Then we had a nice sandwich-break, and continued with our groups to talk of the global challenges. We all chose our top three challenges. Mine was sustainability, natural disasters, and wars and crises. Then we agreed on three topics, which were Climate change, Food problem and Gap between the rich and the poor. And we made a poster of these themes.
How does globalisation challenge us as professionals in education?
This question is very wide, and though not easy to answer! We agreed on three biggest challenges to be the Climate Change, Food Problem and the Gap Between the Poor and the Rich.
Climate change is a topic that's been on the surface for a few years. Children should be told that even the small changes can make a big difference like buying ecological food and turn off the lights when you leave a room. I feel that many people are getting tired of the talk of being green, polutioning and energy resourses as far as most things are blamed on individuals. In my point of view, individuals shoud react and take small steps on sustainability, but, I would say the governments of all countries should have the major role by making laws to industries and bigger companies to reduce polution and wasting energy.
Food problem has a lot to do with sustainability. Children should be thought from early age to respect food and not to waste it. In Europe, we have too much food, so we tend to waste it, and use it in unsustainable way. Also, the price of food is put low with the help of grants. The governments and EU gives grants to farmers, which enables us to buy underpriced items from abroad, for example from our neighbour countries as well as from developing countries.
The gap between the poor and the rich has always been a problem. Millions of people live under the poverty line, which is 1 US dollar per day. The education and health care system in Nordic countries is a good start enabled by it's taxing and sharing the money for the poor, but many problems are still left unsolved. We should teach children that all people are equal and we need to - and we want to - take responsibility of those who do not have the chance to earn enough money for living.
Describe situations where your understanding of globalization and its implication for your profession is challenged.
I am studying Art Education, and thus I am interested in Arts in different cultures. I will most likely be teaching art to people from different backgrounds. I should make sure all students can participate in the lessons in some way. A big discussion in the Art Education field has also been the "school-available-pictures." What kind of pictures are allowed to be shown and talked of in the classroom? In the globalizing world, the kids come across thousands of advertisements and provoking pictures. How do they react to these, and should these topics be drawn up in the classroom?
Describe situations where you are challenged in using English in a work process or in a social interaction.
I have been many times in situation, where I can't impress my ideas in the way I want, because of my lacking English skills, or because of the other's lacking English skills. Also, some expressions are so strong in different languages, it is hard to describe the thoughts in English, even I would know how to say it in my mother tongue Finnish.
Describe situations where you are challenged in using English in a work process or in a social interaction.
I have been many times in situation, where I can't impress my ideas in the way I want, because of my lacking English skills, or because of the other's lacking English skills. Also, some expressions are so strong in different languages, it is hard to describe the thoughts in English, even I would know how to say it in my mother tongue Finnish.
