Unit 3: The 21st Century Literacies

Lesson 1. Global and Multicultural

Literacy

Prof-Ed 10: Building and Enhancing New Literacies Across

the Curriculum

JULIET L. PACURSA, PhD

Instructor
 Introduction
● The changing educational landscape in the global
context and the increasing interconnectedness and
interdependence of the world have placed
unprecedented demands on teacher education
programs in preparing teachers to educate for 21st
century. This lesson will make you aware on the
heightened importance given to the global community
and how it changes the roles of a teacher, etc.
What is Global Literacy?
The understanding of how the world is organized and is
interconnected, comprises what Global literacy is.
● It includes the ability of the individual to think critically about

the world and the roles they play in it.

● With the inevitability of diversity amongst nations and
countries, a person who is globally literate possess
understanding and appreciation of this diversity that may come
in the form of ones culture, customs, systems and relationships.
What is Global Literacy?
▪ In short, this literacy brings one’s awareness to the different
possibilities, issues and even concerns facing the world’s people
Guo (2024) emphasized that global literacy aims to address
issues of globalization, racism, diversity, and social justice.
▪ This necessitates awareness and actions consistent with a
broad understanding of humanity, racism, diversity, and social
justice.
Teaching Global Literacy
● Educating learners with global literacy aims to equip these
learners with an understanding of global systems,
circumstances, and relationships that influence their lives.

● Global Literacy must aim to empower students with knowledge

and take action to positively impact the world and their local
community (Guo, 2024).
According to Jamestown Public Schools , Global
literacy promotes and encourages:
• Inquiry, reasoning, and problem solving
• Collaboration
• communication and an understanding of world languages and
cultures
• an understanding of globalized systems and political realities
• responsible global citizenship
• respect for diversity
• an understanding of the skills and technologies that are necessary
for life in the 21st century;
• the ability for students to become advocates for themselves and
their city/state/country
• The teaching of Global Literacy aims to help
develop individuals into global citizens who are
globally literate.
• With various schemes of promoting global
literacy, the Ontario Ministry of Education
(2015) explicated that a global citizen should
display most or all of the following
characteristics:
• Respect for humans no matter their race,
gender, religion, or political perspectives.
• Respect for diversity and various perspectives.
• Promoting sustainable patterns of living,
consumption, and production.
• Appreciate the natural world and demonstrate
respect towards the rights of all living things.
What is Multi-cultural Literacy?

• The concepts of Global and Multicultural Literacy are

interconnected; thus, they are placed on the same unit.

• The teaching and learning of Multicultural literacy is a

respond to the phenomenon of Multiculturalism

• Global Literacy talks about understanding and awareness of

the interconnectedness and organization of the world
What is Multi-cultural Literacy?

• Global literacy consists of the skills and ability to

identify the creators of knowledge and their interests
(Banks, 1916), to uncover the assumptions of
knowledge, to view knowledge from diverse ethnic and
cultural perspectives, and to use knowledge to guide
action that will create a humane and just world (Boutte,
2018).
 Multiculturalism & Multi-cultural Education
• Multiculturalism is a philosophy that emphasizes the unique
characteristics of different cultures, especially as they relate to
one another in receiving nations.
• It is considered a systematic response to cultural and ethnic
diversity, with differences in educational, linguistic, economic,
and social components, and specific institutional mechanisms.
Broadly, the term is used to describe societies that may be
composed of various cultural groups, resulting from the increase
in immigration and border mobility.
 Multiculturalism & Multi-cultural Education
• Multicultural Education as defined by Banks (2021) is an
emerging discipline that serves as a tool in the creation of equal
educational opportunities for diverse racial, ethnic, social class,
and cultural groups.
• Multicultural Education aims to transform schools so that male
and female students, exceptional students, and students from
diverse cultural, social, ethnic, and ethnic groups may experience
an equal opportunity to learn.
• Aside from approaches, Banks also provided five
dimensions of multicultural education that teachers
and administrators must attend to in the effective
implementation of multicultural education.
• The dimensions include; Content Integration,
Knowledge Construction Process, Prejudice
Reduction, Equity Pedagogy & Empowering School
Culture
 Globalization and ASEAN Integration
• Global and Multi-cultural literacy, the concepts of Globalization
and ASEAN Integration are important phenomena that every
prospective educator must be oriented with. Globalization in the
simplest sense refers to the growing interdependence of the
world’s economies, cultures, and populations which is brought
about by the increase of cross-border mobility and trade of
goods and services, as well as the technology and the flow of
investment, people, information, and knowledge.
According to Vega, et.al (2015), globalization
necessitated education to pursue reforms within the
educational system.
1. Content of Education
a. Curriculum Upgradation
b. Productivity Orientation -The basic objective of
globalization is to enhance productivity and to make the
educational system an instrument for preparing students
who can compete in the world markets as productive
members of society. Selecting the best humans and
giving them education of the highest quality.
2. The Fall Out of Globalization
a. Internationalization of Education - provide global
opportunities and promote goodwill and will to
encourage the exchange of scholars
b. Finance-related issues - To be a part of the global
configuration, the requirement of funds for social
services including education will increase manifold.
For this purpose, it will be necessary to augment
government funding for these sectors.
c. Privation of secondary and higher education - “It will
mean a more competitive and deregulated educational
system modeled after a free market but with more
pressure on it to assure that the next generation of
workers is prepared for some amorphous job market of
21st century.
It also mean “that the educational system will
increasingly provide the sites of struggle over the
meaning and power of national identity and a national
culture.
References
● References: Banks, J. A. (2002). An introduction to multicultural education (3rd ed.). Boston: Allyn and
Bacon

● 21st Century Education Blog. Multicultural & Global Literacy. Retrieved at:
https://21stcenturyliteracy214.wordpress.com/

● Vega, V.A., Prieto, N.G. & Carreon, M.L. (2015). Social Dimensions of Education. Lorimar Publishing, Inc.
Quezon City: Metro Manila