Intercultural Understanding by Sarah Balazs

sarah_balazs — 2017-01-23 09:31:45 UTC

Why did you choose this topic?

sarah_balazs — 2017-01-23 09:38:22 UTC

I choose to explore this topic as I believe it is a topic of high importance. It is vital that children across the globe are educated on Intercultural Understanding. It is a topic in which not only Australian students should be educated on but ALL students should be educated on.

Intercultural Understanding teaches respect. It allows students to develop friendships and relationships with one another, teachers and community members in understanding not only one selfs culture, but the cultures that surround them.

I believe students who are educated on such an important topic, will impact in the way they treat people within their community and within the globe.

Resource 1

sarah_balazs — 2017-01-23 10:10:39 UTC

This video displays a number of students discussing how they have been discriminated against for their cultural differences. It would be a great resource to show to students as it presents real situations of young people and how they have been affected. It creates discussion on why Intercultural Understanding is of great importance.

INTERCULTURAL UNDERSTANDING

sarah_balazs — 2017-01-24 05:58:57 UTC

The Importance of Intercultural Understanding ...

sarah_balazs — 2017-01-24 06:00:52 UTC

Intercultural diversity is the foundation to many other topics and subjects of discussion. It is fundamental that students are educated on this topic, as it will enable students to express empathy, show respect and understand how to perform responsibility. Specifically in Australia, children are faced daily with people of diverse countries, cultures and tradition. ‘Historically, more people immigrate to, than emigrate from, Australia. At 30 June 2015, 28.2% of the estimated resident population (ERP) was born overseas (6.7 million persons)' (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016). The statistic given by the ABS provides evidence of how culturally diverse Australia is, and how important it is that students are educated upon this.

 ‘Intercultural understanding is an essential part of living with others in the diverse world of the twenty – first century. It assists young people to become responsible local and global citizens, equipped through their education for living and working together in an interconnected world’ (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority 2016).

Intercultural understanding allows students to reflect and share on their own personal cultural practises. Yet it allows students to develop an interest into new cultures.

‘It develops students’ abilities to communicate and emphasise with others and to analyse intercultural experiences critically. It offers opportunities for them to consider their own beliefs and attitudes in a new light, and so gain insight into themselves and others. Intercultural understanding stimulates students’ interest in the lives of others. It cultivates values and dispositions such as curiosity, care, empathy, reciprocity, respect and responsibility, open-mindedness and critical awareness, and supports new and positive intercultural behaviours' (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority 2016).

Muller discusses 11 attributes which he believes ‘may constitute a framework for discussion of the nature of a globally engaged curriculum' (Muller 2006, p. 13). The attributes had a great focus and relevance to the ‘conceptual strand of culture and identity in Australian SOSE syllabus documents’ (Muller 2016, p. 13). The Australian Curriculum Learning Continuum looks at three specific sections. These are ‘recognising culture and developing respect’, ‘interacting and emphasising with others’, and ‘reflecting on intercultural experiences and taking responsibility’. It provides a range of activities and resources to be used to create learning and discussion to all levels in the classroom. The Australian Curriculum has created a foundation for teachers to seek upon when teaching this topic to students. It is a topic which has been established providing in depth detail, evidence and information which will be transferred to the students.

In what place/places is your topic located or relevant?

sarah_balazs — 2017-01-24 06:33:36 UTC

Intercultural Understanding is relevant to every individual across the globe. I believe it is a topic that should be taught to all students. Whilst previously in Laos, Intercultural Understanding was seen being taught in the classroom whilst we were visiting. The teachers had a fascination on how we teach and on the Australian culture. The students thoroughly enjoyed in participating in aspects of our culture, including learning how to speak English, playing a game of cricket, or learning about Australian animals. This is an example of how young people respect and empathise on a different tradition to their own. This is Intercultural Understanding.

sarah_balazs — 2017-01-24 06:37:44 UTC

Students in Laos eagerly waiting to learn about Australian culture.

Lived Experience ...

sarah_balazs — 2017-01-24 06:39:26 UTC

As a student, I attended schools where multiculturalism was seen everywhere. It was very rare to meet a young person in my school who was not of a culturally diverse background. Having met so many diverse people allowed me to develop an understanding and a certain respect for many different cultures. As a pre-service teacher, I place an emphasise on getting to know my students, their culture and the aspect that make them diverse to others. It is a passion of mine, to ensure young people have a great understanding on this topic.

