NLGL Creative Synthesis

 In 2006, I began my graduate course work at NC State in Reading (K-12).  At that time I was a stay at home mom and was managing my new roles as a mom and a full time graduate student pretty well. Once I had my second child, I needed to put my graduate work on hold for awhile. A few years later I re-enrolled into the newly formed NLGL program, pregnant with baby #3! Because my previous work covered over half of the requirements for the program, I was able to substitute previous earned credits for the new NLGL requirements. (One example was my substitution of  ECI 523, Teacher as Researcher with a class on research methods taken some 5 years ago.) For my creative synthesis I focused on my work completed in ECI  524- Theory and Research in Global Learning, ECI 508-Teacher as Leader, and ECI 546-New Literacies and Media.

 My NLGL creative synthesis, answers the question " How can I create a rich literacy and learning environment that encourages and develops a sense of civic engagement in the lives of my students?" by dividing the course work I've completed into three categories: Global Citizenship, Empathy, and Technology.

This question stems from a number of past, personal experiences, as well as knowledge of the benefits civic engagement can have in the lives of students. Opening a student's eyes to the social issues down the street or half way around the globe, and equipping them with the tools and resources needed to make a difference in this world, is one of the greatest gifts an educator can give to their students. Through focusing on global citizenship, empathy, and technology, it is my hope to bestow this gift of civic engagment to the students that I teach.