Classroom without Borders
Doing a unit like classroom without borders has affected me in several ways. It has also helped me understand different aspects about others and myself. Through the unit, I was able to learn about, academic service learning where I participated in service activities organised to meet the needs identified in different communities. In addition, I gained more understanding about the course content, which helped me improve my sense of civic responsibility towards the community (Bellanca & Stirling, 2011).
I was also able to work with Indigenous Australian people where I understood their different cultural behaviours. Learning about the different aspects of their culture helped me in dealing with issues, such as conflict management, which may arise in the community. In the course of the unit, I also learnt about practices that can be used in mentoring students at different levels of education (Ralph, 2005). Some of the practices learned include honesty, where I understood how to be honest and open with students, and fairness, which I appreciated that every student is equal; thus the necessity of fairness.
On the other hand, I learnt about various ethical teaching practices that may be applied by teachers, which include dual relationships with students. In dual relationships, I understood the importance of developing a direct relationship with the student; hence vital in their development. I also learnt how to deal with topics that may be sensitive to students and that such topics should be dealt with in an open, honest, and positive manner to avoid cases of favouritism and discrimination from the teacher (Ralph, 2005).
In conclusion, classroom without borders has helped me understand the cultural diversity and how to deal and work with different communities based on the culture. In addition, the topics covered in the classroom without borders unit have helped gain a better sense of how to maintain fairness and honesty when working with both students and the community. Though the unit had its challenges, such as language barriers, I found it rather interesting as it helped me gain enough knowledge of how to effectively deal with issues that may arise in the course on my teaching career in the future.
References
Bellanca, J. & Stirling, T. (2011). Classrooms without Borders. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Ralph, K. (2005). Classrooms without Borders and the Different Effects. Childhood Education, 71(5), 290-303.
