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1. Reading to the elderly

Patience, an ability to listen repeatedly, using body language in subtle ways that do not offend the elderly when listening.

1. Volunteering at a soup kitchen

Zest and enthusiasm conveyed through body language. An ability to engage in a friendly manner with a variety of people.

1. Advocating for a cause

Confidence and passion, being able to read people's body language and emotion in terms of when to press and issue and when to step back.

1. Building a school in a different country

I'll be honest, I find this one really problematic. These activities quite frankly often do more harm than good, and are an extension of the 'poverty porn' that has permeated Western aid messaging for a long time. Most of the time, these activities are conducted for the benefit of the international students, and while there might be some benefit in the sense of a classroom being built, the harm that is perpetuated in terms of narratives of poor countries as being dependent on aid, rather than in need of investment - and actually being potentially exciting new emerging markets for investment, is harmful. So in terms of the right social skills I would hope students who do something like this have - it would be about being able to connect with people who are less fortunate than you in a way that doesn't patronise them, maintains dignity for all parties, doesn't categorise them as other, and in a way that is not purely self serving - genuine connection like this is very rarely achieved I think.

Will

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Reading to the elderly

First you need to be able to build a relationship with the group. Show patience and effective listening skills. Be aware of any hearing issues and improve your communication based on their needs.

Volunteering at a soup kitchen

You need to be respectful and understand the different socioeconomic backgrounds. Some individuals may be stressed and require compassion when communicating with them.

Advocating for a cause

You will require persuasion and the ability to speak to a large group. You will need to work on your public speaking skills and be an advocate for the cause. Being able to network with others will serve a purpose.

Building school in a different country

You will require the ability to collaborate with others. Navigating different languages and cultural non-verbal communication. Managing different customs. Understanding of different infrastructure.

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Teaching in Uganda means we are teaching in a Postcolonial setting.

A few years ago the English curriculum underwent a significant revamp, with white Western literature replaced by black American literature. While I appreciate this was a step in the right direction, it has seemed strange to me to deal with texts talking about race in America and West Africa when we are in East Africa (more slaves went through Zanzibar to the Middle East than ever went through the West coast). We consequently have revamped the curriculum again, with a much greater spread of literature from around the world, with voice given to the East African and Ugandan experience.

Here, the key link to how the context 'impacts how we communicate' really is about which issues get the most airtime - this is really about money. We have to order Ugandan texts from abroad because they are not available locally, and when texts are available locally, they are extortionately expensive because the costs of production when there is no demand and therefore no economy of scale are so high. So Ugandan literature consequently isn't really read in Uganda as much as it should be.

Similarly, there simply isn't as much noise generated on social media about the experience of the East African slave, compared to slaves sent to America - and so this issue is communicated more.

We really pay attention in class to the structural forces that impact what is communicated, to who, and why within these different contexts.

Will

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Challenges: Dealing with being right and wrong

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Challenges: Dealing with being right and wrong

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I have a neurodiverse student who has some very uncomfortable views on women that he will vocally share in class. I have always tried to operate my classroom in a way where every student's voice is heard and valued, and no view unworthy of sharing with the class. This is largely because for the most part in my career, students have broadly been on the same page with certain baseline issues. So when this student vocalises misogynistic views, belittles women and states that he does not subscribe to the values at the school, I have found it very hard to remain objective, challenging him to unpack his reasoning and justify claims. He is getting a lot better, and mainly this is through challenging him to step out of his own identity and perspective and into the shoes of characters he is analysing - the shoe stepping is such a simple thing, but it does seem to be working, and that is the luxury of the Lang and Lit classroom. It is hard work though with this one!

Will

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Other people, with their differences, can also be right

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Other people, with their differences, can also be right

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This is by far the most exciting part of the mission statement for me.

