Stereotyping: just lazy thinking?
Part of the argument in favour of empathy is that we are born empathetic creatures. However there are also other forces acting in the opposite direction. These lead to stereotyping as a sort of default...
View ArticleGo out!
One way of widening the cultural lens of your students is to go out and meet new cultures. This need not mean costly and time-consuming travel abroad though that is probably the most valuable...
View ArticleCRT & Cooperative learning
Cooperative Learning or CL is one strategy that has been adapted for intercultural groups of adults here in Denmark. CL is based on the premise that all of us are better than one of us and that in turn...
View ArticleUncovering hidden talents
Most of us can do more than we think. Often it is a case of raising awareness and re-framing. In the case of the many people who have spent years running a household,it is about how those skills could...
View ArticleWhy residential?
Effective teacher development does not just happen in courses. Mentoring, coaching, peer evaluation, observation, lesson study and personal journaling are all valuable approaches. So why do we propose...
View ArticleHow much blended learning?
Someone asked me an interesting question recently: Why do you think there is so little take up of blended learning in UK universities? And that the little that there is, is so bad? The short answer is...
View ArticleBarrier or Badge?
What does integration mean? Without a common understanding of this, is it possible to devise a valid and meaningful test? In this panel debate we heard examples of completely inappropriate test items...
View ArticlePublic service announcement: Learning styles
I am including this 30-minute talk debunking the myth of learning styles because many of the teachers I deal with in teacher training believe that learning styles exist and I have tended only not to...
View ArticleWhat does a materials-lite course look like?
This is a great example of how to teach without a coursebook. Sometimes called Dogme but always working with emergent language. The lesson plan comes at the end as a summary and is used as a...
View ArticleAutomating teaching in Denmark
Attending the Skolemesse (Schools Exhibition) in Aarhus last Thursday I was struck by the explosion of books in the exhibition hall. Danish teachers have had their preparation time reduced in the most...
View ArticleCan you learn the language on the job?
One of the current debates in Denmark is about the most effective way to learn the language since this is key to functioning well. There is an argument that the best place to learn a language is in the...
View ArticleDiversity as an asset
Global conflicts – local challenges New citizens, training and workplace integration Although Denmark has not received as many asylum seekers as Germany and Sweden, it still has a sizeable number who...
View ArticleLOs & levels of savoir
As I put the finishing touches to an introductory course on culturally responsive teaching I face once again the challenge of how to evaluate progress. When I first worked on this topic over 10 years...
View ArticleCulture 101 for adult educators
Getting the most out of a diverse adult classroom,the Culture basics for adult educators course, will start on July 1st and last three weeks. Enroll here for $75 What’s on offer? As society becomes...
View ArticleVisible thinking to reduce conflict
Seeing this wonderful video made me wonder if visible thinking routines could help to reduce conflict in the diverse adult education classroom? Visible thinking is being used to professionalise the...
View ArticleImpartial justice or relationship repair?
In his book ‘The World Until Yesterday’ Jared Diamond examines conflict resolution in societies at different scales and makes the point that at small scale, conflict resolution is about relationship...
View ArticleThe agony of ambiguity
One of the major intercultural competences is a tolerance for ambiguity. This means being open to different interpretations of what you observe and experience. Without awareness, we are likely to feel...
View ArticleReducing ambiguity
In the last post I made a case for not only the teacher but also the students to increase their tolerance for ambiguity. I suggested the following approach: ask about and clarify when behaviours are...
View ArticleDon’t forget the classic tools
In the last few posts I have been exploring different facets about how to resolve conflict in the diverse adult education classroom. This mainly revolves around taking the intercultural aspects into...
View ArticleUsing games in conflict resolution
This book caught my eye based on the title alone “The Big Book of Conflict Resolution Games: Quick, Effective Activities to Improve Communication, Trust and Collaboration” (Big Book Series) by Mary...
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