MULTICULTURALISM and DIVERSITY in EDUCATION

MY PERCEPTUAL LENS

MY PERCEPTUAL LENS

What do you see?

MY PERCEPTUAL LENS

What do you see?

MY PERCEPTUAL LENS

A Quick Quiz:

1. YOU  ARE A PARTICIPANT IN A RACE. YOU OVERTAKE THE SECOND PERSON. WHAT POSITION ARE YOU  IN?2. IF YOU OVERTAKE THE LAST PERSON, THEN YOU ARE IN

WHAT POSITION?

3. MARY'S FATHER HAS FIVE DAUGHTERS. THE NAMES ARE NANA, NENE, NINI, NONO, AND ________ .     WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE FIFTH DAUGHTER?

MY PERCEPTUAL LENS

What is this?

MY PERCEPTUAL LENS

What is this?

PEOPLE ALWAYS RESIST CHANGE.WHAT PREVENTS THEM FROM SEEING, ACCEPTING & UNDERSTANDING NEW AND/OR DIFFERENT IDEAS?

Why?

DIRECTIONS

DON’T READ THE WORDS, SAY THE COLORS QUICKLY IN WHICH THEY ARE PRINTED.

Although we see both the color and the meaning of each word, experience has taught us to pay more attention to the meaning.

James R. Stroop called this the “interference effect.”

WHAT IS MULTICULTURALISM?

“the preservation of different cultures / cultural identities within a unified society”

“several different cultures coexist peacefully and equitably”

“relating to the social or educational theory that encourages interest in many cultures within a society rather than in only one mainstream culture”

MULTICULTURALISM İN EDUCATION

Schools serve a society which is rich in ethnic, racial and cultural diversity. …The public schools, therefore, have a responsibility for developing in all students an understanding, tolerance, respect and appreciation for the variety of cultural attributes and behaviours.

TRADITIONAL APPROACHES TO MULTICULTURALISM IN THE CURRICULUM AND CLASSROOM

1) Centered on Dominant Culture: a context where a dominant culture’s beliefs and behaviors are mainly depicted

2) Color Denial: belief that all students are treated equally regardless of race

3) Tourist Multicultural: teaching children of other cultures only during brief episodes during school year (Sparks, 2005)

THE IMPORTANCE OF MULTICULTURALISM

Some Ideas:- Learn about diverse perspectives of the

world- Learning about one another, the histories

and contributions of diverse groups- Aware of other cultures around you. - Be tolerant, non-discriminatory of each other- Recognizing diversity in your own classroom- Democratic values, such as equality that

foster cultural pluralism- Experiences at home play a significant role

in how students learn at school

MULTICULTURALISM & CHOICE THEORY

Ethnic identity development is psychologically liberating and empowering

Identity clarification is a critical variable - a fundamental aspect - of human development

Referring to the Language simulation, how do you think choice theory relates?

Power, Love & Belonging, Freedom, Fun and survival

MULTICULTURALISM IN THE CLASSROOM

The focus for our presentation is on the transformative or integrative concept of multiculturalism.

“How to incorporate multiculturalism as a fluid element in the classroom.”

MULTICULTURALISM IN SCHOOL SUBJECTS An Activity… 1) Do you think that multiculturalism is

present in your subject, and how?

2) Suggest some practical ways in which you could incorporate multiculturalism into your subject?

MULTICULTURALISM IN SCHOOL SUBJECTS

Rank the subjects from 1-6 (1 being most multicultural elements, 6 being least)

What did you notice about the subjects by looking at the posters?

Multiculturalism is a framework to all subjects.

The teacher has to make it a ‘transformative’ element in the subjects

MULTICULTURAL ENVIRONMENT

IN THE CLASSROOM

Children need to feel included and accepted Necessary to provide variety within a

structured environment that helps optimal learning for all students

Use different learning strategies that addresses the various learning styles of students in the classroom

MULTICULTURAL ENVIRONMENT

IN THE CLASSROOM

Classroom posters, pictures, books, music, toys, dolls that are diverse in ethnicity, gender, age, abilities an race

Our own examples

MULTICULTURALISM IN THE CLASSROOM

A Conclusion: Example lessons and ideas Final Message: Multiculturalism should be an

important integrative part of the classroom and curriculum.

