Challenges+to+Come

**Challenges to Come: Looking Ahead Into the Next 25 Years ** In this project we have talked about our sense of self, sense of place, local issues, and how we can solve them. I have been very impressed with your posts and your work with phase 1, 2, and 3. What a great group! The purpose of this essay is to introduce you to some trends that have been predicted to arise over the next 25 years that will impact our lives. In looking at the trends, I will talk about the characteristics that have been identified to cope with these trends, as well as what we can do to develop these characteristics. While my knowledge of global education is expanding every week, I did not come up with these trends on my own. I had the help of an article written by Walter Parker, Akira Ninomiya, and John Cogan that focuses on challenges to come over the next 25 years.

A panel of 182 scholars from nine different countries came together to discuss and find consensus on global trends that will occur over the next 25 years, characteristics needed to be able to adapt to these trends, and finally curriculum that would provide strategies to develop these characteristics in global citizens. This was no small task, however, there were several trends that arose as forerunners as what will be in the next 25 years. The trends are: //These are most but not all the trends mentioned in the article. // In our discussions, many of these same trends have been mentioned as local issues in phase 3. Some examples our group posted were: //Jazz- Meth abuse (drug abuse) in Hawaii. // //Katy- Pollution because of lack of mass public transportation // //Michelle, Darden, Chase, Yuanyi, and Yagmuray- You have all mentioned litter, pollution, over-population, the cutting down of trees, and poor air and water quality. // The trends that you mentioned in your posts (as well as some that weren’t mentioned) are predicted to be some of the major challenges that our society will have to overcome in the future. So what are the characteristics needed to cope with the challenges? **Characteristics Needed to Overcome: **  In phase 1, you were asked // “S // //ome problems have been around for a long time. What qualities do you think a person must have to step up and try to solve them?// // “ // Many of the characteristics you mentioned were also stated by the panel as being vital to future citizens. You mentioned people need to: There are strong characteristics that you mentioned that are necessary to tackling some of the future problems in our society. Additional characteristics mentioned by Parker, Ninomiya, and Cogan are: The characteristics you mentioned, as well as the article, are characteristics you are developing just by doing this project! By developing critical thinking skills, collaboration, communication, trust, and sensitivity, you are learning how to navigate through barriers to collaborate with others on a global level. This will be vital as we look into the future. Environmental problems will require all of the globe to consume less and change their lifestyle. Economic and political unrest will be solved through collaboration, communication, and compromise. And these are just a few examples of a very large list. **How are these characteristics developed? ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Projects like GLIP are just one way to develop the characteristics needed to address future challenges. Schools must challenge students to: <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">The list above is just a start. As a teacher, it is my responsibility to create students that question their own perceptions, understand multiple points of view, communicate, collaborate, and are sensitive. GLIP is a great example of a platform that helps to nurture these characteristics, but it is just a start. Daily, students must be exposed to curriculum and information that hones in on the variety that exist in our world. Only then, will we be able to move forward into the next 25 years. **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Final Thoughts: ** <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">It can be daunting to think about the challenges that are to come in the next 25 years. It is up to global learners like us, to develop and nurture the characteristics needed to solve issues on as global citizens. As a teacher, I have a responsibility to my students to challenge them to think beyond themselves and what they know, to how their choices, realities, and characteristics impact the world. Now that you are aware of what you need, go forward with your academic or career goals, and tackle the challenges of the next 25 years by being a global citizen.
 * Identifying the trends: **
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Economic gap among countries and between people in those countries will widen.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Technology will increasingly impose on the privacy of people.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Environmental deterioration.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Cost of water will rise due to environmental problems and population growth.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Deforestation will affect life, soil, air, and water quality.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Population growth will increase the amount of people living in poverty.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Drug-related crime will increase in social lives in urban areas.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">People sense of and social responsibility will decline.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Consumerism will increase and dominate social lives.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Migration from poor to rich areas will alter the internal and external order of the nations.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Increased use of genetic engineering will create ethical dilemmas (1999, p.9).
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Have a plan, goal, and a clear understanding of the problem.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Have patience, motivation, and perseverance.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Value collaboration.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Be open-minded.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Be willing to compromise.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Be sensitive.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Be a good listener.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Be willing to communicate.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Being able to think critically.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Take responsibilities for one’s role within a society.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Willing to solve problems nonviolently.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Willing to participate in politics on a local, national, and international level.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Be sensitive to human rights.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Willing to change one’s lifestyle for the environment (1999, p.10).
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Think critically.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Assess information (such as resources, technology, the media)
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Create research opportunities that ask students to take multiple perspectives, understanding point of view, and develop sensitivity.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Present opportunities for students to take action and work together.
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">Increase attention on foreign language and international curriculum.

Resource: Parker, W. C., Ninomiya, A., and Cogan, J. (1999). Educating world citizens: Toward multinational curriculum development. American Educational Research Journal, 36(2):117–145.