Course title

CULTURAL DIVERSITY - Inspiration in the Classroom

Course description:

What is the course about?

What do the participants learn?

Despite globalization of education, culturally diverse class still seems to be challenging. This course explores diverse topics of multiculturism in the field of education, delivers essential knowledge for promoting multiculturism in the classroom as well as successfully leading and teaching in the multicultural group settings.

Practical classroom strategies to set up goals in a multicultural classroom, create safe and thus fertile environment for teaching, handle difficult situations and encourage multicultural elements as an advantage to inspire multicultural education.

Participants will learn various classroom strategies to set up goals in a multicultural classroom, create safe and thus fertile environment for teaching, handle difficult situations and encourage multicultural elements as an advantage to inspire multicultural education.

No matter how experienced you are in teaching, you are permanently challenged when it comes to a culturally diverse class. You seek solutions... You come up with strategies... but multicultural class still seems a challenge to overcome.

Seems familiar? Then this course is for you. As you complete this course you will see a multicultural classroom as a great advantage rather than a challenge. Give it a try and take your multicultural teaching to an entirely new dimension of inspiration and empowerment.

Benefits:

• You will define group processes in communication context in the classroom.

• You will lead your learners in learning processes.

• You will recognize and fix some communication traps in the classroom.

• You will be able to fix some difficult situations in the classroom.

• You will apply coaching and mentoring techniques in the classroom and in other areas of your personal and professional life.

Main topics:

1. Major peculiarities of different cultures; similarities, differences, and sensitivities.

2. How differences and similarities translate into classroom? (attitudes towards learning and understanding discipline) - What should teachers consider and how to react. 

3. Classroom difficulties in teaching: 

1. stereotypes, misunderstandings & mutual misunderstandings, conflicts, difficult emotions - what are the practical solutions for teachers; 

2. Written, verbal, and non-verbal (body-language) communication 

3. Advantages of the Multicultural Classroom. Turning Multiculturalism in a Great Advantage. How can teachers utilise potential of the cultural diversity? 

4. Practical examples of organizational solutions supporting cooperation and understanding (organization of events like "Week of ... culture"). Teacher's Tool-kit.

Authors:

Nodar Kherkheulidze, Natia Goliadze

University:

The University of Georgia, Georgia