Multiculturalism in the Classroom

EDUC300 Module 7 Synthesis

Multicultural Education in an Online Curriculum

 

By Ilicia Kelly

 

 

            Cultural competence. Is this a term you are all familiar with? I understood the concept when it was introduced to me in grade school, but when I reached college, the term reached a whole new level. This semester, I have finally grasped the concept and understood the impact of neglecting such an important concept in the classroom setting. America has been the melting pot for hundreds of years, yet teaching practices have remained insensitive to the cultural barriers that often occur, which inhibit effective teaching from happening.

            Why does this happen, you ask? If our culture is so diverse, why do we still see barriers to understanding other cultures in the classroom? "It is increasingly a cross-cultural phenomenon, in that teachers are frequently not of the same race, ethnicity, class, and language dominance as their students" (Culturally Relevant Pedagogy). If teachers are a different race and culture than the students and isn't sensitive or even aware of the differences that can affect their teaching strategies, how can that educator be prepared for the challenges that will inevitably happen? From the reading, Culturally Responsive, the differences between cultures of Nonwestern and Western can affect the learning styles. Many of the differences stem from the fact that Nonwestern cultures emphasize group cooperation, harmony in nature, extended family, religion intertwined in culture, and socially oriented characteristics. Western cultures tend to emphasize individual competition, task oriented, nuclear family, and control over nature and all aspects of life. These differences make priorities in learning very different, which can affect learning styles. If we don't know our students, how can we tailor a lesson plan to benefit a culturally diverse student base? "Educational programs must be aligned with learner needs, interests, values, student perceptions, communication styles, and desired learning outcomes that apply within a particular cultural context" (Culturally Responsive).

 

  First, let's explore what it means to be multicultural. A mistake that is commonly made is that a culture is defined by physical attributes. Do you think that African Americans have the same culture as Africans just because they originate from the same country? Another mistake is making assumptions about a culture based on traditions in history. "Any conceptualization of culture as able to be reduced to a set of traditions drawn from the past ignores the complex systems of exchange and interrelation that stretch through history, and that also currently take place under systems of imperialism, cultural dominance. and globalism" (Hybridity as a Response to Multiculturism). This is based on "essentialism, which claims that cultural differences emerge from biological differences between races, genders, etc. This essentialist viewpoint sees identities as fixed and emerging from biology, which generally leads to the reduction of a diverse group to a homogenized, monolithic mass" (Hybridity as a Response to Multiculturism). If we assume white, European culture is the 'norm' and any other culture is outside the norm, those differences "risk becoming an oppressive set of racist stereotypes" (Hybridity as a Response to Multiculturism). "The “cultures” of multiculturalism are usually marked as distinct or “other” from the white Europeans, thus perpetuating systems of inequality and subordination" (Hybridity as a Response to Multiculturism).

            What challenges arise for educators in respect to multiculturalism? "Unfortunately, technologically mediated learning experiences may accommodate the singularities of a dominant Western culture at the expense of cultural responsiveness to the cultural backgrounds of all participants" (Culturally Responsive). Creating an online forum and a lesson plan for students that you have never met can be challenging and limits interaction needed for an instructor to create effective lesson plans that are sensitive to the diversity of cultures. "Community colleges with egalitarian and democratic principles are philosophically more supportive of meeting diverse student needs and student diversity than any other type of institution in higher education" (Multicultural Education). I did a lot of research and found some solutions that we can apply to our teaching methods that could break down the barriers for multiculturism. "Research on student-directed management approach, which is rooted in the belief that students have the primary responsibility for controlling their behavior and are capable of controlling their behavior, identify teachers adopting the following classroom management concepts: student ownership, student choice, community, conflict resolution, natural consequences, and restitution" (NYU Steinhardt). If students can have more say in the structure of the classroom, then they can adapt the lessons to their own cultural priorities and make it more applicable to their core beliefs, hence enhancing authentic learning! "Students are more likely to succeed if they feel connected to school and a positive, respectful relationship with teachers helps create such an environment" (NYU Steinhardt). If a student feels that the teacher doesn't understand him/her and isn't invested in their education, that teacher will not be effective in the classroom setting. Creating an environment that is sensitive to each culture and makes those students feel welcome and important will positively impact those students and keep them motivated and invested in their learning. In the poem from the reading, Becoming Joey, a little Mexican boy Jose feels that he is so different from the other students, from his clothes, name and accent, that he feels he has to change who he is just to go into school and try and fit in. A learning environment that makes students feel that they have to adapt to the environment is not conducive to effective learning strategies and won't foster higher order thinking with positive outcomes for the students.

