Time, Space, and Culture: Diversifying and Globalizing Minds: A Review

The journal article Time, Space, and Culture: Diversifying and Globalizing Minds is one of the articles in the compilation Journal of Curriculum and Instruction (JoCI). It was written by Roberta Levitt, Ph.D. and Joseph Piro, Ph. D. both professors in Long Island University. Their article introduced trends and issues and offers suggestions on how curriculum and instruction successfully meet challenges of the 21 st century. They discussed findings on education globalization and its corresponding approaches. This article also discussed Gardners Five Minds for the Future and how this will fit the modern teaching-learning scenario. The authors of this article proposed recommendations for pedagogy and practice that inform an education globalization approach. Globalization, as the definition dictates refers to exchanges of thoughts, beliefs and practices that are transpired through time and space. Scholte (2002) in Levitt and Piro (2012) stressed out that education globalization is related to cultural, sociological and linguistic interconnectedness. People can easily reach out and exchange ideas to each other physically, intellectually and psychologically. Moreover, Schooman and Bogotch (2010) in the work of Levitt and Piro (2012) defined the concept of diversity and associated it with multicultural education and its emphasis on prejudice and discrimination reduction, human rights and equity agenda, stereotype and confrontation, and personal tolerance. They stressed out that multicultural education is considered more sociological and behavioural rather than cognitive in scope and character. According to Levitt and Piro (2012), linguistic diversity trends were developed due to number of immigrants from the continents of Europe, Asia and America which leave a mark on education, economy, history, and culture. This is expected to strengthen over time. Students exposure to various languages, ethnicities, religions and culture intensifies multiple citizenships by means of technology. One distinct feature of education globalization is the world-to-the-desktop approach in which students experience barrier-reduction and making use of near and

distant resources to act as a learning agent. World-to-desktop approach makes use of technology to gather information from various places. Spring (2009) as quoted by Levitt and Piro (2012) describes additional feature of global education which include: common national education practices including curriculum and pedagogy, global networks and flow of common ideas and practices, global information technology and e-learning, global discourses influencing local and national policy makers, administrators and teachers, effects of world migrations on national and local education policy. Education harmonization trend was also introduced in education globalization. This happens when educators agreed to align their policies and practices. However, globalization can also experience unpredictable threats such as terrorism, pandemics and security challenges. In relation to education globalization, Levitt and Piro find out that students of today are more engaged in socio-political agenda such as environmental sustainability, terrorism containment, cyberspace security, human rights, migration, displacement, asylum seeking, and global health needs. In education globalization, students are free to choose their topic of interest and promote solution to each through problem-solving approaches. To prepare for education globalization and diversity, Levitt and Piro (2012) suggested a curriculum design following Howard Gardners Five Minds for the Future. This paradigm focuses on the cognitive and human will that will dictate what kind of thinking should be used for every situation. Moreover, Gardner (2008) came up with the five kinds of minds or mental disposition: disciplinary mind, synthesizing mind, creating mind, respectful mind and ethical mind. The new model of Gardner Five Minds for the Future trains up students emotional, social and psychological faculties of the mind. I believe that this model is lifted from his concept of multiple intelligences. Five Minds for the Future is now integrated with curriculum framework in globalized American High Schools. Here, subjects are not compartmentalized and there is opportunity to introduce broader categories more educationally relevant to new millennium topics.

Core content mapping for skills development is another feature of education globalization. It presents researches and skills, identifies what student and teachers outcomes would be used in the classroom setting. It also presents activities that promote social and cross-cultural skills for students working in teams to explore daily life. UNICEF supports core-content mapping wherein they provide materials such as audiocasts, websites, interactive posters, videocasts and blogs. Through these, students actively involved themselves with a culture different from their own and trained to work productively with others while bridging differences and applying innovative ways to improve the quality of their work. I came to realize that education globalization is gradually introduced in Philippine schools. International Schools in metro cities and even in provinces were sprouting everywhere. Teachers must be more knowledgeable about diverse cultures, foreign languages, traditions and beliefs of students. I also read an article that one of the shortcomings of inculcating education globalization to curriculum is the establishment of standard test-based assessment for students. I suggest that additional trainings and seminars should be given to teachers regarding assessment and grading system on global education. I agree with Levitt and Piros (2012) suggestions to meet the challenges of globalization. They stressed out that teachers are the core of every educational programs; without their support, little can be accomplished. To make teachers more equipped, intensive professionalization is recommended and range of incentives and opportunities should be offered. Just like the previous Journal Review that Ive done, I also learned a lot from this article. Levitt and Piros writings and findings give me additional insights on education globalization. I learned the various globalization approaches such as world-to-desktop approach wherein information from various sources, near and far, could be contained electronically and used by learners in any time and place convenient to him/her. I also learned about Howard Gardners Five Minds for the Future ad its components: disciplinary mind, synthesizing mind, creating mind, respectful mind and ethical mind. Core content mapping was another approach used in education globalization. Here, teachers and students used skills activities to get in touch, learned and understand

diverse cultures. I could safely surmise that this article Time, Space, and Culture: Diversifying and Globalizing Minds is indeed beneficial for us educators because it is timely and the approaches that they presented are interesting and sounds new to us.

REFERENCES
Levitt , Roberta. (2012, May). Time, Space, and Culture: Diversifying and Globalizing Minds. Journal of Curriculum and Instruction (JoCI). Vol. 6. No. 1. Retrieved August 8, 2012: http://www.joci.ecu.edu

doi:10.3776/joci.2012.v6n1p## Gardner, Howard. (2008). 5 Minds for the Future: Cultivating Thinking Skills. Self Made Scholar.Retrieved August 16, 2012: http:

selfmadescholar.com/b/2009/07/15/5-minds-for-the-future-cultivatingthinking-skills/ Education and Globalization. IIEP Retrieved Newsletter ( April-June 1998). Vol. XVI, No. 2. August 16, 2012:

http://www.iiep.unesco.org/fileadmin/user_upload/pdf/apre98.pdf

EDAM 514- Curriculum Development

JOURNAL REVIEW 3: Time, Space, and Culture: Diversifying and Globalizing Minds

Ms. JENNIFER L. MAGBOO MA- Educational Management

TERESITA V. DELA CRUZ Associate Professor III