Skills: Facilitate intercultural and international conversations

Globally competent teachers facilitate intercultural and international conversations that promote active listening, critical thinking, and perspective recognition by providing ongoing opportunities for students to converse with diverse individuals (e.g., through video-chats, pen pal programs, or guest speakers). To find resources that will help you move along the continuum for this element, click on the description for the level that is the next one higher than how you rated yourself.

Teacher Skills
ELEMENT Nascent Beginning Progressing Proficient Advanced
10. Facilitate intercultural and international conversations that promote active listening, critical thinking, and perspective recognition I do not yet provide opportunities for students to converse with individuals from other cultures or nations. I provide opportunities during the school year for students to converse with individuals from other cultures or nations. I provide opportunities for students to converse with individuals from other cultures or nations, in which students demonstrate active listening, critical thinking, and/or perspective recognition. I provide ongoing opportunities for students to converse with individuals from other cultures or nations, in which students demonstrate active listening, critical thinking, and perspective recognition. My students initiate communication with individuals from across cultures and nations, in which they demonstrate active listening, critical thinking, and perspective recognition.

Source: The Globally Competent Teaching Continuum was originally developed in 2014 by J. M. Cain, J. Glazier, H. Parkhouse, and A. Tichnor-Wagner at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Beginning

ASCD Readings

Classroom Demo Video

11th Grade English Language Arts: Initiating the Conversation with a School in India

Additional Reading

The Elephant in the Language Classroom

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Progressing

ASCD Readings

Classroom Demo Videos

1st Grade: Skype with Indonesia

Lesson Plan

Skype with Indonesia (PDF)
Suggested grade level: 1
Subject: Skype with Indonesia
Description: Using Skype, students make a personal connection with students in a different country from their own.

Classroom Resources

Reach the World
Suggested grade level: K–5
Subject: Social Studies, Geography
Cost: Free
Description: This website connects classrooms to world travelers.

Skype in the Classroom
Suggested grade level: All
Subject: All
Cost: Free
Description: This communication tool allows students to collaborate with others around the world without leaving the classroom.

Empatico
Suggested Grade Level: 3–5
Subject: Social Studies, Science, English Language Arts
Cost: Free
Description: Empatico is a video conferencing platform for teachers that allows them to connect their students with classrooms around the world through interactive, standards-based activities.

Generation Global
Suggested grade level: 6–12
Subject: All
Cost: Free
Description: This platform provides classrooms and students the opportunity tolearn and practice the skill of cross-cultural dialogues through videoconferencing and an online community, and includes trained facilitators and facilitation guides for teachers.

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Proficient

ASCD Readings

Classroom Demo Video

High School Spanish for Heritage Speakers

Lesson Plan

Spanish-speaking Countries (PDF)
Suggested grade level: 9#8211;12
Subject: Spanish for Heritage Speakers
Description: After interacting with guest speakers from a variety of Spanish-speaking countries, students compare and contrast to their own native country of origin.

Classroom Resources

The Stevens Initiative
Suggested grade level: 9–12
Subject: All
Cost: Free
Description: The Stevens Initiative supports virtual exchange between students in the United States and the Middle East and North Africa by connecting prospective partners and running annual competitions to give grants to educational institutions and non-profit organizations who administer virtual exchange programs.

ePals
Suggested grade level: All
Subject: All
Cost: Free
Description: This website connects classrooms throughout the world with email pen pals. You can search by age, language, country etc. Teachers can also create student accounts to allow for monitored student to student emails or they can sign up for a class to class communication.

Peace Corps World Wise Schools
Suggested grade level: All
Subject: Social Studies, English Language Arts
Cost: Free
Description: The Peace Corps World Wise Schools program allows you to connect with a current Peace Corps Volunteer and exchange letters, emails, videos and photograph; the site includes lesson plans and guest speaker contacts.

Empatico
Suggested Grade Level: 3–5
Subject: Social Studies, Science, English Language Arts
Cost: Free
Description: Empatico is a video conferencing platform for teachers that allows them to connect their students with classrooms around the world through interactive, standards-based activities.

Generation Global
Suggested grade level: 6–12
Subject: All
Cost: Free
Description: This platform provides classrooms and students the opportunity tolearn and practice the skill of cross-cultural dialogues through videoconferencing and an online community, and includes trained facilitators and facilitation guides for teachers.

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Advanced

Classroom Resources

The Stevens Initiative
Suggested grade level: 9–12
Subject: All
Cost: Free
Description: The Stevens Initiative supports virtual exchange between students in the United States and the Middle East and North Africa by connecting prospective partners and running annual competitions to give grants to educational institutions and non-profit organizations who administer virtual exchange programs.

ePals
Suggested grade level: All
Subject: All
Cost: Free Description: This website connects classrooms throughout the world with email pen pals. You can search by age, language, country etc. Teachers can also create student accounts to allow for monitored student to student emails or they can sign up for a class to class communication.

Peace Corps World Wise Schools
Suggested grade level: All
Subject: Social Studies, English Language Arts
Cost: Free
Description: The Peace Corps World Wise Schools program allows you to connect with a current Peace Corps Volunteer and exchange letters, emails, videos and photograph; the site includes lesson plans and guest speaker contacts.

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