Intercultural Education

120th European Seminar

23 – 27 June 2008

Bad Wildbad, Germany

REPORT

Hulda Karen Daníelsdóttir, Mercè Bernaus, Monica Grimaldi Grimaldi-Constantinou and Pavlina Hadjitheodoulou

Organised by the Council of Europe

in cooperation with the German authorities,

State of Baden-Württemberg and the Academy of Bad Wildbad

This report is an account of the 120th European seminar held in Bad Wildbad in June, 2008. The focus of this report is on the seminar’s successes, as well as a few suggestions on which aspects might have been more successful. Furthermore, there will be an emphasis on key ideas that came up and suggestions on how intercultural education can be implemented in schools.

All materials used during the seminar are in the accompanying appendices. These include, among other things, the programme, slides, games, evaluation methods and participants’ presentations.

In this seminar emphasis was given on Intercultural Education as a process of teaching, managing and enhancing diversity and to understanding the need to move away from the notion of Intercultural Education as a mere add on to the curriculum in occasional projects and disturb the notion of boutique multiculturalism. The different activities throughout the seminar aimed at focusing on Intercultural education as a change in the monocultural and monolingual habitus of schools through new perspectives on three pillars: diversity and identity, methodology of teaching, and the socio-political context of education. Throughout the seminar participants were involved in activities that broke up certainties and “grand national narratives”, “de-fence” intercultural education and they were introduced to the recent works of the Council of Europe in the field of intercultural education. The purpose was to create opportunities to discuss and explore the dynamic dimension of culture and identity, to identify their own strengths and weaknesses in promoting Intercultural Education and making the best of their professional biography as well as to investigate educational approaches and methodologies that enable intercultural dialogue and discuss and elaborate relevant actions on the level of schools, classrooms and different school subjects.

One of the most successful aspects of the seminar was the dynamic nature of the group work which was carried out by the facilitators and the participants. The seminar was thus characterised by continuous and productive activity and variety in approaches and group formations (group rotation). Or as one participant mentioned: “The organization of the seminar, in particular the group work, made it possible for me to work with everyone.” This was not accidental, but followed the ascending structure of the seminar.

Dynamic Group Activity

From the ice-breaking activity Getting to know each other (see Appendix 2) at the outset of the seminar, to the participants’ final presentations, the agenda was to create a “low threat” - “high challenge” learning environment in which intercultural dialogue could take place. This environment gave the participants an opportunity to share their knowledge and experiences freely, simultaneously fulfilling the objectives of the seminar. The seminar’s objectives were:

Creating a common conceptual framework on culture, identity and diversity.

Raising awareness of diversity in a sociopolitical context.

Creating awareness of the difference between teaching and facilitating.

Creating the awareness of ‘in-between’ spaces.

Getting to know ourselves as educators.

Relating one’s own professional biography to difficulties that may arise in the process of intercultural education.

Introducing the participants to aspects of Cooperative Learning in Multicultural Groups.

Working towards the development of a framework for intercultural competencies in different subject areas.

Day One

The first workshop centered on Developing Awareness of the Self and the Other, to meet the first objective: namely, Creating a common conceptual framework on culture, identity and diversity (see Appendix 3, Day 1 slides Hulda Karen).

The length of the workshop was two and a half hours, yet during that time the participants worked in three different groups. Key emphasis was placed on using an inductive approach, while introducing the participants to a number of intercultural concepts, such as common denominators, as points of departure for intercultural dialogue; No Man’s Land as the space between individuals from different cultural groups; and the idea that people can belong to more than one cultural group. The facilitator also made a point of drawing the participants’ attention to the scaffolding used in the workshop and how they, too, could apply such scaffolding with their own pupils at any school level. These included, visible instructions, hooks, modelling, One-Two-All, cooperative learning, improvisation, and reflection, among others. A detailed and thorough description of the facilitator’s workshops, and how others can implement similar ones, can be found in Appendix 7. Submitted by Hulda Karen Daníelsdóttir

The second workshop was Steps Forward and Enhancing Diversity, meeting the seminar’s second objective, Raising awareness of diversity in a sociopolitical context (see Appendices 3, Day 1 Monica).

