By Elira Stefani, Educational Coordinator, Know My World
This spring, I had the opportunity to facilitate a Know My World cross-cultural digital exchange between second grade students from a Catholic school in Toronto, Canada and a mixed-grade group of students from a community school in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. It was a wonderful experience to see these children interested in other cultures. Both teachers were extremely enthusiastic and engaged in the process, which facilitated student engagement as well. Their main objective was to learn and understand each other’s cultures. They began by sharing photos and illustrations showing their school and communities. Afterwards, they asked each other different questions to get to know one another. Some of these questions were about school, the subjects they take and how they like them, about home life, what do they do on their free time, and about general likes and dislikes. This exercise helped students build awareness of the many similarities they shared despite coming from such different backgrounds.
The exchange continued with the students sharing drawings of what they do in their free time, and their ambitions. I was pleased to see that the children in Ivory Coast had included what they want to become in the future and how they can contribute to the development of Africa. This showed the depth of these students’ understanding, despite their age, of their own cultures. This also increased their interest in other cultures as they continued to share pictures of their communities, as well as songs and dances they do at school.
Lastly, the students completed a collaborative book titled From Sunrise to Sunset where they described their daily activities from the moment they wake up to when they go to sleep. This project came out wonderfully, and we’re continuing the work to make this a book the kids can hold and share with each other, their families, and their communities.
This exchange was unique because at first it seemed that the students had many differences, including age, socioeconomic status, culture, etc. This exchange widened the awareness of both the students and teachers, helping them develop a deeper understanding of a culture different from their own. Through the process they also came to realize that, despite the differences, they still shared many aspects of daily life in common.
