By Kimberly Hall | October 8, 2019
My World View experiences have empowered me with the opportunities to help make my classroom a window to the unknowns of the world for my students.
World View would like to showcase the work that Consuelo Maria Johnson is doing to globalize her students’ experiences in the classroom. Consuelo teaches 8th grade mathematics at Rose Hill-Magnolia Elementary School in Rose Hill, NC (Duplin County). Rose Hill-Magnolia Elementary School currently has 1,225 students enrolled.
While taking the steps to globalize her curriculum, Consuelo says “I am looking at the whole student. When students feel important, they respond in a different manner. I do not want students to know they matter, I want them to FEEL like they matter, that what they have to say is important and valuable.” In terms of everyday math instruction in the classroom, Consuelo and her students “will explore different ways of solving problems but also utilize the knowledge obtained for learning concepts to create global presentations to demonstrate understanding. For example, for the concept of slope, one could determine and demonstrate how slope and area is used to create a roller coaster in an area where roller coasters are not so popular. They could then build a replica of their idea. Another example could be students developing an itinerary and travel plan for a group from another to come to NC or some other US state, visiting some of the more common landmarks and popular visiting spots (research involved). This is the direction I would like to take my instruction. It will be a challenge as my students have not approached learning in this manner, but it will all be worth it in the end. We will take it one step at a time.”
Consuelo first attended World View’s K-12 Global Education Summit in 2018, following with the 2019 Latin America and North Carolina Seminar, World View’s 2019 Costa Rica Study Visit and World View’s 2019 Moldova Study Visit. She is also taking part in North Carolina’s Bi-lateral Partnership with Moldova, a program of the NC Secretary of State Department. This allows her students the opportunity to connect and build relationships with students in another country. Consuelo’s experiences at World View programs and study visits “have empowered me with the opportunities to help make my classroom a window to the unknowns of the world for my students. My Students get to experience new things along with me.” While Consuelo can’t physically bring her students with her, she is always thinking of them during programs and study visits. “My goal for my students is for them to become more self-aware as well as aware of others who are different from what they know about, embrace their biases and become better humans and leaders for tomorrow. Knowledge is power.”