Global Education as a Solution to Fast-Paced Globalization and Technology in a Lagging US Education Curriculum

86 pagesThe 21st century has forged an exciting and unprecedented speed in connectivity, globalization, and technology. While citizens of the world now have more access to information and interrelatedness than ever before, this begs the question of if the US education system is preparing its students to exist in an everchanging and global environment. Given the fast pace of technology and globalization today and that understanding of the world is lagging behind this pace, can the use of global education curricula in K-12 US schools help bridge that gap? Providing an opportunity for K-12 learners to be introduced to a global studies curriculum undoubtedly provides a more well-rounded perspective for the world around us and a respect for different cultures. In addition, in a US society that is heavily burdened by the effects of colonialism, global education is a tool to aid in decolonizing education. The objective of this study is to analyze existing programs that bring global education and diverse perspectives into the K-12 classroom, as well as question the ethical dilemmas– such as how to decolonize education, how to accurately represent different cultures, and what items or stories are used to represent them– that this might provide. This study will also explain why global education programs are often difficult to implement in US-based education systems because of the lack of uniformity in Social Studies education, barriers to access, and the politics of education today