Global Education and Global Competencies: What’s the Difference?

As part of the Fulbright Teacher For Global Classroom program, I often find myself explaining the idea of global education to family and friends. After a particularly detailed explanation to a colleague of mine, I found that I did not have a handle on the difference between global education and global competencies. Initially, I believed that global education was the framework that we place on our existing curriculum and that the global competencies were the standards used to assess those competencies. I admit, this last part was an educated guess; I decided to conduct research and clarify these differences, and here is what I found:

Global Education: As I had thought, global education is the framework that can be placed or integrated into curriculum to help expand global perspectives and encourage students to become global citizens. This approach not only includes integrating specific globally-minded content but also places an emphasis on teaching methods that promote critical thinking. It includes learning outcomes that help students apply their knowledge outside of the classroom.

Global Competencies: I was on the right track! Global competencies speak to the skills, attitudes and behaviors students need to become global citizens. While the content speaks to the formal part of the education, global competencies can be applied to personal and collaborative development. Global competencies guide us in the integration of four main components: investigation and critical thinking skills, recognizing unique perspectives, communicating across different cultures, and taking action on a local and global level. These competencies serve as a way for me to help develop the skills that transform students into global citizens.

If global education is a map that we use to help guide our journey toward global citizenship, global competencies are the skills that students gain and use on that journey. As a teacher, I take pride in being the guide for these students, facilitating their journey through new experiences and helping them develop the essential skills they will use on their path to becoming a globally-minded citizen. My goal is to inspire students to look at global issues with empathy and with a thought toward action, helping them recognize the connection between global challenges and local realities.