Multicultural Education
“At its best, multiculturalism is an ongoing process of questioning, revising, and struggling to create greater equity in every nook and cranny of school life...It is a fight for economic and social justice . . .. Such a perspective is not simply about explaining society; it is about changing it.” (Nieto 2) As we look into the text Affirming Diversity, we find Sonia Nietos insights and research on the struggle for equality in education. Nieto has defined culture as “the ever-changing values, traditions, social and political relationships, and worldview created, shared, and transformed by a group of people bound together by a combination of factors that can include a common history, geographic location, language, social …show more content…
When I first started learning about culture and diversity in the classroom, my thoughts about multi-cultural education included treating everyone fairly, accepting each others differences and celebrating our cultures through education and experiences that will allow students to learn about one another. As the class has progressed I have become more aware of the struggle for educational equality in the classroom with resources, wealth, school systems and administrators that have biases or just don’t care. All students deserve an equitable education. Equity goes beyond equality: It means that all students must be given the real possibility of an equality of outcomes (Nieto 9). Through Affirming Diversity and other video and class assignments I am able to see important factors that play a huge part in overcoming the inequality seen in classrooms today. Culture cannot be reduced to the low levels of fun, food and fiestas as these are just elements of culture. Nieto see that culture must be seen as dynamic, active, changing, always on the move. We can look into school systems curriculum and pedagogy today and see that the overall view of culture looks to be more static than dynamic. If schools could look at culture and individual identity in …show more content…
I see social justice as equal judgment for all people and cultures. Nieto explains that social justice is not about being nice or giving students a pat on the back but instead involves integrating 4 different aspects. The first aspect being that it places challenge to the biases, judgments and false interpretations that lead to structural inequality based on culture and race. As a teacher I must be aware of racism and the stereotypes surrounding me so that I can effectively place topics that encourage students to work and understand the need for equality with their peers and everyone around them. As a teacher it is important for me to maintain a growth mindset where I can encourage challenging curriculum to all my students with the necessary resources and learning experiences that are unique to their specific needs. Teachers must strive to see their students potential and growth regardless of race, wealth or culture. As for the second aspect of social justice, educators must always be aware of the pedagogy or hidden message behind the instruction of their teaching. Looking beyond the classroom, teachers must see the impact of positive outside influences as well. Districts must outline equal policies and regulations that provide equal learning opportunities for children to gain experience and find their unique gifts and talents. This notion brings us to the third aspect of social
“At its best, multiculturalism is an ongoing process of questioning, revising, and struggling to create greater equity in every nook and cranny of school life...It is a fight for economic and social justice . . .. Such a perspective is not simply about explaining society; it is about changing it.” (Nieto 2) As we look into the text Affirming Diversity, we find Sonia Nietos insights and research on the struggle for equality in education. Nieto has defined culture as “the ever-changing values, traditions, social and political relationships, and worldview created, shared, and transformed by a group of people bound together by a combination of factors that can include a common history, geographic location, language, social …show more content…
When I first started learning about culture and diversity in the classroom, my thoughts about multi-cultural education included treating everyone fairly, accepting each others differences and celebrating our cultures through education and experiences that will allow students to learn about one another. As the class has progressed I have become more aware of the struggle for educational equality in the classroom with resources, wealth, school systems and administrators that have biases or just don’t care. All students deserve an equitable education. Equity goes beyond equality: It means that all students must be given the real possibility of an equality of outcomes (Nieto 9). Through Affirming Diversity and other video and class assignments I am able to see important factors that play a huge part in overcoming the inequality seen in classrooms today. Culture cannot be reduced to the low levels of fun, food and fiestas as these are just elements of culture. Nieto see that culture must be seen as dynamic, active, changing, always on the move. We can look into school systems curriculum and pedagogy today and see that the overall view of culture looks to be more static than dynamic. If schools could look at culture and individual identity in …show more content…
I see social justice as equal judgment for all people and cultures. Nieto explains that social justice is not about being nice or giving students a pat on the back but instead involves integrating 4 different aspects. The first aspect being that it places challenge to the biases, judgments and false interpretations that lead to structural inequality based on culture and race. As a teacher I must be aware of racism and the stereotypes surrounding me so that I can effectively place topics that encourage students to work and understand the need for equality with their peers and everyone around them. As a teacher it is important for me to maintain a growth mindset where I can encourage challenging curriculum to all my students with the necessary resources and learning experiences that are unique to their specific needs. Teachers must strive to see their students potential and growth regardless of race, wealth or culture. As for the second aspect of social justice, educators must always be aware of the pedagogy or hidden message behind the instruction of their teaching. Looking beyond the classroom, teachers must see the impact of positive outside influences as well. Districts must outline equal policies and regulations that provide equal learning opportunities for children to gain experience and find their unique gifts and talents. This notion brings us to the third aspect of social