Chapter 3: Education That is Multicultural

Multicultural education is developed through:

- diversity

- equality

- social justice

Goal of multicultural education:

- to help students learn and reach their potential, regardless of SES, ethnicity, race,

gender, religion, and ability or disability

Curriculum in multicultural education:

- value diversity, draw on cultural experiences, support democracy and equity

- all content should be presented through viewpoints of different groups

- help students understand there is more than one perspective on the interpretation of

events and facts

- Ex. Tasting ethnic foods, celebrating black history month

Equity

Requires that all teaching is culturally relevant

- classrooms and schools are models of democracy

Achieving equity:

1. Place student at center of learning process

2. Promote human rights and respect for cultural diff.

3. Believe ALL students can learn

4. Acknowledge and build on histories and experiences of

students microcultural memberships

5. Help students understand racism, sexism, classism,

discrimination

6. Critique society in the interest of social justice and equality

7. Participate in collective social action to ensure a democratic society

Undergirding Tenets

People fought for equal education throughout history

- women, low income families, oppresses ethnic and religious

groups

Brown v. Board of Education (Supreme Court, 1954)

- separate-but-equal education for black and white students

declared illegal

Civil Rights (1960’s)

- new curriculum content about various ethnic groups

- emphasis on equity for women, disabilities, limited-English

speakers

Social justice and equality remain goals for society

- to be modeled in classrooms and schools

Diversity

Discussion of multiculturalism

- side 1: promotion of diversity will strengthen the nation

- side 2: promotion of diversity will divide the nation and

lead to conflict

Western tradition is denigrated as diversity is highlighted

Outgrowth of discussion has led to establishment of general education

requirements for ethnic, women’s and global studies in colleges

and universities

Diverse student body and faculty allow for interactions in

authentic settings with people from different backgrounds

Social Justice and Equality

Justice

- related to fairness, moral rightness, equity

Social Justice

- focuses on how we help others in the community who are not as

advantaged as we are

- ethic of social justice is essential in teaching

- requires all schools to provide all students equal access to a

high-quality education

Schools reflect on inequities of the broader society

Fairness

See page 110

Antiracist Ed. V. Multiculturalism Ed.: The critique

See page 110

Culture of the School

Most students are subjected to the same curriculum

Traditions in the school

- regional influences, social structure, location of the school

- sports, activities

- rural schools emphasize Future Farmers of America,

agricultural programs, 4H clubs

Read Jean Anyon’s article

Curriculum

4 types of curriculum:

1. Overt curriculum

2. Hidden curriculum

3. Extra/ co-curriculum

4. Null curriculum

Culturally Relevant teaching

Preferred teaching and learning styles

- embedded in cultural backgrounds and experiences

Making generalizations about culturally diverse learners is very dangerous

Many differences exist among members of the same group

Culturally relevant teaching is complex

Teacher must:

- listen to and observe students and parents

- assess student performance to develop the most effective teaching

strategy

Culturally relevant teaching validates the cultures of students and

communities

Building on Cultural Context

Teachers should helps students see the relationship between subject

matter and the world in which they live

Use students’ prior knowledge and experiences

Repertoires are limited for beginning teachers

- good teachers are able to draw on many different strategies

Know knowledge, skills and commitments valued in cultures

- some students rebel as a form of resistance against

the values of dominant society

Lack of understanding about cultural differences and nonverbal

communication lead to student-teacher conflict

Teach communication patterns of the dominant culture to all

Centering the Cultures of Students

Curriculum for all academic areas should reflect integration of principles

of diversity and equality

Additive approach

- including one unit on another group sporadically

1/3 of students in US schools do not see themselves in the curriculum

-Curriculum does not normally include stories of women, disabilities, English language learners, poverty, elderly

Inclusive curriculum reflects the reality of multicultural world

Private schools grounded in different cultures

- Afrocentric, Latino, Native American, religious affiliations,

single sex

Validating Student Voices

The opportunity to speak and be heard as equal

Respect for differences is key in affirming student voices

Incorporation of voices requires the development of listening skills and the validation of multiple perspectives, languages, dialects

