Multicultural Education: Piecing Together the Puzzle
When a child opens his (or her) first puzzle and the pieces fall to the ground, it may seem very confusing. What are they to do with this pile of shapes in front of them? It often takes a parent to explain to them that all the different pieces fit together into one whole picture. Although every piece is different and unique, when they are all put into their place they form one whole picture. In the same way, teachers can teach multiculturalism in the classroom. Although every member of our society is unique, with different cultural backgrounds, we all fit together to form one unit. As stated by Noel
(1995), “Understanding our own identity and the culture
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Multiculturalism promotes positive change for persons of all cultures. It involves not only teaching majority groups about minorities, but also teaching minority groups about the majority groups. It has its base in democratic ideals such as equality, freedom, and justice. Multiculturalism will unite our divided nation into one unit which will have no mainstream culture, but many diverse subcultures which will cooperate for the good of everyone, not just the majority or the minority.
I feel very strongly that multiculturalism should be included in all curricula. My school experience (until college) didn't include multicultural perspectives and I feel as if I missed out on some important things. I often feel a little clueless when confronted with situations involving people different from me. Without some knowledge of our surroundings, how can we be expected to survive in society? This question reveals one of the purposes of education, survival. Learning about the other people who share our community is an essential part of this survival in modern society. Multiculturalism becomes increasingly important as our society becomes more diverse.
In the past (Lynch, 1989), efforts to provide multicultural content to students have, as critics feared, created more diversity and tension among groups. However, more recent methods are
Issues of poverty relate to multicultural education because they are both obstacles to overcome as a teacher. In addition, these two might even come hand in hand. In some cases, a child might have to deal with both of these in his/her education, as well as their own learning. To teach a multicultural classroom, one much teach the diverse groups of students in a way that all cultures, ethnicities, and national heritages can learn. Incorporating poverty, including white poverty, into a multicultural classroom means that the teacher must also teach according to their backgrounds and home life. I am passionate about reaching out to those students, so that each and every one of them feel comfortable, excited, and enthusiastic about their learning and education.
As a parent, student, or anybody in the community what skills would you say define a qualified teacher? That is a question many people may not think of. If a student is passing a teacher class does not necessarily mean that the teacher is effectively teaching the course. It could as well be that the same teacher could be doing the bare minimum and letting the students ride on by through the course. But there are teachers who challenge their students and push them to their breaking point. Would the board members not rather have a teacher who would push their students to where they will actually learn something from the class and remember what exactly they have learned? I am not blaming it all on the teachers because there are some student who just do not care and will fail because of themselves but if multiple students are constantly failing then there is a problem and it is not with the student. What we have here is a lack of instructions that reflects multiple perspectives and multicultural education that the teachers are required to provide. This is a major problem in Montgomery, AL. Many of you who are residents of the city of Montgomery are being affected by this but fail to realize what is happening to you when receiving an education until you move out of the city or better yet the state. The chair members of the Montgomery Public School System need to go through a strategic process of emotional, physical, and mental test before hiring that teacher. Not only should that
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
Multicultural education can be something that is as simple as a change in the curriculum adding new and diverse materials (2nd paragraph). As the world changes our ability to learn should grow. New things happen every day and the only way we can grow from these
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.
Einstein said: “Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” Now imagine the various students that enter the classroom. They come from all walks of life with different backgrounds and stories to tell. If educators don’t recognize that these differences do in fact exist then some of the fish that pass through those school doors will leave the building believing that they are incapable because of the trees presented for them to climb. Enter culturally responsive teaching. This method or pedagogical device is the answer to bridging this gap that students may encounter when they are not given the opportunity to show their particular geniuses or to act as their own agent in their education.
I have grown up with Education being my catapult through life; I love it. I love to study children and figure out how they learn and how our educational experiences shape us as adults. Five years ago, I found myself accepting a position as a Toddler teacher in a government facility. To describe it simply, I was a fish out of water. I had experience with children, but not with children so small. This experience taught me a great deal about learning in our great world. I was amazed to witness the pure relationships between children of all races in that little toddler room. All color aside, the children seemed to embrace each other's differences and celebrate in their dedicated
From the reading on page 254 in chapter 9 of Becoming a Multicultural Educator, by William A. Howe and Penelope L. Lisi, there are myths stated about the failure of bilingual students and bilingual education. In table 9.2 on page 254 it is stated that, “it is a myth that all immigrant groups were successful [with learning the English language]. There were many low-skilled entry-level jobs that did not require advanced language skills.” My question is what is the considered success for immigrants learning the English language? Would it be considered successful if an immigrant learned enough English to obtain a job and earn a living within the United States or does an immigrant need to meet a specific level of mastery in the eyes of educators
Teachers must learn about their student’s cultures if they want to educate them to the best of their ability. Many of the students in culturally diverse classrooms will want to learn in different ways. Some will want to learn in pairs, groups, as a class, or just alone. If the teacher is educated in their culture then lessons can be adjusted to appeal to every student as much as possible instead of forcing some to forget about their culture and learn like others. Students from
When children play, they explore new things. If they don't have a toy to play with, they are able to create one. That's when they start using their talents. For example, one day my little son wanted me to buy him a toy but I didn't have money to buy it, so I took him to the park instead. There, he started collecting wood sticks he found on the grass. He built up a tent with them. He was so happy to see what he did.
While completing coursework at CSUMB for the Liberal Studies program, the researcher was inspired by its classes to be a Diversity and Multicultural Scholar and a Social Justice Collaborator. By evaluating their own and others’ experiences as influenced by social identities, socialization practices, and societal institutions from both historical and contemporary perspectives it helped the researcher open their eyes in how they want to be in their classroom as an educator. In the researchers LS 380: Teaching for Social Change, LS 394: Multicultural literature , and LS 398: Social Foundations of Multicultural Education classes, the researcher critically examined the value of diversity and multiculturalism which interested her in the teaching
how to present the material in a way so as to offend the least amount
The United States serves as a culturally rich country who opens its arms to individuals from many different ethnicities, backgrounds, and life experiences. It seeks to be the melting pot of a blended group of people, providing opportunity and equity for all. Consequently, our educational system is the cornerstone for providing equal opportunity for all persons. Therefore, as the United States continues to be immersed with individuals from various cultures, the educational system must consistently seek to assure that educational opportunities are equally distributed to our students. In order for this task to be accomplished, developing a well-defined illustration of what multicultural education is necessary.
During the late 1960’s, America had entered into a period of cultural definition especially with the emergence of the Civil Rights Movement. Although the term “multicultural education” had not come into play yet, the idea that the U.S needed to reexamine their efforts of educating diverse groups was emerging. During this time inequality especially among minority groups in comparison to the white dominant culture became a social issue (Banks 1999). Before the arrival of this reform multicultural education was displayed in the classroom as having minorities adapt to the predominant culture. Teachers during this time felt it would be more beneficial for minorities to adapt. However, many parents of these minorities begin to argue that the
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.