International teachers cooperate: connect Paderborn and Georgia!
International teachers cooperate: connect Paderborn and Georgia!
The Institute of Anglistics and American Studies at the University Paderborn has expanded cooperation with Kennesaw State University (KSU) in Georgia, USA. This cooperation, which started at the end of 2024, aims to reduce social and cultural barriers in particular and to make the practical semester more international for prospective English teachers. This takes another step towards comprehensive internationalization of teaching training.
The exchange of students and teachers as well as the opportunity for doctoral students to complete research stays at the KSU are the focus of this cooperation. The initiative includes close cooperation between the Plaz-Professional School of Education and the Bagwell College of Education. Under the direction of Dr. Jeannette Böttcher and Dr. Katharina von Elbwart should not only be realized at the university, but also at selected German schools, including the Thune primary school, the comprehensive school Paderborn-Elsen and the Pelizaeus-Gymnasium.
practical implementation from February 2025
As part of the pilot phase, students from Georgia will travel to Paderborn in mid -February 2025 to complete their practical semester. From November 2025, Paderborners also have the opportunity to work at US schools for six weeks as part of their practical semester. During your stay abroad, you can also provide study achievements at the KSU.
Kennesaw State University is one of the best addresses in the United States for educators and managers. The cooperation should take place annually from 2026 to give the students the opportunity to integrate international and intercultural perspectives into their teaching training.
Internationalization of teacher training
The program "Teaching. International", which was initiated by the DAAD, aims to increase the mobility of prospective teachers and promote their intercultural skills. Since 2019, the DAAD has been supporting this initiative, which is also focused on fewer mobile groups, such as primary school teachers or students with a migration background. The aim is to achieve an international orientation of teacher training and to make the courses more attractive.
A particularly important aspect of this program are the "practice stays at schools abroad", which are intended to increase the mobility of teacher students. The DAAD program offers institutional support, financial support and comprehensive advice for universities, students and politics. Measures such as workshops and peer advice should help to arouse interests in internships and to reduce obstacles.
In addition, within the framework of the development of international skills and increasing heterogeneity in classrooms, the training of teachers for responsible action in global contexts are decisive. Schools increasingly need teachers who are able to classify global developments and convey appropriate teaching content.The positive balance of the program shows that 633 scholarships were already approved in the first year, which corresponded to almost twice as many applications. In 2020 there were already 470 approved applications, but many of which could not be perceived due to the corona pandemic. Around 50% of the scholarship holders were abroad for the first time, with 41% initial academics and about 20% students with a migration background.
The continuous exchange between Paderborn and Kennesaw State University will not only enrich teacher training, but also contribute to schedule and financial support during the practice of practice. The planned "Staff Exchange" in April, in which twelve American teachers come to Paderborn for a week, will further promote the exchange. The return visit of the German teachers should take place at the end of the year.
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