It is vital, that as educators we have an articulated idea
of what our image of the child is. It is through holding a strong belief in
this image that influences the way in which we advocate and enable children’s
valid contribution in making decisions within matters that are of concern to
them, be it within, or outside of the classroom (Smith & Taylor, 2009).
Diversity and difference is a pertinent factor of
international-mindedness; it is about embracing the cultures of others and
constructing cultural pluralism amongst our communities, thus, the goal of
diversity being that of uniting people and gaining all that you can from one
another, as opposed to merely tolerating the diversity of others.
Respect and tolerance of diversity are two very
conflicting notions; it is one of the responsibilities of educators to instil
respect within children, for others; tolerance is merely putting up with the
difference of others, the “salad bowl” (Gonzalez-Mena, 2008) is based on
incorporating the cultural diversity of others into our Australian culture;
embracing them for all that they are. It is vital that we construct a diversity-respecting
curriculum (Fleet, Patterson, and Robertson, 2009); incorporating the lives of
children into the curriculum, therefore creating meaning and linking what is
important to them throughout the curriculum.
Embedded within my own notions of education, is that a
child’s learning community is “place of culture” (p38) a learning environment
where children are exposed to the values and notions of other cultures, becoming
apart of it, understanding it on a deeper level. It is about children acquiring
intersubjectivity, the ability of humans understanding the notions and culture
of others, with the perspective of an open mind (Bruner, 1996). A child’s
learning environment must equip them with skills of understanding, feeling and
acting in the cultural world, which surrounds them. It is about embedding the
school within the communities cultural context; allowing children to find there
identity within there culture, building their self-esteem and confidence based
on who they are, not what they can do (Rogoff, 1993, as cited in Faulkner,
Littleton, &Faulkner, 2004).
When questioned about international-mindedness, our
participant Katie affirmed a strong conviction within this notion, stating, “to
‘teach
children to appreciate and participate in the richness and strength of a
multicultural society’ so all my teaching must take place with this backdrop.” With that being
said, it is vital to place children within an environment, which exposes them
to the ideals and culture of society (Derman-Sparks & Olsen-Edwards, 2010).
Yet, when considering the practical aspect of
international-mindedness being prevalent throughout the culture of a classroom,
Katie had affirmed that, “students’ learning is supported by transdisciplinary
themes which have global ramifications. This allows for
international-mindedness to develop in a constructivist manner, through each
year level of the programme.” In considering this statement, the IB has deeply
embedded the notion of international-mindedness throughout its framework,
ensuring that educator and children of all ages are interacting with this
fundamental notion throughout the units of inquiry (IBO, 2007; Singh, 1999).
As stated by Roberts (2009), “[a]ll of our lives are inextricably
interconnected” (p4). Providing an international perspective and understanding
within classrooms, to be applied in real-life situations, encouraging children
to identify themselves as global citizens, utilising this as a vehicle to
empower them in contributing as active participants within their global
community, this is a fundamental aspect which is central to the tenets that the
IB is comprised of; a tenet which I have embedded firmly throughout my own
educational philosophy. This being a vital aspect of the equation to constructing
a classroom culture of international-mindedness, as affirmed by Hill (2006),
“[i]t is the attitude of mind reflected in both the teaching and administration
of the school, rather than the cultural composition or location, which is
important” (p98).
