Multicultural Education Consensus Panels: Article Analysis

This paper is intended to explore and report upon the topics posited by Tyrone C. Howard in his book, Why Race and Culture Matter in Schools: Closing the Achievement Gap in Americas Classrooms. Closely examining each and every chapter as they come and how the structure of this book gives a detailed framework and guidance system for novice and experienced teachers to take their pedagogical skills to more diverse and multicultural levels. Also, this paper will review a few lessons or projects that can be adapted and used within my personal educational institute in order to create

Teachers can begin by incorporating Banks’ five dimensions of multicultural education. In addition teachers must take into consideration DuPraw and Axner’s six fundamental patterns of cultural differences. Then, parents and the community will need to be educated on the cultural differences. However, the parents will need their voice to be heard in order to decrease cross cultural miscommunication. As our country’s population diversifies, it will be our responsibility to not only educate ourselves but our students as well as our parents in order to have a successful

The text concludes with four examples of schools that have shown success for culturally diverse students and also examines the future of culturally responsive teaching. The schools studied had to meet certain criteria in order to provide validity of the research. During the research the author examined public schools, and some charter schools. Each school had to have a large percentage of non-whites. Research by the author focused on five practices that made these schools academically successful. All five of the practices suggested in the text are beneficial for all school buildings.

Research into multicultural education proves there is still great debate on the subject. Some school administrators support the program and seek effective and inclusive ways of incorporating it into their school programs by developing multicultural programs and activities that encourage the entire school to participate. Furthermore, school leaders advise teachers and stress the importance of utilizing multicultural education when preparing lesson plans and classroom activities. The overall view seems to be that there is a need for cultural diversity teaching throughout the education process in its entirety, whether one is a physical education teacher, a social studies teacher, or a math teacher. However, there is still great debate expressing

The United States is expecting drastic changes in the diversity of its population over the next 50 years. Minorities will become a larger portion of the country’s population. Changes will need to be made to the way our country operates, especially in education. New, innovative and inclusive ways of teaching will replace traditional methods. For these new changes to go smoothly, steps will be taken to implement diverse populations in schools, helping students benefit from the values of other cultures while learning to live along side each other. The competitive and biased curriculums will take back seat to new ones that cater to all members of the population, leaving behind

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.

However, there are questions as to whether or not teachers possess biases that would influence their teaching methods and curriculum. Taking a class in educational diversity is only a start in addressing those biases that may have been unconsciously created. It is the writer’s sincere hope that researching and writing a paper on multicultural education will be a stepping stone toward the critical examination of biases and practices in regards to diversity in the classroom that will continue to influence the readers throughout their educational

No school can trust effectively to teach today's youngsters without recognizing and grasping the social pluralism of our various society. To this end, free school instructors must work to make learning groups that energize and bolster assorted qualities of enrollment and multicultural curricula. Such people group comprehend that one's individual viewpoint depends, to a limited extent, upon one's area in society. Common understandings are multifaceted; they develop in groups that urge people to convey their stories to the table.

The United States’ School System’s main importance is to prepare students for what comes after school. Not only do students need to know basic skills such as reading and writing, they also need to know how to overcome diversity. Contrary to some beliefs, not all skills can be taught in a classroom and U.S. students should not be compared to students in other countries as policy makers try to do.

Instead of looking at growing diversity as a setback or challenge to improving education in this country, let us recognize the benefits it brings to our schools. Diversity enhances the educational experience. We absorb new information from those whose understandings, philosophies, and perceptions contrast with our own, and these lessons can be imparted most effectively in an abundantly diverse scholarly and social atmosphere. Diversity encourages personal development and a healthy society. Diversity defies stereotypical presumptions, it inspires critical thinking, and it serves to teach students how to communicate successfully with individuals of wide-ranging upbringings. Education within a diverse environment helps students to become flexible and adaptable within an increasingly complex, pluralistic society. It fosters shared respect and cooperation, and it helps facilitate societies whose members are judged by the value of their character, not the qualities of their race, culture or gender. John Dewey summed up the responsibility we have to promoting

As a global studies major with an emphasis on education, researching and trying to understand multicultural curriculum has become a great part of my educational journey. I recently did an internship in Washington D.C. where I taught afterschool classes on globalization to underrepresented students in D.C. More that 70 percent of my students were black, while the other 30 percent or so were Hispanic, Arab, and other minority groups. My main goal was to incorporate multicultural curriculum as a means for the students to understand the changing world through various perspectives other than their own. From my experience in DC, I received a small glimpse of how multicultural curriculum is imperative for student success. Chapter 10 gave a great break down of four approaches to multicultural curriculum and how we as future educators can implement those approaches in our own teaching styles.

With the shifting cultural texture and demographics of the United States (Banks, 2006b; Irvine, 2003), redefining multicultural education has become imperative. There are many views on the benefits and/or shortcomings of the multiculturalization of education. The question is not whether a multicultural education should be adopted but it is rather what we understand from multicultural education and how we are going to initiate such a reform within an educational system when we cannot even define ‘multicultural.’ “The awareness of one’s own assumptions, prejudices and stereotypes is a first step to be able to positively interact and learn from others. In this process

One of biggest things I gained from reading the chapters is that diversity has been and continues to be an issue in the public school setting. What can I do as a leader to enhance diversity in my school and what can I do to make the climate more multicultural? Those are questions that must be addressed and answered. As Koppelman (2014) states, “The challenge confronting us today is how to become multicultural individuals. In the teaching profession, that question will be answered by white-middle class individuals- primarily women” (p. 337). He is right. If the issue of multiculturalism is being addressed in schools by white middle class individuals, then they must take a stand in enacting and implementing a climate that promotes the goodness in all individuals and embraces the various cultures and beliefs that make up our students body. We also can’t look at it as something that is just race. We must teach the importance of understanding religion, people with disabilities, socioeconomic status, gender and sexual orientation.

Multicultural education encompasses a variety of instructional methods designed to support the social and academic needs of the learners within the educational environment. Banks (2002) discusses several benefits to incorporating different cultures into a school’s curriculum as well as a strategic plan for executing the strategies. Restructuring a school’s curriculum is an enormous task that requires planning, professional development, monitoring, and evaluation from various stakeholders in the school community. In order to restructure a school’s curriculum, create a paradigm shift for educators, and successfully implement change, there must be a concerted effort from school administrators, teachers, students, parents, and community members (Assaf et al., 2010; Bhargava, Hawley, & Scott, 2004).

and curriculum. The discussion of the historical and philosophical background of multicultural education teaches educators how race and culture influence educational policy and programs. Multicultural teaching and curriculum is also crucial for the development of equitable education for diverse students. The author asserts that multicultural education can lessen biases while also furthering democratic beliefs and practices among students. The text’s discussion of multicultural education is significant to the field of multicultural education as it demonstrates how multicultural educational practices help students become culturally literate and prepared for today’s diverse and globalized world.