Chapter Overview
In this module we will focus on multicultural and bilingual perspectives of education. Multicultural education is a philosophical concept built on the ideals of freedom, justice, equality, equity, and human dignity as acknowledged in various documents, such as the U.S. Declaration of Independence, constitutions of South Africa and the United States, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations. It affirms our need to prepare student for their responsibilities in an interdependent world. It recognizes the role schools can play in developing the attitudes and values necessary for a democratic society. It values cultural differences and affirms the pluralism that students, their communities, and teachers reflect. It challenges all forms of discrimination in schools and society through the promotion of democratic principles of social justice.
Multicultural education is a process that permeates all aspects of school practices, policies and organization as a means to ensure the highest levels of academic achievement for all students. It helps students develop a positive self-concept by providing knowledge about the histories, cultures, and contributions of diverse groups. It prepares all students to work actively toward structural equality in organizations and institutions by providing the knowledge, dispositions, and skills for the redistribution of power and income among diverse groups. Thus, school curriculum must directly address issues of racism, sexism, classism, linguisism, ageism, heterosexism, religious intolerance, and xenophobia..
Multicultural education advocates the belief that students and their life histories and experiences should be placed at the center of the teaching and learning process and that pedagogy should occur in a context that is familiar to students and that addresses multiple ways of thinking. In addition, teachers and students must critically analyze oppression and power relations in their communities, society and the world.
To accomplish these goals, multicultural education demands a school staff that is culturally competent, and to the greatest extent possible racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse. Staff must be multiculturally literate and capable of including and embracing families and communities to create an environment that is supportive of multiple perspectives, experiences, and democracy. Multicultural education requires comprehensive school reform as multicultural education must pervade all aspects of the school community and organization.
Recognizing that equality and equity are not the same thing, multicultural education attempts to offer all students an equitable educational opportunity, while at the same time, encouraging students to critique society in the interest of social justice.
Objectives
- Understand how a teacher’s own culture can influence his or her teaching
- Describe what it means to provide culturally responsive instruction
- Recognize how linguistic diversity may influence school outcomes for students
- Understand the importance of family involvement in school
Readings & Resources
Due this Week
- Discussion Post
- Answer the following questions. Post your response on FORUMS in LAULIMA. Your discussion post will be due on Friday by 11:55pm.
- After completing the Cultural and Linguistic - IRIS Module, answer one of the following questions. Post your response on FORUM in LAULIMA. Your discussion post will be due on Friday by 11:55pm.
- Why is it important for teachers to reflect on cultural and linguistic diversity?
- In the Challenge, Mr. Bennett wrote notes home to Maria’s family. Why might this have proved problematic? What other options might you recommend to Mr. Bennett for communicating with Maria’s parents?
- Mr. Stone, a teacher from a rural community where all the students share similar cultural backgrounds, relocates to a large city where the students come from a wide variety of cultural groups. He notices that many of his students are not performing well in class. Upon self-reflection, he realizes that because of cultural differences these students may not relate to his style of teaching or to the stories and examples he uses in class. What can Mr. Stone do to become more culturally responsive and meet the diverse needs of these students?
- Peer Responses
- Respond to one of your classmates' discussion posts. Your response must be respectful, thorough, and well thought-out. Peer Responses will be due by Sunday by 11:55pm. Submit your peer responses directly to the discussion post in FORUM on LAULIMA.
- Quiz
- This is an open-book, open-resource quiz that you are required to take after completing the assigned readings and videos. This quiz is graded but you are able to take the quiz as many times as you like and only your highest score will be counted. Complete your quiz by Sunday by 11:55pm. To complete the quiz, go to LAULIMA TESTS & QUIZZES.