INTRODUCTION
INTERCULTURAL SCHOOLS Non-formal methods and activities for intercultural understanding
This booklet was realized by the participants of Erasmus+ Intercultural Schools project in coordination with the teachers from the partner schools and the support of the youth workers from partner organizations.
Non-formal education can be summarized as “learning by doing�. The learning methodology lies in the interaction between the learners and the concrete situations they are experiencing. There are usually no teachers or lecturers providing the knowledge, but the learners and facilitators construct the knowledge and skills together, in a horizontal relationship. The educator or facilitator may be more or less active in the setting up of learning experiences for the benefit of the learner. The learners are at the center of their own learning process and the education is an organized process that gives young people the possibility to develop their values, skills and competencies others than the ones developed in the framework of formal education (Jeunesse, 2005). Non-formal education, as well as the formal one, prepares young people for the challenges and responsibilities that they will undertake in the adult life. However, there is a growing concern whether the conventional classroom approach is successful in doing so especially in terms of intercultural learning which itself presupposes mobility and dynamics.
WHY NON-FORMAL EDUCATION?
CONTENT Formal: • standardized/input centredacademic • entry requirements determine clientele Non-formal: • Individualized/output centredpractical • Clientele determine entry requirements • DELIVERY SYSTEM
PURPOSES Formal: long-term & generalCredentialbased Non-formal: short-term & specificNoncredential TIMING Formal: long cycle/preparatory/fulltime Non-formal: short cycle/recurrent/part-time
Formal: • institution-based, isolated from environment.rigidly structured, teachercentred and resource intensive • external /hierarchical Non-formal: • Environment-based, community related.flexible, learner-centred and resource saving control • self-governing /democratic
(Adapted by Fordham 1993 from Simkins 1977: 12-15)
The activities that aim at “breaking ice� between the participants, help them to get integrated into the working atmosphere and to get to know the other members, are called ice-breakers. These exercises are generally actively used during the first days of the acquaintance.
b. The participants write on piece of paper their cultural identity/nationality. This paper is stuck on the back of the person and all the other participants write stereotypes they have for this culture. Every participant writes on the backs of all the other participants. The facilitator can give examples to streamline the ideas.
ACTIVITIES
c. Then every participant comments the things written about his/her culture. The facilitator ask questions like: The aim is not only the participants to exchange information about their culture, but also to see that one person do not represent 100% the existing stereotypes for his own culture.
STUCK IN THE BACK Purpose: to demonstrate the different prejudices and stereotypes existing towards various cultures and to identify the main reasons for the latter Resources: sheets of A4 paper, paper tape, pens/markers/pencils Group size: any Time: 20-30 minutes Process: a. In the beginning give to the participants the possibility to stop playing at any stage, if they don't feel comfortable with the activity. The group trust and friendly atmosphere is very important.
DISCOVERING WHILE MOVING Purpose: to contribute to the participants â€&#x;getting to know each otherâ€? and discovering information about them Resources: game sheets with question boxes, pens, a quiet music to be on play Group size: any size above 15 Time: up to 30 minutes
Process: a. Tell the participants that on the other side of this page they will find lots of different questions written, and their task is to go around the room and get answers from minimum of 3 different people to the same question. When putting an answer, they are to write the name of a person who gave it. b. To accomplish the activity, they have time till the music plays/not more than two tracks. c. The one who finishes first should cry out, and the rest of the group helps the facilitators with checking whether all the answers are true.
ENERGIZERS NAMES AND ADJECTIVES Participants think of an adjective to describe how they are feeling or how they are. The adjective must start with the same letter as their name, for instance, “I’m Bianca and I’m beautiful”. Or, “I’m Alice and I’m amazing.” As they say this, they can also mime an action that describes the adjective. Resources: a meeting room which allows participants to move around relatively freely Group size: any Time: 5 to 15 minutes THE ONION OF DIVERSITY Purpose: To show the similarities that can be found among the cultures and to demonstrate how much in common they share. Can be followed by discussions about: Which similarities/differences amazed us? Where do they stem from? How far can our differences be complementary? Resources: big free space
Group size: even number of participants of up to 20. For a bigger number of participants, two or more groups can be created Time: up to 30 minutes Process: a. Participants are asked to form an inner and an outer circle (standing for the onion layers); people face each other in couples. b. Each couple has to find (very fast) one thing (habit, aspect, background, attitude...) they have in common and find one form of expression for it (you can leave the form of expression free or indicate every time a different one: “Sing a song”, “make a short mime”, “create a poem in two lines”, “express it with noises”, “express it with a symbol”...). c. Once this is done, the outer onionskin moves to the right and each new couple has to find a similarity and express it. You can as well give indications for the type of similarity (favorite food, what I disliked in school, family, music, habit etc), going every time a bit “deeper” in our onions. d. The couples can change several times.
