Jenny O'Fee

I recently concluded two days of listening, exploring and learning about developing intercultural understanding within our school communities. As someone who signed up to participate in the course, I am already committed to the critical nature with which we must address promoting intercultural understanding. Evidence is all around us signalling the need for us to act; learn from the past, and listen, really listen to understand. The two days spent with a knowledgeable and interesting group of people, was insightful, thought provoking and provided me with so many ideas and ambitions as I prepare for the upcoming school year! As we got to know each other virtually, what struck me most is the joy that comes from simply hearing other people’s stories. We shared artifacts that reflected our identities and made connections; reveling in commonalities, and curious to know more about differences that we identified. A reminder of just how important giving space for this type of sharing is as we bring students, teachers and our parent community together.

The Teaching and Learning for Intercultural Understanding Summer Institute was facilitated by three wonderful educational leaders, Debra Rader, Sarah Kupke and Heidi Bachman. The institute was based around the work of Debra Rader, and her development of a Framework for Developing Intercultural Understanding (Rader, 2016), which is published in her book Teaching and Learning for Intercultural Understanding: Engaging Young Hearts and Minds. (Routledge, 2018) A highly recommended book for those of you interested in fostering intercultural understanding with children; it comes with lesson plans and resources to accompany a whole host of high quality children’s literature.

What is Intercultural Understanding? 

This is defined in the book as:

Through exploring the Framework, with all of the diverse perspectives, insights and experiences, it helped me to reflect on how I might envisage using this as a next step in my own school community. These are some of the ways in which I could envisage using the Framework to support further embedding Intercultural Understanding:

• audit our curriculum: Review our Programme of Inquiry to identify where we see different elements addressed, where we see opportunities and how we can deepen learning and understanding.
• engage our students and teachers in a review of literature and resources used – do these include multiple diverse perspectives? Identify resources to include to support intercultural understanding.
• identify ways in which our Home Language Program can incorporate elements of knowledge and understanding related to building intercultural understanding
• use the Framework to review our celebrations, events and traditions. How do we already foster intercultural understanding? How can we do better?
• when reviewing policies, use the framework as a lens through which to pose relevant questions, identify strengths and gaps
• explore the routines and rituals we have as a learning community. Identify core questions we can be posing to continually foster deepening knowledge and understanding
• engage student leaders in identifying ways in which they can promote and share their knowledge and understanding. Where do students have a voice in our community? 

• as a tool for initiating discussion within our community about beliefs, values and attitudes. Where do we see our strengths in these areas? What is our shared vision as a community?
• connect these to our mission, Learner Profile and Educational Philosophy statements
• make these visible through explicit sharing in our celebrations, school traditions and rituals
• re-focus the work of our Diversity Committee to explore these transformative beliefs, values and attitudes, and find avenues through which to articulate and celebrate these

• review our curriculum to identify where we currently address these 
• articulate these essential intercultural, interpersonal and life skills through the IB Approaches to Learning skill progression
• make these skills visible with our students through a split screen approach in their learning
• use reflective practices that require students and teachers to consider these core elements

• identify ways in which to share, promote and celebrate individual positive actions – within and beyond classrooms
• incorporate the Sustainable Development Goals as a framework and lens through which to organise our actions as a community
• encourage and build partnerships within our local community to encourage and model individual and collective action
• implement our Eco School action plan to unite our community in committing to sustainable practices on both an individual and school wide level
• identify ways in which to share, promote and celebrate individual positive actions – within and beyond classrooms
• incorporate the Sustainable Development Goals as a framework and lens through which to organise our actions as a community
• encourage and build partnerships within our local community to encourage and model individual and collective action
• implement our Eco School action plan to unite our community in committing to sustainable practices on both an individual and school wide level