An Interview with Rachel Beacham from Kitty Hawk, North Carolina

We talked to an American today over Skype and asked for her answers to these questions. We are going to take a closer look at these questions on Monday, analysing them to see if in fact both nations have the same ideas about GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP.  

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Anne Mette - What do you do to be a global citizen? Do you know anyone that is an exceptional global citizen and what is it that makes them that way? How much money do you use on fast-food a month?

Sofie - What consequences do you think that the world would have if there were no global citizens?  How do you celebrate thanksgiving?

Bella -  Have you done anything to help OTHER global citizens (missionaries, charities)?  Why do you eat so much fake candy and stuff?  

Carl - What do you think the possibilities for students when it comes to changing the world on a global level?  What is the reason for celebrating Halloween and carving pumpkins?

Nathaniel - How could a global citizen contribute in their everyday lives?  Are there any social problems in America and what are they?  What is your definition of global citizen?  What is the average height in America? :-)

Hannah - What do you THINK  about being a global citizen?  Why do you think it is important?  What is your favourite thing about America?

Maja- Do you define yourself as a global citizen?  What is the communication like between the states in the US?  Why does Santa ride an alligator in New Orleans?  

Maja - How does global citizenship AFFECT you?  How can you contribute , expand or influence others to be global citizens?  How many ice-cream freezers are there in a typical American supermarket?  How do you know Courtney?

Marie - Do you do anything LOCALLY to be a global citizen?  Is Global Citizen a known term in the US?  If not, what term do you use that is like GC?  Do you have any special Christmas traditions?

Celina -  How can you support global citizenship (other charities) without using money?  What is your FAVORITE fast food?

Dagmar - What does America do as a whole to help globally? What is the best food you ever tasted in America?

Emily- How could you increase your knowledge about GC?  Why do you care so much about celebrating holidays like Halloween?  

Emil-What characteristics should a global citizen have?

Does global citizenship relate to human rights, and and  if yes then how?

Do you “go” for the American Dream?  Is it important to you?

Amalie -  We are watching the film The Dead Poets Society.  The message “Carpe Diem” or Seize the Day is very central.  How could one relate Carpe Diem to the topic Global Citizenship?  

Our contact school in Jordan

Our contact school in Jordan, Naifa School, consider recycling to be a very important topic to them. They have used nylon socks to make art projects.

Naifa School is also expanding their knowledge of global citizenship with us.  Some of our students will be seeing them at the Youth Conference in Youth Town, Copenhagen at the end of October. Here we will combine our knowledge of what it takes to make global changes while working in our schools or communities.

Naifa School has written a magazine about their World Heritage places which include articles from our own students from Billesborg.  We will be reading this this week.

By talking with another school we are learning the similarities and contrasts between different cultures.  We are becoming more and more connected to the world outside of Denmark!

Below are the pictures from Naifa School's recycling workshop.

Our Team

An interview about Global Citizenship

Here are interview questions that we asked several on our facebook page.  

1 - What do you do to make the world a better place?

2 - Do you have contact with other countries?

3 - What would you do if you had an opportunity to change the communication between countries?

4 - What do you know about global citizenship?

5 - What could make it easier for you to be a global citizen?

6 - When can you call yourself a global citizen?

7 - Globally, what do we have in common?

Here is an answer from one of our students friend, Theresa Sørensen.

What do you do to make the World a better place? 
- Well, it is hard to say that you try to make the world a better place during every day. You may pick up the garbage lying on the floor and put it in the trash can and you don't do criminal stuff but you can never really make the world a better place just being one person. Do you have contact with other countries?
- Well I have traveled a lot as a kid and still do - so I have contacts in most of the European countries and I plan on expanding my contact to out of Europe.

What would you do if you had an opportunity to change the communication between countries?
- Well I don't think you can change the contact between other countries. With the internet today it is much easier to get in contact with people on a long distance and you get to know other cultures. People just need to be open minded at all ages because we have to work together.  
What do you know about global citizenship? 
- Well I am guessing the whole world coming together as a nation could be defines as a global citizenship

What could make it easier for you to be a global Citizen?
- Well i think the question is if you want to be a global citizen - we want to keep the DKK, but still want to be a part of EU. We still want to be Danish even though we want to internationalize.

Globally, what do we have in common?
- Oh I could make a long list here. We are all human beings who need a roof over our heads and food to eat every day to survive - and we need to help each other for this to happen. When wars start we become one big nation fighting for each other to prevent anything bad to happen.

Thanks, Theresa!

Our Global Citizen brainstrom

What do you think about Global Citizenship?

Content and Influence

By Hannah and Marie

Do the students have influence at your school?

In Denmark, the teachers focus a lot on the students’ well being. In a lot of schools (especially public schools) that means having a student council, where one or two students get elected by their classmates, and take some of the wishes from their classmates, to one of the authorities.

Do the teachers listen to you? 

Yeah, mostly they listen, but it’s not always they agree. Sometimes our class teacher uses a lesson for questions and wishes about how the school is, and how it could be in the future. So, yeah, I would say, that they listen.

