Global Education: A Paradigm Based in Interconnectedness with Marie Lardino

For this issue of the Spirit of Ma'at, it is my privilege to bring to your attention Global Education — an educational model that is situated to make a solid contribution on the paths towards equity, accountability, and the honouring of diversity, as we struggle to become one global community.

My spokesperson is Marie Lardino, an exceptional educator who is living her dream of creating an educational space based in global values. She is my friend, and her story deserves to be heard. —J.B.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world: Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.

— Margaret Mead

Julei: What drew you first to teaching and then to Global Education?

Marie: I always wanted to be a teacher, ever since I was 10. I grew up in Latin America in a political climate that forced me to make connections and evaluate the social environment surrounding me from a young age.

I think teachers know who they are. They understand the ''how'' before they begin their practice. They acquire the ''what'' through curriculum development, and then they develop the theory — or at least a language that expresses the story they came in with — on an intellectual level. I think that teachers are a blend of story, experience, theory and practice.

I first heard David Selby speak about Global Education in a seminar in 1993. I understood immediately that his theory of education spoke through me rather than to me. The workshop gave me a body of theory that I felt was complementary to my initial understanding of education. My dialogue with Global Education was powerful from the beginning, because it gave my work intellectual meaning. My heart was already there.

Julei: What is Global Education?

Marie: Capturing this model in a few sentences is an impossible task! Let me resort to the definition that David Selby and Graham Pike, the originators, use:

Global education is an holistic paradigm of education predicated upon the interconnectedness of communities, lands and peoples, the interrelatedness of all social, cultural and natural phenomena, the interlocking nature of past, present and future, and the complementary nature of the cognitive, affective, physical and spiritual dimensions of the human being. It addresses issues of citizenship, development, equity, health, peace, social justice, and environmental sustainability. Its scope encompasses the personal, the local, the regional and bioregional, the national and planetary. Congruent with its precepts and principles, its methodology is experiential, interactive, learner-centered, democratic, convivial, participatory and change-oriented.

Graham and David first articulated the model in Canadian schools in the early 1990s. A team of educators and theorists continue to develop this model on an ongoing basis. We all have different roles. Mine is expertise in building democratic learning environments and conflict resolution within the context of accountability, rights, and responsibilities.

Julei: What is your own, more personal understanding of the Global Education philosophy?

Marie: To the best of my ability, I try to blend educational requirements into an integrated model of curriculum content. Within this, I believe that higher order thinking skills can only be acquired through direct involvement with learning activities that are holistic and interactive in nature. This interaction with the curriculum leads each child towards a deeper understanding of himself and a more intrinsic acquisition of knowledge.

Definitely, the classroom needs to be a place where children can explore their possibility to become self-evaluators, decision-makers, critical thinkers, problem-solvers, researchers, writers, artists, and collaborators. It needs to be a place where they can acquire these qualities within a context relevant to them.

With this notion in place, my classroom environments draw from personal, local, and global issues, and blend those into a larger framework of curriculum content.

Together, we embark on two journeys: namely, the journey toward self-awareness, and the expedition toward awareness of environmental, social, and political conditions surrounding us. Language, mathematics, science, social studies, and the arts are not ignored. They are integrated into these journeys. They are made relevant, interesting, implicit, and understood as interrelated components of a larger structure of knowledge.

Basically, I view education as the gathering not only of information but also, of critical thinking abilities.

Most important, it must be a gathering of compassion, empathy, respect and awareness of oneself, others, and the Earth. I maintain that from these capabilities emerges a more holistic learner, a human being empowered with awareness essential to his or her evolving needs and to the needs of others and the planet.

Julei: You have recently founded an independent school, Voice Intermediate, based on Global Education philosophy. Could you tell our readers how this school came about and why you chose this name?

Marie: There were a number of converging factors involved. It was an incredibly difficult and complex decision to leave the public system.

For six years, I watched the public school children leave my elementary classes, having grown in so very many ways, and move on to grades seven and eight. Then they came back, usually in October, saying how they didn't fit in. They felt a difference from their new peers in the way they evaluate the world, how they express that. They were struggling with the inequities, the lack of analysis, and the silencing of their voices.

This feedback came from them unsolicited, and it broke my heart. I struggle daily with the fact that there are children who suffer for many, many reasons, and that there is so much to do. Voice was a way to extend the experience of some children through crucial years of self-development. I believe that compassionate change will come from the children who can utilize their privileges. This new new school is just one small way to make a difference.

The final straw for me was probably the recent educational reform here in Ontario. It no longer allowed me to acknowledge and value the gifts of all the children in my class. I felt forced to rank them in ways that did not reflect their full abilities. Every child has gifts that a teacher pulls gently on, like magicians' scarves, until one day the things that they were unable to do nurture the things they have yet to learn. I want to address that whole child.