Within the context of language and literature, we spend a significant amount of time exploring different interpretations, using different theoretical lenses (Eco-critical, Marxist, Feminist, etc) - and what we really emphasise with the students is what makes a good interpretation. This is where we really integrate the TOK thinking - discussing with them that yes, while many and varied interpretations can be acceptable, they can only be acceptable when justified with rigorous evidence. The challenge in some ways is not being so relativist as to say that anything goes - the interesting word in the mission statement is 'can' - they 'can' also be right - the challenge is deciding (in the context of literary interpretation) when an interpretation has enough evidence to be able to be considered 'right'.

Will

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Group 1 - Mini Lesson Plan - Social Skills

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Group 1 - Mini Lesson Plan - Social Skills

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In reading to the elderly, a skill needed would be the ability to initiate conversation and connection. In addition, communication skills are needed to be aware of the person one is with, reading their body language and engagement in the reading.

At a soup kitchen, students need the ability to manage in a large group situation and confidence in their ability to contribute to whatever is needed, food prep, serving, etc . The ability to communication when a task is unclear is important and collaboration in the setting is vital.

When advocating for a cause, a student must communicate their view clearly, respond to others input. Self-awareness and self management in addition to positive relationship skill would be of benefit.

Cultural awareness and collaboration are needed when working in another country building a school. Self management and making responsible decision is needed also especially with respect to safety on the work site.

Anne

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Reading to the elderly

Requires patience, compassion, understanding and caring. Being friendly, cheerful, and speaking slowly, clearly, and sometimes louder is also important.

Volunteering at a soup kitchen

Accepting direction, understanding that someone else is in charge and the need to do whatever is necessary. There are many distinct roles required and not all of them involve serving, sometimes it is behind-the-scenes work, like dishes or prepping, which is still vital to the running of the soup kitchen. Volunteers need to be aware of who they are helping and make anyone who utilizes the facilities feel welcome.

Advocating for a cause

Ideally if someone is advocating for a cause they are passionate, inspiring, and driven. They are hard workers and know how to motivate others. They do their research, support others and work alongside each other for a common goal.

Building a school in a different country

If someone were building a school in a different country, they would need to know so many different things, who to contact to help them establish a school, who will help them find or build facilities, and who is going to financially support such an endeavour. This type of person would need to be organized, connected, resourceful and goal oriented. This would need someone who is not afraid of adversity, will see a job through and can collaborate with others.

Cindy

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How we help students respect other points of view

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How we help students respect other points of view

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In my English A classes for example, I first introduce the idea of creating a “Global Issue Statement” early on in the course. We usually begin by looking at a text that has a specific context. The students nearly always automatically relate the ideas to what they already know or have seen in their local context. We then work to expand out to the world, and through that process their ideas start to differ and take their own unique shape. But since they are based around a shared text, they are able to consider how other points of view or interpretations can be as “right” as their own. This is a good starting point that establishes the norm/baseline of respecting other points of view. - Jen

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Reflecting on what I read in the ATL guide, I have been thinking about how a challenge could be the nature of communication as a two-way process. Specifically, “intercultural understanding and respect” might be a quality students develop, but how do they communicate that they care and respect others? What do exchanges actually look like? - Jen

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Alana, Will, Jennifer

Here is my email address for us to collaborate on a mini lesson. I have created one just in case on Body language and can share with you so we can make some adjustments.

Valerie

vucinava@my.aquinas.me

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Specific skills students would require for the following interactions 

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Specific skills students would require for the following interactions 

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Reading to the elderly-paying attention to body language and using good manners, remembering to be polite. Speaking slowly and clearly, so they can understand you.

Volunteering at a soup kitchen-good verbal communication skills, identifying and determining the needs of the individuals, having compassion for others is key in this care.

Advocating for a cause-having strong communication, collaboration, as well as presentation skills.

Building a school in a different country-teamwork for collaboration

Valerie

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Some communication challenges posed by the IB Mission Statement will start with the students various cultural and education backgrounds. Each student will interpret the statement in their own way. The diversity and bias will lead to different opinions.

We can encourage students critical thinking skills to help them understand that others "can also be right". Incorporating lessons that allow for students to see the views of others and engage in those discussions.

