University of The People

EDUC 5810: LIVING AND LEARNING GLOBALLY

Instructor: Dr Javier Lozano

September 13, 2023

Introduction

Even if it can be difficult, recalling one's personal experiences is a crucial type of memory to

have. Socially constructed activities result in the production and evaluation of a comprehensive

self-story made up of memories of several long-term and recurring occurrences (Fivush & Graci,

2017). African Background

Because of my African ancestry, I really respect the honour of being labelled an African. I've

grown to think of Uganda as a tiny representation of the world community because of its

different people, cultures, faiths, languages, cuisine, attire, and lifestyles, as well as the political

and economic structures of the nation. The fact that I was exposed to so many various cultures as

a young child did not bother me, and I did not experience an identity crisis. When I was in

school, the students respected one another's differences and participated fully in class debates.

Our community's values were imparted to us in the context of environmental issues. A

communicator who is naturally moral seeks to communicate with people from diverse

backgrounds.

Values, and Beliefs

It is important to concentrate on the commonalities between cultures rather than the disparities

(Intercultural Communication Competence, 2021). My Christian upbringing gave me a strong

desire to help others by doing good deeds. The only principles that mattered to me were those of

honesty and integrity. As a result, I now fully understand how important it is for me to treat

everyone with respect and decency in whatever I do. I was raised with forgiveness because I was

the youngest of five siblings. Elders in my family and at school taught me the value of respecting
other people's cultures and how to understand other people's viewpoints. I got to know people

better the more I interacted with them.

We took part in religious holidays as well as celebrations of music and culture in a variety of

forms. I've learned acceptance, empathy, and openness to strangers by growing up in a varied

family. By fostering this perspective, today's curricula and educational system must prepare

students to be future global citizens (Evans et al., 2014), stressing the importance of "connecting

the information to learners' prior abilities and knowledge" (p. 12).

My perspective on how personal circumstances influence learning

A child's early development is influenced by a number of different elements, in addition to their

cultural, emotional, and physical features, which help shape their initial and most important ideas

of the world and how it works (Toelken, 1996). Regardless of whether we choose to associate

ourselves with any specific event, experience, or environmental exposure, all of these influences

have a long-term impact on how our minds, as well as our interpersonal, physiological, and

psychological abilities and personalities, develop over the course of our entire lives.

I moved to Hoima about five years ago to start a new teaching career and at the beginning I felt

alien because I had to adjust to a number of things such as a different language, different foods,

and culture among other very crucial things. With the recent development and oil being

discovered, Hoima has become home to people from all over the world, and each one has an own

culture and set of customs to share with visitors. In addition to the cultural shifts I've witnessed,

I've noticed a notable contrast between the religious beliefs of people here and those back home.

We require a new meaning of the term "global" in this context. Students cherish the ability to

study and teach in a global setting, according to (Evans et al., 2012). I eventually came to agree
with their findings. I learned a new language, adapted to a new culture, and became accustomed

to modern life in this new setting. I was well-suited to help kids acquire the same sense of global

citizenship and competency that I had established since I was curious and insatiably hungry for

knowledge (Robinson, 2007). By establishing a reciprocal connection that accepted students

from different cultural and educational backgrounds on an equal footing, I was able to more

effectively explain the value of my educational background.

In my opinion, it is beneficial for students whose first language is not English to be instructed in

their dialect rather than in English. It is crucial, in my opinion, to emphasise both the children's

native language and the language used at the school when it comes to parenting kids from

diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. When migrant children take part in regular classes

and are given the opportunity to study in their native tongues, teachers are more inclined to see

the positive aspects of their students' future potential. However, there are various worldviews

from other civilizations that are mirrored in their culture and language, such as social rituals,

artistic expressions, and the language of the populace (Hassi & Storti, 2012). Students are

encouraged to create and deliver content that displays their distinctive cultural heritage and

conveys who they are as individuals outside of their proficiency in the target language in

addition to showcasing their proficiency in that language.

According to the World Health Organisation, we have reached a point of global

interconnectedness where nations and people all over the world are becoming more dependent on

one another. Even if they share a linguistic and cultural heritage with their parents, children must

learn about and support other cultures if they are to grow up to be true global citizens. While the

definition of "global" should be discussed, it is equally important to examine how young

children's understanding of and perspectives about history are influenced by their early

socialisation (Wang, 2016).

REFERENCE

Evans, M., Montemurro, D., Gambhir, M., & Broad, K. (Eds.). (2014). Inquiry into practice:

Learning and teaching global matters in local classrooms. Ontario Institute for Studies in

Education of the University of Toronto (OISE).

http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/oise/UserFiles/File/TEACHING_GLOBAL_MATTERS_FI

NAL_ONLINE.pdf

Fivush, R, & Graci, M. E. (2017). 2.07 - Autobiographical memory. Learning and memory: A

comprehensive reference (second edition). Pages 119-135. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-

0-12-809324-5.21046-8

Hassi & Storti (2012). Globalization and Culture: The Three H Scenarios.

IntechOpen.https://www.intechopen.com/books/globalization-approaches-to-diversity/glo

balization-and-culturethe-three-h-scenarios

Intercultural Communication Competence. (2021). Sage publications, Inc.

https://us.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-assets/112820_book_item_112820.pdf

Robinson W.I. (2007) Theories of globalization. In G. Ritzer (Ed.) Blackwell companion to

globalization. Oxford: Blackwell. Retrieved from

http://kisi.deu.edu.tr/timucin.yalcinkaya/Theories%20of%20Globalization.pdf
Toelken, B. (1996). “Cultural Worldview.” Dynamics of Folklore. Revised and expanded

edition. Logan: Utah State University Press.

https://hsp.org/sites/default/files/legacy_files/migrated/dynamicsoffolklorereading.pdf

Wang, Q. (2016). Remembering the self in cultural contexts: A cultural dynamic theory of

autobiographical memory. Memory Studies, 9(3), 295–304.

https://doi.org/10.1177/1750698016645238