A new book from Cratloe academic, Dr Brighid Golden, aims to act as a core text to empower educators to teach global citizenship education.
Dr Golden is the daughter of Dr Ann Higgins, recently retired Project Coordinator of the Transforming Education through Dialogue (TED) Project, based at MIC, and Tom Golden, well known local community and climate activist. Dr Golden is a Lecturer in Global Education at Mary Immaculate College (MIC).
Global Citizenship Education: Curious Teachers, Critical Classrooms brings together the knowledge, expertise, and wisdom of well-respected experts working in the sector and presents the most important considerations for educators to develop their understanding and awareness of Global Citizenship Education (GCE).
The book is co-written end edited by Dr Brighid Golden, and includes input from an additional 23 leading academics, including four MIC lecturers. Dr Maria Varvarigou, Margaret O’Keeffe and Anne Marie Morrin from MIC’s Department of Arts Education & Physical Education collaborated on a chapter exploring how the Arts can be used to enhance our engagement with global citizenship. Alicja McCloskey, Lecturer in the Department of Reflective Pedagogy & Early Childhood Studies, authored a chapter on how global citizenship education can be embedded into early years education.
Speaking at the launch of the book, Dr Golden explained the work on the book began when she saw a resource gap for teachers: “Over the years working in teacher education, I have struggled to source reading material for students which was aimed at them, which explained justice topics in an accessible and easily understandable way without over simplifying or downplaying the complexity involved. I also wanted to provide a space where a wide variety of practical approaches were collated for teachers and students in one spot.
“My hope is that this book can act as a core text for teacher educators promoting global citizenship education, acting as a one stop shop for both conceptual and practical knowledge necessary to get started in the field. My dream for the teachers who will read and use this book is that you be curious about the world around you, be critical in your approaches to education, and facilitate both curiosity and criticality unapologetically and unendingly in your education spaces.”
The book includes 41 chapters ranging from the exploration of a variety of justice issues to develop reader’s knowledge and awareness around GCE topics, to chapters explaining a variety of common teaching methodologies. The book also includes seven appendices of practical activities, a glossary, and a resource directory. It was fully-funded by Irish Aid through the DICE Project, a national education initiative which promotes the integration of development education and intercultural education in Initial Education at primary level in Ireland. The book was launched at a special event in Dublin celebrating 20 years of the DICE Project.
The book was launched by Professor Douglas Bourn, Co-Director of the Development Education Research Centre at University College London, who said the book could be a pivotal resource for educators who want to teach GCE topics. Speaking at the launch, Professor Bourn said: “Never has there been a greater need in education for resources like this book. Many teachers are curious and classrooms can be a place for critical learning but to achieve this requires resources, time, policy support and, above all, passion and enthusiasm.
This publication can play an important role in making all these things happen. This book recognises the challenges many of us face as educators in a world of 24/7 culture, instant access to knowledge and communications channels that can often lead to uncritical and ill-informed comments and action. Dr Golden also acknowledges that teaching is a form of activism. Teaching, by itself, cannot change the world but education can empower, enthuse and equip learners of all ages to make a better world.”
Global Citizenship Education: Curious Teachers, Critical Classrooms can be downloaded for free under the Books tab on the DICE website: https://thediceproject.ie/resources/. The book will also be available in Irish from this link in the coming months.
