Making Connections: Taking a Global Approach to Teaching

It is now widely recognised that there are particular educational needs related to shaping a Scotland that understands its place in the world, and acts in a way that respects the rights and responsibilities associated with this role.

This means supporting learning that incorporates a global dimension and prepares young people to contribute to the sustainable development of society.

A Curriculum for Excellence provides opportunities for teachers to be more flexible, reflective and creative in their approaches to teaching and learning.

This allows more room for exploration of innovative approaches to teaching and learning which enable teachers to make connections across the curriculum at the personal, local and global level.

Taking a global approach to teaching supports educational priorities such as raising achievement, ensuring a broad and balanced curriculum and helping both teachers and learners see connections across the curriculum and in the world at large.

This interactive session will explore what is meant by education for global citizenship/sustainable development, and how it is a progressive approach which has a significant role to play in making connections between curricular areas and educational initiatives such as Eco Schools and enterprise.

Drawing on the experiences of teachers at different stages of their careers, we will discuss the impact that taking a global approach has had on their professional development, on their classroom practice and on their pupils.

IDEAS is the network of over 40 organisations in Scotland that actively promote and support education for global citizenship.

Our members range from small charities to large international development NGOs and specialist education centres.

All our members aim to:

• enable people to understand the links between their own lives and those of other people throughout the world
• increase understanding of the economic, social, political and environmental forces that shape our lives
• develop skills, attitudes and values that enable people to work together to bring about change and take control of their own lives
• contribute to the development of a more just and more sustainable world, in which power and resources are more equitably shared.

For further information please visit www.ideas-forum.org.uk