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I touched on this in the first section. Both local and global contexts change depending on regions and our cultural upbringing. It can encourage one to have a completely different opinion and mindset, sometimes making communication very difficult because of possible miscommunication.

Valerie

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I always encourage my students to be empathetic and try to put themselves in someone else's place. Without the ability to do so, our communication skills stall to a certain extent. We must understand that there are always a variety of “right” answers for the most part, depending on perspectives and lived experiences. Knowing how to communicate respectfully, even when we disagree is crucial in becoming a global citizen.

This is why I like TOK. Although I don’t teach the course, my colleague and I insert TOK opportunities in our lessons regularly to encourage the interdisciplinary connections. This allows students to see how IB courses are designs in a way that encourages this concept, which in turn encourages them to think ahead and build on their social skills; between themselves, teachers, and their community.

Valerie

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As a French teacher, I immediately jump to the thought of learning/teaching cultural norms, differences and similarities between various French speaking regions/countries. I live in Canada, but am lucky enough to have a French background, being born in France and have many family members still living back home. Thanks to this and the fact that I travel to France often, I am able to maintain a somewhat natural rapport with the language and cultural norms and can share this with my students. However, my knowledge of Africa, DOM-TOMs, and other French speaking regions comes from reading and relying on research from the Internet.

This for me is the biggest challenge in my teaching. How do I effectively communicate authentic information about how this population communicates? Communication is very cultural and these norms can vary from one region to the next. It is important to try to understand these in order to communicate effectively with others in order to build a better community.

So for me, this is what I consider to me the challenge, how can we effectively and authentically learn and communicate about others when we live so far apart and are potentially taxed with  academic expectations.

Valerie

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. Incorporating of worldwide ideals and ‘international mindedness’ which is the outer circle encompassing the IB model can be supported and developed when incorporated into daily discussions, literature studied and resources used for study, and discussions of international issues.

While honouring and acknowledging local contexts, expanding into global contexts can open communication, understanding and the appreciation of the wonders of our human family.

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Locally, expressions or idioms are understood and people who live in the same areas understanding the meaning of a statement but it might not make sense to someone in a different location globally. We have different words or phrases to mean the same thing, for example in Canada we would say the trunk of a car but in England it would be referred to as boot. If you don’t know that they mean the same thing then the context of a conversation might not be understood. Trying to use clear language without local slang would impact how we communicate.

Cindy

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If I use Math as an example, there can be more than one way to arrive at an answer, does it mean one way is more right than another, not necessarily, it depends on what you are trying to achieve. Students usually can see that there is more than one way to explain or solve something. By using this example in class, you can connect it to different discussions, that different viewpoints are considered and that listening to others may actually give credit to our own thoughts. I think you need to make students realize that an open mind is beneficial to broadening one’s own view.

Cindy

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The communication challenge is that it is understanding what the needs are in different locations and cultures around the world. If you have never left the area where you live it is hard to understand what another place is experiencing. To have a better understanding of what someone/someplace is going through then a different perspective is required to see or feel what that person is experiencing. Unless you can connect with an experience you never truly understand unless someone can clearly express what their experience is like, hence communication. Also, cultures have traditions and what they consider acceptable, what one person considers as fine might not be for someone else and we may not know this unless it is communicated to us.

Cindy

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Communication challenges posed by the IB statement could be in the language/words used. For example, what does the word "better" mean in the context of different cultures and geographic locations?

Also, there are many nuances to each culture that may be hard to understand/translate into words. I speak Cantonese and there are words that cannot be translated into English as there are no words that have the same meaning. Words used and language barriers (translation from one language to another) can lead to challenges in communication.

Opportunities presented in the mission statement is the emphasis on culture and the differences in people. As technology advances and the world gets "smaller", it is important for students to communicate effectively with people from different parts of the world, allowing for greater collaboration and understanding.

Joanne

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The International Baccalaureate® aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.

To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.

These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.