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The importance of diversity in the classroom
The importance of diversity in the classroom
Multicultural education theoretical framework
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The Challenge of Defining a Single “Multicultural Education”
As stated in the first paragraph of this article, “Multicultural education has been transformed, refocused, reconceptualized, and in a constant state of evolution both in theory and in practice.” Multicultural education is always changing. Culture is something that changes on a day-to-day basis. The way our society changes is no one’s hands, but our own.
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 things is to open our eyes and realize what is going on. Society tackles many different things each day and we never know what’s going to happen until after it does. Entering new things into the curriculum based on current issues is a positive thing in my eyes. Adding to and enhancing the curriculum adds more knowledge to our multicultural views.
In the third paragraph of this article it states that, “Every student must have an equal opportunity to achieve to her or his full potential.” I agree with this statement fully. If a student is given the opportunity to put his or her all into their work then their work is at its potential. Many teachers prohibit this from happening by picking favorites and underestimating ...
Just because other perspectives are incorporated in the classroom, this doesn’t mean that everyone will become more understanding and appreciative of other cultures. When multicultural practices have rigorous standards, allow the advancement of social communications with other cultures, and allow the advancement social justice concepts both inside and outside of the classroom, this is when students will become more appreciative of other cultures (Ladson-Billings, 1995, p.162).
I cannot help but believe that there are some very valid points to Professor X’s article, for example, when he states that some students are simply unfit for the academic level that college requires. The author states, “Everyone wants to triumph. But not everyone can-in fact, most can’t.” (X, par. 47) In other words, Professor X believes that some students desperately want to succeed, however, they are unable to do so regardless of the amount of help offered. Sometimes, no matter how many people are set up for success there is not anything else that can be done, but letting them down gracefully. Professor X writes about his student Ms. L, the professor expresses his frustration with this student and how he knew he would face difficulties with her. The wall had gone up, she was no longer interested in what was being said. X expresses that Ms. L is not smart nor is she a bad person, however, he does elaborate on how she was never a fit for college level academics. Professor X writes, “Ms. L had done everything that American culture asked of her. She had gone back to school to better herself, and she expected to be rewarded for it, not slapped down.” (X, par. 36) This may be exactly how Ms. L was feeling, furthermore, let’s elaborate on why Ms. L expected to be rewarded for work that did not meet the expectations of her assigned
The multicultural movement in education is deeply rooted, and the movement as we know it today dates back to the 1960s, when the civil rights movement was in full swing. Stemming from the Brown vs. Board of Education (1954) decision and out of the demand by ethnic groups to be included in public schools, colleges, and universities, the main thrust of the mo...
The world is made up of many different types of people, each one having his or her cultural background. Over the years, the United States has become increasingly populated with cultural diversity. This influx has prompted school administrators to recognize the need to incorporate multicultural programs into their school environment including classroom settings, school wide activities, and curriculum as it becomes more evident that the benefits of teaching cultural diversity within the school setting will positively influence our communities, and ultimately the entire nation’s future. The purpose of this paper is to share the pros and cons of multicultural education in the classroom. Additionally, I will express my views compared to those in the reading requirements for this assignment, as well as, new knowledge obtained through the research. Finally, I will share situations where I was challenged introducing a multicultural issue during a class.
Multicultural education is a process of comprehensive school reform and basic education for all students. It challenges and rejects racism and other forms of discrimination in schools and society and accepts and affirms pluralism (ethnic, racial, linguistic, religious, economic, and gender, among others) that students, their communities, and teachers reflect (Nieto, 2000).
In the case of one student creating an essay worthy of an a+ grade because they worked hard, and another creating an essay of the same level simply because they possess a high intelligence, the latter problem arises – but Norman (2001) displays that having such inherent abilities that we are born with is merely a matter of ownership. In the same way that someone who owns a car should be able to use it to travel conveniently, someone who is born with high intellect should be able to wield that intellect to their advantage. In this sense, it seems obvious that it is nothing but just to reward natural desert. Further, giving individuals less than what they earned – or, more to the point, deserve – is unjust. Imagine calling a plumber to fix your broken
The cultural diversity in society, which is reflected in schools, is forcing schools not to solely rely on content-centered curriculum, but to also incorporate student-centered lesson plans based on critique and inquiry. This requires multicultural education to a dominant part of the school system, not just an extra course or unit. Further, it demands that learning itself no longer be seen as obtaining knowledge but rather, education be seen as creating knowledge. Multicultural education should be seen as affirming the diversity of students and communities, promoting the multicultural ideas of the United States, and building the knowledge and behaviors needed for students to be a positive and contributing member of society and the global community as a whole.
The world is currently undergoing a cultural change, and we live in an increasingly diverse society. This change is not only affect the people in the community but also affect the way education is viewed. Teaching diversity in the classroom and focusing multicultural activities in the programs can help improve positive social behavior in children. There is no question that the education must be prepared to embrace the diversity and to teach an increasingly diverse population of young children.
