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Embedding International Mindedness through Sporting Engagement

I am planning this year to make meaningful connections with parents and students alike through sporting engagement.
In the short term I am planning to post soccer scores on the door to my office each morning. Although not every student will have a favorite team or even enjoy soccer, it will give me a starting point to discuss other interests, by sharing my own. I will be sure to post scores not only from the English Premier League but the Spanish, Saudi Arabian and US leagues.
This is something I can start on day one, with no additional collaboration.
Moving forward from there I will involve myself in recess and engage students in conversations about their favorite players, how to pronounce their names, what different countries they have played in and how the leagues differ.
Next steps may include putting on evening events, showing games on the big screen in the auditorium for families to enjoy. This would need support from the principal and volunteers to organize.

Not being a teacher I don't have much opportunity to embed these values into specific lesson plans, but I will know this strategy is working if I find I have something to talk to students about on a daily basis that occurred/occurs outside of the USA. Given the fact I have 500 new names to learn this year, I'll also know this is working if I can make connections meaningful enough that I learn names of students who aren't just on my radar for behavioral reasons.

- Philip Hunt

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As a teacher at an International School, I have the benefit of being surrounded by colleagues and students from many different countries and cultures.
- Since I will teach PSPE this year, I can invite my colleagues and students to introduce games/activities that are common in their countries, which we can use in my PSPE class.

Collaboration with the homeroom teachers is key. In order to promote transdisciplinary learning, I want our PSPE activities to align with the current unit's learning objectives and theme.

This approach has both short and long term goals:
In the short term, introducing new activities keeps the class exciting and engaging. In the long term, experiencing first-hand some of the differences and similarities in these sorts of activities can nurture an open-minded approach in the students.

I will know it has been successful if students are motivated, engaged and appreciative of the activities from other cultures.

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Embed international-mindedness Action Plan:

Short-term Strategy: What I can do in my classroom?

For different units of inquiry, when relevant, I can ask my students to pick a country where we will explore a new country’s facts, culture, traditions, and customs. As I have suggested to Andrea, I will do my best to incorporate international elements into my teaching lessons. When teaching my students about different countries and cultures, I will include stories, songs, games, and bring in artifacts from different countries to share with them. If there is an opportunity to cooperate with a language teacher, we could team up to facilitate a lesson where students have the chance to practice their mother tongue or second language. I think this is a good way to foster international-mindedness, because the learning of another language, namely bilingualism, will no doubt enhance intercultural understanding.

I also think that developing international-mindedness should go hand-in-hand with encouraging students to be more open-minded and caring to each other. To develop these qualities, the teacher needs to be a good role model and demonstrate these qualities in action, such as how to be a good listener and how to be respectful of those who are different.

Long-term Strategy:

Start with local issues and weave relevant topics into the teaching plan, then link them to broader global issues that affect us all. From my understanding, fostering international-mindedness should not only focus on the ability to appreciate and respect different cultures and perspectives. Understanding global issues and fostering collaborative skills to solve them would be valuable for developing a well-rounded global citizen, and achieving the IB learning profile attributes. Equally important is the need to showcase student projects related to international-mindedness and celebrate their learning success as a learning community.

Considerations:

While the homeroom teacher can initiate and lead the process in the classroom, it is definitely important to collaborate with colleagues, parents, and the wider community. By using formative assessment and constructive feedback, I can reflect on to what extent my strategy to embed international-mindedness is effective in my classroom. I don’t have a concrete suggestion as to how teachers can involve parents in fostering international-mindedness but I recognize this is also an important factor. Perhaps we can partner with the parents and the local community to organize cultural events, celebrating international holidays, and diversity.

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"My cultural journey" is a strategy to know the interests of the students. It can be a long term project and it will be built according to student's ideas and proposals. Learning about culture arouses a sense of humanity  in  students. They learn through the reality of communities around the world. They can interact with each other, read and write their perceptions and improve different attributes. Most importantly, it is teamwork and through this trip they can develop an international mindset based on values.

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Embedding International-mindedness in my classroom and school.

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Embedding International-mindedness in my classroom and school.

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Hello, everyone.
For my long-term plan to embed international-mindedness in my school and classroom, I will need the help of a variety of stakeholders to These include:
Students:
Students are the most important stakeholders in this process. They need to be engaged and interested in learning about different cultures. I will need to find ways to make international mindedness relevant to their lives and experiences.
Teachers:
Teachers play a critical role in embedding international mindedness in the classroom. They need to be knowledgeable about different cultures and be able to create a learning environment that is welcoming and inclusive.
Parents:
Parents can support international mindedness by talking to their children about different cultures and by encouraging them to learn a second language. They can also volunteer at the school or donate resources to support international mindedness initiatives.
Community members:
Community members can support international mindedness by inviting guest speakers to the school, donating resources, or volunteering their time. They can also help to create a more welcoming and inclusive community for all students.

