Speaker
Description
This presentation is an attempt to review the development of the curriculum of ‘international-mindedness’ in International Baccalaureate (IB) World Schools as well the impact which this curriculum has had on teachers in IB schools. The IB Organization identifies international-mindedness as one of four foundational elements of its unique curriculum. In this presentation, we will review the intellectual history of how international-mindedness came to be such a foundational element, while also exploring perspectives drawn from the recent literature on how teachers have attempted to apply and ‘live’ international-mindedness both in their classrooms.
We will consider in particular how international mindedness has affected teacher agency; the gap between how this curriculum has been intended and enacted versus how it has at times been experienced by teachers; as well as the question of how a concept as complex and nebulous as 'international-mindedness' might be practically and accountably assessed.
Biography
Nathan Cohen has been working in TESOL for nearly 20 years, in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, currently based out of Da Nang, Vietnam. His research interests include global citizenship, assessment (particularly IELTS and TOEIC), teacher and learner agency, polyglot studies, and the psychology of learning. His research has been published in the Korea TESOL Journal, the Learner Development Journal (Japan), and in the Postconference Proceedings of the Southeast Asian Ministries of Education Organization (SEAMEO).
