Hi, I’m Marilyn Snider. I believe that for a world-class education system to exist in Australia there is an urgent call for schools to produce students who actually know about the world and its people-its cultures, languages and how its economic, environmental and social systems work.
After an extensive career as a teacher and then as a global learning consultant with the Federally funded Global Education Project, it was disappointing to see the importance of global learning diminish after the defunding of the Project. In response, I founded Bethink Global Learning. I’ve seen the success of schools working with globally centred programs. Students investigate the world, think creatively, listen to others’ perspectives, act ethically and prepare to partner for equity. I provide a framework for global education, advice for teachers and school leadership teams about how to implement the framework’s global perspectives and recommend the integrating global perspectives within and across all learning areas of the Australian Curriculum. I share my practical experience and skills in professional and curriculum development, creating pathways for teachers to include global perspectives in their learning and teaching programs. In turn, this harnesses the desire and passion of students to become global citizens, capable of participating in and acting for a better future for all.
Globally competent students see themselves as players, not bystanders. What skills and knowledge will it take to go from learning about the world to making a difference in the world? It takes seeing oneself as capable of making a difference.