Beijing Royal School
Today, China is growing to be a very good example of connecting with the world. Preparing our youth to engage the world is significant for the long term development. Integrating global topics in Chinese classroom is intended for classroom teachers, educators, parents, students, administrators, community leaders, and all other stakeholders who are interested in the growth of our young people in global contexts. In this sense, effective strategies for promoting students’ or teachers’ global awareness and perspective within tight school curriculums with high-stakes tests are very necessary and significant for education.
I will use a case study---Beijing Royal School in China to illustrate the challenges and strategies.
Beijing Royal School(BRS) will be a case study here to rationale the necessity of involving global learning and infuse global awareness and perspective to promote global competence in high school classrooms. BRS is a K-12, private international school. Two-thirds of their middle and high school students are adolescents at developmental stages, most of whom are planning to go abroad for their college degree. Based on my own observations and teaching experiences at BRS, I have found that students ranging from 14 to 17 years old are able to “reason at the formal operational level and bring together variables through synthesis”. (Bushman & Haas, 2006, p. 6). However, BRS students, teachers, and even parents, are confined to “the ultimate goal”---facilitating students for college admission tests. Students are struggling hard for getting high scores in their academic learning required by school high curriculum with test-orientation, although BRS performs national education reform within new curriculums to some extent. Students and teachers’ attention and visions are all restricted to text-books, test papers, and a myriad of drills and practices of intellectual growth. Based on my talk and experiences with BRS graduates who are learning in cross-cultural contexts, most Chinese international students would be confused about diversity that present itself at communities, schools, and classrooms. Embarrassment, discouragement, and frustration almost happen to every one of them caused by stereotypes and cultural shocks. Lack of pre-departure training and cultural competence plunged students into a plight of communicating and collaborating with their peers and teachers abroad.
Based on Noddings(2005), “true education consists of revealing and demonstrating the core principles required for global citizenship within and beyond the context of local community”(p. x). The purpose of creating classrooms involving global learning to promote global competence at BRS is not only to engage students in learning, thus expanding their “intellectual growth”, and prepare them well for college and future career, but also to further develop their emotional and social maturity, and to contribute to students’ happiness as humans (Makiguchi, 2002).
I will use a case study---Beijing Royal School in China to illustrate the challenges and strategies.
Beijing Royal School(BRS) will be a case study here to rationale the necessity of involving global learning and infuse global awareness and perspective to promote global competence in high school classrooms. BRS is a K-12, private international school. Two-thirds of their middle and high school students are adolescents at developmental stages, most of whom are planning to go abroad for their college degree. Based on my own observations and teaching experiences at BRS, I have found that students ranging from 14 to 17 years old are able to “reason at the formal operational level and bring together variables through synthesis”. (Bushman & Haas, 2006, p. 6). However, BRS students, teachers, and even parents, are confined to “the ultimate goal”---facilitating students for college admission tests. Students are struggling hard for getting high scores in their academic learning required by school high curriculum with test-orientation, although BRS performs national education reform within new curriculums to some extent. Students and teachers’ attention and visions are all restricted to text-books, test papers, and a myriad of drills and practices of intellectual growth. Based on my talk and experiences with BRS graduates who are learning in cross-cultural contexts, most Chinese international students would be confused about diversity that present itself at communities, schools, and classrooms. Embarrassment, discouragement, and frustration almost happen to every one of them caused by stereotypes and cultural shocks. Lack of pre-departure training and cultural competence plunged students into a plight of communicating and collaborating with their peers and teachers abroad.
Based on Noddings(2005), “true education consists of revealing and demonstrating the core principles required for global citizenship within and beyond the context of local community”(p. x). The purpose of creating classrooms involving global learning to promote global competence at BRS is not only to engage students in learning, thus expanding their “intellectual growth”, and prepare them well for college and future career, but also to further develop their emotional and social maturity, and to contribute to students’ happiness as humans (Makiguchi, 2002).