As international educators, how effectively are we integrating both local and global perspectives into our classrooms? Could adopting a “glocal” approach—blending global awareness with local relevance—enhance our students’ ability to develop true global understanding and empathy?
But what exactly does global education mean? Our guest, Erin E.H. Austin, echoes Dr. Fernando Reimers’ powerful definition: “Global education isn’t just learning about the world; it’s learning with and from the world.”
Erin E.H. Austin is a National Board Certified French teacher in Colorado and the 2023 Teacher of the Year for the Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers. She holds a B.A. in both French and Art Education, an M.A. in Curriculum & Instruction, and graduate certificates in French Studies and Gifted, Creative, & Talented Education. A 2018 NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellow, she now presents nationally on global education topics and supports the NEA Foundation as a grant reviewer. In addition to doing contract writing work, Ms. Austin is the author of The Ultimate Guide to Selling Your Original World Language Resources: How to Open, Fill, and Grow a Successful Online Curriculum Store (Routledge, 2021), and Going Global in the World Language Classroom: Ideas, Strategies, and Resources for Teaching and Learning With the World (Routledge, 2023). She has been a featured guest on many education podcasts, regularly mentors National Board Certification candidates, and currently serves on the board of the Abundant Yoga Community, a non-profit in western Wisconsin whose mission is to bring yoga to those with financial or geographic barriers.
Our guiding question for this show was, “How can international educators deepen their classroom efforts to 'go global’ with their students in both world language and other classroom subjects?”
This episode was recorded on July 11, 2025.
Resources mentioned in the episode:
CIEE’s High School Summer Abroad
Erin’s Global Travel Minus the Expense video (how to get abroad for free or cheap)
“Going Global in the World Language Classroom” on Routledge's website or on Amazon
NEA Foundation Global Learning Fellowship
SDGs - United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
Short-term hosting with Language & Friendship, ISE, AFS, Youth for Understanding
TED Talk: The Danger of a Single Story
“The Ultimate Guide to Selling Your World Language Resources” on Routledge or on Amazon World Savvy
Connect with Erin: Bluesky | LinkedIn | On Y Go, Madame (her website) | YouTube channel
Categories: Curriculum | Global Education | Teacher Entrepreneurship | World Languages
