Cultural Diversity in Your Classroom by Alexandra Karkatsa https://padlet.com/alecakarkatsa/24rqbwi1idex Alexandra's Learning Diary en-us 2016-09-17 15:16:56 UTC 2025-10-10 13:05:22 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Shakinghands.png Hi! My name is Alexandra Karkatsa and I come from Patra in western Greece. I have been  teaching English at senior high school level for quite a few years. Being a child of immigrants myself, I was born and raised in multi-cultural Canada. It isn't easy being part of a class with fellow- students coming from so many different backgrounds. However, it is an invaluable experience I will treasure, due to the support and care our teachers offered us back then. alecakarkatsa https://padlet.com/alecakarkatsa/24rqbwi1idex/wish/124520675 2016-09-17 15:25:06 UTC https://padlet.com/alecakarkatsa/24rqbwi1idex/wish/124520675 alecakarkatsa https://padlet.com/alecakarkatsa/24rqbwi1idex/wish/124520687 2016-09-17 15:25:21 UTC https://padlet.com/alecakarkatsa/24rqbwi1idex/wish/124520687 1.1 Why address cultural diversity in schools? Why are you taking the course and why do you feel it is important to learn about cultural diversity in our classrooms? alecakarkatsa https://padlet.com/alecakarkatsa/24rqbwi1idex/wish/124521404 An important life skill our students have to acquire ia the ability to co-exist and work alongside with others. Teaching them acceptance and cooperation is a challenge of modern day schools so teachers should be prepared.]]> 2016-09-17 15:40:58 UTC https://padlet.com/alecakarkatsa/24rqbwi1idex/wish/124521404 1.2 Developing intercultural competence as a teacher alecakarkatsa https://padlet.com/alecakarkatsa/24rqbwi1idex/wish/124521556 Intercultural competence as a teacher is a whole new area in which we still have little experience. My views should be modified, teaching materials must be updated and managing a multicultural class is a challlenge in itself. 
Parental involvement is an issue which may be overlooked, but I believe it is essential. Home is where everything begins and eventually ends up, so if the parents see in a positive way  the teacher's efforts to integrate her students, this will also show up in the child's attitude, as well.]]> 2016-09-17 15:44:24 UTC https://padlet.com/alecakarkatsa/24rqbwi1idex/wish/124521556 1.4 Developing intercultural competences of your students alecakarkatsa https://padlet.com/alecakarkatsa/24rqbwi1idex/wish/124532587 I feel that teaching how to live altogether in harmony is one of the most important lesssons school can give a child. However, I think the most challeging aspect is to show the student that other people must be listened to and respected, even if we don't agree with what is being said. Listening to and accepting different views is what I think the most difficult to teach.]]> 2016-09-17 20:01:27 UTC https://padlet.com/alecakarkatsa/24rqbwi1idex/wish/124532587 1.5 Understanding different models of living & working together in culturally diverse communities alecakarkatsa https://padlet.com/alecakarkatsa/24rqbwi1idex/wish/124533069 Based on my experience in schhols in my country, I think co-existence is the dominating model. This means, of course, that groups may interact and relate in common space and time, but afterwards they limit themselves to the environment they come from.
On the other hand, there have been cases where certain individuals have widened their horizons and have permitted other entities to enter their private space thus exchanging views and stands.]]> 2016-09-17 20:17:10 UTC https://padlet.com/alecakarkatsa/24rqbwi1idex/wish/124533069 1.6 Self-assessment activity alecakarkatsa https://padlet.com/alecakarkatsa/24rqbwi1idex/wish/124534025
Open and reflective to accommodate and value the diversity

You are a reflective practitioner who is open to trying out new things to ensure the diversity of your students is valued and recognized in your teaching approaches. You make the learning process relevant to your students by adapting resources or providing examples that reflect the student’s experiences. You try to integrate cultural diversity as a topic in your teaching beyond prescribed moments in the curriculum. 



]]> 2016-09-17 20:50:15 UTC https://padlet.com/alecakarkatsa/24rqbwi1idex/wish/124534025 Take a look at this table with the different answer options to see other ways how cultural diversity can be addressed in the classroom. alecakarkatsa https://padlet.com/alecakarkatsa/24rqbwi1idex/wish/124534093 https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3so5Sn4Z-uKTWFiSjEtbDFVbTg/view]]> 2016-09-17 20:52:06 UTC https://padlet.com/alecakarkatsa/24rqbwi1idex/wish/124534093 Module 2: Recognising cultural diversity for learning in everyday practice alecakarkatsa https://padlet.com/alecakarkatsa/24rqbwi1idex/wish/126072697 Please share with us some general information about the students you teach. What are their cultural backgrounds? How are they diverse in other ways? Do you have a positive relationship with them? How do they interact with each other? 
I teach in a secondary school students aged 15-18. Although I wouldn'y call the school multi-cultural, we have a few students from Albania an a few others who, being Greek, have grown up in western countries. The diversity stems from the diggerent scholastic background they come from, which means ways must be found to make them feel comfortable in a class taught in a very different way from what they are used to. The relationship with them is usually positive, although cases of introversity have been observed.]]> 2016-09-23 16:37:03 UTC https://padlet.com/alecakarkatsa/24rqbwi1idex/wish/126072697 2.1 Example activities to develop students' intercultural competence alecakarkatsa https://padlet.com/alecakarkatsa/24rqbwi1idex/wish/126075136 Great input and ideas that can be applied. In my classes I have used articles with people from different countries, not only the western countries. I have also used material describing traditions and habits very different from our own way of life (quizz
es,  songs, poems).]]> 2016-09-23 16:46:16 UTC https://padlet.com/alecakarkatsa/24rqbwi1idex/wish/126075136 2.2 Supporting students with different first languages alecakarkatsa https://padlet.com/alecakarkatsa/24rqbwi1idex/wish/126221136 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAzMtuv5tTE&feature=youtu.be]]> 2016-09-25 16:46:17 UTC https://padlet.com/alecakarkatsa/24rqbwi1idex/wish/126221136