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Maura Costello Education 610 Multicultural Education We live in a society of multiple cultures in the United States. There have been numerous waves of immigration to the United States to bring all different types of people here in the nineteenth century and immigrants are still coming into this country today. Today the main wave of immigration is from Latin America countries. The question is should we teach about Multiculturalism in the classroom. “The United States has been enriched by every ethnic and racial group to land on these shores.” With all the various types of children throughout the United States it is hard to ignore that we are a multicultural society. So as teachers we need to teach our students about the various types of people and children around them. Students need to learn about tolerance and about other cultures in the world, not just their own cultures. Incorporating a multicultural curriculum in the schools guarantees that students are learning about other like them, students need to relate to the material for it to be effective. “ Multicultural education reflects the realities of school children. Multicultural education is an essential component to a sound basic education, as indispensible as reading arithmetic, writing and computer literacy. “   For a school in the US not to teach about other cultures doesn’t make sense, we live in a society that is overflowing with cultures from around the world, and our students need to have some understanding of that. Lisa Banavich Reaction Paper- Chapter 12 ECUD 610

I believe that students have the right to learn about different cultures as they go through school. It is not only a matter of learning about other cultures but helping students to understand that there is more to the world than just themselves and in this case, their own culture. I think that my students, especially since they are in the suburbs, are quite sheltered and do not know much about other cultures that exist around the world, or even traditions and cultures that exist right in their own states and cities. As the population changes in my school district, students and their families are slowly having to adjust to a multitude of new cultures around them, whether they want to or not. In my opinion, it will only strengthen a community and an individual to know more about the people that they are co-existing with. If we expect students to go out into the world after graduating and be able to compete in the global workforce, then they certainly need to have background knowledge about cultures besides their own. In our society,adult individuals already have problems with tolerating other cultures. It makes sense to start educating our children at a young age about the different cultures and perspectives of the people around them. The United States is only going to become more and more of a “melting pot.” It is vital that people understand where others’ beliefs and values are coming from. Not only will American born students learn about their (possibly) immigrant classmates’ cultures, the students who are new to our country will also be learning about their new home as well. This is something that seems so common sense that it’s amazing that it hasn’t already been going on for years. There is sure to be a way to present all cultures in a fair light and in an equal measure. Respecting each culture as it is presented will be an important matter as well. It will be a challenging curriculum to create, but I think a very worthwhile one. ** Denise Alexander ** ** Multicultural Education ** The demographic make-up of America is increasingly diverse. It is important that the students in our classrooms understand their fellow Americans and our shared culture. In addition, multicultural education reduces fear, ignorance and personal isolation of minority students. Stereotyping and prejudice are often rooted in misinformation and unfamiliarity. Through multicultural education, students can gain an appreciation for members of other ethnic, racial and cultural groups. This type of education often helps to alleviate some of the tension between groups. However, if the students are still being exposed to racist and prejudicial remarks at home, then the benefit of such an education may be limited. In contrast, sometimes dwelling on cultural differences can highlight these differences creating further tension between groups. Another concern that is often brought up is the fact that multicultural education sometimes replaces general American history because American history is seen as “White History.” Students of European descent can feel slighted by the emphasis on African American History or Hispanic History, for example. There needs to be a balance of information so that all ethnic groups are represented in Social Studies. This will benefit all the students and provide them with a more well-rounded education. Teachers need to remember that it is just as important to celebrate the similarities between cultures as it is to celebrate the differences. Groups can feel a connection if they have had similar hardships, for example, the Jewish community and the African American community in terms of prejudice and unfair treatment. Showing the common threats that exist in culture and history can help students to make sense of their place in the world as well as a sense of empathy for others.

Kelly McCaffrey Chapter 12 Multicultural Education: Democratic or Divisive While many argue that public education and the public education experience is not most advantageous, I believe that my public school experiences gave me the opportunity to have exposure to and experiences with other races, cultures, and religions which have helped me to become the open-minded person I am today. I didn’t realize, however, how those experiences affected me until I went to college. During my first year, I met many new people and many of these individuals came from private, Catholic schools. It was interesting to see how some of these individuals reacted to individuals of a different race. I was appalled to hear racial and ignorant comments that were being made from kind, well-educated people who had overall good morals. I soon realized that the comments being made were out of ignorance, not unkindness. I did not fault these individuals because I realized that they simply had had little or no exposure to other races and unfortunately they had believed the stereotypes. This experience made me cherish my public school experience even more. This is why I believe that “public schools should be places where students hear the stories of many different groups.” Nelson, Palonsky, and McCarthy p.292) Multiculturalism can and should easily be incorporated in the everyday curriculum of public schools. I feel that the best way to reduce or dare I say eliminate racism is to expose children to other races, cultures, religions, values, and morals. By exposing children to the many different perspectives that individuals have, they will have a better understanding as a whole. Many people have not had exposure to other races and cultures and are therefore ignorant to these differences. Ignorance can and often will result in racism or religious intolerance. “Multiculturalism is not about pitting one group against others or claiming that any one perspective is more valid or more valued. Multiculturalism is about fairness and justice.” (p. 292) Fairness and justice must be taught and in order for it to be taught correctly, students must be aware and exposed to individual differences and then accept and appreciate these individuals for their differences. The reality is we live in a country that is home to many different individuals who have many different perspectives on many different things and “not only will there be more Americans in the future, they will differ from one another more than ever before in history.” (p. 289)

Amanda Moseley EDUC 610 Reflection Chapter 12

Should schools emphasize America’s cultural diversity or the shared aspects of American culture? Schools should recognize America’s cultural diversity with establishing a few goals that can be reached. The first goal is recognizing social and cultural changes. This helps improve students’ understanding of the ever changing American society. Because teachers come into contact with a variety of students from a various cultural backgrounds, educators must look particularly at how each of these identities has impacted the individual learner and the entire group in which they interact with on a daily basis. Currently, at my school we represent students from about twenty five different countries. Establishing an understanding for culture and the learning process is also an important part of multicultural education. Teachers should be mindful of what background knowledge and experiences students bring with them to the school. Children come from unique and diverse family lives, which influence the available resources that can be applied to the educational environment. Teachers must beware of cultural norms and practices to build a strong rapport with their students. Development of intercultural sensitivity and cross-cultural understanding is crucial in maintaining an effective multicultural educational environment. Teachers, in particular, must broaden their instructional strategies to reflect an understanding of the various groups represented in the school. To help teachers understand the interaction between culturally different individuals, teachers should be educated on the cultural backgrounds prominent in their district. Finally, encouraging teachers to impart their characteristics of understanding and acceptance of cultures is a skill that is essential for improving intercultural interaction amongst our students. Our society must prepare multicultural citizens who will openly participate in an interdependent world. Teachers should strive to produce students who are reflective decision makers who are socially and politically active in the school, community, nation, and world. Our society is ever changing and educators must teach our students to adjust accordingly to the changing world.