The responsibility of teacher leaders should be to prepare graduates for the 21st century by instilling within them the six most critical competencies for global success. Such approach will guarantee that students, upon graduation, will possess an awareness of global dynamics needed for proactive, responsible citizenship in an increasingly interconnected global environment.
Graduating without a global mentality is a severe limitation in today’s interconnected world. Diversity, growing trends in business, technology, and product innovations are operating on an international level, and to participate on such level, graduates must be highly competent individuals.
Knowledge masters or teacher trainers must be highly competent themselves and must be provided the necessary resources to get the job done.
To equip students to operate effectively on the international scale, global-minded trainers approach the task with intentness, conviction, research, knowledge and a dedication to fostering excellence.
Once the global competencies are instilled within graduates, the result will be enhanced global awareness, value, collaboration. execution and growth.
Competencies for Global Ready Graduates include:
- Understanding and working with diverse cultures
- Knowledge of current and emerging trends
- Planning and implementing assignments, projects, and programs
- Communicating effectively in an information-driven world
- Demonstrating the ability to adapt to changing dynamics in the global environment
- The knowledge of new and advancing technology and its appropriate usage
Diverse Cultures
Understanding and working with diverse cultures are global competencies which all graduates must master in order to make vital connections and establish relationships, especially overseas. Getting used to different cultures will go a long way in preparing students for dealing with owners of international markets and customers.
Studying the languages, styles, and approaches of different cultures will help alleviate misunderstandings when working in collaboration with people who think, dress and communicate differently. Providing cultural driven tours, field trips, and cross-culture communications channels via skype, videos and other means of interacting and understanding diversity are a few strategies to consider.
Emerging Trends in Education
Educating pre-graduates about the emerging trends happening all around them in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (S.T.E.M) is vital. But also, critical in preparing the next generation for effective citizenship is teaching them regarding the changes occurring in the real world of commerce and exchange. Awareness of new breakthroughs, involving products, services, marketing, investing and real estate will help students achieve success in both their personal and professional arenas.
The global competency of recognizing change is crucial if potential business owners and entrepreneurs are going to keep up with the competition and thrive in the new global marketplace.
Planning and Implementation
One of the reasons for instilling pre-graduates with global competencies is to create strong leaders and entrepreneurs capable of planning and implementing new ideas, projects, and programs which reach across borders.
Teacher leaders must train students to come together for the sake of brainstorming and finding new solutions for emerging global problems and demands. Students need to know that brainstorming can generate huge numbers of potential solutions.
Once solutions are discovered, students must learn how to effectively plan and implement these solutions. Such task will require courage, knowledge, and risk-taking. Starting new initiatives also takes a determination to get back up after failure, readjust ideas and move forward.
Great organizations such as Google and Apple to produce new technological ideas and introducing them diverse cultures.
Multicultural communication Effectiveness
Learning how other cultures communicate will help pre-graduate to effectively interact with multicultural personalities. Success in today’s global marketplace demands that leaders are skilled in making their ideas known and accepted in the international market. An inability to master this competency will result in communication barriers which can jeopardize an organization’s ability to expand products and services into other countries.
Understanding how to connect and negotiate with individuals in foreign markets will go a long way in establishing graduates for resolving challenges dealing with real world situations.
Awareness of Changing Global Dynamics
In Today’s ever-changing environment, it is imperative that teacher leaders stress the importance of staying aware of the emergence of ideas, information, and services which affect society as a whole. However, individuals and organizations who ignore innovative change will be left behind by their more proactive and diligent counterparts. Therefore, students must be taught to be aware of new research, studies, and initiatives which drive global change.
Many organizations have come and gone (and are yet going) because they failed to adapt to changing dynamics occurring all around them. Awareness and engagement are the keys to success.
New and Creative Technology
Developing this competency will go a long way in teaching pre-graduates how technology is changing how the world works. The miracles of technology are making products and services more efficient, accessible, and available. For example, Amazon’s goal of making drone delivery a reality is only a legislative approval away.
The advances in Apple technology has been astonishing. Loaded with apps of all types, the iPhone series has thrilled millions of users who cherish the phone for its sleek build and powerful megapixel camera.
Such technological innovations and breakthroughs must be the visions of new graduates who are equipped to lead society into higher levels of growth and advancement. Establishing within each student a masterful knowledge of the 6 global competencies goes a long way in producing such powerful leaders.
