Global Education Teachers International Exchange Program - 5 Johannesburg teachers wanted...

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 21^st 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 21^st 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 21^st 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