I was deeply frustrated that evaluation had become the driving force behind the public education curriculum, instead of the other way around. Both the children and the teachers were being stressed under the burden of unrealistic expectations and impossible standards. I felt that the heart and voice of education was not only being challenged, but undermined — and silenced.

Voice Intermediate truly gives me the freedom and possibility of reversing that imbalance. My discomfort has always been with education models, in any setting, that focus only on the basics. These models provide little or no context for equity and compassionate social change, let alone productive conflict-resolution.

Having said this, private education is not my ideal way for manifesting this model. Good education is a right, not a privilege of economic advantage. To this end, we are setting up a non-profit foundation with the aim of establishing both scholarships and bursaries, so that this barrier can be minimized.

I am encouraged when I see nations like Japan reassessing their model of education and making change. It is my understanding that in Japan, the government will be bringing in Global Education philosophy from the top down.

Finally, the courage to undertake this monumental task came from the parents such as yourself, who believed in their children and pushed me to believe in myself. It was difficult to take such a huge step, to put my dream into reality. But it was a dream I have held dear for a very long time.

Julei: I know that at Voice Intermediate, in your new school, theater and performance skills are a significant part of the curriculum. Could you tell us why this is so?

Marie: Of course, this is not a performing-arts school. But it is a school that embraces performing arts, in order to enhance self-esteem and self-expression. All curriculum areas are integrated into the performing arts portion of the program. When children tackle a piece, they are bringing in every part of the curriculum — every skill, including collaboration and teamwork.

Julei: Briefly, how does a Global Education model differ from traditional models?

Marie: I would have to say Global Education is a method, not a content. It is my firm belief that learning is not something which is done to the student; rather, it is something the student does. With this philosophy in mind, our program draws from personal, local, and global issues that are relevant to learners, and integrates these issues into a challenging, creative, and innovative curriculum.

It has been my experience that when children are challenged with relevant learning tasks, they ''learn for life.'' When they are given the opportunities, the skills, and the tools to take ownership for their learning, they ''learn how to learn.''

In essence, the learning must take place in a democratic environment that strives toward high expectations, respects each child's voice, and celebrates his or her achievements. Our program provides an alternative because it is balanced:

It provides an excellent teacher/student ratio and individualized attention.

It makes curriculum meaningful through the integration of personal, local and global issues.

It encompasses a balance of learner-centered approaches as well as teacher directed lessons.

It provides learners with opportunities to work independently as well as cooperatively.

It enables students to develop strong basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics, and places importance on higher order skills such as critical and analytical thinking, problem solving, cooperation, time management and organization.

It focuses on specific subjects, but also integrates curriculum areas to help learners make vital connections.

It explores many perspectives and values the perspective of each child. It draws from the past, investigates the present and inspires learners to envision and strive for possible and preferred futures.

It embraces teacher directed evaluation and expects self-evaluation from each learner.

It is a democratic environment where children can feel safe from bullying and free of exclusion.

It is an environment of ''rights and responsibilities'' with a strict demand for self-respect, respect for others and respect for the environment.

In such settings, I have watched children become academic achievers and responsible citizens. I have seen them gain empathy and conflict resolution skills which they take with them far beyond the classroom. I have watched them develop enthusiasm toward learning and a positive attitude toward school. Most important, they begin to trust their gifts, become decision-makers, and feel proud of their accomplishments.

Julei: How does all this fit in with your understanding of children's intelligence?

Marie: Intelligence is multifaceted. Heart and head are equally valuable for development of the intellect. I would go so far as to say that every child is uniquely intelligent. Yes, there are similarities in skills, in capabilities, but every child combines these in some unique way. That uniqueness demands that we approach education with the child at the center.

Every day that I am in class — every time I observe and experience the children's gifts growing, and them working through the evolution of that growth — each and every single time, I am amazed as if it were my first time. I am in awe and wonder every single day.

Sure, there are difficult days, but not from the children. I learn from them — I never stop learning from them. There is nothing they cannot do, given a safe supportive space. There is nothing academically they cannot do. I have seen this over and over again. It is what feeds my belief in children's innate intelligence. Children philosophize about everything. When they are in a space where nothing is taboo, children tackle everything with the expectation that they will succeed. My job, every teacher's job, is to provide that space.

Julei: Does the Global education model require special training for educators?

Marie: That is a difficult question. Training? Not as such. As I said in the beginning, I think people know who they are as teachers before they ever enter the profession. The practice we acquire solidifies who we are.

