Posted on by Luke O'Shaughnessy

Celebrating the work of the Global Citizenship and Ethical Education teacher community of practice

Susana Nunez, Second-level Education Officer

As we approach the end of another great year, it is a fitting time to celebrate our new vibrant Global Citizenship and Ethical Education Community of Practice for second-level teachers. Throughout the year, a group of teachers with a special interest in Global Citizenship and Ethical Education has gathered five times to delve into the depths of best practices in that area.

In today’s rapidly changing world, characterised by hyperconnectivity and global challenges, the significance of Global Citizenship and Ethical Education cannot be overstated. As educators, we understand the pivotal role we play in guiding our students, nurturing their ability to become responsible global citizens equipped with empathy, critical thinking, and a profound understanding of ethical values. 

In our quest to foster leadership and excellence in Global Citizenship and Ethical Education within our network, teachers from a third of our schools united as a group to discuss the challenges faced in our classrooms and develop best practice solutions. In the context of this year’s climate, many issues were discussed and best practice guidelines used in our discussions and sharing of resources. 

Looking ahead to the coming year, we have an exciting line-up of plans. We are organising additional meetings, including a Teachmeet, to further explore critical aspects of Global Citizenship Education. These discussions will encompass topics such as cross-departmental collaboration, assessment of learning in Global Citizenship Education and Ethical Education, implementing Project-Based Learning as a whole-school approach, sustainable integration of Global Citizenship Education at the senior cycle, and delving deeper into Global Citizenship Education by examining root causes through a global lens. 

The group are eager to welcome new passionate teachers to our community next September. If you share our enthusiasm for Global Citizenship Education and/or Ethical Education, we warmly invite you to get in touch with us by emailing susana.nunez@educatetogether.ie. Our community will meet five times throughout the year, with three in-person sessions and two online sessions scheduled outside of teaching hours. 

We leave you with some recommendations that we explored this year in the context of developing a better understanding of the complexities in Global Citizenship Education and Ethical Education: 

  1. Five Faces of Globalisation and PLINGS, Dr Momodou Sallah approach to global citizenship education. 
  2. “Bad Bridget” Podcast, a podcast from Queen’s University Belfast & University of Ulster telling the untold stories of generations of Irish women who saw their American Dream become a nightmare. A great opportunity to explore poverty, gender inequality, migration, and more. 
  3. Jason Hickel’s books “The Divide” and “Less is more” offer an opportunity to explore degrowth more in depth. 
  4. “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley explores the dangers of a society that prioritises stability and efficiency over individuality and emotion.   
  5. “Origin Story” Podcast which delves into “the real stories behind the most misunderstood and abused ideas in politics.” 
  6. The Political Compass, a widely recognised website that offers a platform for individuals to navigate and assess their political ideology through the evaluation of 62 propositions. This can be linked or used as a tool for some of the units of our Ethical Education at Senior Cycle. It also links to Politics and Society at Senior Cycle. 
  7. “Web of Lies: How to tell fact from fiction in an online world” by Aoife Gallagher, very relevant to the current climate, it is an examination of the rising threat of far-right extremist thought in Ireland and internationally. It also looks at how these movements use the online world to spread disinformation.  
  8. Senior Cycle Ethical Education Teacher Guide: whether you are preparing to teach Ethical Education in Senior Cycle or planning to engage in a Global Citizenship Education project in your school, we recommend you check some of the recommended videos in this guide. 

For more information get in touch with Susana: susana.nunez@educatetogether.ie