Global Minds Programme at Southland Girls’ High School
Aims
The overall aim of the Global Minds programme is to extend our girls understanding of the world while developing academic and social abilities, through global competency skill sets.Through inquiry into real world issues students extend their concept of citizenship and challenge their leadership abilities to make a difference for society.
Through inquiry into issues of global significance from local, national and global perspectives students through an interdisciplinary curriculum will:
1. Understand different perspectives and make reasoned responses.
2. Feel a sense of purpose and be empowered to use their talents to make change.
3. Develop an analytical, evaluative grasp of global issues and their causes, effects and possible solutions( IGCSE Syllabus -Global Perspectives).
4. Enquire into and reflect on issues independently and in collaboration with others from a variety of different cultures, communities and countries( IGCSE Syllabus -Global Perspectives).
5. Have a sense of their own, active place in the world.
6. Empathise with the needs and rights of others.
Key Components:
1. Southern Media Mash
(Year 7 and 8 cluster groups)
Students use technology as a way to share their learning on global issues.
We share examples of our work through the Southern Media Mash and have had entries in the National MADE awards.
We cannot underestimate the impact of creative thinking and learning through like minds at the national and local level through these digital technology communities.
2. Classroom In The Air
(Year 8 cluster group, Year 9/10 cluster group in a mentor role)
Classroom in the Air is a programme developed in 2017 between SGHS and a school in China where we participate in learning activities via skype that broaden our cross cultural understandings. This programme supports students to explore perspectives in relation to Global Issues. We are globally connected and we need to make decisions about how we participate in global communities both now and in the future.
3. IGCSE Global Perspectives as a Learning Package Choice for Year 9 and 10
Our students can select Global perspectives IGCSE as a learning package in Yr 9/10.This is a full year course where students complete an individual report,group project and exam.The course encourages the Cambridge learner attributes of: Confident responsible reflective innovative engaged
"Cambridge IGCSE Global perspectives encourages awareness of global problems and offers a range of opportunities to explore solutions through cooperation and collaboration.The course is not about getting everybody to think identically; rather it is a matter of opening minds to the complexity of the world and of human thought;encouraging empathy for diversity of human experience and feeling."( Global Perspectives IGCSE Syllabus )
4. World's Largest lesson - embedded in learning for Year 7 - 10
Since 2015 we have been involved as an active school sharing learning and resources with the Worlds largest lesson Community. The learning links to achieving the sustainable Development Goals by encouraging young people who know about the goals to use their creativity and talents to care about making the goals success a reality.
"Every problem In the world has a solution trapped inside our students' passions. Helping them see the connection is our job." #TeachSDGs
The impact:
You can see a feature of our Global Minds curriculum is bringing like minds together and mentoring each other across year levels. Each year we end with a World Cafe Yr 7-10 sharing new understandings and ideas across year levels.The across year level focus also supports a sense of belonging and allows students to make meaning of their learning in a challenging yet supportive collaborative based environment.
Each component of the programme is connected to core curriculum design elements.Real life experiences with carefully designed tasks activate and enhance awareness of global matters.The girls acquire challenging but realistic future oriented lifelong learning skills and knowledge. Problem solving skills are embedded within rigorous academic study which encourages creative and critical thinking. Being able to connect to groups outside of our school extends perspective thinking and our students ability to excel in a culturally connected world through understanding with empathy.The link to the World's largest Lesson and its focus on the Sustainable Development Goals gives the programme a future leaders focus and allows girls to see how local thinking and actions can impact humanity as a whole.
There are multiple benefits from the programme that we have been able to identify through multiple data sources. Key themes that come through at all levels are the students enjoying ownership of change , excited by their understanding being challenged and extended thus seeing the importance of open minds and also feeling a sense of accomplishment .Students metacognitive ability , leadership behaviours , ethical awareness and commitment to action to make positive change are all benefits we see. The programme therefore allows students to extend their talents but to take this further and use their talent in leadership roles to make the world a better place.
We have student voice from past students about the impact being in Global Minds has had on their future learning and leadership roles:
"Global Minds has had a major impact on me not only as an individual, a student but also a young Samoan girl living in society. For many reasons I can say that it has made me the person I am today. Global Minds installed confidence and inspiration upon myself. Confident that I can change the world. Confident that a young Samoan girl like me, moving from Samoa to New Zealand with the intention of gaining a good education, can grow up to Prime Minister or a Lawyer, things I thought were impossible. Handling projects and raising awareness about what we thought was an important or crucial topic in our society shaped me into a confident leader. Being a student of Global Minds has also inspired me. It changed my perspective of our world. Seeing the many leaders from our nation changing the society we live in for the better and helping others in need inspired me to do the same. Even if it's by helping a teacher stack the books or teaching a student how to write an essay. Like one of my Global Minds teacher always said "Be the change you want to see". I am so proud to be a Global Minds student and I am very glad that I was a part of it as it has completely changed me as a person" Rebecca
“Global Minds not only endorses leadership, it creates leadership. It is an environment that breeds collaborative thinking and behaviour and helps us, as students, form our own social consciences. This class has benefitted me in many ways, giving me a more comprehensive and inclusive perspective of the world which is important both in leadership and in learning. I can say without hesitation that Global Minds has set me up for success as I have learned skills, values, behaviours and even gained qualifications. I am very grateful for having the opportunity to be a part of this class.” Rachael
“Global Minds was, and still is, by far my favourite school subject. This is because unlike most classes where we stick to the ordinary curriculum requirements, it allowed me to extend and challenge myself as a learner and investigate real issues that are facing our world. The numerous variety of skills I learnt in Global Minds (thinking critically, examining various perspectives, working interdependently etc.) are definitely a contributing factor to the success of my current learning and the pathways that I have chosen, laying the foundations for NCEA. Global Minds has inspired me to be a leader and make a difference in my community leading me to become a member of the Invercargill City Youth Council, attend Model UN events and gain various leadership roles in my school. Global Minds has instilled in me a new awareness of the issues facing our world today and a new appreciation and understanding that in order to successfully make a difference and achieve our personal goals we need to consider different perspectives and collaborate and share our talents with others.” Molly
Currently we have two past students actively putting a proposal together to continue the learning and focus on Global Issues as students move into the senior school.
Sharee Ineson
Southland Girls’ High School