Taking into consideration the fact that we are all equal, but some are more equal than others, this activity aimed on the feeling of being someone else in our society. The participants through their own experiences, managed to feel what is like to be different. Through a game/ activity which had as its objectives to promote empathy with others who are different, to raise awareness about the inequality of opportunities in society and to foster an understanding of possible personal consequences of belonging to certain social minorities the participants had the opportunity to discuss these issues and record their feelings. Each participant received cards with a different role on them. They had to get into that role and make sure they understood what their role was. The facilitator read out situations or events in which if they had to respond “yes” to the statement they had to take a step forward. The power of this activity lay on the impact of actually seeing the distance increasing between them, when the facilitator read the list of statements. Participants were encouraged to become aware of the fact that intercultural education should promote managing and enhancing diversity and it implies the creation of conditions that value diversity and the development of an inclusive participative atmosphere, towards equal opportunities for all. After this activity, issues such as violation of rights emerged (civil, political, social, economic, cultural). The participants in groups discussed these issues in the perspective of a cultural educator in a multicultural classroom. What happens in a classroom which is nothing than a society in miniature? And they came up with suggestions, each group put on the notice boards such as: We need to develop support services and back up Scaffolding instead of testing Talk to our pupils and listen Know ours and their rights and responsibilities Fight prejudice Negotiate needs and provide opportunities Built up self –esteem Less competition – more self – challenge Be together in the community and not being in isolation There should be equality / diversification of tasks Submitted by Monica Grimaldi– Constantinou

The third workshop focused on Facilitation to reach the third objective: Creating awareness of the difference between teaching and facilitating.

PowerPoint slides were used (see Appendix 3, Day 1 Mercè) to trigger participants’ interest in the discussion about teaching vs facilitating. There was a very fruitful discussion about the differences between a teacher teaching in a traditional way and a teacher as facilitator of students’ learning. The summary of the discussion is the following: The premises of teaching in a traditional way presuppose that the teacher takes the most important role in the class and s/he is supposed to fill the empty minds of their students. The teacher is mainly a lecturer. S/he has the right answers for any question. When the teacher takes the role of facilitator, s/he considers first of all the students’ previous knowledge and their needs. The teacher asks the right questions in order to solve problems that students in collaboration (group work) try to solve. The teacher enhances autonomy among students and helps them to evaluate their own progress. Submitted by Mercè Bernaus

Day Two

The first workshop focused on Spaces In Between in order to reach the seminar’s fourth objective as listed on page 2 above (see Appendices 4, Day 2 materials Mercè).

Participants in the Bad Wildbad workshop were faced up to a text by Homi K. Bhabha’s introduction to The Location of Culture. They had to answer some questions related to the text in groups of 4 people. Later on they had to summarise the discussion in a poster that they presented to the whole group. These presentations were followed up with a discussion with all the participants. We include 3 of the posters summarising the discussion that lasted for 2 hours. The first poster includes the answers to the questions about the text. The second picture shows the bridge that people can build up in the encounters with others in those in between spaces that help us to interaction with others and through the interaction we add values to our identities and to our cultures. The third picture shows us different in between spaces where people can interact with others and interchange feelings, opinions, and views or simply not to take profit of those encounters. The discussions among the groups were very fruitful. After the workshop participants still mention experiences they had in in between spaces, as this one by Marianne: When I was in the train travelling back I realized myself changed: a woman asked somebody next to me and he answered "Sorry, I don’t speak German" and without thinking I just started asking him "Oh, where do you come from?" and we had a lovely conversation. That’s for having been together with all of you, who encouraged me in speaking English and crossing bridges in `in-between-situations´. This activity was created by Aine Furlong, participant of the LEA Project 2003-2007 in the ECML http://www.ecml.at/mtp2/lea/results/ Submitted by Mercè Bernaus

The second workshop was SWOT Analysis of Obstacles to Promoting Intercultural Education, to reach the sixth objective as listed on page 2 above (see Appendices 4, Day 2 SWOT materials Monica).

