Living and Learning Globally

Educ-5810

University of the People

Instructor Jeanne Albert

June 20, 2024

Education in my context, reflects a global perspective, as the diversity of educational experiences

among children is vast and multifaceted. Here are a few aspects:

There are significant disparities in access to education based on various factors such as

socioeconomic status, geographical location, and cultural norms. In many regions, children from

affluent families have access to well-funded private schools with modern facilities and quality

teachers, while children from disadvantaged backgrounds may attend under-resourced public

schools or have no access to formal education at all.

Living in rural Alaska, many students are living under the line of poverty, though this tends not

to play a huge role in their academic achievement. It is not their socio-economic status that
determines their achievement, but the difference in their cultural values. The Yu’pik people of

Alaska live a lifestyle of subsistence. Folks here do not grocery shop at the local commissary,

they hunt pick berries, and fish. These students and their families spend their time at fish camp,

and on the Kuskokwim river fishing for salmon, black fish and halibut. Elders leave with

apprentices to go whaling, and hunt for seals. These activities take time, often this is time spent

outside of school. As an administrator I have had to adopt these cultural standards and make

decisions based on cultural relevance and sensitivity, and not rely so much on the “rules”. I have

learned over the course of the last year, that relevance plays a bigger role in the accommodation

of parents and community leaders than rules. It is not unusual for students to absent from school

because they were berry picking or up late cutting fish. These activities are part of the

subsistence lifestyle and deserve respect. Though I was trained in the “western ways” it has

become necessary for me to adapt and shift to the ways of the community in which I serve. It is

important to adopt a global ideology and accept a shift in my administrative pedagogy.

Students of color are often concentrated in schools with fewer resources. Schools with 90 percent

or more students of color spend $733 less per student per year than schools with 90 percent or

more white student (Quintana, 2016) It should therefore not come as a surprise that the lack of

funding continues to keep students of color among the marginalized.

In 1870 Congress appropriated $100,000 for the operation of federal industrial schools, and the

first off-reservation boarding school was established at Carlisle, Pennsylvania in 1879. The

boarding school system dominated the federal approach to Native education for half a century.

Its methods included the removal of the students from their homes and tribal influences, strict

military discipline, infusion of the Protestant work ethic, as well as an emphasis on the
agricultural, industrial and domestic arts not higher academic study (Indian Education, 1969).

These practices had severe repercussions within the indigenous community, as they have yet to

heal from the generational trauma induced by this practice and the educational injustices inflicted

upon an entire group of people.

Today there are parents who lack trust in the current educational system and those who run it,

and with good reason. Alaska has the highest rate of abuse among women and children in the

United States. This abuse does not only occur at home, but in the schools as well. Though there

are several laws and mandates in place to curb abuse by teachers and administrators, there

continue to be incidents of abuse by those in prestigious positions of power.

Educational experiences vary greatly based on cultural norms and values. In some societies,

there is a strong emphasis on rote memorization and standardized testing, while in others, there

may be a more holistic approach that emphasizes creativity, critical thinking, and experiential

learning. In rural Alaska there is a push to include lessons and experiences that are culturally

relevant. When teachers effectively integrate cultural experiences such as drying fish at Fish

camp, cutting fish, and seal throws, students are able to align what goes on at home within the

subsistence lifestyle they engage in at home, thus making learning more meaningful, and

instilling a sense of trust in the educational process as well as in the practitioners facilitating the

learning.

If we are not providing students with a “functional” education- one where the needs, wants, and

ideas of a specific marginalized group are not met, then what is it that we are doing? The

question remains are we really teaching if the content is not relevant to what students need to

learn?
Functional education provides students with the tools they need to thrive in their environment.

Why teach camping skills to students who live in a mansion? Why teach a child living in the

desert how to fish? These skills are not in alignment to the needs of the student, therefore, what

are they really learning?

Children from minority ethnic or linguistic groups may face challenges accessing education in

their own language. This is true here in rural Alaska. Though English is spoken in the larger

village of Bethel, in the surrounding villages, students are still taught as well as exposed to

Yu’Pik and Cupik , which are variations of the indigenous language spoken for thousands of

years. This can and will create a barrier in the education of the indigenous people. It is

unfortunate that there continues to be discrimination and marginalization within the current

educational system in rural Alaska.

Schools should provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to understand various

subjects such as mathematics, science, literature, history, and the arts. This includes fostering

critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and creativity, but do it in a way that provides them

with cultural relevance. Instead of simply teaching students how to measure using a yard stick, or

a tape measure, incorporate the measurement of fish and seals using the indigenous way- in arms

and fingers, and whole people.

Bring in geese and ducks for students to pluck instead of telling them about the down on the

underbelly of water fowl. Allow them to measure the webbing in between the feet of ducks and

geese- compare and contrast the two. One of the best experiences I had was when our first grade

teacher brought geese into the classroom that her father had shot. She explained to the students

that the water fowl would help her to live, so they were to be respected. The geese were placed
on covered tables, and the students (first grade girls) immediately began to pluck the feathers

with precision and skill.

Education should nurture the holistic development of students, including their social, emotional,

and physical well-being. This involves promoting qualities like empathy, resilience, self-

awareness, and interpersonal skills. Assisting students to nurture the attributes that are already

present culturally, by fostering the practice of potlatches, and pot -lucks within the classroom

setting, so students are able to appreciate the relevance between the their western education and

their cultural existence.

Schools should help students explore their interests and talents, and provide them with the

necessary knowledge and skills to pursue their chosen career paths, whether that involves higher

education, vocational training, or entrepreneurship. Here we have varying programs that

incorporate students from the villages to programing and curriculum which allows for students to

explore western ways and follow their academic and work related pursuits.

This has been integral in the success of many of Alaska’s students, however, there are still those

who have not benefited from the alignment of the two worlds, and choose to remain in rural

Alaska.

Ultimately, the function and purpose of education should be to empower individuals to reach

their full potential, contribute meaningfully to society, and lead fulfilling lives. It is the

responsibility of the schools to meet their stakeholders where they are, and to respect their needs,

and seek what it is they want. Explore what is beneficial to the community and incorporate those

thoughts, ideas and needs into the fabric of the curriculum and school culture.
When comparing cultures, students can suspend judgment and look beyond simplistic

determinations of “right” and “wrong.” Students connect with peers outside of their classroom

and present knowledge to diverse audiences using digital media and technology tools. Students

demonstrate a foundational understanding of their role as a digital citizen, including how they

present their ideas and points of view using multiple media(VIF International Education

(n.d). Teacher guide.)

We are able to live, and work globally when we consider the ways of the world and are willing to

leave our proverbial “bubbles”. “Global” learning involves far more than the adoption of cultural

practices and the acknowledgement of differences. To live and to learn globally is to possess the

willingness to learn and grow and most importantly be open and except the experiences of

others as well as your own.

References

Quintana, S. M., & Mahgoub, L. (2016). Ethnic and racial disparities in education: Psychology's

role in understanding and reducing disparities. Theory Into Practice, 55(2), 94-103.

Special Subcommittee on Indian Education. (1969). Indian Education: A National Tragedy, A

National Challenge. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.

VIF International Education. (n.d.). TEACHER GUIDE K-12 GLOBAL COMPETENCE

GRADE-LEVEL INDICATORS. https://s3.amazonaws.com/com.appolearning.files/production/

uploads/uploaded_file/818f97c9-21e2-4de3-82fa-30b2e63aecc6/K-12GlobalCompetenceGrade-

LevelIndicators.pdf