Cultural Awareness In Intercultural Education

1. Cultural Awareness was something that I thought I had a grasp on before entering this class. I felt like I was a very open person, but after completing this class and looking back on the readings and assignments, I realized that there are several layers to cultural awareness. Nieto & Bode (2008) point out that “before we can ask schools to change in order to teach all students, we need to understand the differences that students bring with them to school” (p. 171). It is one thing to know that different cultures exist, but it is another to be in contact with and to connect with different cultures. In my classroom, I know that I will have students from all different cultures and in order to make them feel accepted, I need to have an understanding …show more content…
Socioeconomic status between different schools is also an area that made me change perspectives. Throughout my schooling, I did not look at my school and think that I was getting more than other students were getting at an older school. After completing this course, however, I realized that schools get a different amount of funding depending on the socioeconomic status of the area and students that attend the school. After completing the CBEDS assignment, we found that the school with a higher socioeconomic status had more funding and access to technology than the school with lower socioeconomic status. Persell (2007) states, “children of different social classes are likely to attend different types of schools, [and] to receive different types of instruction.” This has brought to light that there is an inequity within even our public school system and that needs to be changed. It is important that all students get equal access to technology and chances at a higher …show more content…
Diverse teaching beyond race, ethnicity, and religion was another thing that impacted me during this class. At the beginning of this course, I was aware that we, as educators, need to be conscious of different cultures, but another aspect of teaching is to reach out to students that have different learning capabilities. When we learned about giftedness as well as the multiple intelligences that students have, it opened my eye to just how diverse of teacher I want and need to be for my students. With TPE 15, I “will understand when and how to collaborate with others, especially curriculum specialists, community leaders, and parents on preparing relevant and appropriate instructional activities, curricular units, and school structures that would provide equitable outcomes for students from different linguistic, cultural, and social economic backgrounds” (p.4). With this course I have learned how important it is to treat my students as equals in order to ensure their success. By working with the school and parents, and getting to know my students, I can gather enough information to turn my classroom into a place of acceptance and educational