Teachers encourage students to contribute their own realities and experiences

- must listen to ALL voices

Educational Challenges

1/3 of students in US schools are from ethnic groups other than European

By 2020, more than 45% of the school-age population will be students

of color

The Challenge of Technology and Equity

Technology is important in today’s society

Most of the world’s population does not have access to computers or the Internet

On some Native American reservations, only 60% of residents have a

telephone

2% of low income, rural homes have Internet access

50% with income $75,000+ do have access

Digital divide

- based on income, race, education, household type, geographic

location

- difference in access to technology tools and the Internet

More on technology

African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics, women hold few

technology jobs

More than 90% of all schools in the country are wired with at least one

Internet connection

- Internet connections differ by the income levels of students

5 characteristics of a positive information society

1. Is community driven and meets real community needs?

2. Overcomes major content barriers facing the underserved

3. Provides people to help

4. Offers online content that is easy to use

5. Is sustainable

The Challenge of Gender-Sensitive Education

Traditionally, females were trained to be wives and mothers

Today, 40%+ of graduates from medical and law schools are women

Rigid definitions limit the options and potential of both males and

females

Today’s realities: See p. 122

To promote gender equity, females should be encouraged to be involved

in math, science, and computer science

A gender-sensitive education provides equity to boys and girls

- does not mean males and females are always treated the same

Teachers in gender-sensitive classrooms monitor interactions among

girls and boys and their own interactions with the sexes

The Challenge of Language Diversity

Immigrant students populating large cities

Language differences used at home and at school can lead to dissonance between students, their families and school officials

Dropout rate of English language learners is 2-2.5 times as great as for

other students of the same age

Nat.’l Assoc. for the Education of Young Children

- urges teacher to encourage “the development of children’s

home language while fostering the acquisition of English

Assimilationist instruction integrates students into the dominant or

mainstream culture

- bilingual education, newcomer programs, sheltered instruction

Teachers as Social Activists:Thinking Critically

Critically-thinking educators ask how and why inequities are occurring in their classroom and school

Teaching equitably does not mean teaching everyone the same way

- helping students function effectively in multiple classroom settings and used by the students in the classroom

Critical thinkers challenge the philosophy and practices of the dominant society that are not supportive of equity, democracy, and social

justice

Practicing Equity in the Classroom

Caring and fairness

Teacher perceptions may be based on personal characteristics of the

student and/or group membership

Multicultural education does not tolerate unjust practices by teachers

No discrimination

Students learn to respect differences and to interact within and across ethnic and cultural groups

Teachers might praise some students while tending to correct and discipline others

Everyone has been raised in a racist, sexist, and classist society in which the biases are so embedded that it is difficult for people to recognize anything other than overt signs.

Equity continued

Reflecting on practice and on the practice of those you observe

- are students from different gender, economic and ethnic groups

treated differently?

- are the fewer discipline and learning problems among students who are from the same background as the teacher?

- Which students receive the most assistance?

Equity is the ability to recognize one’s own biases and make appropriate adjustments

Teaching for Social Justice

Culturally relevant teaching helps students struggle in class with social problems

Racism, sexism, classism, prejudice, and discrimination are felt differently by students of color than by members of the dominant group

Anger, denial, guilt, and affirmation of identity are critical parts of learning about and struggling with the pernicious practices that permeate most institutions.

Students from the dominant group have never experienced discrimination and often believe it does not exist

In teaching for social justice, teacher help students understand the equalities, oppression and power struggles that are the realities of society

Social Justice continued

Maxine Green

- “To teach for social justice is to teach for enhanced perception and imaginative explorations, for the recognition of social

wrongs…”

Students learn to apply the knowledge and skills they are learning to a local, regional , or global issue

- the learning becomes authentic

Involving communities and families

Parents and the community are the essential resources in the delivery of multicultural education

Few beginning teachers will have had direct involvement in multiple cultural communities

Learning to function effectively in several cultural communities requires participants to be comfortable with their own background

Teachers who are most successful in helping students from diverse cultural backgrounds learn there are those who “struggle to confront their own histories, hear the dissonance in their own profession