...Robert Alan Silverstein once said, “Cultural differences should not separate us from each other, but rather cultural diversity brings a collective strength that can benefit all of humanity.” The United States, at its core, has always been founded on diversity. Since the idea of America being a melting pot began, our nation has become more diverse and has tirelessly strived to be more inclusive. However, both the church and secular classrooms struggle to understand and appreciate diversity causing many culture problems to arise. Our biggest priority should then be to identify the issues and highlight the all the benefits diversity brings. In order to accept diversity, it is important that you understand it. “Cultural diversity encompasses the whole range of human experiences including, but not limited to, age, gender, racial classification, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic class, ability, national origin, geographical location, political orientation, physical size, and appearance (“What’s So Important…”).” This shows that diversity is so important because it ultimately will affect at least one or more aspect of an individual’s life. Diversity in culture guides and shapes viewpoints and outlooks of individuals. Understanding...
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...As a teacher you must be aware of what is going on in the classroom and pay attention to children from diverse backgrounds. Just as Dr. Garcia stated it could be easy for them to disengage and separate themselves from the other children (Fostering Cultural Responsive Interactions). I would make sure that I would incorporate activities that make all children feel represented and respected. As a teacher, it is my responsibility to make every child feel that they are a part of the classroom. Finally, I think that being resourceful and utilizing all resources will help in a diverse classroom. I’m the kind of person who is curious by nature anyway, so if I do not know or understand something, I ask about it, look it, read about it, or do whatever I can to find out about it. I would do the same thing with the different diversity of the classroom. I would pull resources, get other people from the community who are familiar with a particular culture to come in and give insight. I would purchase my own materials If not provided to help in the classroom. And one of the most important things I would do is to utilize the children’s family. I would have them come in own cultural day or night and share their experiences so that the children can learn and develop a respect of one another’s diversity. I believe that all three of the R’s that I mentioned are things that I would do personally in my very own classroom to ensure that I foster culturally responsive interaction not just among...
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...1999). This definition presents the foundational belief of pride, freedom, value, ideas that formed America. One of the most unique aspects of the United States is the diversity of its people. On the Statue of Liberty is engraved “give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breath free,” America has upheld through the mixture of people of different races, religions, and creeds. According to James Banks’s Introduction to Multicultural Education (Boston, 1999) shares that multicultural education consist of: equity pedagogy, empowerment, knowledge construction, content integration, and prejudice reduction. Equity pedagogy involves teachers modifying their teaching to facilitate the academic achievement of culturally diverse students (Tummala-Narra, P. 2009). There is an approach to teaching and learning that is based on conscious building, respect, and fostering cultural pluralism within racial societies. So why is the United States and most importantly the teachers in the classroom at odds with the idea of a multi-cultural and classroom? America, is the “melting pot”of the world. It has been stated that by the year 2025 the public schools will be predominately influx with minorities (Santrock, 2004). There are many reasons why multiculturaism shoud be taught in schools. Multi-cultural education is beneficial to our schools because it reduces fear, ignorance, and other feelings that some students deal with in the...
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...Kimberly Werking Cultural Diversity and Education The American classroom can at times contain many different cultural diversities and backgrounds. Students from different states or countries offer the classroom a cultural masterpiece that is designed to somehow work and at times this can be an accomplishment. A world of separation exists that can cause a series of emotions especially in regards to a student’s cultural background or race. Everyone is placed in a way by our race and the cultures we represent. Educators must be aware of this and their own position in the classroom in order to create relationships with their students in a teaching and learning manner. Race matters in everyday life. It can have a very powerful effect on interactions between students, students and teachers, and effects learning in some cases. One way to offer support for all students from different cultures is to offer multicultural education. Multicultural education is put in place to provide equal opportunities to all students in educational settings by changing the environment to reflect the cultures and groups within the classrooms. Offering this support makes the learning experience better for students who may struggle fitting in due to their race or cultural difference. The cultural differences that come with being from a different state or country should be embraced in order to allow our educational system to move forward into embracing cultural differences and diversities that make up our...
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...intelligence that the employees need to consider is relationship management with building cultural diversity among...
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...therefore, there is an increasing need for teachers to exhibit culturally sensitive behaviors in the classroom (Cross, 2003). In order to adapt in such an environment, practitioners must understand that cultural differences do not merely serve as a backdrop- they must be seriously considered in order to achieve success. In fact, key studies have found that individuals who have thrived in these classrooms exhibited a unique combination of personal characteristics (both innate and learned) and were aware of the challenging road ahead of them. Considering the fact that urban schools are made up of such diverse students, the question then arises if teachers of these classroom culturally follow suit. According to one article, 85.6% of urban schoolteachers are white (Cross, 2003). This sort of homogeneous instruction, if not approached properly, could certainly have negative effects towards the effectiveness of equitable education. For example, some students of color may not trust the teacher because they could have been isolated from diversity in their households prior to formal schooling. These urban students may feel an overall sense of detachment from their instructors and this could inevitably harm their enthusiasm and will to learn. Since it is known that most urban teachers are white and most commonly females, how are they supposed to relate to their culturally rich classroom and provide for all students an equitable education? One study examined twelve instructors...