I will know that this plan has been successful if students:
Demonstrate an understanding of different cultures
Respect and value different perspectives
Are able to communicate effectively with people from different cultures
Are open to new experiences and ideas
Are willing to take action to make the world a better place

Here are some specific strategies that I will use to embed international mindedness in my classroom and school:
Use a variety of resources:
These may include books, movies, music, and guest speakers.
Create a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students, regardless of their cultural background. I will do this by being respectful of all cultures and by creating opportunities for students to learn about each other's cultures.
Encourage students to travel to other countries and to experience different cultures firsthand. This can be done through school trips, family vacations, or even virtual experiences.
Get involved in the community and connect with other organizations that are working to promote international mindedness. This will help me to learn more about different cultures and to find ways to bring international mindedness into my classroom.

It's great to read you all! You have great ideas.
Warm regards,
Rosario

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I planned it this example, considering my current grade and available resources. At this point, in the middle of the semester, I have the opportunity to make small changes. I opted for this minor adjustment, which can represent a significant impact and require much effort.

My idea involves initiating international-mindedness by raising their awareness of global issues and inviting them to reflect on worldwide impacts. I intend to start by offering a diverse range of carefully selected materials that will expose them to new cultural traditions, daily routines, and perspectives. Also, I'll foster an environment where students learn to respect each other's traditions and encourage them to demonstrate open-mindedness, respect, and curiosity about diverse cultures and viewpoints.

I plan to assign research projects on various subjects, such as climate change, world religions, and human rights. These projects will encourage students to be aware of global issues. The access to this materials will not only engage students but also facilitate collaborative cross-cultural projects.

All in all, I believe that these adjustments will create an environment where international-mindedness can grow, helping students expand their horizons and develop a deeper understanding of the world around them.
But I can't do this alone, it is a transdisciplinary and colaborative works with other teachers, coordinator, librarians and the students of course, we will always listen to their suggestions.
Is this a short-term strategy that can turn into a long-term because it start right now but last forever and I will check the results by assessments and feedback from the students.

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Israeli Scouts visit Temple Emanu-El ECEC Dallas for performance at Summer Camp

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Engaging International Mindedness Through Entertainment:  Weekly Multicultural Engagements with Culminating Multi-Cultural Night

At ECEC we have a weekly Shabbat celebration, followed by a mitzvah (service activity) and an entertainment activity or performance.  Making the entertainment or engaging activity intentionally multicultural and encouraging educators to incorporate the theme into their curriculum and conversations for the week (themed literature, language activities, food enrichment, song/dance/physical engagement).  During Spring conferences we would host a multicultural night on campus:  each class would choose a country to represent with décor, food, mock ceremonies or celebrations, costumes and story telling.
Kindergarten students would Art and evidence of learning from the weekly themes of the year would be on display around the piazza and common areas.  The ECEC would host the event which would be open to the Temple Community at large

This would very much be a long-term strategy for engaging the international mindedness of the ECEC community as a whole over the course of the entire academic year and would require a consorted effort in collaboration across the entire ECEC community and Temple at large – educators, administrators, facilities staff, catering, parents and volunteers.  Engagement and attendance at events as well as producibles and evidence from classroom activities will provide a measurable standard of the program’s effectiveness, but the subjective assessment from conversations and displays of enthusiasm will be equally valuable.

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International Mindedness in my class.                      By Fotima 

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International Mindedness in my class.                      By Fotima 

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As I mentioned  on the first day of our workshop, this is going to be my first year of teaching in an international IB school. I gain the confidence day by day and I picture my vision of teaching while reading my fellows' posts and comments. Promoting and encouraging the international mindedness is firstly interesting for me, as I am moving to another country to teach.
I will start to embed the IM from my first day at school. I will introduce myself, my country and my culture at the start. Then, to build the rapport with my students, I will ask them to introduce themselves and tell one fact about their country and culture.

As a long term plan:
I will have one day (probably a month) named "Cultural Heritage Day "  where the children will have the opportunity to feel and live in the chosen country and culture. They can teach other students (guests, parents) about the culture, traditions and festivals. We can involve other teachers who probably have come from different countries to share with their experiences.

If we have students from different cultural background with their own home language, I will encourage my students to appreciate and show respect to them by  learning some basic words and communicate in their language. I can model it using my home language.

As a person who loves dancing I lead 'Dancing club' in my previous school. At the end of each term we performed on the stage on assemblies in front of the whole learning community and invited parents. Each time we performed dance routines from different countries. Indian, Uzbek, African, Spanish and many others. Students were so engaged to take the lead in action, they researched and practised.
This is what i am going to continue in my new school.

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Integrate culturally diverse materials, including literature, music, videos, and news articles, from various Spanish-speaking countries.

Organize cultural festivals or themed events that celebrate major holidays, traditions, and customs from different Spanish-speaking countries.

Encourage students to research, plan, and present about specific cultural celebrations.

1. Long Term Strategy  as an ongoing aspect of the Spanish language curriculum, adjusting and evolving activities each year.

2. Assessment and Success Indicators:

Evaluate student engagement through participation in cultural activities, discussions, and projects.

Monitor improvements in students' understanding of diverse cultural perspectives and their ability to empathize with different viewpoints.

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I would bring a spin-the-wheel board labelled with a selection of different countries.

