Education for Transition Education for Transition Towards a Global Society: Towards a Global Society:

A Fresh Look at K-8 A Fresh Look at K-8 Social ScienceSocial Science

ACEL/ASCD International Conference

“New Imagery for Schools and “New Imagery for Schools and Schooling”Schooling”

Robert SiegelSydney, Australia, October 11, 2007

The Need for a Paradigm ShiftDefinition of Terms“Outside-In”Impact of TechnologyThe New Educator/FacilitatorDid You Know?The FrameworkPerformance Assessment of Learning

“Here lies the great challenge to contemporary social science: creating and transmitting the knowledge for understanding and coping with a future that remains largely unknown.”

- Alvin Toffler (1974)

The Need for a Paradigm Shift

Family

ClanTribe

City-State

Nation

Earth

...Ever-expanding loyalties and sense of wholeness

“The emergence of a world community, the consciousness of world citizenship, the founding of a world civilization and culture…should, by their very nature, be regarded, as far as this planetary life is concerned, as the furthermost limits in the organization of human society.”

- Shoghi Effendi, Oxford Scholar, 1938

…the purposes of education in terms of what sort of person one needs to be to develop sustainable communities and thrive within the new paradigm [is to become] the Possible Human…

Caine and CaineEducation on the Edge of Possibility, 1997

Secular research and references on “The Possible Human” include:

Jean Houston’s (1982) notions of the possible human & conscious evolution

Peter Senge’s (1990) set of five disciplines

Kohlberg’s (1981) stages of moral reasoning

Caine and Caine’s (1997) complex and integrated person

… the development of a more “complex and integrated person” with

An inner appreciation of interconnectedness

A stronger identity and sense of being

A sufficiently large vision and imagination to see how specifics relate to each other

The capacity to flow and deal with paradox and uncertainty, and

A capacity to build community and live in relationship with others

- Caine and Caine, ibid.

Time to Reflect (2 min.)

What questions come to mind considering the educational implications of “The Possible Human”?What feels right and what seems confusing?What are the barriers for “thinking freshly”?

Definition of Terms

Global Society

Age of Transition

World Citizenship

Global Understanding

Unity in Diversity

“Outside-In”“Schools rarely leave students with

insights into the nature of the emerging world society with its increasing inter-dependence. The world is still likely to be presented as a series of fragmented units rather than as a whole.”

-James Becker 1973

Making the transition from the Cartesian paradigm:

“the belief that for every complex system the behavior of the whole can be understood entirely

from the properties of its parts.”

To the Systems Thinking paradigm:

“the belief that the properties of the parts can be understood only from the

organization of the whole.”-Fritjof Capra 1996

The New Educators/FacilitatorsWhat might they

look like….

1. Deep understanding that humans are not information processors, but rather “idea thinkers” – Fritjof Capra

2. The “sage on the stage” is dominated by the “guide on the side.”

3. The “facilitator” who understands that “dialogue” joined with systems thinking produces collective learning. – Peter Senge

“from atoms to bytes” -W.Daggett

Impact of Technology“…reality is much more fluid, less predictable, and far more interconnected than we had understood it to be… Coming to terms with the fact that we no longer own…information, and that information is everywhere available in the world of instant access, is critical to genuinely rethinking the nature of the education system and our roles as educators.” - Caine and Caine, 1997

“Laptop Project-

2007”

ethical amoralspiritual areligioustheme-based information-basedholistic compartmentalizedprocess-based content-basedsynergistic compoundedtransformative passiveproactive responsiveoutside-in inside-out

A New Curriculum FrameworkOne that is… As opposed to...

“The principle of the Oneness of Humankind ... implies an organic change in the structure of present-day society, a change such as the world has not yet experienced.”

– Shoghi Effendi, Oxford Scholar, 1938

Video presentation*Video presentation*:Did_You_Know_ASCD.mpg

Reflect for 2 minutes with your colleagues

* © 2006 http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/

THE FRAMEWORK

Traditional Social Science Curriculum Chronology (spatially “inside out”)K Self, School, Community, Home1 Families2 Neighborhoods3 Communities4 State history/geographic regions5 U.S. History6 World cultures/western hemisphere7 World history/cultures/geography8 U.S. History9 Civics/government/ or world culture/history10 World Cultures/history

Traditional Social Science Curriculum Frameworks in USA...While based on ten themes,

contain these disciplines as domains:

US History

World History

Geography

Civics and Government

Economy

“There is remarkable consensus among

educators and business and policy leaders on

one key conclusion: we need to bring what we

teach and how we teach into the 21st century.”

