Module 1: Developing intercultural competences

WELCOME TO MODULE 1
Let's start out with some introductions! On this and subsequent courses of the course series
you will repeatedly come across Alicia Bankhofer and Erika Hummer. This Teacher Academy
course series on cultural diversity and newly arrived migrants builds substantially on the
work Alicia and Erika did for the eTwinning Learning Event "The Integration of Refugees in
Daily School Life" that ran in June on the eTwinning network.
While Alicia and Erika have tons of expertise in this area, their and other contributor's ideas
and views are not supposed to offer the ultimate answer to all of our questions. Rather their
contributions should be seen as a trigger to discuss with your peers about the questions at
hand. You might sometimes strongly agree but also disagree with their views and ideas and
that's ok. The important part is that you use the content provided in each section of the course
as a trigger to think about the situation in your classroom and start discussing and sharing
your views with your fellow course participants. On a course like this with thousands of
participants, all working in fairly different contexts, the wisdom most often lies with your
peers, so make sure that you start exploring your peer's views on the Padlets and engage on
social media or the forum in the ongoing discussions.
Much of the content you will come across on this first course originates from recorded video
conference calls with Alicia and Erika. Both Alicia and Erika will be online on social media
and the forum to answer your questions and support you in your work.
So let's hear from them tell us a bit about their background:
In this first module of the course we explore how to become an intercultural competent teacher
and how to develop your students intercultural competence. However, before addressing these
core topics we look at why it is important to explore cultural diversity in schools, what different
models of cultural diverse societies there are and how that plays a role in schools.
Learning Objectives:
1. Assess own intercultural competence and identify ways how to become a more
interculturally competent teacher
2. Develop some ideas on how to develop students' intercultural competence
3. Develop an understanding of different models of intercultural societies
4. Reflect on which model applies to your country and how it impacts your work at school
Now it's your turn. Tell us who you are, where you are from, what classes you teach, where your
school is, etc. Write a brief introduction in the Padlet below and make sure to copy it also into
your Learning Diary. Make sure to add your name into the title of your Padlet post and why not
include a low resolution picture.

1.1 Why address cultural diversity in schools?

Before looking at intercultural competence, let's briefly discuss why we should address cultural
diversity in schools and what you hope to get out of this course.
Wether we believe cultural diversity to be a good thing or not, ultimately we are teachers facing
our students every day and we need to think about what is best for those students. Given that
many of us will be teaching students of diverse cultural backgrounds, those backgrounds and the
role they play in the student's lives, should be taken into account when thinking about what is
best for our students. Therefore the issue of cultural diversity is in the first instance no different to
looking at your class as a group of individuals and the requirement to personalise learning for
those individuals rather than teach using a one-size-fits-all approach. Of course that is a huge
challenge in itself and cultural diversity does raise some more specific questions and challenges
which we will explore on this course. Nevertheless it is important not to forget that many of the
ideas and activities that will be addressed on this course are relevant beyond the issue of cultural
diversity and should become key tools for any teacher striving to personalise the learning
experience of their students.

1.2 Developing intercultural competence as a teacher

If we want to develop intercultural competence in our students we need to reflect on our own
intercultural competence. A first step in becoming an interculturally competent teacher is to think
about our own cultural values, beliefs, traditions, etc. and how these impact on our use of
language and actions in the classroom as well as our perceptions of our students. Take a look at
the 2 videos below where Alicia and Erika as well as Tomislav Tudjman from the Erasmus
University Rotterdam and member of the Sirius Network outline a range of aspects to take into
account as an interculturally competent teacher.
Which of the areas that Alicia, Erika and Tomislav outline do you feel is most important? And
which of these areas do you think you need to work the most on? What could be the biggest
challenge for you in becoming an interculturally competent teacher? Share your reactions and
thoughts to the views presented in the videos and these questions in the Padlet further below.

1.3 Your teaching resources

In the previous section Alicia and Erika highlight the importance of developing resources that
acknowledge and reflect the experiences of your students. As a little activity we would like you to
select a teaching resource that you use regularly, it could be anything from a website, textbook,
app or worksheet to anything you use with your students. Analyze it in the light of Alicia and
Erika's comments and decide if this is a resource that acknowledges and reflects the diverse
experiences that exist in your classroom. Then briefly vote in the one-question poll below
indicating if you found your resource to be appropriate to use in a culturally diverse classroom.
That way we will all see what the situation is like in regards to our teaching resources. To see the

overall results of the poll click on the link "Show previous responses" after you have submitted
your answer.
If you like you can also share any reflections after this activity in the Padlet below.

1.4 Developing intercultural competences of your students

One of the key things about developing intercultural competences of your students is identified
by Alicia in the video below: it is about character-building and using modern teaching approaches
to encourage curiosity and communication with the world outside of the classroom. So on the
one hand our teaching approaches can help us in developing students' intercultural competence.
For example when we organize collaborative activities to encourage exchanges between
students. On the other hand the focus of what we teach is important. Teaching empathy, openmindedness and how to debate should all be part of our regular repertoire of teaching topics,
regardless of the subject and age-range of students we teach.
Reflect on the various areas highlighted by Alicia and Erika in the video below and identify any
other areas you feel that are important to address with your students to develop their intercultural
competence. Are there any aspects Alicia and Erika did not mention? And which of the areas are
the most challenging to realize in the classroom? Share your views in the Padlet below.

1.5 Understanding different models of living & working together in

culturally diverse communities
As a brief excursion from the more practical ideas explored in the previous sections, we would
like to reflect on different models of how we in Europe live in a culturally diverse society. It's
important to think about the three models outlined by Ahmad Aminian, Lecturer at the Free
University Brussels, in the videos below because our classrooms to a certain extent will be a
reflection of these models of interculturality, depending on which country we work in and what
kind of model is promoted at your school and in your classroom. You might only be familiar with
one of the models so it is important to be aware of alternative ways of organizing intercultural
communities, your school and classroom being a community you can actively shape into a
certain direction.
Ahmad Aminian is a lecturer at the Free University Brussels and runs a lot of projects with
schools as part of the work of the Cultural Center Omar Khayam. The Center is based in
Brussels and organizes activities both for children and adults to develop a critical mind but also a
team spirit through intercultural dialogue and a creative process. Their projects are suitable for
different types of institutions such as schools and youth centres. If you understand French check
out an example of an activity they run here.
As you watch the videos reflect on which model is most present in your country and how are
some of these questions addressed in your school? How is the public space in your school and

classroom organized? Is it more according to a model of co-existence or integration? For

example, are students expected to assimilate to certain cultural norms at school or in your
classroom? Is there a public space for and culture of communication and debate when it comes
to different cultural norms? Share your reflections and views in the Padlet below.