CAN YOU SEE WHAT I SEE? CAN I SEE WHAT YOU SEE?
Process: a. Each participant receives a piece of A4 paper and a pen/pencil. b. The facilitator/teacher explains that participants should write their names on and then tear a hole in their paper so that it looks then like a picture frame (actually, it does not really matter what shape the hole has as long as you can see through it). c. Then everyone has to find a view or an object on which to stick their frame. They are invited to use their imagination. d. After this the participants invite each other to look through their frames and describe what they see.
Resources: meeting room which allows participants to move around relatively freely. A piece of A4 paper and a pen or pencil for each person. Paper tape (approximately one per every six persons). Group size: any Time: 15 to 20 minutes minimum
e. The energizer is finished once the facilitator/teacher has the opinion that participants have seen through the majority of frames.The energizer is finished once the facilitator/teacher has the opinion that participants have seen through the majority of frames.The energizer is finished once the facilitator/teacher has the opinion that participants have seen through the majority of frames.
Reflection and evaluation: No debrief is necessary for this energizer, but a discussion can be productive. Suggested questions: • How was it for you to choose something you found interesting with no restrictions? • How did you help others to see exactly what you see? • What surprised you? • How did you manage to see what others could see in their frames? WHAT WE HAVE IN COMMON? The facilitator calls out a characteristic of people in the group, such as ‘likes ice-cream’. All those who like ice-cream should move to one corner of the room. As the facilitator calls out more characteristics, such as ‘likes football’, children with the characteristic move to the indicated space.
WHAT AM I FEELING? Participants sit in a circle. Each person takes a turn acting out an emotion. Other participants try to guess what feeling the person is acting out. The person who guesses correctly acts out the next emotion.
THE WALL
I LIKE YOU BECAUSE‌ Ask participants to sit in a circle and say what they like about the person on their right. Give them time to think about it first!
To help participants remember or evaluate to what extend they know the name of each-other, ask half of them to sit on one side of the wall, and the other help on the other side. The wall can be improvised from a large piece of textile material. Ask two volunteers to leave the wall down or lift it up during the activity. Using non-verbal communication each group will select one person do get in the front of the wall. The facilitator will count from 3 to 1 and the wall will get down. The purpose of the activity is to say the name of the person in front of you before he or she says your name.
REFLECTION OF THE DAY To help learners to reflect on the activities of the day, make a ball out of paper and ask the group to throw the ball to each other in turn. When they have the ball, participants can say one thing they thought about the day.
INTERCULTURAL NIGHT The goal of the activity is to present the culture and tradition of a country to the rest of the group. Find out what did the participants bring? (Food, drink) in order to see what needs some preparation by the kitchen, or to be put in the fridge. Preparation of the different foods and drinks and of the stands of the countries, regions with the prospects, postcards etc. they have brought.
Preparation of their “performance� (dances, songs, tales, little funny plays, folk customs) for the evening, about which they have to tell to the coordinator to establish a program. Introduction of the night by the coordinator. Presentation of the different food and beverage by the national groups one by one, accompanied with the buffet. Performances.
PERSONAL TESTIMONIALS The activity offers the participants the opportunity interact between them at the end of the project by leaving a message, a testimonial or an opinion to someone else in the group that had an impact on them, spent more time with, or learned something new from them. Each participant will get a A4 paper on the back and will walk in the room getting messages or writing some for other people.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction……………………………..……………2 Why non-formal education……………………………3 Activities……………………………………………...5 Energizers…………………………………………….9 Reflection of the day…………………………………17 Intercultural Night…………………………………...18 Personal Testimonials………………………………..20 Table of Contents..............................................................21 Authors……………………………………………...22
ISBN: 978-606-93838-7-2