TIME Magazine, December 18, 2006

Australian NSW Board of Studies – an attempt to “think freshly”

“Human Society & Its Environment”Four strands of knowledge and understanding:

Change and ContinuityCulturesEnvironmentsSocial Systems and Structures

““Global” = 61 times. “International” = Global” = 61 times. “International” = 13 times. “Interconnected” = 9 times.13 times. “Interconnected” = 9 times.

Approaches and Endeavors:Global Engineering Education Exchange E3 - higher edInstitute of International Education (IIE) – secondary edInternational Baccalaureate (IB)Global Education Model (GEM)

Universal ValuesGlobal UnderstandingExcellence in All ThingsService to Humanity

Partnership for 21st

Century Skills*Interdisciplinary Themes in addition to core subjects:

Global AwarenessGlobal AwarenessFinancial, Economic, Business & Entrepreneurial LiteracyCivic LiteracyHealth Literacy

* www.21stcenturyskills.org

A New Social Science Curriculum Framework

Q: Why Social Science?

A: It is the study of the “collective human”

An Alternative Social Science Framework…

Is spatially “outside in” and might contain the following guiding principles:

The Oneness of HumankindWorld CitizenshipUnity in Diversity, andMoral decision-making and moral leadership

Might contain the following domains or strands from a systemic view:

HumankindTime and ChangeEarth SkillsServices and ResourcesTransportation and CommunicationGovernance and CitizenshipDecision-making

An Alternative Social Science Framework

An alternative Social Science Framework (higher level “outside-in”)Assumes global foundation from youngest yearsRecognizes technology has transformed what is “developmentally appropriate”Combines current research about historical frameworks, 21st century skills, and service and moral decision-making for responsible civic engagementBecomes fundamentally thematic with a “big picture” look at the past and higher order projection into the future

Examples of Objectives or Curriculum Goals in this

Framework

Example: Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd Grade General Objective:Recognize the essential spiritual nature of the human kingdom and its characteristics as compared to the other kingdoms of earthly creation, and that it is precisely this spiritual nature that distinguishes the human kingdom from the animal kingdom.

A New Social Science Curriculum Framework

Example: 3rd and 4th Grade General Objective:Internalize the concept of the oneness of humankind and that the earth is the home of all humankind

A New Social Science Curriculum Framework

A New Social Science Curriculum FrameworkExample: 5th grade General Objective:Internalize the concept of universal cycles in history and our current transition toward humanity’s coming of age and a new universal cycle.

A New Social Science Curriculum FrameworkExample: 6th gradeGeneral Objective:Understand the concept of a borderless world and the progressively related meanings of dependence, independence and interdependence.

A New Social Science Curriculum FrameworkExample: 8th gradeGeneral Objective:Understand the significance of the phrase new world order, appreciate its emergence on the planet and value its importance as the latest stage in the development of humanity on earth.

Lastly, Assessment of Learning

Minimum Content Specific

Maximum Process and Principle

Higher order thinking skills such as Analysis, Synthesis and Evaluation

Personal Transformation, Service Contribution / Action Plan

Rob, how can we consider, let alone envision, a different Social Science Framework?

““We will probably never perceive We will probably never perceive fully the multiple ways in which we fully the multiple ways in which we influence our reality. But simply influence our reality. But simply being open to the possibility is being open to the possibility is enough to free our thinking.”enough to free our thinking.”

Peter Senge, 1990

Thanks! Questions?

Education for Transition Education for Transition Towards a Global Society: Towards a Global Society:

A Fresh Look at K-8 A Fresh Look at K-8 Social ScienceSocial Science

ACEL/ASCD International Conference

“New Imagery for Schools and “New Imagery for Schools and Schooling”Schooling”

For further references and/or a copy of the framework, visit http://21stCenturyEducation.orghttp://21stCenturyEducation.org or send request by email to: siegelr@onid.orst.edusiegelr@onid.orst.edu