Thanks to the internet, technological advances and emigration, today’s society has become a place where different cultures, traditions and languages converge… An international environment that schools begin to experience from an early age. Therefore, in order for these differences to become something enriching, at Casvi we promote interculturality in the classrooms. This is fundamental if we take into account that, thanks to it, diversity, inclusiveness, respect for people and their freedom of thought are more highly valued. But what are the concrete benefits of this interculturality? How does our IB methodology promote it? How do we make interculturality a reality at Casvi?
Benefits of interculturality in the classroom
Schools such as ours, Eurocolegio Casvi International Private School, become the ideal place to promote global competence among students, enabling them to examine, understand and appreciate other people’s perspectives and worldviews and to act for the collective well-being. In other words, concrete actions that aim to develop skills, knowledge and aptitudes with great benefits for all:
- In pupils. Promoting interculturality in the classroom enables students to acquire the practical knowledge and understanding necessary to take advantage of the opportunities that diversity presents. The development of empathy; sensitivity to their needs; the development of flexibility as a key skill to adapt to changing environments… Students will understand differences and work with them to create healthier and more inclusive learning environments. In addition, they will be prepared to interact in a global and diverse world.
- For teachers. To provide intercultural education in the classroom, teachers must be prepared for this challenge. And our teachers are. For this reason, their global competences and international training have been fostered in them, with the understanding that their behaviour must be tolerant, empathetic, respectful, understanding and free of prejudice.
- In the Educational Community. Thanks to the collaborative work between teachers and students, in pursuit of interculturalism in the classroom, Casvi has become a school with a spirit of cooperation, enriched by these experiences and open to transfer them to the outside world for the benefit of others.
IB methodology and interculturality in the classroom
Our mission is to promote intercultural understanding and respect as an essential aspect of life in the 21st century. And this has a lot to do with the methodology of the International Baccalaureate, with the three programmes (PYP, MYP and DP) that we have implemented in Casvi.
International mindedness is a fundamental element of the IB’s mission, which aims to develop caring, knowledgeable and informed young people who can contribute to creating a better and more peaceful world, within a framework of mutual understanding and intercultural respect.
A methodology that encourages all our students to adopt an active attitude to lifelong learning and that prioritizes the development of critical thinking, an enquiring spirit, intercultural awareness and open-mindedness.
Awareness of international cultures, languages and experiences is a fundamental aspect of IB education.
Interculturality in Casvi’s classrooms
At Casvi, interculturality is achieved thanks to:
- Our international curriculum, based on IB methodology, which is worked on from the age of three with the Continuum of Programmes.
- The promotion of multilingualism, the most effective tool for overcoming cultural barriers. At Casvi, three foreign languages are taught as compulsory subjects: English from the first year of life, and German and Chinese from 5 Grade of Primary School.
- We have a complete Language Exchange Programme organized without any intermediary agency, through direct contact with schools all over the world (USA, Germany, Ireland, China…).
- A clear commitment to service learning. A programme that helps us to develop our students’ empathy and leads them to a critical and analytical awareness.
- Finally, an international faculty and student body, whose interrelationship with the rest has become key to our teaching model.