Within the framework of the project “Global Schools: EYD 2015 to Embed Global Learning in Primary Education” in February 2016 there were commenced a 48-hour professional competence improvement program in Global Education (GE) in the field of preschool and primary school education.
Within the framework of the project “Global Schools: EYD 2015 to Embed Global Learning in Primary Education” in February 2016 there were commenced a 48-hour professional competence improvement program in Global Education (GE) in the field of preschool and primary school education. The educators from 24 educational institutions involved in the project from Rezekne Amalgamated Municipality participated in the program. While preparing lecturers – practitioners for the further education of educators at their educational institutions in the field of Global Education, the employees of Educational Development Centre (EDC) worked for two days on the educators’ professional improvement program “Global Education as a Topicality in the Modern Study Process”. They worked at the premises of Rezekne Amalgamated Municipality local government. These employees are very experienced regarding delivering courses in this field. Under the guidance of knowledgeable lecturers, the educators learned what is GE and sustainable lifestyle, what are the possibilities of GE in the educational institutions, desires, needs and harmonious development in the local and global community. As much as important themes of GE — safe food and health, mutual interaction and social justice, sustainable consumption and life quality — were discussed during the second meeting within the framework of the courses. The teachers were instructed in the resources on global education available at present. Each educator was touched by stories why and how many millions of children in the world have no opportunity to attend school. All themes discussed within the program have something in common with the words of Nelson Mandela: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”, because they make to think about mutual interaction within the broad global context. The global changes affect what we are teaching and the way how we are teaching, therefore hese GE themes are useful for parents and teacher meetings and project weeks at schools, as well as when planning programs for the development of educational institutions. Every participant of program could consider how many trees “get into” the post boxes of the residents of Latvia as advertising brochures published by supermarkets within a year. It turns out that those are 30 thousand trees every year! The teachers discussed also daily saving of resources, for example – whether paper is being saved at the educational institutions by writing on both its sides. How important is it to attract pupils’ attention to saving of water resources? In its turn, Ecological Foot is the understanding of how we use different resources: fuel, paper, waste, transport, electricity, food, water… The understanding of these issues encourages pupils and preschoolers to think about the sustainable lifestyle and saving of resources in order to keep our planet Earth clean.
During the seminar, in an open atmosphere, every educator could recall what games were played in her or his childhood. It was an emotional moment, therefore, according to the lecturers’ advice, it is worth to talk about such issues with pupils and encourage them, within different projects at the educational institutions, to find out their parents’ memories about childhood. For example, the latest project of Italian photographer Gabriele Galimberti “Toy Stories” enables to look into the experience of children from different countries. Through things that unite children all over the world, through games and plays, the people interested in such children’s experience, can by chance gain the insight into the theme of GE on the values of different cultures, the possibilities and provision all over the world.
The teachers evaluate these seminars as one of the best experiences. Here are some of the references:
“We, the teachers, must be liable how the children will live. We must not teach the children of the future by applying methods of the past. The seminars are very useful, because they provide directions for how to acquire correctly different global issues. Any theme starts with local aspects (the family, oneself) and then it is viewed in relation to the world!” – Inguna Butkane (Butkāne), a teacher at Dricani Secondary School.
“I really feel like a small part of the world for which I’m necessary. I learned a lot of new in relation to the global education and modern thinking about this theme” – Sarmite (Sarmīte) Skudra, a preschool teacher at Kaunata Preschool Educational Institution “Zvaniņš” (“Bell”).
“The seminars enable every participant to understand what the global education is. What depends on each of us in the world, can I also contribute any action to make the world a better place?” – Valentina Maliseva ( Valentīna Mališeva), head of Ozolaine Preschool Educational Institution “Jāņtārpiņš” (“Glowworm”).
Knowledge acquired and practical materials obtained at GE seminars will be useful for teachers, when working with children, actualizing not only local but also global themes, developing insight into how it concerns oneself, one’s family, city, country.
The days were filled with practical activities; time passed in an interesting atmosphere and it was useful. There were many positive emotions, as well as the participants obtained handouts that they will have opportunity to share with their colleagues and to use them as study materials whn working with children. The information obtained during the courses will enable the teachers to notice the essence of the issue better, to pay more attention to the scale of values and, by challenging a child’s natural thirst for knowledge, to develop their insight into the priorities in everybody’s life – the most important issues, less important ones and the least essential ones.
The teachers of preschool educational institutions and primary schools of Rezekne Amalgamated Municipality are grateful to Inguna Irbite ( Ingūna Irbīte )and Daina Zelmene for the acquired knowledge that enables to think globally and encourages to act locally. The conclusion of these two days is: Appreciate what you have and do your best to make the world a better place !
The activities run by the lecturers of non-governmental organization (NGO) “Green Freedom” ( “Zaļā Brīvība” ) were as important and attractive as the above mentioned ones. The teachers from the preschool educational institutions and primary schools of Rezekne Amalgamated Municipality participated in these activities durng the pupuls’ spring holidays. The cycle of seminars “Global Education for a Primary School and a Preschool Educational Institution – Cognition and Integration within the Study Process” delivered by NGO during the first year of project took place: on 14 March – at Kaunata Secondary School, on 15 March – at Malta Secondary School, on 16 March – at Dricani Secondary School, on 17 March – at Nautreni Secondary School. More than 100 educators participated in the activities.
The aim of the activity “Inequality Procession” was to facilitate the teachers’ percepts on global situation, inequality in the world, thus developing understanding of every individual’s role in this process.
In the activity “Fair Trade, Connection between Our Consumption, Social and Environmental Justice, and Sustainable Development – How to Project These Themes at a Preschool Educational Institution and a Primary School?” the teachers worked in groups. The participants of the activity discussed the reasons of these problems, as well as discussed the study aims of global education – values, skills and knowledge, which we want to develop in the children in order to deal with (reduce) global problems of the world. There were also discussions on the use of such games that facilitate the pupils’ cognitive processes.
Making together puppets and making them alive through a story made up on the spot, using the methodological material “Puppets tell Stories of African Children” published by society „Humana People to People in Latvia” as an example, enabled the teachers to broaden their vision on intercultural issues. These isssues shall be actualized, because globalization processes nowadays make the society to acquire new skills – to live in the intercultural environment and to appreciate the abundance of diversity.
While teaching the children how to make such puppets, it is possible to develop their creativity and imagination, as well as the skills to design, plan and create themselves. Such activity shall be evaluated also environment-friendly, because there are recyclable materials (“lonely” socks, remnants etc.) used for this purpose.
Having summarized the benefits from the first year of project “Global Schools”, we can express satisfaction about the opportunities to educate teachers in the field of GE. It is important to develop understanding of the world by actualizing the questions: “What can I do to make the world better for all of us?” The teachers of preschool educational institutions and primary schools of Rezekne Amalgamated Municipality are inspired to act, plan and do, applying the newly acquired knowledge.
Biruta Rivane ( Rīvāne ), preschool education methodologist of Rezekne Amalgamated Municipality local government .
Project Global schools expert.
