Keys to promote interculturality in the classroom

Thanks to the continuous progress of technology, internet, or migratory movements, today’s society has become a place where different cultures, traditions, languages… An international environment that in schools begins to be experienced from an early age. For this reason, in order for these differences to be enriching, at Casvi we promote interculturality in the classroom. Something vital if we take into account that, thanks to it, diversity, inclusiveness, respect towards people and their freedom of thought are more appreciated. But what are the concrete benefits of this interculturality in the classroom? How does our IB methodology favor it? How do we promote interculturality and make it something real in Casvi?

Benefits of interculturality in the classroom

“Education gives us a profound understanding that we are tied together as citizens of the global community, and that our challenges are interconnected”.

Ban Ki-moon, former Secretary-General of the United Nations

Schools like Casvi International American School, are the right place to foster among students a global competence that provides them with the possibility to examine, understand and appreciate the perspectives and worldviews of other people and act for the collective welfare. These are very specific actions that aim to develop skills, knowledge and aptitudes with great benefits for all:

  • In students. The promotion of interculturalism in the classroom enables students to gain the practical knowledge and understanding necessary to take advantage of the opportunities that diversity presents. The improvement of empathy; sensitivity to their needs; the development of flexibility as a fundamental ability to adapt to different environments… In this way, students will perceive differences and work with them to establish healthier and more inclusive learning environments. At the same time, they will reveal themselves as people able to interact in a global and diverse world.
  • On teachers. To promote intercultural education in the classroom, the teaching staff must be trained to meet this challenge. And ours is. For this reason, they have developed their global competencies and international training, understanding that their behavior must be tolerant, empathetic, respectful, understanding and free of prejudices.
  • In the Educational Community. The aim is to promote interculturality in the classroom so, thanks to the collaborative work between teachers and students,  Casvi has become a school with a spirit of cooperation. A center also enriched by these experiences and open to report them to the outside for the benefit of others.

IB methodology and interculturality in the classroom

The objective of Casvi International American School is to promote intercultural understanding and respect as a fundamental aspect of life in the 21st century. And that has a lot to do with the fact that Casvi International American School has the status of authorized center of the three programs of the International Baccalaureate Organization. These programs are the basis on which its educational model is based, implementing the American curriculum through the Common Core standards.

The international mindset is central to the mission of the International Baccalaureate, which has as its ultimate goal to form young people who are caring, informed and eager for knowledge, able to contribute to generate a better and peaceful world, within the framework of mutual understanding and intercultural respect. A methodology that encourages our students to adopt an active attitude of lifelong learning and that prioritizes the promotion of critical thinking, the spirit of inquiry, intercultural knowledge and open-mindedness.

Awareness of international cultures, languages and experiences is vital to IB education.

Interculturality in Casvi’s classrooms

At Casvi International American School, we promote interculturality through:

  • Our international curriculum.
    The International Baccalaureate (IB) is based on a methodological framework of learning by competencies and constructivism that can be implemented in any educational system, and its program and content are developed by and for teachers.
  • The promotion of multilingualism.
    The IB Programs, based on an American teaching structure, and always authorized by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, allow the language of instruction at Casvi International American School to be English, with native teachers. Likewise, the IB linguistic policy contemplates the treatment of the mother tongue, in this case Spanish for most of the students, as the language of instruction for the subjects of Spanish Language and Social Sciences. In addition to these languages, and within the school curriculum, the learning of Chinese and German is promoted within the IB.
  • A clear commitment to service learning.
    This program helps us to foster students’ empathy and leads them to a critical and analytical conscience.
  • And international teachers and students, whose interaction with each other has become key to our teaching model.

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