As a Social Studies teacher, I spend my days helping students navigate the world within their classroom. We look at maps to understand borders, resources, conflicts, and cultures. But a map is just a representation of the world, not the world itself.
To truly prepare students for the 21st century, we need to go beyond just the coordinates.
The "Why" Behind the Journey: I am honored to participate in the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms program because I believe that global competence is no longer an optional "add-on" to education, it is a necessity. Whether our students enter business, healthcare, or public service, they will be working in an interconnected ecosystem.
My goal with this fellowship is simple. I hope to transform my classroom from a place where we study the world into a place where we connect with it.
Right now, I am wrapping up the graduate coursework component of the fellowship. It has been a rigorous 10 week dive into the pedagogy of global education. I’m collaborating with a cohort of educators from across the U.S., discussing best practices for cross-cultural dialogue and analyzing how to assess "global competence" just like we assess math or reading.
One key takeaway so far? Global education isn't about travel. It's about perspective. You don't need a passport to be a global citizen, but you do need the skills to understand diverse viewpoints.
What’s Next? This website, Marone on the Map, is my field journal. Over the coming months, I hope to be documenting:
The Symposium: My training in Washington D.C.
The Field Experience: My upcoming international exchange (Location TBD!).
The Classroom: How I am bringing these lessons back to my classroom.
I invite you to follow along, ask questions, and explore the resources I’ll be sharing here.
Let’s get to work.