International Mindedness
and Intercultural awareness
The IB Misson Statement
“The International
Baccalaureate aims to
develop inquiring
knowledgeable and caring
young people who help to
create a better and more
peaceful world through
intercultural understanding
and respect…
…These programmes
encourage students across
the world to become active
compassionate and lifelong
learners who understand that
other people, with their
differences, can also be right.”
Mt Mourne Mission Statement
Mount Mourne School exists to inspire its
students to become compassionate, lifelong
learners who are responsible, global
citizens.
Our students will use various modes of
communication in order to promote peace
by learning to accept cultural differences
and to respect our world.
Rank these names from the
most to the least
Internationally Minded
most internationally minded, number 1 to the least, number 10
Mother Teresa
Barack Obama
Nelson Mandela
Madonna
Bono
Anna Kournikova
Osama bin Laden
Hugo Chavez
Hillary Clinton
Diane Sawyer
IB learners strive to be:
Inquirers
Caring
 Knowledgeable
Risk-takers
 Thinkers
Balanced
 Communicators
Reflective
 Principled
Open-minded
The IB Learner Profile
Knowledgeable: they explore concepts, ideas and issues that
have local and global significance
Open-minded: they understand and appreciate their own
cultures and personal histories, and are open to the
perspectives, values and traditions of other individuals and
communities. They are accustomed to seeking and evaluating
a range of points of view, and are willing to grow from the
experience.
Caring: they show empathy, compassion and respect towards the
needs and feelings of others. They have a personal
commitment to service, and act to make a positive difference
to the lives of others and to the environment.
Intercultural Awareness is…
More than the Five F’s
1. Flags
2. Food
3. Festivals
4. Fashion
5. Faces
Geographical Context
Historical Context
Values/Beliefs
G
Political
Aesthetic
HiAesthetc
Social
Economic
World Culture Model
How will we define
“Internationl Mindedness”?
“Having an international perspective includes
• Knowledge and understanding beyond one’s own nationality.
• Awareness and understanding of the interdependence among peoples.
• Awareness and understanding of the interdependence among countries.
• Awareness and understanding of the independence of people and countries.
• Awareness and understanding of the similarities and differences among
peoples.
…international is made up of both Inter and national. International understanding
does not replace a sense of nationhood…but uses and builds on a sense of
one’s own national identity to understand and work with the national
identities experienced and felt by others.”
Skelton, Martin, Andrew Wigford, Pam Harper, and Graham Reeves. "Beyond Food, Festivals, and Flags." Educational
Leadership 60.2 (2002): 52-55.
International Mindedness…
a goal of IB
Developing this sense of international mindedness is
more important now than ever before. It must come
about from a thoughtful intentionally planned
instruction aimed at raising the students’ as well as
the teachers’ international awareness. It deserves to
be developed with as much rigor as mathematics,
science, language arts and other aspects of our
curriculum.
Where are you with regards to
International Mindedness?