Global Literacies Communities -- Online Application

Nature of the Group* Civic Center WOW Team Describe your group. Indicate whether your group is school-based, district-based, community-based, or a university-school collaboration, and whether the group has a past history and previous relationships or is newly formed. Also indicate whether members of the group have previously worked with global literature in their classrooms.

"Civic Center WOW Team" is a group of high school teachers & counselors working at a county school in San Francisco. Civic Center Secondary serves students in grades 7 through 12. For these most at-risk students, those with habitual truancy, behavior issues and histories of suspension and expulsion, the goal is to change behavior so that these students will stay in school and earn enough credits to graduate.

Each class has a team of educators that includes a regular education teacher, a special education teacher & a counselor. We have been creating a series of classes for "life skills" where students can choose projects and activities that include history, science, literacy, ​and art! As the librarian I have collaborated with all team members for several years. For several years we have participated in ALA Great Stories Club & I work with each class as they read, discuss & expand themes of YA books. Also some of us were part of a district “master teacher” cohort. Each year I coordinate art/music resources, grants & programs with input from these teachers.

Our students represent many cultures & countries. Each class has developed a variety of lessons & activities that reflect the many global cultures of the students.  The library collection includes a wide range of global literature. Most recently I worked with students on refugee stories.  (I also presented a workshop on this topic to the NWWHA California, Hawaii, and Northwest World History Association & at our local union conference.)

Names of Participants in the Group Provide the names, positions, and emails of the group participants and indicate the age levels and student populations in the classrooms of group members.

Nathan Kirk, regular education, science Room 208 grades 7-8 team  kirkn@sfusd.edu

Sasha Ivanovic, special education Room 208 grades 7-8 team  ivanovics@sfusd.edu

Mansur Nurullah, counselor, art  Room 127 grades 9-12 team  nurullahm@sfusd.edu

Fernando Portugal, regular education, music grades 9-12 Room 125 team portugalf@sfusd.edu

Liam Carey, regular education, music grades 9-12 Room 125 team  careyl@sfusd.edu

Kay Hones. Librarian, art  honesk@sfusd.edu grades 7-12 Library

Proposed Goals and Activities Indicate what the group proposes to do, why and how as well as when and where the group will meet. The goals and activities should address both study group meetings and activities within classrooms, including the integration of global literature and explorations of world languages related to your inquiries into global cultures.

We will use global literature & related activities to teach Global Citizenship which is defined as “the rights and responsibilities which come with being a member of a global community and whose actions support the community’s purpose and values. These rights, responsibilities and values are consistent with the concept of humanity.”  Our team will meet at our school twice a month.

We have 5 goals

1.         Team will read global literature to prepare to teach global citizenship education

2.         Team will develop action steps = student lessons & activities about global citizenship using global literature

3.         Team will read global literature with students to encourage student discussion AND commitments to human rights issues

4.         Team will use a "Learn, Think, Act" process for lessons. LEARN: Students read & explore global literature, research related global issues, discuss & consider different perspectives, causes & consequences.  THINK: Students consider various ideas & strategies to resolve issues. Student discussions include differing values, perspectives of power & variety of global perspectives.  ACT: Students use their thinking to help address & seek to resolve community & global issues. 

5.         Students will use design thinking strategies to develop service learning projects for community & global citizenship

Time Line of the Group*Provide a time line for the group’s activities and meetings, including the vignettes for WOW Stories.

September 2019 Civic Center WOW team will meet twice a month: first meeting to read & discuss global literature titles; second meeting to brainstorm & draft lesson ideas for students.  During these first meetings the team will develop a lesson format/template to use with all titles.                              

October-April: Classes will discuss global citizenship.  Each month a new title will be introduced & students able to access global literature titles with large print books, read aloud by teacher to class & with audiobook.  For each title, students will use learn-think-act strategies. LEARN: Students read & explore global literature, research related global issues, discuss & consider different perspectives, causes & consequences.  THINK: Students consider various ideas & strategies to resolve issues. Student discussions include differing values, perspectives of power & variety of global perspectives.  ACT: Students use their thinking to help resolve global issues.  With each book & related projects, students will complete a short written reflection.                                        

 Students will help plan field trips to local bookstores that have a global collection.  Students will be able to choose one global literature book from each store to add to the library.

January-May 2020 Students will be encouraged to develop an action plan for global citizenship service learning and present the steps they are taking as global citizens.  Students will complete a short reflection of their service learning projects.

Proposed Budget* Provide a proposal for budget expenditures (global literature, supplies for classroom work or study group meetings, technology support, summer stipends for vignettes).

Global literature, large print & audio book of each title for student accessibility  10-15 titles total $500

Global authors/illustrators in the bay area visits to classes TBA $400

Field trips with students to bookstores with global literature: Arkipelago Books (Filipino) , Eastwind Books (Chinese), Kinokuniya Bookstore (Japanese), Zaytuna College Bookstore (Arabic) Purchase student selected book $100