INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION
Via the action plans different activities were conducted in collaboration with schools from Sri Lanka and United States of America. Also our school was paid a visit by German visitors as German is being taught at CIPS to promote linguistic diversity amongst our students. Our students communicated with their abroad counterparts via email exchanges under the guidance of their teachers and ISA coordinator.
a) Activity: Global Attire Diversity
Linked School: Sri Jinarathana Vidyalaya, Sri Lanka
In this activity CIPS students associated with their fellow students from neighbouring Sri Lanka to do a comparative study and research on attire diversity across the globe as well as each others’ countries. Students scoured whatever sources they had at hand like internet, magazines, books, newspapers for their research. This activity included virtual classroom discussions, PowerPoint presentations and fashion show showcasing fashion trends of the countries explored i.e. India, UK and Oman. Students even spent time creating conceptual catalogues of sketches, pictures and fabrics of the attires. At the end of this activity our students as well as Sri Jinarathana Vidyalaya had developed an enhanced respect for each others’ clothing styles and cultures.
b) Activity: Global Cultural Diversity
Linked School: Westwood High School, USA
This activity was aimed at researching global cultural diversities amongst countries. In this activity the linked school was Westwood High School in the Boston state of USA. 30 students were involved in the age group of 9-11 years. CIPS students got a deep understanding of mutual cultures by doing a bunch of sub-activities. The students created posters with guidance from teachers on festivals of the countries explored i.e. India, UK and Dubai. Also a fashion show was held at CIPS to understand the trends of different countries. At the end of this three week activity students were asked to write report summarizing it. Fellow students from USA and our school were more appreciative of various cultures found in different countries at the end of the activity.
b) Activity: World Diet (Staple Food)
Linked School: K/M.S. Aluthgamage Maha Vidyalaya, Sri Lanka
Staple food in different countries varies a lot. Via this activity students from our school and K/M.S. Aluthgamage Maha Vidyalaya in Sri Lanka were exposed to staple food in the countries explored i.e. India, Indonesia, USA, Mexico as well as each others’. Teachers involved in this activity made a plan for students which involved sub-activities. They were done in such a way that students of both schools would get best learning from this. The World Diet activity had applications of different subjects like Geography, English, Maths, Craft, Science, ICT and G.K. Students had group discussions, took part in quiz devised by teachers, made questionnaires and did peer assessment of their fellow CIPS students. At the end of 3 months of this activity students understood the similarities and differences of staple food around the world.
b) A Day with Germans in the School
A team of German visitors visited CIPS with our German professor Mr. Chandrashekhar Reddy. The delegation appreciated students’ work on the language like the charts made by them. We have always realized the growing importance of native and foreign languages in the current era of globalization. Linguistic diversity is actively encouraged in our school where students get a chance to learn at least one global language. Hence German is being taught at the school. Learning German is not only creating excitement in our students but also giving them an opportunity to know about their country’s culture and lifestyle.