People who want to see children empowered are vulnerable and open to the children before they ever get to a classroom. Teaching is a matter of vulnerability, it begins with the careful exposure of your human qualities. I explore this position with optimism. It works well since it elicits the respect of my students and their awareness of accountability. Teaching in this way is about sharing power, about balancing when to walk in front, when to walk beside. We learn as a community.

I am not sure you can teach this. You have to feel the need; you have to carry it in your value system. The individual who comes to Global Education is there because it speaks to him. David and I have this conversation how to teach the teachers of a model like this. When I say Global Education is in evolution, I mean the challenge is to develop a universal or common set of tools that are available to build from. This is continuously evolving from the theory that we in the classrooms are bringing into practice.

Founding Voice Intermediate has given me an exposure I have not had before. That is exciting and daunting. I have people calling me all the time who want to teach this way. In the public system there is an element of isolation. Amongst many individual theories of education, each vies for expression under that overriding mandate of one. What you seem to get are large pools of frustration rather than smaller groups of effective collaboration, of sharing and support.

Julei: Does this model work for every child?

Marie: Absolutely. Yes.

Julei: And how do you feel that this type of education could perhaps facilitate social and political change?

Marie: If responsible global citizenship is to be equated with social change, then I will accept that this is one purpose of Global Education. Being a change agent is always a choice. Again, not because it is dictated, but because it arises from the safety to explore other perspectives. But Global Education is not politicized; it teaches how to think, not what to think!

The reality of curriculum is not found in a textbook alone. It is everywhere, in a multitude of perspectives. If we allow for the possibilities within those sources, perhaps Global Education is educating for social change.

Julei: Thank you, Marie. One final question: Where would you like to see your school in, say, ten years?

Marie: Small, intimate. If we decide to expand all the way through high school, the classes will stay small — just 15 to 18 students. I see myself keeping the learning environment safe, and learning very alive. I will continue to utilize the strengths of fellow educators and student teachers. The environment will be like a large home. We have just purchased a large Victorian house where Voice will anchor from. After this first year in rented space, this will be such a privilege.

Competition will not really have a place here. For example, athletic programs tend to focus on competitive ranking. I prefer collaborative physical education. I want the school to remain a collaborative model, and I will protect that philosophy. I want the children to take these thoughts, these ideas, these skills out to their worlds, to the largest classroom we all share.

Julei: Thank you, Marie.

Resources:

Voice Intermediate School, voiceintermediate.com, contact Marie Lardino, 2206 Queen St. E, Toronto, Ontario M4T 1T1, Canada, phone 416-691-4639, fax 416-691-3722, email voiceintermediate@on.aibn.com

International Institute for Global Education, www.oise.utoronto.ca/depts/ctl/, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto, 252 Bloor Street West, 10th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1V6, Canada, phone 416-923-6641 ext. 2863, fax 416-926-4756. For full particulars of the Institute's preservice, graduate, and other courses, projects, partnerships and publications, contact the Institute Secretary Sonia Hopwood, shopwood@oise.utoronto.ca

Graham Pike and David Selby, In the Global Classroom: Book One, Toronto, Pippin Publishing, 1999

—— In the Global Classroom: Book Two, Toronto, Pippin Publishing, 2000

Tara Goldstein and David Selby, eds., Weaving Connections. Educating for Peace, Social and Environmental Justice, Toronto, Sumach Press, 2000.

Marie Lardino is an educator and adjunct professor to teacher candidates at the York University Faculty of Education. She holds a BA, B.Ed, and a M.Ed in curriculum with a focus in holistic and Global education. She taught for the Toronto District School Board for ten years, with qualification in all primary, junior, and intermediate divisions, and additional qualification in drama.

Marie has conducted workshops for teachers in the United States on ''peace education,'' and has given seminars at three of Toronto's Faculties of Education on Global and alternative education. In addition, she has developed curriculum guidelines on conflict resolution, and has published articles on ''Democracy in the Classroom,'' and a work for UNICEF titled ''In Our Own Backyard'' on children's rights.

In partnership with the Global Education Institute at OISE, University of Toronto, she has recently completed a chapter on ''Democracy in the Classroom.'' The book, New Beginnings, will be published in July 2001. Its first application will be as an educational tool for educators throughout Japan.

Last September, Marie embarked on a new portion of her journey. She founded an independent middle school, Voice Intermediate, that opened with a full Grade Seven class of 18 children, aged 11 and 12. Many of these children had been part of Marie's fifth- and sixth-grade public school class. Building upon the strong encouragement and financial support of these children's families, Voice is getting ready for a second year. There will be three classes: two for eighth grade, and one for seventh grade, in a recently purchased building in a downtown neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario.

Marie continues to write and contribute to the evolving model of Global Education.

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