A Field Guide to Cross-Cultural Projects, Sheila Offman Gersh, Ed.D.

A Field Guide to Cross-Cultural Projects

By Sheila Offman Gersh, Ed.D., November 15, 2004

With a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the City College of New York initiated CultureQuest in 2002, a professional development program designed to train educators to effectively lead students through inquiry-based investigations of various cultures. In the past, textbooks served as the primary, if not only, source of information about other cultures in our schools. In contrast, CultureQuest relies on both books and the vast array of resources available on the Internet. Students can also communicate with both peers and experts in a given culture and then publish the results of their research by creating an educational Web site to inform other students and the community beyond.

Prepping Educators

Although CultureQuests can be undertaken in a variety of ways and the process is robust enough to accommodate multiple teaching styles (see "More About CultureQuest"), there are three areas of professional development key to ensuring the CultureQuest process is maximized for students. Before undertaking projects, educators should, first, feel competent in using technology to teach; second, understand the meaning of culture and the most effective and appropriate ways to study it; and third, employ pedagogically sound strategies for guiding students in project-based learning experiences and facilitating collaboration with teachers and students in international classrooms.

Technology Skills

Most important is not just the acquisition of specific technology skills but how these skills can more generally be used to strengthen and enhance classroom instruction. Essentials include:

Internet basics such as searching, evaluating, and citing Internet resources, and developing appropriate and ethical use policies
Using the Internet for access to experts, other student helpers, and cultural ambassadors
Creating and designing Web sites to publish student work
Using desktop videoconferencing.

Culture

Teachers need to learn and review the general concept of culture and cross-cultural understanding and also explore the diverse aspects of a variety of cultures, both in other countries and their own country. It is also important to be well-acquainted with the complex characteristics and practices that together comprise a culture; the processes that lead to cross-cultural tolerance and appreciation of differences; the prominent characteristics of the cultures of specific countries, regions, and groups in different parts of the world; and the identification of dimensions of difference and similarity across cultures.

Also essential is understanding how to compare other cultures to our own culture, and how to avoid biases, preconceptions and myths. Discovery Education's unitedstreaming (www.unitedstreaming.com) offers many videos to help learn about culture.

Pedagogy

It can be a challenge for some educators to assume the role of guide in the inquiry-based process if they are used to more traditional teaching approaches. The central idea is that students develop their own authentic projects using their own interests and questions about other cultures. Teachers need to take on the role of coach, guiding partner, and expert learner, while students plan and carry out the work of the projects. Students also become engaged and eager learners when they share their work with other students.

Educators can create their own projects or join one that's compatible with their curriculum. For sample international collaborations, see "Resources for International Projects," below.

Dr. Sheila Gersh is division director of international and technology projects at the Center for School Development at City College of New York's School of Education.

More About CultureQuest

The Process

CultureQuests allow students to examine, understand, and appreciate diverse cultures, including the student's own culture. These inquiry-based projects are rooted in student questions and interests, and involve the focused, intensive study of one or more aspects of the literature, art, music, history, religion, language, daily life, customs, and traditions of other cultures. A CultureQuest is undertaken by an entire class working together, within which small groups of students focus on areas of the culture that are of particular interest to them.

A secondary goal of a CultureQuest is to provide students with the technology skills they will need for the 21st century.

The Projects

Ghana

In 2000, students in Ghana did a project with a class in New York City. These exchanges helped students in Ghana and the United States become acquainted with each other's cultures. While schools in New York had easy access to computers, the volunteer teacher, who implemented the project in a rural region in Ghana, had no access to computers in her school. She had to travel over an hour to find a center where she could type in and send all 150 of her students' letters. Still, she remarked, "The students are all excited and eager to contribute!" Examples of letters written by students in Ghana and the United States are found at www.flameghana.org/usghalinks.htm or www.schoollink.org/twin/lettersfromghana.htm.

Ghana

West Africa

Middle school students in a New York City ESL social studies classroom participated in an African CultureQuest. They linked up with a class in Guinea West Africa at the Sabu International School and sent messages to learn more about the country. Students in Guinea did not have computers in their school, but went to an Internet cafe to communicate with their American peers. The price was $1 for 30 minutes. Tuition at the school was $3 a semester. The New York City students also contacted the United Nations ambassador from Guinea to ask for more information about Guinea, and to their surprise, received responses. They also learned how to create a Web site (www.geocities.com/AfricaCultureQuest) and included lots of pictures.

West Africa

India

Students in India were studying the United States and communicated with kids in New York City for their CultureQuest project. The students in India created a multimedia PowerPoint presentation on what they learned. Their Space Exploration project can be found at culturequest.us/student_projects.htm.

Japan

In another project, students in New York and Japan compared values. Using a survey, kids shared their values and compared what was of value to American and Japanese students. The results are published at www.schoollink.org.

Professional Development

To learn more about international collaborations, educators undergoing training regularly access resources on the Internet and also contact people in the country they study. For example, one group of teachers did a CultureQuest project about marriage in India and communicated with teachers there to get firsthand information (t3.preservice.org/T0401796/stories_from_india.html). Although the teachers did a lot of research using the Internet, the most exciting part of the project was when they received information and pictures from the teachers in India. Their project can be found at t3.preservice.org/T0401796.

Get Involved

Learn more about CultureQuest at www.culturequest.us. This site includes the resources and information needed to get started in a CultureQuest, as well as links to additional projects that students and teachers have completed. The project was filmed by WHRO in Virginia as an example of a best practice in integrating technology as part of a PT3 project. The footage can be viewed at pt3now.org/watchTV.php?id=31.

We are looking for people to create CultureQuest programs and Web sites in other countries and states. We already have programs in Japan, India, Sweden, Guinea, Australia, and Italy.

What the Principal Needs to Know

As a school leader and decision-maker, you should be aware of the following findings from CultureQuest.

Educators have found the process:

Connects kids to cultures around the globe
Increases students' curiosity about their own and other cultures
Integrates technology, literacy, and standards into curriculum
Encourages students to work collaboratively with peers in and out of their classroom
Prepares students to work in a digital world
Brings the world into the classroom
Introduces community resources to help in the study of culture
Decreases biases and stereotypical comments about other cultures
Increases students' understanding of a multicultural community, nation, and world
Increases students' inquiry and analytical skills