Karen Finn, Social Studies and Geography teacher at Hebron Christian College, shares her experiences and perspective.

For me, being a global educator is more natural than intentional. I’m passionate about increasing students’ knowledge of the world they live in, both the physical and cultural aspects.

 

I studied development at university through degrees in geography and economics, and I’ve travelled to South and Central America where I spent time interacting with and learning from those less privileged than I am (including my World Vision sponsored child). In my classes, I share these experiences with my students and convey my passions to them.

Living in such a wonderful environment in New Zealand, with a positive economy, we are a statistical minority when compared to the rest of the world’s population, yet our students can take these things for granted.

 

Karen feeding a baby Vicuña

 

Hebron Christian College has developed direct links with a school in Tanzania which our senior secondary students have the opportunity to visit. The build up to these biennial visits makes students of all ages very open to learning about other places and people, and the difference they can make.

I’m enthusiastic about increasing students’ awareness of the world through interesting and meaningful units, and I use World Vision’s Extreme Tsunami textbook, Gujarat Earthquake materials and EQ online game. A recent Significant Place unit I taught encouraged students to research places and environments of different countries and continents.

When introducing Human Rights, I use the Amazing Grace movie and the Youth for Human Rights public service announcements (see below) before getting students to research a human rights violation and outline how it can be addressed.

 

I love hearing about things that happen as a result of classroom learning.

In a Social Studies environment topic, one student reported that his mother stopped using plastic food wrap as the result of what he learned about waste.

 

Youth for Human Rights DVD
www.youthforhumanrights.org
30 short (less than a minute) public service announcements depicting the 30 articles of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. View online or DVD available free from the home page (don’t order through their on-line catalogue).