becomes more connected and more influenced by the phenomenon of
globalization, education must also continue to change and evolve to provide our students the
skills they will need to flourish in the uncertain future. The challenges set forth by globalization
will prompt teachers to critically evaluate their educational philosophy and continually update
their instructional approach. It is my hope that these changes will motivate educational practice
to shift in a way that not only better prepare students to successfully compete in a highly
connected and highly competitive global market but will also lead to a better quality of life for
all.

A CHALLENGE TO ACT

9
References

Blinder, A. S. (2006). Offshoring: The next industrial revolution? Foreign Affairs, 85(2), 113128.
Friedman, T. L. (2005). Its a flat world, after all. The New York Times. Retrieved from
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/03/magazine/03DOMINANCE.html?_r=0
Friedman, T. L. (2012). View from the top. [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPks6U7t3xs
Gardner, H. (2004). How education changes: Considerations of History, Science, and Values. In
M. M. Suarez-Orozco & D.B. Qin-Hilliard (Eds.), Globalization: Culture and Education
in the New Millennium (pp. 235-258). Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of
California Press.
Judt, T. (2010a). Edge people. New York Review of Books. Retrieved from
http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2010/feb/23/edge-people/
Judt, T. (2010b). Ill fares the land. New York Review of Books. Retrieved from
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2010/apr/29/ill-fares-the-land/
Milliron, M. D. (2007). Transcendence and globalization: Our education and workforce
development challenge. New Directions for Community Colleges, 138, 31-38. doi:
10.1002/cc.279
Surez-Orozco, C. (2004). Formulating identity in a globalized world. In M. M. Suarez-Orozco
& D.B. Qin-Hilliard (Eds.), Globalization: Culture and Education in the New Millennium
(pp. 173-202). Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press.
Wilkinson, R., & Pickett, K. (2009). The spirit level slides. The Equality Trust. Retrieved from
http://www.equalitytrust.org.uk/resources/our-publications/spirit-level-slides

A CHALLENGE TO ACT

10

Wilkinson, R., & Pickett, K. (2011). Greater equality: The hidden key to better health and higher
scores. American Educator, Spring (2011), 5-9.
https://live.wilkes.edu/content/enforced/18832211236.201510/Content/course_files/Wilki
nson.pdf