Worldwise Learning
A Teacher's Guide to Shaping a Just, Sustainable Future
Illustrations by Chris Gadbury, Foreword by Verónica Boix Mansilla
Corwin Teaching Essentials
Nautilus Gold Award Winner (Books for a Better World) in Social Sciences & Education
Create inclusive, democratic classrooms that prepare knowledgeable, compassionate, and engaged global citizens.
Today’s global challenges—climate change, food and water insecurity, social and economic inequality, and a global pandemic—demand that educators prepare students to become compassionate, critical thinkers who can explore alternative futures. Their own, others’, and the planet’s well-being depend on it.
Worldwise Learning presents a “Pedagogy for People, Planet, and Prosperity” that supports K-8 educators in nurturing “Worldwise Learners”: students who both deeply understand and purposefully act when learning about global challenges. Coupling theory with practice, this book builds educators’ understanding of how curriculum and meaningful interdisciplinary learning can be organized around local, global, and intercultural issues, and provides a detailed framework for making those issues come alive in the classroom. Richly illustrated, each innovative chapter asserts a transformational approach to teaching and learning following an original three-part inquiry cycle, and includes:
- Practical classroom strategies to implement Worldwise Learning at the lesson level, along with tips for scaffolding students’ thinking.
- Images of student work and vignettes of learning experiences that help educators visualize authentic Worldwise Learning moments.
- Stories that spotlight Worldwise Learning in action from diverse student, teacher, and organization perspectives.
- An exemplar unit plan that illustrates how the planning process links to and can support teaching and learning about global challenges.
- QR codes that link to additional lesson and unit plans, educational resources, videos of strategies, and interviews with educators and thought leaders on a companion website, where teachers can discuss topics and share ideas with each other.
Worldwise Learning offers a necessary pedagogical framework to advocate for students to push for global understanding and action. Building a co-created classroom that positions itself in global meaning-making is a profound need for maintaining our democracy, educating our youth, and allowing students to channel their inner curiosity. This work offers a clear outline for transforming one's classroom for worldwide change.
This book is an invitation, guidebook and launchpad aimed at activating the Worldwise Learner in all of us. Relevant, authentic, inspiring and chock full of tools to reflect, grow and synergize, Worldwise Learning truly empowers us to think for ourselves, explore alternative futures and take action to ensure the wellbeing of our entire global ecosystem.
"I am recommending Worldwise Learning: A Teacher’s Guide to Shaping a Just, Sustainable Future because as a global educator and Black woman it is imperative for others to understand the ins and outs of being a global citizen. Our students need to be able to learn from those who are wanting to teach culturally relevant teaching and to be able to share their voice with others. We as educators need to be able to show our students, parents, and surrounding communities what diversity, equity, and inclusivity really looks like and how to stand up for the truth. This book takes the time to help others to unlearn and dismantle oppressive systems within and beyond us."
There could be no better time to publish a book on transformative education for a better, more fair, world. May this thoughtfully crafted learning tool not only spark students and educators intellectually -but also touch their hearts. This can bring about the much needed shifts from competition to compassion and from comparison to all children everywhere shining in their true potential; like stars on earth.
Worldwise Learning is a compelling and timely book that presents a powerful vision of transformative education for our times. Steeped in democratic values and a respect for student agency, the authors offer a framework for educating responsible and compassionate learners in a complex and interconnected world.
We can't afford to fail in our pursuit to raise citizens empowered to understand and take action on local and global challenges. While too many adults look the other way, educators like Marschall and Crawford inspire children and young people to be the force for change that this world needs. Worldwise Learning: A Teacher’s Guide to Shaping a Just, Sustainable Future is grounded in research and filled with practical strategies inspiring students to engage critically, take responsibility, and produce change
