New Publication Highlights Cross-Cultural Virtual Exchange Through a School-University Educator Community of Practice
A recent article published by Diversity Abroad in their summer 2024 edition of the Global Impact Exchange features a cross-cultural virtual exchange facilitated by the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation’s New Literacies Collaborative, composed of New Literacies Collaborative Director Marie Himes and Research Scholar Sarah Bausell.
“Co-constructing a Cross-Cultural Student Virtual Exchange Through a School-University Educator Community of Practice (CoP)” describes a school-university partnership and how educators collaborated in a Community of Practice (CoP) to create a cross-cultural virtual exchange (VE) between secondary students in China and the United States. The article was co-authored by Himes; Bausell; Michael Angelo Ehilla Baiño, biology and cross-cultural virtual exchange teacher at Suzhou North America High School in Suzhou, Jiangsu, China; and Xiaohong Lin, formerly the Asian languages and cultures teacher at Coastal High School in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
“In translating evidence-based, student-centered instructional practices to the classroom, capacity-building remains at the forefront of our work in the New Literacies Collaborative,” said Himes. “The cross-cultural student virtual exchanges that we have co-constructed with Mr. Michael Angelo Ehilla Baiño and Ms. Xiaohong Lin during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years reflect this guiding principle. Working closely in a Community of Practice with the educators who are experts in their instructional contexts and on their students to design and implement the virtual exchanges has created a more connected and meaningful cross-cultural learning experience for educators and students.”
Since 2013, the New Literacies Collaborative has facilitated collaborative learning between Suzhou North America High School, a private international secondary school in Suzhou, Jiangsu, China, and partner schools in the United States. In 2022 when Lin wanted to connect her students with a partner school in China to “enhance her students’ understandings of Chinese culture and language through a collaborative learning experience,” she reached out to Himes and Bausell who connected her with contacts in Suzhou.
VE has gained momentum as a more accessible alternative to study abroad programs and cross-cultural communication when physical travel is difficult. They are focused on cross-cultural teaching and learning.
Through their collaboration, the partnership co-constructed and operated within a CoP to address VE design and implementation. With the goal of cultivating understanding and community among students in the VE across cultural contexts, educators mirrored what students experienced through the VE and were shaped by engagement in cross-cultural dialogue.
“I’ve never encountered a teacher who wasn’t eager to innovate within their classroom, explore their own educational philosophies and accelerate student learning,” said Bausell. “The cross-cultural student virtual exchange collaboration highlighted in this article is a perfect embodiment of that very spirit. It showcases how educators, driven by their commitment to students, partner to create new and impactful learning experiences.”
Diversity Abroad is the leading membership consortium that inspires and supports educators, policymakers and other stakeholders in advancing inclusive excellence in the international education and exchange field.
The summer 2024 edition of The Global Impact Exchange from Diversity Abroad, and in partnership with the Stevens Initiative, explores a range of topics and questions within the broader theme of “Empowering Inclusive Virtual Learning & Professional Development.”
View a short video from the 2022-23 cross-cultural student virtual exchange here.
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