Reader Response final draft
In Picardo’s article “Why students need a global
awareness and understanding of other cultures,”, he advocates
the development of a deeper global awareness and understanding of diverse
cultures amongst school students. Hence, students can uncover new ideas and
perspectives that help them grow into mature, well-informed individuals
(Picardo, 2012). To facilitate the development of global awareness, Picardo
asserts the importance of “contextualized learning” to complement the experience
of character building amongst students. Furthermore the article highlights the
idea of introducing modern technology and social media, such as Twitter and
Skype, within classrooms to encourage learning. Finally, establishing international
partnerships across schools are encouraged so as to build an enriching
education for students and teachers alike.
Contextualized learning, defined as “[individuals] constructing meaning
through interacting with and interpreting their environment (CORD, 2012), serves as an impetus for further learning
opportunities and personal development.
As a staunch advocate of contextualized learning, I
believe growth is evident only when education is provided not only within
classrooms, but within a myriad of settings such as internships or overseas
school trips.
Firstly, deriving contextualized education through
overseas expeditions deepens our understanding of world issues. Through
continuous engagement with the global community, new perspectives and divergent
world-views can emerge. Several
examples were highlighted in this article, including cultural trips to
Andalusia and a history trip to Berlin. I recall, in particular, in
particular a study trip to Cambodia in 2010 in which I embarked on to
understand the differences in social issues faced by people with disabilities
in Singapore and Cambodia, respectively. After I came back from the trip with
an increased awareness of the social issues faced by the people with
disabilities within the rural villages in Baray district, Phnom Penh, I became
highly motivated to go back and help meet their social needs. As such, I
returned back to Baray district through a Youth Expedition Project trip for 14
days in order to implement programmes to meet their needs. The programmes
include teaching sign language to help villagers communicate with fellow
villagers suffering from hearing impairment, as well as helping to build a
toilet for fellow villagers to use. Through these overseas trips I embarked on
in which contextualized learning occurred, my knowledge of global social issues
expanded. Moreover, I was able to use the propositional knowledge acquired in
my first trip and translate it into procedural knowledge during my second trip.
In particular, I was able to learn about the differences in social needs
amongst people with disabilities between Singapore and Cambodia.
Contextualized learning also provides interest and
insights into academic topics that cannot be derived from textbook learning
alone. In the past, I detested political science as I found it too abstract to
comprehend. However, my recent class trip to Cambodia as part of FASSTrack
Asia’s summer school changed my perspective on political science. I learnt
about human trafficking as well as its underlying political issues. My theoretical
knowledge of Human Trafficking would not have sufficed; the field trip
complement my understanding of human trafficking. Not only did the trip
increase my knowledge of human trafficking, my classmates, mostly who were
honours students, also played a role in facilitating my understanding of
political science as a whole. Before the trip vI was genuinely ignorant of
issues pertaining to the political issues in the world as I could not relate to
politics explained within textbooks. From a relatively nescient, apathetic
student, I have transformed into a concerned, learning individual after the
field trip. In fact, the field trip has motivated me to pursue political
science as an exposure module in my university education.
Within a highly contextualized learning environment,
cultural exchanges between people of different background and cultures can
facilitate global awareness. When
Picardo states “the awkward dinner conversation of foreign exchange students
with their German host families…”, it reminded me of the conversations I had
with exchange students from Canada, the U.S. as well as Australia during the
field trip. However, the informational exchange of cultural practices and
language through our daily meals has further enriched my knowledge and understanding
of other cultures. For example, people in British Columbia, Canada, use the
term “pop” whereas people in the United Kingdom and Singapore prefer the term
“soda”. Additionally, I noted how students from the West tend to focus on
talking about themselves, as compared to Singaporean students who prefer to
listen and to talk about community issues. This certainly reflects some values
of individualism amongst westerners as well as collectivism amongst asians.
Consequently, these cultural exchanges have helped me
to understand the different thought processes in which individuals from other
cultures operate through as well as facilitate a greater global awareness.
Picardo’s “Why Students need a global awareness and
understanding of other cultures” has reinforced my belief in the importance
of contextualized learning. Through experiential education, I became more
resourceful and independent. Moreover, it has precipitated opportunities for my
professional growth. For instance, I have obtained the contacts of several Non-governmental
organizations within Cambodia which will aid in my educational route as a
social work major. To conclude, contextualized learning will benefit students
from all walks of life. Be it primary school children or adult learners, everyone
will learn, develop and grow as an individual within a highly contextualized
learning environment.
References
Center
for Occupational Research and Development (CORD). (2012). What is contextual
learning. Retrieved from the Contextual
Teaching and Learning at http://www.cord.org/contextual-learning-definition/
Picardo,
J. (2012, September 25). Why students need a global awareness and
understanding of other cultures. Retrieved from The Guardian Database atThe
Guardian database at http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2012/sep/25/students-global-awareness-other-cultures
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