 

           Adrianne posed an interesting perspective in her experience with multicultural education in her education. She recalls lame attempts at cultural exposure to Mexican culture in the form of "fiestas". I could relate! Sometimes it's barriers with the educator in their understanding of cultural competence. In an article on Education.com, I found some research exposing cultural bias in the classroom. "Cultural bias in teaching occurs when classroom instruction, learning activities, materials, and lessons largely reflect the contributions and/or cultural values and perspectives of the majority race or culture. In the United States, that race is White, Caucasian, or European American, and the culture is largely mainstream oriented (Strickland, 2000). In most classrooms with predominantly ethnically and culturally diverse students, cultural bias is also presented as an inherent promotion of the perceived superiority and effectiveness of mainstream cultural modes of learning, thinking, and performing" (www.education.com). Maybe the 'fiestas' only succeeded in making that culture so abstract and different than the mainstream culture that it became more biased.

 

         Christina Boxler enjoyed the poem Little Joey, from our reading, as well as I. To avoid students feeling like an outsider, it's important for the educator to be culturally competent to avoid students like Little Joey from feeling like an outsider. This inhibits learning if students can be themselves. The NEA defines cultural competence as "having an awareness of one’s own cultural identity and views about difference, and the ability to learn and build on the varying cultural and community norms of students and their families. It is the ability to understand the within-group differences that make each student unique, while celebrating the between-group variations that make our country a tapestry. This understanding informs and expands teaching practices in the culturally competent educator’s classroom" (NEA). The article also outlines how the benefits of "student outcomes can be improved by incorporating racial and ethnic minority contributions in curriculum and diversifying pedagogical practices. They see cultural competence as both a moral and ethical responsibility to create a welcoming environment for students to succeed. The impact of having educators who have the ability to challenge and motivate diverse student populations can dramatically improve our educational system and student outcomes"(NEA).

            In dental hygiene school for my associates, our instructors had us create a project called Cultural Competency, which required us to all pick one culture and create a tri-fold display with information and pictures that we could all learn from. It was such a great idea and encouraged us all to explore just how many differences can occur within one classroom, whether it was race, age, occupation, lifestyle, physical handicaps, and religion. All of these things affect how we live, learn, and defines us at our core. Accessing this information in our students and creating an environment that taps into those core beliefs, as well as initiating a student-directed approach, will foster authentic learning.

            In an article on EHow, they discussed the pros and cons of multicultural education. In discussion difference races and cultures in the classroom, there are some snafus that the teacher must be aware of. If you neglect to mention certain cultures of students in the classroom, the discussion may cause them to feel alienated. Another consideration is the race and culture of the teacher and it's relationship to the discussion.  "Agencies such as the National Council for the Accreditation for Teacher Education (NCATE) and some state departments of education require teachers to complete multicultural education prior to obtaining their teacher certification. In an abstract study conducted and written by Patricia and Alvin Larke of Texas A&M University and reported in the Research in Higher Education Journal, researchers interviewed six teachers of multicultural education, five of whom were African American, and discovered that each teacher's gender and ethnicity had an impact on his or her training style and instructional authority, including evaluating student progress and assigning course grades. Two women teachers who participated in the study reported that their mothering experiences caused them to be more nurturing toward students. Another female multicultural education instructor felt that she was perceived as being an "angry Black female" while she taught the course. She also noted how white males challenged her authority during the training. To provide balanced training, it is important that educators be properly taught to handle their own beliefs surrounding people of diverse ethnicities. Teachers must also be properly trained on how to react to combative responses they receive from students" (EHow).

 

Self- Assessment- 100