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The framework for building Global Competency in our WL courses. Developed through an extensive process of consultation, the Department has established its first-ever fully articulated international strategy for 2012-2016. The strategy is designed to simultaneously advance two strategic goals: strengthening U.S. education and advancing our nation's international priorities. The strategy reflects the value and necessity of: A world-class education for all students; Global competencies for all students; International benchmarking and applying lessons learned from other countries; and Education diplomacy and engagement with other countries.

"Traditional American classrooms tend to fit a particular mold: Students face the front of the class where teachers lecture. Students take notes, finish assignments at home, and hope to memorize enough information just long enough to pass a test. Engagement and passion are often in short supply - among students and teachers. The system does not necessarily accommodate all learning styles, and even those who fair well may be missing out on other important work-life lessons, like how to creatively solve problems, stay focused, work as part of a team, and organize their thoughts in a way others will understand. This is where project-based learning enters the equation."

Telling our story is an essential part of our humanness. It allows us to feel part of the community that knows our story, and it fosters empathy for those that surround us. Story is a powerful force in shaping mental models, motivating and persuading others, and teaching the lessons of life. Telling story extends back to a time when oral history dominated the tools of communication. And now the flood of technology tools that allow for instant communication has spun us back into a golden age where story again dominates the media landscape.

Students engage more passionately when trying to answer a question that interests them. Here are ten opening questions that have inspired this kind of learning

LEARNING GUIDE TO: A DRY WHITE SEASON SUBJECTS - World/South Africa;  SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING - Courage; Justice; Human Rights;         Grieving; Father/Son; Marriage; Families in Crisis;  MORAL-ETHICAL EMPHASIS - Trustworthiness; Responsibility; Citizenship.  Age: 14+ Rated R for scenes of graphic violence; Drama; 1989; 107 minutes; Color; Available from Amazon.com.  Description:     The setting is South Africa during the Soweto uprisings of 1976. A white school teacher (Ben du Toit) investigates the death of his black gardener, a man he had known for 15 years. The gardener (Gordon Ngubene) had been searching for answers about his son's death while in police custody. This had brought Ngubene to the attention of the "Special Branch" of the South African Police. He suffered the same fate as his son: death during interrogation. Du Toit comes to realize not only the injustices of the apartheid legal system and the repressive policies that supported it, but the necessity of action as opposed to words or resignation to the inevitable. Backed by an African cabbie, a liberal lawyer and a persistent reporter, he is opposed by his family (except for his young son), his school and his community. The film is based on the novel by the acclaimed Afrikaaner writer, André Brink. The novel was banned by the apartheid government of South Africa.