The World Affairs Council in Washington, DC are searching for 5 teachers from Johannesburg who are interested in participating in an exchange programme with 5 teachers from United States. Interested? If so please contact omashani@schoolnet.org.za for more details before 22nd April 2016. Read about the program below:
Overview
The World Affairs Council—Washington,
D.C. is a U.S. based non-profit dedicated to providing quality programming in
global education. While many organizations focus on the student experience,
WAC-DC couples its student programming with professional development for
teachers. We firmly believe that teachers are the key to developing globally
aware students who are consciences, informed, and ready to succeed in the
interconnected 21st century world.
In 2015, WAC-DC launched a new program
made possible by a generous grant from The MasterCard Foundation in which 5
Washington, D.C. and 5 Johannesburg area high school teachers are paired up, providing
a two-way exchange and a professional development opportunity to create
collaborative curriculum and work with a partner to explore current global
issues.
Through this program, participating teachers are introduced to
WAC-DC’s 10 Global Competencies (see attached) and how they can be utilized to
teach students 21st century skills such as critical thinking,
cross-cultural awareness, making interdisciplinary connections, media literacy,
and communication skills. With feedback from WAC-DC and 2 curriculum
specialists, teachers will cooperate to develop cross-cultural lessons that
give their students an opportunity to learn from and interact with each other. In
the past year of this program, teachers practiced new lesson planning theories,
implemented meaningful integration of classroom technology, and experimented
with classroom techniques to encourage discussion and forward thinking in the
classroom.
Program Requirements
- 1 week training and 1 week
teaching in the U.S. - Communicate and work with
partner teacher on a regular basis - Develop and teach a total of
six (6) lesson plans using WAC-DC’s 10 global competencies - Use technology in the
classroom, such as student videos, Dropbox, etc. - Attend mandatory monthly
meetings - Submit monthly progress
reports
We are looking for teachers who understand
the time commitment and are eager to develop new lessons for the classroom.
Participants will be responsible for the cost
of their passports. All other costs will be covered through the program.
Eligibility
South African Applicants must:
- Be a South
African citizen and have a passport (or be eligible to apply for one) - Be fluent
in English - Be a
full-time high school teacher with at least one social studies* course in the
Johannesburg area - Demonstrate
continued professional development/growth - Have
taught fulltime in the classroom for at least 3 consecutive years - Have experience
with classroom technology and social media - Have a
demonstrated interest in bringing innovative teaching strategies into the
classroom - Committed
to deadlines, benchmarks, and one year program
*Preference will
be given to teachers who have not previously participated in an exchange
program.
Application Checklist
- Meets all
eligibility requirements - Recommendation
letter from school principal (which includes plan for school
participation) - Recommendation
letter from one additional professional reference (for example: social
studies chair, social studies curriculum supervisor, co-teacher…) - Application
(includes basic information, use of technology in the classroom, brief
essay on goals and anticipated outcomes for the program, teaching
experiences) - Resume
- 1-page
biography
- Certified
copy of ID documents
* Social Studies is considered to include courses in history, government, economics, civics,
sociology, geography, and anthropology. If a teacher has any doubt as to
whether or not he/she fits in this classification, he/she should be in touch
with WAC-DC immediately in order to clarify and confirm.
A
globally educated person has the ability to understand the interconnectedness
of people and systems, to express cross-cultural awareness and sensitivity, to
empathize with others, to maintain an open-mind to see different perspectives,
to apply knowledge of global dynamics, to practice effective problem solving
skills, and to communicate and work efficiently in diverse environments.
10
Core Competencies for Global Education– Standards for Learning in the 21st
Century
1.
Critical Thinking – Analyze and assess
information from multiple angles to arrive at an informed decision or
perspective
2. Making Connections – Interdisciplinary examination of the complexities of issues (how
business, economics, science, humanities and social studies are interwoven)
3. Leadership Skills – Being able to inspire, motivate, represent and guide people to
process issues and act upon them
4.
Cross-Cultural Awareness – Readiness to
understand and embrace differences
between individuals and communities while recognizing similarities
5.
Problem-Solving Skills/Decision Making Skills – Critically analyze issues,
reflect upon past experiences, and develop informed solutions based on specific
goals and objectives
6.
Communication Skills –Ability to convey
information and listen to another effectively and efficiently and across
cultures
7.
Understanding Others Perspectives –
Understanding the viewpoints of others and identifying the influences of those perspectives
8.
Investigate the World – Look beyond
one’s immediate surroundings to place events and issues in a larger human
context; having a lifelong disposition of learning and discovery
9.
Understanding of Major Global Issues –
Development, human rights, environmental protection, international cooperation,
geographic and economic interests, etc…
10. Media Literacy –Critically assessing available information; being able to navigate
the news and internet with a critical eye