Do the teachers accept suggestions and proposals from you?

 Like I said before, they accept it, but it’s not always they’re able to fulfill them. Also when we disagree, they do what they can for it get better.  

Do they respect you and do you respect the teachers?

 I would say that we respect our teachers much more, than public schools do.

  – Like the teachers listens to us, and opposite. 

Can you take part in decision-making concerning the content of the teaching and the working methods ?– how you are taught. 

 Yeah. Mostly we talk about it. Especially when we’re getting bad at the subjects, the teacher often finds others methods of teaching.  They also ask the students.

Do you have a student council? If yes what influence has it got? What can the student council decide?

In our school we don’t have a student council, so the teachers often evaluate the lessons, and ask for our feedback and suggestions.  That also creates a more equal relationship between student and teacher, though it’s not always possible for the teachers to fulfill the students’ wishes. It can be everything from wanting a basketball to play with in the recess, to suggesting a trip to another country.

Content

How old are you?

- 14 and 15.

What grade are you in?

- 8’th grade, and 9’th grade

 Which subject do you have?

- International and com.

What knowledge, which skills and which competences do you learn at your school?

- History: Old times and war…

- English: The languages, the writing and the english culture…

- Germany: The language, and the culture, and the writing…

- Christianity: The faith and example: Islam and Jerusalem… 

- International: The communication whit other countries.

The climate change (in other countries) ex. is also a important thing to learn about. Because you need to know something about the climate to know the culture of a country and how the climate affect it.

How is the teaching organized?

How much time during a normal day do you:

1. Listen to the teacher?

2. Answer questions from the teacher?

3. Have to copy what the teacher writes at the blackboard?

4. Work individually?


Answers:
1. We listen to the teachers quite a lot. Even though it will get boring in the end, listening is a great way to learn stuff.
If a class is about 45-50 minutes, we listen to the teacher for about 15-20 minutes.

2. This is very dependent on which class we have. But if we chose a specific one, for example “Danish”, a lot of questions will be asked. This will take about 5-10 minutes.

3. Writing from the whiteboard is quite common in our class. When there is something important about the subject, we will have to write it down. For this, we mostly use our computers, since its much easier than writing on paper. It also spares a lot of time.

4.It’s quite minimal. We work alone for about 2 – 5 minutes per lection. For example when we need to find an answer for something in physics, we need to read in our books alone. Then note the answer in our notes. We love making individual work though

Equipment, payment and Influence

Equipment and payment

What equipment do you have to facilitate your learning?

Books, computers, projector, internet, movies, whiteboards, blackboards, pencils and all that stuff

How much do you have to pay to go to school?

	0th – 3th grade	4th – 9th grade	Afterschool
1.     Child	144$	238$	98$
2.     Child	91,5$	137$	98$
3.     Child	62$	87,5$	98$
4.     Child	62$	62$	98$

These amounts shall get paid by 12 rates on 1 year.

How much do you have to pay for books etc.?

-        Our school books gets paid by the amount of money the parents pay every month

How much do you have to pay for uniforms?   

We do not wear uniforms, but it is different how many money people use on their clothes

How much do you pay for your transport to and from school?  

Some people use their bicycles, some people drives to school and the rest are using public transport. Bus card/train card can cost less or more depending on how far away you live from your school, fx. Under 5 km then it costs about 35$ every month. If you live more than 5 km away, then the school gives you a special bus/train card, and then the parents should only pay some of the every month.

How much do you have to pay to go on school trips?

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      It is depending on where you are going and how long the trip is. It can be one-day excursion, for example to the capital Copenhagen to see museums and then you should only for your lunch. If it is a 3-day trip to Jutland, then it costs about 90$.

-        Then there is 2 different types of big trips. The one is a bicycle-tour which last 1 week on the Danish Iceland Bornholm and that costs also about 90$, and there you should bring your own bike, and sleeping equipment. The ferry ticket and the food is in the price for the whole trip.

  Then there are our foreign travel, which you go on in the 8^th grade and the 9^th grade. The one of them is to Berlin, and the other one is fx. London, Paris or Edinburgh. It costs a total price of 180$, and then the food, the hotel/hostel, the transport (fly ticket), the attractions, is included. Then you should pay extra if you want to buy things/clothing. During the school years, every class has a “class-fund”. On that way they are saving op to their foreign travels, so it does not cost over 180$.

Influence

Do you and your friends feel well at your school and in your class?

 - Personally i feel well when i am at the school. I don´t have a problem coming there and there is a nice fellowship between the students in not only they’re own class but also the others. Of course everybody doesn't like each other but i think in general, people feel well at this school.

Is there a nice, including atmosphere? - I think so, but i know in our class, we are almost separated in two groups, and its not everybody who talks to each other. But i think it´s okay.

Is everybody accepted? - In every school there is someone doesn’t talk so much with others, so maybe they can feel less accepted, but i think in general, everybody is