Multicultural Education : Issues And Perspectives

On page 238 in chapter 8 of Becoming a Multicultural Educator, by William A. Howe and Penelope L. Lisi, it states that, "culturally relevant education (CRE) was coined by Gloria Ladson-Billings (2009) to describe "a pedagogy that empowers students intellectually, socially, emotionally, and politically by using cultural referents to impart knowledge, skills, and attitudes"". The five principles that are discussed on page 239 are used to guide teachers in the direction of having a culturally relevant classroom for their students to learn about how to participate in a democratic society. Each principle offers educators insight as to how they can use culture within their classroom and lessons they teach in order to help their students become culturally

I would like to discuss multiculturalism in education; I am particularly focused on the higher education aspect, and the effect of diversity on education. In reference to the four assigned articles that discussed reasons for and against a diverse learning environment in higher education and the effect on education and american culture.

their background or age. The role of the teacher is very critical to the students getting an

To promote a working level of cultural competence in the school, we would need to address the fact that minorities aren’t always granted the opportunity to receive high standards of education. Providing quality education should be universal, but that’s not always the case. Minorities are categorized by their socioeconomic status in relation to misconceived ideas about race. Being culturally competent is importance because it allows leaders

A person’s ethnicity can play an important role in their success. A person’s cultural background can cause a certain work ethic, determine ones diligence, and success in the classroom.

Chapter fifteen of Multicultural Education is divided into three major sections. These three sections include recruitment and barriers, recruitment recommendations, and retention issues/difficulties. A large part of this chapter focuses on the underrepresentation of culturally diverse students in gifted and advance placement programs. When taking a look at gifted education programs, there is an extreme underrepresentation of African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans in these programs. Gifted education programs are a need not just a privilege and should not be used as a simple form of segregation between races or cultures.

Public schools are beginning to see a shift in demographics in the United States. There is now a culturally diverse student population and educators need to respond to this shift in order to ensure an equal education for all students. Culture aids in determining how students learn, and culturally responsive teaching is a way teachers can educate culturally diverse students and provide an equal education for all. Culturally responsive teaching is defined by Geneva Gay as using the various characteristics, perspectives, and experiences of many cultures to effectively teach culturally diverse students (2000). Culturally responsive teaching prepares teachers to work with and teach a culturally diverse classroom of students and allows teachers to create a classroom environment that is similar to their students’ home environments so students do not have to assimilate to the dominant culture or change from their home culture to their school culture depending on their setting (Brown). Multicultural education is not only important for ensuring equal education for all students, but also creates youth who will be able to function and be effective citizens in a pluralistic society (Gay 2003). In order to implement culturally responsive teaching, teachers must acknowledge potential biases and reconstruct their attitudes, create a diverse knowledge base, be caring and empowering, and create a classroom environment that is conducive to a culturally diverse

Historically, The United States has been a racially and ethnically a diverse nation. Since Americans represent a variety of cultures and have a variety of viewpoints, we share many cultural traditions, values, and political ideals that cement us together as a nation. Children can develop their ideas and their identity at early stages in schools. Education should stress the value of diversity and avoid portraying one culture or group as superior to others. A multicultural educational system would not only educate the students in a classroom, but also enrich the teacher and society. The definition of multiculturalism is education that focuses on providing equal opportunity for students who’s cultural or

According to Sonia Nieto, the definition of multicultural education is defined in sociopolitical context and relates to comprehension of school reform. Namely, the multicultural education works in reforming schools and providing an equal and excellent education for everyone. Likewise, the author gave a definition of multicultural education based on her experience surrounding education environment. She divides multicultural education into seven basic characteristics: antiracist education, basic education, important for all students, pervasive, education for social justice, a process, and critical pedagogy (Nieto & Bode, 2012).

We are obliged to make sure that every child gets a healthy start in life. With all of our wealth and capacity, we just can’t stand by idly.

Taking in consideration the peers’ critique and instructors’ feedback, I was able to recognize that in the second example of an anecdote of my paper, I took the quote “Today, Astilla asks his kids to compare Benito Mussolini, Adolf Hitler, and Saddam Hussein. All used violence to stay in power, several suggest. ‘They used propaganda,’ one student points out. ‘Good one!’ Astilla says approvingly” out of the context and my explanation of this quote ended up not having any relation to the quote. Thus, I chose to remove this explanation “McGray’s argument that young Americans are uninformed and misinformed about the world beyond the United States borders” that according to the instructor’s commentary and my own understanding, it seems vague and lacks connection to the quote. Instead, I decided to

Success, achievement and participation at school are not simply a matter of intelligence or ability. Discuss this statement with reference to the concepts of cultural capital, hidden curriculum, class and socioeconomic status.

As many people know, the United States is a melting pot full of various ethnicities. Ethnicity, refers to an ethnic group that shares a cultural heritage. They are identified based on common language, ancestral, social, cultural, or national experience. Ethnic groups include, Mexicans, Italians, Chinese, Filipinos, Canadians, and many more. However, out of the many ethnic groups this research will focus on African Americans, which includes a range of similar ethnic groups. Although other ethnicities go through similar issues, the impact of ethnicity on a person’s ability to perform well in school is greater and more known among African Americans. Through this research it will focus on how ethnicity impacts African Americans ability to perform in school.

When dealing with students in a multicultural classroom it is important that educators address all the needs of students. One way to address all students is to adjust instruction to the multiple cultures present in the classroom environment. The use of culturally mediated instruction is important in the classroom as it can help build relationships and help push students to achieve academic success. As an educator it is crucial to understand the environment of the classroom and the type of culture present. Through the use of mediated instruction an educator can build bonds with their students and challenge them in a way suitable for that culture.

Through a number of interviews with multicultural parents, Lisa Delpit (2006), in Other People’s Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom, lists some requirements for a person to be a good teacher. According to Delpit, a good teacher must care whether students are actually learning, challenge all students, not move onto a new subject until all students get the concept, connect learning to real life experiences, push students to think and make their own decisions, and get to know students as individuals (Delpit, 2006, pg. 118). Other People’s Children goes beyond this list in what it expects great multicultural teachers to look like. I will go through some expectations of what a great multicultural student should do and evaluate my own teacher to conclude if I am a great multicultural teacher or not. One thing that will be emphasized is that great multicultural teachers must not silenced their students; this means that all students must be given a chance to express their individuality, and that the teacher does everything in their power to make sure that the students are learning to the best of their abilities. The full rubric I will be using to evaluate my teaching is located in the Appendix. The rubric was created based off the suggestions of Lisa Delpit in Other People’s Children, my own knowledge of multicultural education, and Geneva Gay’s (2010) Culturally Responsive Teaching. A score is located at the bottom of the rubric to determine if the person being evaluated,