Teach:
Practical tools and resources to help educators cultivate global competence and bring meaningful global learning into their classrooms.
In this section, I’ve put together a practical toolkit for educators interested in growing their own global competence and global education practices. You’ll find clear definitions in my own words, user-friendly digital platforms and apps, and curated organizations offering resources and opportunities to support your teaching. I’ve also included an annotated assessment toolkit to help guide classroom and school-level decisions, plus additional resources for deepening your understanding of global education’s foundations. Each recommendation comes with a brief explanation of why it’s useful, so you can easily see how to integrate these ideas into your teaching.
Global Learning: Learning that helps students understand the world beyond their own community. It’s about exploring different cultures, perspectives, and global issues so that learners can think critically, empathize with others, and see how people and places are connected.
Global Competence: The ability to interact thoughtfully and responsibly with people from different backgrounds. It includes understanding cultural differences, analyzing global problems, communicating across borders, and taking informed action to make a positive impact in the world.
This unit was developed as part of my Fulbright program to help students explore the school experiences of children around the world. Through reading and listening to picture books, students will identify both similarities and differences between their own lives and those of their peers in other countries. The goal is to encourage thoughtful observation and meaningful connections, helping students recognize shared human experiences across cultures.
This is a collection of photos of schools from around the world. Have your students look for similarities and differences between these classrooms and their own.
Asia Society provides a comprehensive framework for global competence, encompassing four key domains: Investigate the World, Recognize Perspectives, Communicate Ideas, and Take Action. Their resources include performance outcomes and rubrics across various subjects and grade levels, offering educators structured guidance to integrate global competence into their curriculum.
The domains of global competence help students explore the world beyond their own experience, understand and respect multiple perspectives, communicate across cultures, and take thoughtful action to make a positive difference.
The United Way of the Lower Eastern Shore engages students in volunteering, advocacy, and leadership programs that strengthen community well-being—skills and mindsets that also prepare them to think globally, act with empathy, and contribute to a more interconnected world.
Radio Garden lets you explore live radio stations from around the world by spinning an interactive globe. This is an awesome resource to play in class to expose your students to different music and languages from around the world.
This is a collection of photos of playgrounds from around the world. Have your students look for similarities and differences between these playgrounds and their own.
GPE supports education initiatives worldwide, providing tools and research to improve access, quality, and equity in education. Their resources help educators understand global education systems and strategies.
Sustainable Development Goals and The Domains of Global Competence
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 global objectives adopted by the United Nations to tackle challenges like poverty, inequality, climate change, and quality education. For teachers striving to build global competence in their classrooms, understanding the SDGs is essential, as they provide a framework to help students think critically about global issues and take informed, responsible action.
Glocal Connections on the Eastern Shore: Empowering students to become informed, empathetic global citizens by starting with meaningful action in their local communities.
The Chesapeake Multicultural Resource Center (ChesMRC) offers students opportunities to engage through volunteering, advocacy, and leadership programs that enhance local community well-being—and cultivate skills like cultural competence, empathy, and global awareness, empowering them to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world.
Habitat for Humanity Choptank empowers students and community members to engage through volunteering, advocacy, and leadership in building affordable housing—this not only strengthens our local Dorchester and Talbot County communities but also nurtures global values like equitable access to shelter, cross-cultural collaboration, and social justice that resonate worldwide.
Talbot Humane connects students and community members through volunteerism, advocacy, and leadership in animal welfare—whether through adoption drives, low-cost veterinary services, or pet food pantries. These initiatives not only enhance quality of life locally but also embody global principles of compassion, social equity, cross-cultural empathy, and the belief that caring communities are the foundations of a more humane world.