Every class, a student would spin the wheel. Whatever country the pin stopped on would be the subject of the class. We would research various aspects of the country including:
-  languages (including basic greetings)
- culture (food, holidays, festivals, music,   dance, sports)
- notable individuals from the country (scholars, musicians, authors, actors, athletes, politicians)
- religious practices (if applicable)

I would provide books, newspaper clippings, pictures and videos as learning materials.

At the end of the class, I would have students write a short diary entry making connections between their culture and the new culture and share what part of the lesson resonated with them.

~ Christina

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I would like to try to promote international mindedness in my teaching and my classroom by using read aloud books that touch on different cultures and experiences of different people to start conversations about how students react to things in different ways because of potential cultural perspectives.

I would also like to use a display for each unit where we take keywords from that unit and have students bring in home language connections and translations. This would be a long term strategy as I would like to continue it for all the units. Since I'm in an International School and have students from various different cultural backgrounds, it would be a cool way for students to learn about each other 's cultures through the translations and help each other process those languages. I would also like to open a space for students to make connections to prior knowledge, so that they can start to build connections in their knowledge across various different topics as well.

I also try to find current news that would relate to the units I teach and the topics we are learning, so that students can learn about what's happening and understand information and see it in action across the world in real time. I find this strategy the most beneficial in having students engage with their content and try to understand information that they may not necessarily be familiar with.

- Muskan

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I just remember a quote "There's no reason to have a plan B, because it distracts from plan A." As I am reading through IB philosophy of International Mindedness I have started to relate a lot of practices that are followed at my school.  All the responses that I see here are already a part of our school's agenda. for example:
*We accept students from all nationalities and cultural backgrounds.
*We make sure they feel accepted and comfortable.
*We celebrate cultural festivals of India and beyond.
*We do celebrate International days at school.
*Every subject teacher(2 local and 2 foreign language) collaborates to inculcate International Mindedness in the curriculum.
*Every unit has a dedicated activity to engage students to think and act as global citizens.
*We provide books and resources that help students connect with the broader world.
*We make sure that students are well versed with art forms(Music, dance, Theatre, Visual Art, design etc) from around the world.
*Our leadership team ensures that teachers regularly interact with teaching community from all around.
*We have trips(even international before Covid) planned to expose them to varied cultures.
*We are also planning a student exchange program(in the works).

All I want to plan is to make sure to accomplish plan A that is followed by the school. I hope I am on the right track here.
Regards Isha.

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International Mindedness Plan for my school

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International Mindedness Plan for my school

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I believe that a long-term strategy to promote international-mindedness is through books and the resources we use in the classroom. Therefore, a conversation about budgeting needs to be had with the management team to purchase books about different cultures and from diverse authors. These books would be for the library so that all students have access to them, but the teachers should brainstorm together about some of the books and authors that they recommend - it should not only be left up to the librarian to decide. After purchasing the books, the teachers and librarian should help students engage with the literature by introducing them, asking them relevant questions and encouraging them to explore on their own.
The more the teachers are able to incorporate books into the learning, the more the students will gain. However, there is no success criteria for my plan because even if teacher's aren't as actively incorporating diverse perspectives into the curricula, the students will still be exposed to a variety of voices and lives by having access to the books.
Sharon

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International Mindedness plan for my Class

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International Mindedness plan for my Class

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Embedding international mindedness in my classroom.

As the only music specialist at my school, I embed international mindedness in my classroom by ensuring students are exposed to various cultures music that contrast most popular wester music.

Collaboration

I like to collaborate closely with the homeroom teachers and try to connect the music I expose students to in class to their other global studies throughout the year. This is a perfect time for a transdisciplinary learning experience.

There are both short term and long term goals.

Short term I want my students to be exposed to various cultures music. Allowing students to inquire about similarities and differences in music from around the globe.

Long term I want my students to be familiar with the characteristics of music from specific areas of the globe and music terminology connected to the various regions.

How will I know whether it has been successful?

I will know this has been successful when students can openly appreciate another culture's music. Even if it is something they would not normally enjoy listening to outside of class.

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At Charter Oak, there is/was (I'm new so I'm not sure) a student news program.  The population here is quite diverse.  Families are from all around the world and speak many languages.  So I thought this is an opportunity for the community to reach inward and learn more about the international aspects we have within our walls (student-guests first) and community (families, business owners, town officials, etc.)!

Adding this segment to our news program will authentically celebrate students' and families' cultures and heritage.

I cannot make this change alone.  I will work with the community to fill all sorts of roles (hosts, guests, scripts, technology, etc.)  It seems like a great opportunity to collaborate with community members of all ages, levels, and positions!  This type of format is definitely long-term.  By celebrating one person at a time, it will take a while to impact mindsets.  I am confident, however, that if I see/hear students, staff, and families asking culturally relevant questions, engaging in respectful discourse, and celebrating one another for our differences that it has worked.  We'll see!

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My thoughts are around finding ways of creating partnerships betwen schools around the world which allow for both students and staff to engage with educators and children with varying perspectives on education and life