Challenge of Defining a Single Muliticultural Education Essay

Multiculturalism can be seen in most parts of the world. Only a few countries like Japan, are homogeneous. In the article “Multicultural Education Is Vital to the Fabric of America” author Gregory Michie states that after the 911 terror attacks multiculturalism is so relevant and important. Through education we can learn about each other, and begin to collaborate for a better world. As diversity pertains to higher education William Bown of Princeton University, proclaims that "Students of different races, religions and backgrounds ... learn from their differences and stimulate one another to reexamine even their most deeply held

A multicultural classroom embraces various cultures and uses them to build students up, rather than causing them to feel excluded.

The study would have been a good review for today’s generation but the research is prohibited because the information can be misinterpreted. A journal by James Banks from the American Educational Research Association shares, “A major goal of multicultural education, is to reform the school and other educational institutions so that students from diverse racial, ethnic, and social-class groups will experience educational equality. Another important goal of multicultural education, is to give both male and female students an equal chance to experience educational success” (Banks, 2011).

I had viewed the interview with Prof.James Banks about the issue of multicultural education. The main points of this interview are globalization of the world, multicultural future in most countries and technological changes. The implications of these main issues on the educational system is that the educational system should be revised to fit to the needs of the new challenging world we about to face. The changes that were proposed by Prof.James Banks is to teach the new generation to

The integration of multicultural issues with the current educational structure needs to be met with caution and the upmost care is one of the messages I got from our class and it’s true. These decisions can cause irreparable damages to the students’ lives and could further distance the divide between achieving cultural understanding and continual ignorance. However, if certain components are taken into consideration, there is hope for a bright and culturally-rich future. First, there are various multicultural issues including stereotype threat and the lack of conversation about race and culture at a young age that should be addressed. Secondly, understanding the power of open-discussions with multicultural issues for I experienced it first-hand

As an educational reform, some of these questions are answered through varying policies and instruction. As a process, multicultural education still works to bring these problems to light, and not just confined to the limits of the classroom.

We live in a multiculturalism society that includes people from over the world with different traditions, ideas, and religions. The main purpose of multiculturalism is to understand the differences between other ethnicity groups. What I mean with this is that multiculturalism education needs to be teach in our school so students can understand diversity of a society. Dr. James A. Banks who is the founder of Multiculturalism Education Issues and Perspectives states that multiculturalism is trying to change the schools and other educational institutions so the students from all social-class, gender, racial, language, and cultural groups will have and equal opportunity to learn (Banks A.& Banks McGee.,1993). We could say that we live in a system that battles to defend and to respect different cultures which should promote a close working atmosphere and relationship among students and schools so we can have a good environment. A key component in the U.S. core culture is the idea, expressed in the Declaration of the independence, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness Banks A. & Banks McGee., 1993).

The present educational structure does not help the individual towards freedom and integration because it is too focused on what students should be like, instead of what they actually are (Krishnamurti, 34). Teachers in multicultural classrooms must be open-minded and get to know their students inside and outside of class. If a teacher is hesitant about being open,

When asked to define multicultural education as it pertains to teaching, I would have to say that it is a blending of different aspects of cultures and history which also includes important contributions to mankind by any given culture, so as not to eliminate the children’s view of self but rather to broaden their horizons. It also includes the ability to teach compassion and equality for all life eliminating racism and social injustice to create a better world on child at a time.

Education that is multicultural is a continuous, integrated, multiethnic, multidisciplinary process for educating all students about diversity. Diversity factors include but are not limited to race, ethnicity, region, religion, gender, language, socioeconomic status, age, and individuals with disabilities. It encompasses curricular infusion and instructional strategies in all subject areas. Education that is multicultural prepares

To begin changing future generations, we must first change our present. A university setting is the best option for conducting a multicultural education course; students are already being exposed to social issues they possibly were not familiar with previously through courses already offered by their university. History courses like African History or Introduction to the Civilization of the

Definitions of multicultural education vary. Some place emphasizes on the cultural characteristics of diverse groups, some emphasize social problems such as those associated with oppression, some place emphasize on political power, while others on the reallocation of economic resources. Some restrict their focus to people of color, while others include all major groups that are different in any way from mainstream Americans. Other definitions limit multicultural education to characteristics of local schools, and still others provide directions for school reform in all settings regardless of their characteristics.

Multicultural education will be successful only when the teacher understands the meaning of multicultural education, take into account results from their assessments of the children is learning styles, and then make changes to their teaching methods if necessary, by using a wide range of strategies and teaching techniques, that encourage diversity and acceptance. Multicultural education resembles instructions conveyed through content integration with real life experiences, and

What is multicultural education? Does it involve diversity? What qualifies as being diverse? Well, according to James A. Bank multicultural education is “the idea that all students—regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, social class, and ethnic, racial, or cultural characteristics—should have an equal opportunity to learn in school” (Banks, p. 1), not regarding in what socioeconomic level the students and their families “belong” in. In the article “Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World”, the upper class consists of households that earn more than $200,000 per year, this only includes 4% of the U.S. household population, the middle class is divided in two parts, the upper-middle class ranges from households that earn between $150,000-$199,999, while the lower-middle class household earns from $50,000-$74,999. The upper-middle class is only about 4.4% and the lower middle-class population is about 18% of households in the U.S. The lower class, which is called the working class consist of 25% of households in the U.S., they earn about $50,000-$74,999. (Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World, 2010).

On the other hand, multicultural education is a lifetime learning development intended to inspire all students to become well-informed, caring, and active participants in their communities. Edification that is multicultural is comprehensive and considerate of all ethnic, racial and cultural categories and comprises staff, families, students and community. (Oregon Department of Education)