Definitions

Global Literature

Global literature is a comprehensive term that encompasses both international and multicultural literature. It “honors and celebrates diversity, both within and outside the United States, in terms of culture, race, ethnicity, language, religion, social and economic status, sexual orientation, and physical and intellectual ability” (Hadaway and McKenna 2007, 4-5).

Intercultural Competence

Cultural competence involves values, behaviors, attitudes, and practices that enable people to work cross-culturally with increasingly diverse constituencies. To gain intercultural competence, students (and educators) "must be aware of their own cultural biases, be curious and accepting about other people’s cultures, and commit to increasing their knowledge of cultures other than their own" (Moreillon 2018 under review).

Three Videos to Support this Work

Will Our Kids Be Ready for the World in 2050? [TED Talk] from BrightSightGroup on Vimeo.

"Will Our Kids Be Ready for the World in 2050?" by Dana Mortenson, Expert in Global Education and Co-Founder of World Savvy

"Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors" by Professor Rudine Simms Bishop

"The Mirrors and Windows of Your Child's Bookshelf" by Author Grace Lin

Works Cited

Hadaway, Nancy L., and Marian J. McKenna. 2007. Breaking Boundaries with Global Literature: Celebrating Diversity in K-12 Classrooms. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

Moreillon, Judi. 2018. "Book Reviewers as Mediators of Children's and Young Adult Literature" (Under review).