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...Intercultural Communication Plan for a Multicultural Classroom Instructor Dr. Ashley Berger July 25, 2012 Intercultural Communication Plan for a Multicultural Classroom This paper on Intercultural Communication Plan for a Multicultural Classroom is going to look on the importance of early education educators creating a multicultural classroom that will include all the different ethnic groups. This it will help to create a learning environment that will help all the students. In my experience working in a Head Start classroom I have learned that facilitating intercultural communication, and cross-cultural understanding is possible for students in a multicultural classroom, and that different cultures can be taught and incorporated in the classroom. Prince George's County Public Schools is number twenty-five in the nation for one of the largest school districts. They have 205 schools and about 125,000 students. They have approximately 18,000 employees that work for the school. The budget annually is $1.6 billion, and the school district caters to a socially inclusive student population. Prince George's County Public Schools are known for their innovative programs. The Prince George's County Public Schools believes that incorporating a multicultural education program in the schools creates and promotes an understanding of the diverse population of students that they have. The school that I work in Patuxent Elementary school is a community school that opened its doors in...
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...to do of a classroom, how the children acted during my visit, and an important topic in education which is multi-cultural diversity which is present in almost every classroom all over the country. For my observation, I visited a 1st grade classroom in my old school which is Yeshiva Derech HaTorah. I attended this school from 1st to 12th grade so it just me made me want to go and observe one of the classroom but for once, not as a student. The teacher’s name is Morah Maya, she is a close family friend as well so I figures, she would be on board with me coming in and she was. I was very excited for my visit in her classroom and was actually looking forward. In the classroom, there is 27 children with one head teacher and 1 teacher’s assistant. Though you may think this is a crazy ratio but it’s not because since this is a private school, the classroom are not that big as you would see compared to a public school. Even though there is only a teacher and an assistant, there is also one speech therapist assigned to one child to help him and there is also one Occupational Therapist in the classroom as well. The schedule of this 1st grade is different every day but since I visited on a Friday where the day is shorter for them because they all have to get home and get ready for Shabbat, their day still consists of all 3 teachers and here is their schedule: (Will be shown at the end of the essay). The next part of this essay is the floor plan of the classroom that I visited:...
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...They must develop culturally sensitive curricula that integrate multicultural viewpoints and histories, apply instructional strategies that encourage all students to achieve, and review school and district policies related to educational equity. Teacher education programs in particular are responsible for preparing future teachers to promote meaningful, engaged learning for all students, regardless of their race, gender, ethnic heritage, or cultural background. Multiculturalism and diversity in classrooms has also been increasing at the same rate as immigration. As interdependence among nations is limiting cultural barriers, the movement between countries is also becoming more fluid. Competition for talented global workers is increasing the demand of immigrants to migrate with their families. This mass migration is becoming the reason of large classrooms with children from all different backgrounds. It is interesting to see the change in the way large companies work today as well. Many companies are noticing the importance of cross cultural training, as it is becoming an integral part of employee training to better equip them with skills that will help in building successful business relationships. Now the bigger question is why wait till a child reaches that level to make them globally aware? If they grow up...
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...A plan for a culturally diverse classroom Kathy Herman AED 204 February 26, 2012 Jamie Handling A plan for a culturally diverse classroom Current teaching strategies must be designed to account for the multicultural classrooms of today. If not teaching is doomed to fail. I am studying to be a teacher. As such I understand that I too must plan for the multicultural classroom. As a result I will discuss the varied elements of my plan. Doing so will help me to refine my plan. My plan would have to incorporate patience and regard for all of the cultures present in the classroom. Plans have to be tailored to the specific area of the country where one lives so I will focus on my home town area. An important aspect of my plan is that the classroom should have an activity board. Important events, e.g. holiday celebrations, should be posted to this board. Holidays in particular should be events that all students participate in. Therefore they should be celebrated in the context of all relevant cultural viewpoints. Today the diversity of students in the classroom is higher than it has ever been. Old teaching strategies, which were designed for less diverse class types, must make way for new in order for students to be properly educated. This proper education must contain elements of all of the cultures present in the classroom. According to Johnson, et al “Provision of social justice and equality is a moral and ethical responsibility of educators; the goal is...
