Whether you are a teacher, school administrator, potential international speaker, or a parent, attend the International Classroom Connection's "The Effective Use of Multicultural Resources in the Classroom" training to learn about the Universals of Culture model and how it can be applied in the classroom setting to equip Minnesota students with the knowledge and intercultural skills to more effectively function in our increasingly multicultural society.
Attend as a speaker
Learn how to enrich Minnesota schoolchildren's lives by sharing your culture, traditions and life story. Free.
Attend as a teacher
Learn how to integrate a global perspective into your classroom and foster an intercultural mindset in your students. Free.
Attend as a school
Arrange an onsite workshop to show your school’s staff how to better equip your students with the knowledge and intercultural skills to more effectively function in our increasingly multicultural society. Consultation fee. Contact Program Director for more information.
Speaker training workshop
Attend a free training to learn how you can enrich Minnesota schoolchildren's lives by sharing your culture, traditions and life story. This workshop is a great opportunity to make new international friends, meet community members and enjoy a delicious meal.
Upcoming speaker training workshops:
Location: All information sessions are held at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota.
More workshops to be announced soon. If you want to become a speaker, send us an email at mic@umn.edu.
To learn more about our classroom program and how to speak in classrooms about your culture attend one of our workshops.
In this workshop, you will:
There is no commitment once you have attended a workshop. Even if you are unsure if presentations will fit in within your future schedule, come check out the training, meet new people, and learn something new.
In 2010-2011 academic year, the program has delivered 16 World Cultures Days with more than 1,300+ presentations and cultural activities to a student audience of more than 40,000 students in 450+ classrooms statewide. 136 international students out of 455 trained actively participated in the programs, representing 70 countries. Because persons like you invest in helping our school children better understand other cultures in our ever changing world, they will be better equipped to function effectively in our increasingly multicultural society.
For more information, please contact ICC or call 612.625.4421.
TOP OF PAGETeacher training workshop
Designed for K-12 teachers interested in integrating a global perspective in classroom learning and fostering an intercultural mindset in students, the “Effective Use of Multicultural Resources in the Classroom” workshop will show you the way to equip your students with the knowledge and intercultural skills to more effectively function in our increasingly multicultural society.
The workshop models a practical resource to utilize international speakers in the classroom to complement your existing curricula. Through one of its fastest growing programs, the Minnesota International Center provides international speakers from more than 70 countries to engage students in face-to-face interaction to learn about other cultures from first hand sources.
In this workshop, you will:
To learn more about incorporating conversations with international speakers into your curriculum, attend one of the following workshops. There is a $75 charge to participate and a free light supper is provided.
More workshop dates to be announced soon.
For more information or to sign up, please contact ICC or call 612.625.4421.
TOP OF PAGEOn-site staff training workshop
Designed for K-12 teachers and administrators interested in integrating a global perspective into classroom learning and fostering an intercultural mindset in students, the “Effective Use of Multicultural Resources in the Classroom” on-site workshop will show your school’s staff how to equip your students with the knowledge and intercultural skills to more effectively function in our increasingly multicultural society.
The workshop models a practical resource to utilize international speakers in the classroom to complement the school’s existing curricula. Through one of its fastest growing programs, the Minnesota International Center provides international speakers from more than 70 countries to engage students in face-to-face interaction to learn about other cultures from first hand sources.
In this workshop, your staff will:
The workshop discusses:
The workshop is 3 hours long and comprises a mix of presentation, interactive exercises, and questions and answers.
The workshop models and engages your staff in a number of intercultural activities, such as: Cross the Line/Stand Up Down; Mystery artifact exercise; Iceberg Activity; PCU; and Redundancia.
Cross the Line/Stand Up Down
Icebreaker to help participants get to know each other and learn more about similarities and differences, as well as interesting things about the participants’ backgrounds or skills.
Goal: Demonstrate inclusion and exclusion in groups, being in an in-group and out-group.
Mystery artifact exercise
The Mystery Artifact exercise’s objective is to demonstrate cross-cultural competency. Participants are asked to talk about an object with each other using only words to describe the object’s characteristics not its functions. After all participants have had a chance to touch and feel the object and describe it to the rest of the group, participants form their ideas on a flipchart, making an attempt to arrive at a consensus about what that object might be and the purpose it serves. Goal: Demonstrate attitudes, knowledge and skills at work. While operating in an environment rich in ambiguity, e.g. classroom with multiple cultural/ethnic backgrounds, it is necessary for a teacher to exercise open-mindedness, use his or her knowledge of her own culture and the cultures of students, as well as apply communication skills to conduct a class.
Iceberg Activity
Participants are asked to formulate their own icebergs with universals of culture they come up with in small groups. The goal of the exercise is to demonstrate differences within a group of how we perceive universals of culture depending on our differing values and experiences.
PCU
Culture is only one category or dimension of human behavior, and it is therefore important to see it in relation to the other two dimensions: the universal and the personal. This exercise helps participants identify universals as they relate to ways in which all people in all groups are the same; finding what a group of people have in common with each other and how they are different from every group; identifying personal, the ways in which each of us is different from every one within a group.
Redundancia
Redundancia is a short-simulation activity that relates to using a foreign language. It is intended to help develop empathy for speakers of other languages, as well as to give an idea of how it feels to speak a new and unfamiliar language. Participants have an opportunity to speak the Redundancia language, which involves using another synonym each time a verb is used. After each participant has had the opportunity to speak, they will be asked about their reactions to being the speaker and listener of the Redundancia, as well as what they observed about others during the process.
For cost and to book an on-site training for your school, please contact Minnesota International Center at 612.625.4421 or by email ICC.
