Conference: Internationalisation of Teacher Education: Perspectives on Diversity und Intercultural Learning

Workshop leader: Dr. Silke Braselmann (Friedrich Schiller University Jena) & Dr. Anne Mihan (Humboldt-University Berlin)

Room: kleiner Sitzungssaal 101, Fürstengraben 27, 07743 Jena

Ever since the Black Lives Matter protests in June 2020, anti-racism has gained unprecedented salience in the public debate. As a prominent topic in social media and popular culture, the issue of racism is immensely relevant to young adults today - this pre-existing knowledge on the parts of the learners is especially fruitful for the English language classroom, where teachers, textbooks, and material developers are working on teaching units that deal with different aspects and elements of racism, especially in the U.S.A. 

However, teaching about racism does not necessarily result in an anti-racist teaching that emphasizes the self-reflexive stance of teachers and learners, highlights the transcultural relevance of the topic, and strives for a plurality of perspectives in the classroom, putting marginalized voices center stage. For pre- and in-service teachers, working toward a teaching practice that is decisively anti-racist requires commitment, self-reflexivity, and a willingness to learn and unlearn. Especially in Germany, where a cultural mismatch between a homogeneous, mostly white teaching force and increasingly heterogeneous learner groups can be observed, this can be challenging. 

Conceptualized from a perspective of Critical Whiteness, this workshop wants to take these challenges into account but will foreground the immense potential of teaching against racism in the English language classroom. Participants can expect a brief theoretical input regarding racism and English language teaching as well as the role of the teacher - and the role of (the English) language. After this, we will collaboratively explore practical ideas for teaching about and teaching against racism, look at materials, and engage in critical and self-reflective conversation.

 

Workshop leader: Prof. Dr. Christoph Vatter (Friedrich Schiller University Jena)

Note: This workshop will be held in German. For further information please visit the German page.

Workshop leader: Stefan Baumbach & Dr. Britta Hövelbrinks (Friedrich Schiller University Jena)

Note: This Workshop will be held in German. For further information please visit the German page.

Here you will soon find information about the lecture and the registration.

Lecturer: Dr. Pascale Erhart (Université de Strasbourg)

Note: This lecture will be held in German. For more information please visit the German page.

Lecturer: Dr. Adar Cohen (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel)

Discussing controversial political topics, including debates over current events, is considered a pivot component of civic education in democratic countries. However, in the reality in which classes have become more ethnically, religiously and culturally diverse, and in which political systems are more polarized, many teachers find it difficult to implement this goal fearlessly. This presentation will discuss a teacher training course in Israel, which deals with the pedagogical question of how to make political discussions more accessible to high school classrooms. A pedagogical model for planning a lesson that incorporates a discussion of controversial issues will be presented and the advantages and disadvantages of its use will be discussed.

 

Lecturer: Dr. Aviv Cohen (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel)

Recent years have shown a rise in political polarization, extremism, xenophobia, and the erosion of foundational democratic values. One educational reaction to this reality is the shift from multicultural education to a more nuanced approach of antiracist education. This approach highlights education’s role in promoting active civic actions that directly confront racist attitudes and issues of institutional inequality. These topics have already been discussed from theoretical perspectives and based on empirical studies mainly from the U.S. Missing though from the discourse are examinations of how students, teachers, and teacher-educators, who reside in other national settings, deal with this reality in practice. Based on my experience in the Israeli educational setting, in this presentation, I will argue the need to highlight the pedagogical aspects of teaching as a key educational element. I will present the findings of three qualitative studies conducted in the past years, reflecting both best and worst cases. The common denominator across these cases shows how, at our current time, the enacted classroom practices can potentially promote or limit students’ experiences when engaging with multicultural education. As a result, pedagogical implications for antiracist education will be presented.