Michigan State University, College of Education

The Department of Teacher Education at Michigan State University (MSU) is committed to enhancing its teacher preparation program with educational experiences designed to develop global competence in its pre-service teachers. This internationalization effort seeks to provide global competency for all members of the program as well as provide additional learning experiences for those seeking to extend and further develop their expertise as global educators.

MSU works to attract faculty with international strengths as well as outstanding international graduate students and internationally oriented U.S. students. The Department supports their efforts to globalize the content of their courses and their work through a resource collection and professional development seminars focused on issues of global and international education. Additionally, curricula and teaching resources, designed to infuse global and international perspectives, are under development for a number of the required courses in the teacher preparation program.

For students interested in deepening their expertise as global educators, a special international strand to the five-year teacher preparation program was launched in fall 2008. The Global Educators Cohort Program provides specialized coursework and field experiences that prepare teachers to educate students for the global context of the 21st Century.

The College of Education also recently launched a cross-cultural mentoring program for pre-service teachers, the Global Initiative Forum for Future Teachers, a global learning community that brings pre-service teachers into contact with students and others from all over the world who care about education.

In order to help students become aware of the many opportunities to enhance their program with global and international learning experiences, resources have been compiled for undergraduate advisers and students to assist in the preparation of an academic program that develops global competence. International experiences include study abroad, entry-level courses, pre-internship teaching, study trips for graduate students and K-12 administrators.

Other internationalization activities and resources at MSU include:

• Annual state conference on internationalization of K-12 education
• iNET—an international network of schools, organizations and individuals who are committed to transforming learning
• Confucius Institute to build new capabilities to teach Chinese language and culture
• Collaboration to meet the educational challenges of teachers in other countries:
  • TEDS-M—First international assessment of learning outcomes in higher education using national samples
  • Cross-national study of children’s thinking about cultural universals
  • Tanzania Partnership aimed at improving livelihoods in selected rural communities by integrated efforts in education, agriculture, health and environmental sciences.
  • Pakistan—program to reform of teacher education and build capacity through work with 15 Pakistani universities
• Support for LATTICE, a professional development opportunity afforded by a network of Michigan K-12 educators and international graduate students working together to internationalize their teaching