A PowerPoint was used so as to engage participants in the fact that knowledge is as important as everything the school subjects have to offer and helps us understand and appreciate each other and learn to live together. On the other hand it also comprises strategies of how to negotiate intercultural encounters in the class (e.g. representations; misunderstandings; conflicts; etc.) Learners need to learn to activate and apply factual and strategic knowledge in situations where intercultural questions are to be negotiated and tasks can be solved in teams. Educators require the development of knowledge about the socio-cultural backgrounds of their learners. The development of knowledge and skills is also required, that refers to strategies that are essential for negotiating otherness and difference. After the presentation the participants had to work in groups and produce a SWOT analysis. This analysis focused on the obstacles that come in teachers’ life as professionals when entitled to promote intercultural education or the intercultural dimension of the curriculum content. Participants in groups decided on the strategies they need to develop to adjust in a classroom with multiple nationalities and put them down on tables they were provided with. They stated in a SWOT analysis their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threads as intercultural educators. Some examples of the discussion they had in groups and have put up on a table are: Strengths Weaknesses a good facilitator / teacher - bad at overcoming conflicts in class pass the meaning across - mood influences performance respect my students - take parts sometimes listen and forgive - prejudiced sometimes accept challenges promote values have empathy use a variety of teaching methods applicable to different learning styles Opportunities Threads help by the parents - the educational system of my country help by other students/ - the curriculum students council - apply human rights for all - prejudice - new law about immigrants - stereotypes - not being able to accept otherness Submitted by Monica Grimaldi-Constantinou

The third workshop was on Developing Practical Skills in Intercultural Education, to reach the seventh objective as listed on page 2 above (see Appendices 4, Day 2 materials and slides Hulda Karen).

This workshop introduced the participants to Cooperative Learning in Multicultural Groups via an inductive approach and modelling; Jigsaw Cooperative Learning; KWL; and problem solving tasks while dealing with subjects such as culture shock. The facilitator emphasized that all these approaches can be used with students at any school level and in any subject. A detailed and thorough description of the facilitator’s workshop, and how others can implement similar ones, is in Appendix 7 and Appendix 4, Day 2 slides Hulda Karen). Submitted by Hulda Karen Daníelsdóttir

Day Three

An Activity Fair was presented to the participants on the third day of the seminar. At 3 stations of 30 minutes each, materials and activities developed by the facilitators or in recent Council of Europe trainer training were presented in order to promote intercultural education (see Appendices 5, from the third day).

Having fun playing the Intercultural Twister Game

The participants also took part in Collaborative Brainstorming, which centered around the following question: “What can I do and what should I do in order to promote intercultural competences as a subject area teacher?” (see Appendix 7 and Appendix 6, Day 3 Slides Hulda Karen for a detailed description of this activity). The aim of the Collaborative Brainstorming was to generate ideas connected to the development of a framework for intercultural competencies in different subject areas and to create activities to be implemented at school (lesson plans in various subjects, learning games, thematic units, etc.).

Day Four

On the final day of the seminar, eight groups presented the ideas developed in the previous day’s Collaborative Brainstorming and group work (see Appendices 6, Last day presentations).

Conclusion

In the planning stages of the seminar, it was decided that emphasis should be placed on intercultural education as a process of facilitating and enhancing diversity, moving away from the notion of intercultural education as an addition to the curriculum in occasional projects. These objectives were fulfilled at the 120th European Seminar in Bad Wildbad, culminating in the presentations of Day Four.

Nevertheless, there are always aspects that can be improved upon. These include: lack of discussion time; occasional poor time-keeping; and, in rare instances, too much teaching and not enough facilitating.

The group dynamic is what made this seminar uniquely successful, though the seminar’s setting was an important positive factor. The foundation for this success was laid during group work – and built upon by the participants themselves during their own free time. The excellent accommodations at the Academy of Bad Wildbad, which provided a venue where participants could socialize after hours, made it possible for the 41 participants, from 18 different countries, to elaborate on the work done during the day.

The participants found that their worlds are very different. In some school systems, the teacher has a lot of freedom. In one school system, the teacher might write or select subject area materials and choose how to present them to the students; while in another, the teacher has very little freedom, having to use a strictly prescribed national or regional curriculum, using only textbooks approved by educational authorities.

This diversity led to most participants wanting to approach each activity using their own particular realities as a frame of reference. This in turn led to everyone having to, as one participant worded it, “negotiate meaning and find a common denominator as a point of departure, so that intercultural dialogue could take place.” In order to find common ground, participants sometimes had to submit to the proposition that their work at the seminar was intended for a school system existing “in the best of all possible worlds.”

Reykjavík, July 21 2008

On behalf of the facilitator team,

_________________________________________

Hulda Karen Daníelsdóttir

Appendices

See the text and the questions in the appendix