Teaching Strategy 1 – the students background

sarah_balazs — 2017-01-24 07:43:05 UTC

Intercultural understanding is creating an ‘awareness of ones culture to building understanding of other cultures’ (Wallace 2016). A great foundation to having students develop an understanding of other cultures is to have the young people understand the cultures of the members within the classroom. This teaching strategy has a focus on the teacher and students learning about one another’s culture and background. I choose this strategy, as I believe it is a great stepping-stone for students to understand the topic Intercultural Understanding. It allows students to directly give and receive information to other members of the classroom, whilst also having the teacher learn about his/her students. The aim of this strategy is upon completion to have the students have developed greater knowledge on the cultures that are within their own classroom. It will also establish an understanding for a series of continuation lessons. This will be discussed in teaching strategy 2.

Resource 1: WHO AM I verbal activity –

* This activity is an ice – breaker and can be used at the beginning of a new school year.To ensure students are engaging and listening to the discussion – students sitting in a circle would be ideal. This could be performed in the classroom, or outside (if accessible).

The teacher begins announcing …

his/her name
where his/her parents / guardians were born (not specifying mum and dad – as a child may not have both)
where his/her grandparents were born
what religion he/she MAY be
favourite tradition from her culture

This will then be passed onto the child sitting next to her… and so on. The students will have a cue card to assist in remembering what to say. This can be advanced for students of an older age if need be.

Resource 2: WHO AM I POSTER –

* Resource 2 is a follow on activity, from resource 1. This will be a sequence of lessons using a variety of subject domains.
It requires the students to create an A3 poster on their cultural background. They are to include pictures, written pieces, headings, and decorate to use as a display in the room. The students can include their favourite cultural activity / tradition, as well as a written piece of their background / where they are from (their parents / grandparents).

Conclusion

sarah_balazs — 2017-01-24 07:56:53 UTC

Teaching Strategy 2 – explore cultural traditions

sarah_balazs — 2017-01-24 08:20:07 UTC

In further developing the students’ knowledge on Intercultural Understanding, teaching strategy 2 will be discussed. In previous lessons, students focused on their cultural background by sharing with the class where they are from and creating a poster to be presented and used in the classroom. To continue on, teaching strategy 2 focuses on exploring cultural traditions. I choose this as I believe it flows well from one focus to the next, and allows further discussion, understanding and cultural respect to be made by the students on other cultures and traditions. The aim of this is teaching strategy is to have developed the students understanding of tradition, culture and diversity. The students will be able to understand the difference of culture not only within their classroom, but also across the globe.

Resource 1: An Aussie Year

* This resource is a book, which explores twelve months in the life of Aussie kids.

“Meet Ned, Lily, Zoe, Kirra and Matilda — Australian children representing a multicultural blend of culture and race that typifies our beautiful country. They are taking you through a year in the life of Australian kids, from celebrations to traditions to events, to our everyday way of life” (McCartney 2013).

The book will be read to the students following discussion on the events and traditions that were seen within the book.

Resource 2: An Aussie Year FOCUS Project

* This resource will follow on from resource 1.

Students will be placed in pairs and be given a tradition / event to focus on from the book. An example: Chinese New Year. The students will then research on their tradition / event and highlight key events / aspects, symbols, from their chosen event. These will be shared with the class and placed as display in the classroom.

* Students will use this resource for a number of lessons. Research will be performed first. Followed by ‘the write – up’. Concluding with constructing and decorating their event poster.

Reference

sarah_balazs — 2017-01-24 08:25:56 UTC

Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016, Australia’s Population by Country of Birth, Australian Bureau of Statistics, retrieved 20 Jan 2017, < http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/3412.0Main%20Features32014-15>.

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority 2016, Intercultural Understanding, Education Services Australia, retrieved 20 Jan 2017, < http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/generalcapabilities/intercultural-understanding/introduction/introduction>.

McCartney T 2013, An Aussie Year, Word Press, retrieved 22 Jan 2017, < http://anaussieyear.com.au/>.

Muller W 2006, The contribution of 'cultural literacy' to the 'globally engaged curriculum' and the 'globally engaged citizen’, vol. 24, no. 2, p.13-15, retrieved 20 Jan 2017, .

Wallace H 2016, Module 2 Teaching in a Global World, Cloud Deakin, retrieved 20 Jan 2017, < https://d2l.deakin.edu.au/d2l/le/content/444091/viewContent/3186745/View>.

sarah_balazs — 2017-01-24 09:51:49 UTC

The topic Intercultural Understanding relates to the module ‘Teaching in a Global world’ as the topics itself is about the world, and the cultures, traditions and beliefs found within. Intercultural Understanding is a topic that can be taught in a global world, as it has a global audience. My recent trip to Laos, where I taught students English, is an example of how Intercultural Understanding and Teaching in a Global Word correlate and relate together.