What is multicultural education?

MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION (DEFINED)

A progressive approach for transforming education that

holistically critiques and addresses current

shortcomings, failings, and discriminatory practices in

education.

MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION

The underlying goal of multicultural education is to affect social change (transformation).

•  The transformation of self;

•  The transformation of schools and schooling;

•  The transformation of society

DIVERSITY

WHY SHOULD WE LEARN ABOUT DIVERSITY

Diversity can enrich your life and your world.

Understanding and appreciating differences help:

• Individuals gain new insights and outlooks while enjoying new relationships.

• Communities tap the varied talents of their members to help meet common goals.

• Groups of every size-from classrooms to corporations–when uniqueness is respected, morale and productivity improve.

DIMENSIONS OF DIVERSITY

• Like trees in a vast forest, humans come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors.

• We share important dimensions of humankind with all members of the species.

• Biological and environmental differences separate and distinguish us as individuals and groups.

• A vast array of physical and cultural differences constitute the spectrum of human diversity.

• The various dimensions of diversity help shape our basic self-image and our fundamental world-view.

PRIMARY DIMENSIONS OF DIVERSITY

AgeRaceEthnicityHeritageGenderPhysical abilities/qualitiesSexual/affection orientationMental abilities/characteristics

SECONDARY DIMENSIONS OF DIVERSITY

EducationCommunication styleWork backgroundWork styleIncomeMarital statusMilitary experienceReligious beliefsGeographic locationParental status

Dimensions of Diversity Handout

PROCESSING WHAT HAVE YOU HEARD & ATTITUDE AWARENESS SURVEY

• What do many of the comments we have written on the lists represent?

• Are they true?

• Where did these comments come from?

• How would these stereotypes impact how we treat certain people?

• What are the implications for student achievement?

DIVERSITY & ATTITUDESTest your attitude

How aware are you about yourself and others based on age, race, gender, etc. ?

To explore, complete one of the Implicit Association Tests at:

https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/demo/takeatest.html

(https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/demo/selectatest.html)

OBJECTIVES:

• To discuss the impact of stereotyping in the educational setting

• To examine a framework to measure educator’s development towards cultural competency in a multicultural context

WHAT WE KNOW

• There are differences between and among groups of people.

• Race is a socially constructed attribute that is a social phenomenon.

• Racism is a system of privileged discourses and discriminatory institutional practices, which acts upon our individual perceptions of reality.

And, our understanding of what is real is intrinsically racist because we have grown up in and live in a society with racist institutions.

WHAT WE KNOW

• Race is undeniably an element of social status and is therefore, negotiated as a social process rather than as a biological determinant.

Thus, the permanence of racism in our social reality means we have a personal responsibility to understand racism and work against its effects on our interpretations, our identities and how they play out in our classrooms to the extent which our discursive practices maintain inequity and injustice.

WHAT WE KNOW

• Cultural differences influence the teaching-learning process.

• Schools, like society, advantage some groups more than others.

• Schools adhere to a color-blind paradigm.

WHAT WE KNOW

• Culturally responsive teachers value and build on students’ prior knowledge.

“If our destination is excellence on a massive scale, not only must we change from the slow lane into the

fast lane; we must literally change highways. Perhaps we need to abandon the highways altogether and take flight, because the highest goals

that we can imagine are well within reach for those who have the

will to excellence.”

Asa Hillard, University of Georgia

AS OUR STUDENTS BECOME

MORE AND MORE DIVERSE…

SO MUST OUR WAYS OF

TEACHING THEM.

“Exploring Diversity in the Classroom Through Teaching & Learning”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-qnuqCZ7hg

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Reflect and identify a paradigm that you currently hold that will be problematic for you in working with students that are different from you.

As a classroom teacher, what strategies will you use to adjust the identified paradigm to work effectively in a multicultural setting with diverse student?