The definition of multiculturalism in Webster's Dictionary is "the existence, recognition or preservation of different cultures or cultural identities within a unified society." Therefore with this definition in mind a multicultural classroom is one that is the sum of all these things. A multicultural classroom is a learning environment that strives to reach all of its students, especially those of non-dominant ethnicities. In this environment students learn about the curriculum as well as their own cultural history. The aim of multicultural education is to ensure equity in education for all students and to help empower young people to make the world a better place both individually and collectively (Bigelow, 1993). Multicultural education is designed to help all students reach their full potential. Just about all teachers should have a desire to teach in a multicultural class because most classes in the United States of America contain at least one or two students of a different race or cultural background. This should not be considered a problem, but an asset because h...
Multicultural education is any kind of education that incorporates different perspectives that is not the usual norm. This concept is very important and need to be taught in the schools, but in the right way. We have discussed in class how handing out a MLK picture to color or a Rosa Park’s crossword puzzle will not help enhance the student’s knowledge. Yes, fun activities like this are okay, but only after an educational lesson is taught. It is essential that students understand and know that these historic issues are important. Not only during times like Black History Month, Cinco De Mayo or any other holiday we recognize only specific time of
As a student in this modern society, I have seen firsthand that children are not respected for their way of learning; this thought gets lost in the midst of longing for uttermost perfection. The growth of the student is hindered by the realization that their value as a person comes from knowing what other people chose for them to know. Society often takes away the passion of a person when they start placing their own standards for people to live off of; often forcing them to become a shadow of their former self. Like Auden says in his “Letter to Lord Byron”, “[there is no need] to straighten out the kinks in the young mind,” because learning is part of the process and learning to fail, and accepting that failure is a lesson within itself. The human mind is too quick to jump to the results compared to taking their time to truly recognize that these mistakes are what makes a human successful in the future. Being unique and similar at the same time is like being a puzzle piece, all pieces are needed to make the picture, but each picture has its own purpose. Just like the puzzle pieces, people have their own jobs to fulfill, and they might not fit everywhere but they fit somewhere. There are some students who do not need such support to understand the basics, however, there are some students who need the push which has more value. Everyone’s way of learning is unique and it is
According to David O. McKay (2013), multicultural education is constructed to prepare pupils for citizenship in a democratic society by facilitating them to take into account the needs of all individuals; it shed light on how issues of language, ethnicity, culture, religion race, abilities/disabilities, and gender are entwined with educational content and processes. A multicultural curriculum is needed to accommodate for diverse learning and teaching styles of facilitators and pupils and to expose biases, stereotypes, and policies that can restrict achievement. What is more, a multicultural curriculum is also needed to help pupils, faculty, and staff become advocates for multicultural awareness, to ensure that content is fair, accurate, and inclusive, and to prepare pupils for diverse workplaces and multicultural environments. In writing this paper, the author will describe key issues of culturally diverse students, recommend a curriculum approach to address the issues, and discuss the challenges and benefits expected. In addition, she will describe three key issues of male and female students recommend a curriculum approach to address the issues, and discuss the challenges and benefits expected. In closing, she will describe three key issues of students with disabilities, who are mainstreamed, recommend a curriculum approach to address the issues, and discuss the challenges and benefits expected.
According to Bennett (2015), “Multicultural Education is a complex approach to teaching and learning that includes the movement toward equity in schools and classrooms, the transformation of the curriculum, the process of becoming multicultural competent, and the commitment to address societal injustice” (p. 2). Teaching and learning in a multicultural system is designed around collaborative decision making, respect for all parties, and nurturing a cultural diverse society. Multicultural education recognizes and integrates cultural characteristics into the learning environment.
Although the passage argues that students are to blame for the mediocrity, but a deeper analysis is required. If all things are equal, children are a reflection of their parents so if they taught them to just get by, then the child will not have the motivation to go beyond the already lacking education system. Therefore when the student gets to high school his ways are deeply engraved in their character making visible change difficult. Sooner or later they watch their peers get by with doing the minimum intellectual work and getting the most from their other activities. After all, the student does not understand that minimum wage pays for a couple of things, but does not provide for a family. Although they may witness the other kids get by with the least amount of work and may wish to join them; their character discourages them from following. But any weak links in his work ethic will cause said student to give in and follow the crowd. As a result, when the new students come in, they will now witness his laziness and follow his example. An illustration is when a young man is trying to get fit and if people who are in the opposite mindset are consistently surrounding him, then he will also give in and not complete his
...sionate professors who helped shape the type of teacher I would like to be. They found ways to talk to me in a manner that motivated me to want to improve, all while honoring the work that I have already done. I would like to bring this same moral into my classroom, when a child is motivated, passionate,and self-aware of their needs, strengths, and weaknesses, they can and will push themselves to improve. Students do not solely care about how much knowledge an educator has, but they care about how much these educators truly care. We shouldn't judge a person on how educated they are based only on test scores. The most educated person may not be the most suitable person to teach children. I may lack the test scores, however, I do not lack the passion and motivation needed to be a great teacher. If we cannot celebrate small successes, the final outcome is less weighted.