Intercultural & International Mindedness in Standards-based Classrooms

1. Intercultural & International Mindedness in Standards-based Classrooms By Arayna Lindsay Yearwood George Mason University July 12, 2011 arayna.l.yearwood@gmail.com

2. Warm up • What is culture? • How would you describe your culture? –Make a list of characteristics

3. Agenda • Warm Up • Discuss culture and teaching • Define Terminology – Intercultural Awareness & International Mindedness • Cultural Differences and Teaching Research • Teaching Intercultural Competence Research • Teaching International Mindedness using the Standards Research • Practical Applications • Questions / Exit Slip

4. Objective • Students will demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between teaching and learning about cultural products and perspectives.

5. Terminology • What is Intercultural Awareness? • Intercultural awareness comes from the continuous examination of your own culture and the culture of others in your personal and professional relations with the world (Yearwood, 2011). • What is International Mindedness? • Internationally minded people are “those who possess an ecological worldview, believe in the unity of humankind and the interdependence of humanity, support universal human rights, have loyalties that extend beyond national borders, and are futurists” (Hett, 1993, p. 9).

6. Intercultural Awareness Part 1

7. Activity 1 • With a partner compare the characteristics from the warm up. • Now, together list all of the characteristics that others would use to define your culture. • How does the world see you, how do you see yourself? Is it what is important to you, important to the world?

8. Cultural differences in teaching and learning (Hofstede, 1986) • Archetypal Role Pair • Patterns are products of a society’s culture • Patterns are deeply rooted and transcend environmental changes • What archetypal roles do you see or have you experienced in your school? • What effect do these roles have on teaching and learning?

9. Hofstede, G. (1986) Cultural differences in teaching and learning • Teachers should learn about their own culture/ (s) and intellectually and emotionally understand that other societies learn differently • An anthropological approach to teaching is needed • “The burden of adaptation in cross-cultural learning situations should be primarily on the teachers” (Hofstede, 1986, p.4).

10. Activity 2 • In groups of 3 or 4 examine each of the pictures in your handout. Discuss and interpret what each picture depicts. There may be multiple answers. Hofstede, G.J., Pedersen, P.B., & Hofstede, G. (2002) Exploring culture: Exercises, stories, and synthetic cultures. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press

11. Cultural differences in teaching and learning • There are several challenges the teacher should address. • Differences in social positions between teachers and students of two societies. • Differences in ability between populations. • Differences in relevance of the curriculum to two societies. • Differences in expected patterns of teacher – student and student- student interaction.

12. The Teacher is the change Agent

13. Teaching intercultural competence • World language teachers should take social and political responsibility in education. • The world language teacher is the mediator between two or more cultures. • The purpose of teaching is not to make learners a part of the other culture, but to make them mediators. • Critical reflection on the part of the teacher and student is necessary. Byram, M. & Feng, A. (2005) Teaching and researching intercultural competence

14. Activity 3 • In groups of 2 or 3 discuss the following questions. • Can you teach language without teaching culture? • What are the advantages and disadvantages of teaching culture? • Create a role play that demonstrates and advantage and disadvantage of teaching culture.

15. Break

16. International Mindedness Part 2

17. What does the research say about IM? The absence of an international point of view has the potential to leave teachers and students feeling disconnected. Duckworth, Levy & Levy (2005) proposed that culturally based misunderstandings are detrimental to the learning process. Developing IM helps to rise above an ethnocentric lens and positively influences teacher efficacy (Amenta & Yearwood, 2011). Bennett’s Model of Intercultural Sensitivity Ethnocentric Stages Ethnorelative Stages (Heyward, 2002)

18. Characteristics of International Mindedness (Oxfam Education, 2006)

19. Why is integrating International Mindedness in classrooms important? • Schools and teachers are faced with the challenge of preparing students for involvement in both the local community and the global community. • Educators who bring a global perspective into the classroom demonstrate the importance of all cultures and acknowledge the rapidly changing world in which we now live. • Promoting international-mindedness in classrooms worldwide is a realistic and responsible attempt at providing an equitable education for all students. • An IM approach gives students the opportunity to develop multiple perspectives, global awareness, and the fundamental tools for our increasingly interconnected world. • Teachers and students can engage in dialogue and actionacross local and global boundaries.

20. How can it be achieved using standards based lessons? • Teachers need to be reflective, clever, and willing to incorporate IM into a standards-based lesson. • “Best practices” can be used. • What can teachers do? Value students’ prior knowledge Value student, family, and community resources Incorporate multiple perspectives Promote self and global awareness Use stories and storytelling

21. Model Lesson Plan

22. Activity 4 • How can international mindedness be incorporated in a standards-based classroom? • In groups of 2 or 3 people choice a World Language Standard and discuss how you can use international-mindedness / intercultural awareness to teach the standard.

23. What are the benefits gained by students? • Students will increase their self esteem, self worth, and become more aware of their self identity(Pearce,2007) • Students will develop positive attitudes and greater cultural awareness (Munro, 2007) • Students will empathize and identify with self and other in their movement between a local and global self • Students will become open- minded curious learners • Students will value multiple perspectives(Heyward, 2007; Dooley & Villanueva, 2006) • Students will build a greater appreciation for global and local communities

24. What benefits can be gained by teachers? Teaches will discover that: • Richer-content engages both the teacher and student! • IM lessons complement standards - No more teaching to the test  • Real life re-enters the classroom • An IM approach creates a positive classroom climate • An IM approach builds school and community connections • They have the opportunity to reflect • They have more teacher time!

25. Questions / Exit slip • What is culture? • Why is it important to use intercultural awareness in world language classrooms? • What did you learn?