2. Multicultural
Education
National Association of Multicultural Education
definition:
• Philosophical concept built on the ideals of
freedom, justice, equality, equity and human dignity
• Roles schools play in developing the attitudes and
values
• Values cultural differences
• Challenge all forms of discrimination in schools
3. Beginning of Multicultural
Education
22 million Immigrants
between 1881 and
WWI
Aim to reduce
intergroup tensions
and increase academic
achievement for all
students.
4. Multicultural Leaders
Educators Emerge:
Rachel Davis Dubois
Service Bureau for
Intercultural Education
Benjamin Franklin High
School in Harlem
5. Levels of Culture
Level 4
• Mental Context (not directly observable)
• Knowledge, Beliefs, Values
• Conditions
• Historical, Physical, Geographical, Social, Political, Emotion
Level 3
• Mental Activity Level
• Intellectual Level 2 creativity needed to cope with level 1
Level 1
• Surface Levels (observable and most obvious)
• Behaviors and Skills
(Mushi, 2010)
6. Multicultural
Education
CHALLENGE:
Cultivate opportunities where
students experience
themselves as unique
individuals and part of an
integrated global society
7. Teacher Cultural
Competence
Examine level of
Cultural Competence
Increase awareness,
sensitivity, and
responsiveness to
diverse classrooms
Plan and implement
evolving activities
8. Intercultural Competence
Beginner Awareness of Intercultural Competence
Moderate Awareness of Intercultural Competence
Sophisticated Multicultural Awareness in Teaching
(Mushi, 2010)
9. Beginner Awareness
Traits
Culture related
activities interfere with
curriculum
Isolated cultural
understanding
Applies stereotypes
Cultures are separate
entities
Classroom Activity Examples
Absence of cultural
related activities
Looking at pictures of a
Chinese New Year
Festival
African child asked to
recite “Kwanza Pillars”
(Mushi, 2010)
10. Moderate Awareness
Traits
Cultural awareness
that thinks beyond
behavior and skills
Each individual is part
of a community
Understand how
community relates to
school
Classroom Activity Examples
Practice greetings for
different languages and
explaining meaning
Sing songs in a
different language
Drawing activities
related to culture and
community
11. Sophisticated Multicultural Awareness
Traits
Interact at local,
national and
international levels
Assist learner in
developing self as part
of a community and
global society
Integrate global
contexts into
curriculum and subject
matter
Classroom Activity Examples
Research, examine
and discuss different
plants and animals of
the world by integrating
different world
perspectives
Partner with a
classroom in another
part of the world that is
studying a similar
subject
12. Conclusion
• Integration of education and
culture
• Raise awareness of cultural
competence among
teachers
• Meaningful academic
activities promote
multicultural education
13. Resources
Banks, C.A.M. (2005). Improving Multicultural Education: Lesson
From the Intergroup Education Movement. New York:
Teachers College Press.
Banks, C.A.M. (2004). Intercultural and intergroup Education,
1929-1959:Linking Schools and Communities. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass.
Delano-Oriarian, O &. Meidel, T. (2013). Critical Conversations:
Developing White Teacher’s for Diverse Classrooms. Journal
of Praxis in Multicultural Education, 7:1, 1-32.
May, S. (1994). Making Multicultural Education Work. Great
Britain: Longdunn Press.
Mushi, S. (2004). Multicultural Competencies in Teaching: A
Typology of Classroom Activities. Intercultural Education, 15:2,
180-194.
Notas del editor
Today I want to start with the issue of multicultural/intercultural education. Today is geared toward k-12 education but can be applied to higher levels.
Multicultural and intercultural Education are often interchanged. However Intercultural has more of an emphasis on interaction among cultures
1935 marks the beginning of the coined term intercultural education when the Commission on Intercultural Education was formed
Change the structure of educational institutions so that male and female students, exceptional students, and students who are members of diverse, racial, ethnic, language, and cultural groups will have an equal chance to achieve academically in school. (Banks, 2005)
Immigrants from southern and eastern Europe
Make schools more responsive to students from diverse ethnic, religious, and cultural groups
These leaders saw education as means to target social, economic and political inequities
Organized efforts to improve human relations
1920’s Rachel Dubois initiated The Woodbury High Assembly Program in New Jersey. Dubois worked with parents, students and community member to create assemblies that fostered a deeper understanding of various cultural groups.
An idea that new immigrants were inferior had evolved among some groups
Dubois was a social activist dedicated to incorporate ethnic content into the Curriculum and connecting with local communities
BFHS in Harlem originated as a spot for new immigrants to attend school. The principal Leonard Covello implemented in-serve intercultural training for teachers
BFHS experienced success in the 1930’s and 1940’s but found it difficult to adjust with an influx of Puerto Rican and African American students in the last 40’s and ealt 50’s
Covello retired in 1956, returned to Italy in 1972 and BFHS closed its doors in 1983
Organized efforts to improve human relations
1920’s Rachel Dubois initiated The Woodbury High Assembly Program in New Jersey. Dubois worked with parents, students and community member to create assemblies that fostered a deeper understanding of various cultural groups.
An idea that new immigrants were inferior had evolved among some groups
Dubois was a social activist dedicated to incorporate ethnic content into the Curriculum and connecting with local communities
BFHS in Harlem originated as a spot for new immigrants to attend school. The principal Leonard Covello implemented in-serve intercultural training for teachers
BFHS experienced success in the 1930’s and 1940’s but found it difficult to adjust with an influx of Puerto Rican and African American students in the last 40’s and ealt 50’s
Covello retired in 1956, returned to Italy in 1972 and BFHS closed its doors in 1983
According to Mushi Culture implies a shared knowledge and beliefs systems
Level of culture must involve all four layers
Intercultural classroom activities can lead to intercultural competencies needed for effectively functioning in multicultural settings
We will examine how a teachers’ competence can impact the classroom and individual competence
Each teacher must self examine his/her own level of cultural competence
As many of you will either work with faculty or teach at any level, it is important for us to reflect on how to make curriculum multicultural
Beware that what works with one group of students or one generation might night work with another. This brings us back to BFHS and the need to evolve with changing demographics and generations.
Curriculum and activities must evolve over time. There is not one plan that fits the needs of all students, classrooms and schools. It takes time and years to develop cultural competence in the classroom.