his session will speak to the teacher who finds a “sacred activism” in the work of education. We recognize that choosing the path of teaching means we are committed to the struggle of enhancing humanity in ways that empower students to make the world we share a better, more just and equitable place. Participants will be invited to explore the “Four Domains” that define our mission of global competency and ask how they can be “rethought” through a lens of social justice pedagogy. We will work to consider how our classrooms, instruction, and curricula can be used as sites where students are given opportunities to act as globally competent leaders in ways that promote equity and justice. We will search for connections between the concept of “anti-oppressive” education and what it means to teach for global competence while simultaneously showing up for social justice. The goal is for participants to leave with a framework that includes ideas and examples of practical applications for supporting global competence and social justice pedagogy in our daily practice.

1. “Rethinking” the 4 Domains
Teaching for Global Competence and Showing Up for Social Justice
Facilitated by: Zach Serrano, teacher - Denver Center for International Studies at Montbello
zach_serrano@dpsk12.org

3. What is SOCIAL
JUSTICE Pedagogy?
Social justice pedagogy provides
marginalized students with the tools to aid
in effecting change and encourages allies
to stand in solidarity. The ultimate goal of
social justice education is to combat
oppression by enabling all groups to have
an equitable portion of society’s resources
and, with these resources, to be able to
participate fully in a democratic society.
In the spirit of democratic caring, teachers
care about whether or not their students
faced discrimination, racism, or other
systems of oppression, and they want to
utilize education as a site of liberation.
(Adapted from Jennifer Esposito and Ayanna N.
Swain, “Pathways to Social Justice: Urban
Teachers’ Uses of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy as
a Conduit for Teaching for Social Justice”)

4. Teaching IS political,
neutrality is NOT an
option.

6. Providing a Lens for Social Justice Pedagogy
10 Minutes
*Read as many quotes as possible as you consider the question:
What is anti-oppressive education?
*Record your thinking in your note catcher and be prepared to
share

7. Application to the 4 Domains
1) Create your small groups of 5
a) Must include a RED folder, ORANGE folder, BLUE folder, YELLOW folder, and a GREEN folder
i) GREEN: diagram to record group’s thinking
ii) YELLOW: definition for Investigate the World
iii)BLUE: definition for Recognize Perspectives
iv)ORANGE: definition for Communicate Ideas
v) RED: definition for Take Action
2)Use the definitions to “refresh” our understanding of the 4 Domains

8. Share Out
What connections can you
make between social
justice pedagogy and our
ISSN model for global
competence? How can
teaching for global
competence help us to
show up for social justice?

9. “Rethinking” the 4 Domains
1) Choose an article to read for 15 minutes
1) Record your thinking in your note catcher
and be prepared to share

10. Building a Framework
1) What were examples you
noted of how the articles
supported the 4 Domains or
Social Justice Pedagogy?
1) Was there anything missing
that could have supported
the 4 Domains or Social
Justice Pedagogy?

11. “Education either functions as an instrument
which is used to facilitate integration of the
younger generation into the logic of the present
system and bring about conformity or it becomes
the practice of freedom, the means by which men
and women deal critically and creatively with
reality and discover how to participate in the
transformation of their world.”
-Paulo Freire