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...Abercrombie EDUC 2312.01 19 October 2013 Culture Diversity in the Classroom What is culture? Culture is “the quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, manners, and scholarly pursuits.” (Dictionary.com) What does culture look like in the classroom? When viewing culture from a teacher’s perspective, it can be broken down into four different categories such as, religion, ethnicity, language, and economic status. These categories can help to define a classrooms culture. Our goal is to examine how culture, broken into these four categories, is viewed in the classroom. Race and Ethnicity(Sarah): In a classroom, a teacher will come across a variety of different races and ethnicities. Race refers to the physical attributes associated with certain groups, such as Caucasian, Asian, Hispanic, African American, etc. Ethnicity is the specific groups within a race. For example, within the Caucasian race, you will find the Irish, French, German, etc. Also associated with ethnicity are the societal characteristics for each group within a race such as language and religious beliefs. In a classroom with multiple races and ethnicities, comes a wide range of religious backgrounds, languages, holidays, and customs. This can prove to have both positive and negative aspects within a classroom environment. Positive things that can come from a large collection of racial and ethnic diversity are the relationships formed on common ground by...
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...Students Chapter 3 Learner Diversity: Differences in Today’s Students Chapter 4 Changes in American Society: Their Influences on Today’s Schools ISBN: 0-536-29980-3 Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, Second Edition, by Donald Kauchak and Paul Eggen Published by Prentice-Hall/Merrill. Copyright © 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. ISBN: 0-536-29980-3 Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, Second Edition, by Donald Kauchak and Paul Eggen Published by Prentice-Hall/Merrill. Copyright © 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc. Learner Diversity Differences in Today’s Students T eachers begin their careers expecting to find classrooms like the ones they experienced when they were students. In some ways classrooms are the same. Students go to school to learn, but they also want to have fun and be with their friends. They expect to work but often need encouragement from their teachers. They’re typical kids. Classrooms are changing, however; the population of our schools is becoming increasingly diverse. Students come from different cultures and speak many different languages at home; they possess a range of abilities and talents; and issues involving differences between boys and girls are receiving increased attention. In this chapter we examine this diversity as we try to answer the following questions: ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ What is cultural diversity, and how does it influence student learning? How are the educational experiences of boys and girls different...
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...Infusing Diversity into Mathematics Cultural diversity refers to human activity and symbolic structure that gives significance of the activity. Culture also refers to an individual, group or society. Technology, art, science, characteristic behaviors and habits can even be referred to as culture. It classifies, symbolizes and defines features of humans. Also other references can be the way people live such as beliefs, language, history and even the way they dress. Academic achievements for students require infusing disciplinary knowledge and the knowledge of student diversity into the curriculum. In mathematics, it sometimes can be viewed as culture free, which can mean that it is not necessarily a social and culture discipline. What should be understood by the teachers is that how the knowledge that is understood in mathematics can be related to norms and values of diverse languages and cultures. One way to infuse diversity in mathematics is by acknowledging what they do know instead of what they don’t know. So for an example, the students who have knowledge of the subway system can use the system as a better understanding of operations with integers. There is a needed focus on student’s strengths where curriculum and instruction is based on what the students know. In order to deal and maintain integration diverse cultures in the classroom there is needed conceptual framework. There are three well known approaches for teaching mathematics while infusing diverse cultures...
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...At first, I did not understand why the question regarding diversity and inclusivity was being asked and thus, did not quite know how to respond. I believe after the readings, classroom discussions, and working with the identity pyramid worksheet, I am able to realize and understand that the University of Illinois promotes and emphasizes diversity and inclusivity. The reason behind is because the world is changing and the culture of this world is so diverse. Outside of the bubble that is the university’s campus, the world is filled with many different people with different beliefs, different ethnicity, and different in general. That is why by promoting inclusivity and diversity, this university is able to try their best to foster and grow students whose minds are open and accepting of new religions, political views, and opinions. Although not always in agreement, by promoting diversity and inclusivity, University of Illinois will be able to teach how to respectfully and effectively disagree or convey alternative opinions. I realized in the classroom discussions especially, the importance of inclusivity is rightfully stressed. Through obstacles such as...
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...Diversity is an important part of education but in my community diversity rarely exists. The lack of avenues to open the community up to diversity is precisely why students aren't educated in diversity here. We are a small redneck town (which I wouldn't change for the world) that just isn't exposed to other cultures and ethnicities. The only way that students are exposed to diversity, in a cultural sense, is if they have the ability to travel or communicate with other cultures via the internet, Skype, Facebook, etc. Some kids are extremely diverse but their education in diversity is not a result of their schooling, it is a result of their travels, exposure and friendships to people of other countries and regions. In our school district we do have foreign exchange students who offer some insight into the lives of other cultures, genders, etc. We also have “distant learning” classes available at our school for students who want to take them. I feel that our local communities are very close-minded in terms of other cultures and the ways in which diversity can benefit us. Due to my own lack of cultural education I am going to write about the history of and importance of multicultural education in the school systems, citizen education programs and cultural enrichment activities.. Multicultural education has slowly evolved since its origins in the 1950’s civil rights movement to become part of the cultural mainstream. The desire to recognize the diversity of cultures rather...
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