Themes in Globalization Studies, Fall 2017 — and a look back

It shouldn't be surprising but the field of Globalization Studies has shifted over the past decade. I began teaching my course in 2006 with the sense that global interconnectedness was growing and would continue to grow, as the internet brought people into closer contact with one another and outsourcing created new links between producers and...

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What Does “America” Look Like?

Because of President Trump's frequent use last week of words like "our history," "heritage," and "lovely statues," I found myself thinking about the image of "America" emanating from the Trump White House. It looks something like this: Peering at such images on the Internet (I searched Google for "Trump surrounded by white men"), my mind...

Global Media Reaction to Charlottesville and Trump’s Comments

In the US, high school teachers are preparing for the fall semester, due to begin after Labor Day in early September. They are also following the events in and about Charlottesville and wondering how they will incorporate them into their lessons. As someone who teaches American history, I will sadly include discussion of contemporary white...

The Atlantic Asks: “Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?”

I have always been skeptical of magazine articles that diagnose or psychoanalyze an entire generation. Even with a healthy dose of skepticism, Jean M. Twenge's article, "Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation," is worth a read. The argument is straight-forward: "Teens who spend more time than average on screen activities are more likely to be unhappy, and...

Northeastern University and What’s NExT for Experiential Education

I spent last week at Northeastern University in Boston working with about 70 educators to begin a network of educators committed to experiential education. Northeastern has dedicated real resources to a wide variety of experiential opportunities for its students ("real-world" experience, service learning, research, global ed, and within the classroom itself) and our conference was...

Pre-School Math Instruction Versus Phenomenon-Based Learning

Sometimes it feels that newspaper articles about education fall into two categories: "alarming trend" and "promising trend." The first kind might have a headline like "99% of American Schoolchildren Can't Find the USA on a Map," the second "New Computer Application Makes All Kids at Crumbling School in Geniuses." (I guess there is also the...

Preparing Students to Face Troubling Issues

When we teach our students about death in the trenches of World War I, what do we want them to learn? And how should they feel? What comes of a 15-year old considering some 300,000 dead at the Battle of the Somme? I would find it chilling if a student had no emotional response to the scale...

Teaching Against Hope?: Helping Students Face Global Problems

It goes something like this: I cannot save the people out in the rafts upon the Mediterranean. I cannot help them-- a few dollars to a worthwhile charity is essentially meaningless. I cannot help the women trapped in sweatshops because I don't know where my clothes come from and without those jobs, they might starve...

Are High School Clubs a Bad Idea?

I teach at a wonderful independent school at which everyone gets along really well, the curriculum is rigorous and innovative, the students are kind and curious, and the faculty and staff are amazing. I treasure the commitment and dedication of everyone, faculty, staff, students. I love being in the classroom with my students or collaborating...