I'll bet you've heard your students complain about where they live...the community where you teach them by the way. I did my share of whining when I was a teen. I felt like little New Concord, Ohio was nowhere. And yet, there's virtually no nowhere anymore! We all live and function in a global economy. If your students don't believe it, have them conduct a simple inventory of what they're wearing and carrying. Ask them to record where all of their possessions are manufactured. I'll bet they're not lugging around to much Made in the USA.

Unfortunately, some in our nation would like be isolated. This is a fool's errand. Students, on the other hand, who embrace the international nature of modern existence will prosper. Teachers, therefore, have an obligation to help students pursue and master this paradigm. To help in this quest, today's episode will feature the urbane Brad Gosche. Brad is the Vice-President of Education and Communication at the Columbus Council on World Affairs.

Here's the council's two-fold mission:

To be the leading nonpartisan, globally-focused organization in the Columbus Region. The Council fosters a community that is well-informed about critical international issues as they affect the world, nation and the local region, and whose citizens utilize this insight to make effective decisions in our global society.

This episode will not only inspire you to include a global perspective in your curriculum, it will also provide two outstanding activities you can employ tomorrow. The first is Geert Hofstede's country comparison model. The second is taking your kids on a wonderful Trip to Mintana. Please listen to this powerful episode for descriptions of and solid ideas about how to use each.