Teacher Education in Global and International Education. ERIC Digest.

Overview & Synopsis

To meet the economic, political, and social challenges of today's world, teacher education in global and international education is now mandated by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Global and international education is defined as education that develops the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are the basis for decision making and participation in a world characterized by cultural pluralism, interconnectedness, and international economic competition. Following a discussion of ways in which teaching with a global perspective differ from traditional approaches to studying ourselves, other peoples, and the planet, considerations for educating teachers are noted. Included are: (1) global knowledge about the world in general as well as content specific to the subjects the future teachers will teach; (2) simulated as well as personal cross-cultural experiences at home and abroad; (3) content and experiences infused throughout teacher education programs; (4) dealing with the controversial nature of global and international education; and (4) making curricular connections between global education and multicultural education. (LL)