Multicultural Education, Social Services and Community Resources - Essay Example

?Multicultural Education Introduction Effective instruction requires research that demonstrates compatibility of culturally pertinent pedagogy. Multicultural education is instruction that involves parties across cultures. People differ in thoughts involving religion, economic, ethnic values, linguistic backgrounds, immigrant status; social class etc (Banks, 2000, p. 206). This paper shall analyze community demographics and predict the form of diversity expected in the classroom. It shall identify cases which represent the diverse groups found within the community. The paper will research upon the social services and community resources available and institutional barriers anticipated so as to enhance the best possible learning. In addition, the paper shall develop an action plan that will enable to cope with latent barriers and ensure that communities and families feel the care of their success. Community demographics The current astonishing classroom diversity predicts the foremost demographic shift in the United States community. In the year 2010, the Hispanics accounted for approximately 43 percent of the population growth in the United States. For the next 20 years, the school aged population would include an increase of 64 percent of Hispanic. In the year 2000, the Asian, non Hispanic school aged population would be estimated at approximately 4 percent plus a projection of 6.6 percentage increase over the years. The Native American and African American populations have stagnated over the years since the year 2000. In other words, the demographic changes within the American classrooms constitute approximately 43 percent of students from ethnically and racially diverse backgrounds. The Latinos are about 20 percent, the Blacks 17 percent of the school population. The white students represent approximately 57 percent of the enrollment within the public schools. This is a decrease from approximately 61 percent over the years since 1993. In the prime school districts, over half of the students are non white. The demographic projections predict students of color becoming the majority within the United States by the year 2023. A distinctive feature of such diversity is the fundamental increase of school children who now live below the poverty line. Approximately 300,000 school age children have no homes. Over 20 percent of the nation’s children in the school age live in economic poverty. Consequently, this data on demographic changes in the United States community proclaim that educators initiate pedagogical approaches, which address the needs of learners of their linguistic and cultural background, immigrant status, or social class. Diversity expected in the classroom There is escalating diversity as well as the mounting recognition of diversity in communities, nations, states in the world. The United States school community has experience diversity in the classroom. They encompass cultural, ethnic, racial, religious, language, and socioeconomic diversity. Such forms of diversity offer a pure, excellent context for learners to acquire the skills and multicultural understanding required in the local communities. All students should incorporate multicultural perspective so as to enhance a proper self understanding and self concept. The perspective initiates understanding and sensitivity of others in the community. One can formulate decisions and obtain effective actions based on multicultural synthesis and analysis. Instructors and students have the ability to address issues with an open mind. Diversity in the classroom enhances an understanding of the practice of stereotyping, respect for all people and self pride among students. This enhances a low degree of thinking stereotypically. The teachers, who are relevant culturally, use the best known for effective teaching. Research shows that, successful instructors of learners of color demonstrate behaviors that match those of the instructions. Teachers who apply culturally relevant pedagogy possess more expertise of their professional than effective teachers who lack cultural skills. Teachers in culturally relevant pedagogy can connect students’ previous knowledge and cultural practices with novel concepts (Diller & Moule, 2005, p. 72). The instructor can design and construct appropriate transfer devices and set up high expectations. The teacher has the capacity to institute positive climates in the classrooms. A positive relationship with the community and parents can be created. People who share cultural backgrounds form an ethnic group. Ethnic diversity has enabled many educators to identify the need to develop multicultural education knowledge within the public schools in my community. This develops competent educators who have sensitivity and understanding towards cultures and ethnics reflected in the populations of students. In this case, teachers become unbiased while making decisions that might affect all students. Teachers take the approach of multicultural festival to enable students commemorate ethnic diversity through fun, foods, and festivals. This is to convey the concept that issues of diversity come into action during moments of celebrations. As depicted, the schools in the United States community comprise of students from different races. This include the whites, the blacks, Asians, Latinos, etc. these are tribes or races that can be anticipated in any American class. The instructors can belong to any of these races. In this case, he or she can institute learning tools that meet the expectations of all learners despite the race. These races stipulate languages in which most of them are ESL (English Second Language) learners. Instructors who understand these students shall incorporate approaches that satisfy all individuals. Teachers must also understand the home lives of their students. The hardships that the youngsters face in the urban housing projects should be put into consideration. The struggles among generations in strong immigrant families overwhelmingly influence the ability and motivation of a learner to succeed in school. The cultural norms learners carry on to school add novel subtleties to issues stemming from gender and socioeconomic class. Cases which represent different groups in the classroom Minority versus majority case: one Thursday morning Mr. Ferguson and his students read a story on African American athlete. The class constituted two white and seven Black Americans students. One of the white students jumped outside his seat and threw the reading material on the floor and shouted that he would not read the material any more. The African American students responded that they would whip him. This created commotion in class in which the white students would be prompted to go out of the class. This is a clear indicator that the minority group in the classroom would be underrated. The teacher has the role to use learning approaches and integrate material that meet the need for all learners. Ethnic group’s case: one of the public elementary school in Maryland had posters of different ethnicities in the classrooms. They represented families and pictures from different ethnic groups. The pictures had labels of several languages. It would be observed that the children developed affection towards each other. The staff was warm and attentive towards the children. This case represents how a variety of multicultural materials would be appreciated in the school (Aldeman, 2003, p. 302). Multilingual, multicultural classroom climate case: Mr. Peterson taught in one of the elementary school in the community. He taught English subject. Many of his students had English as the second language. The ESL students would be slow learners to construct words that form complete sentences. Mr. Peterson engaged learners in literacy activities that would enhance their interaction to learn English language. The classroom atmosphere became superb and free of stereotyping. Community resources and social services available The United States community has established organizations, which provide social service and resources to folks in the learning institutions. The Academy for Educational Development develops programs and research related to diverse concerns impacting the success of student, comprises a federal resource. The American Federation of Teachers provides policy initiatives and resources to enhance the student achievement. Expose Racism and Advance Excellence are research centers that promote reform in schools to eradicate racial inequality. In this case, it enhances achievement for the minority students (Gollnick & Chinn, 2006, p.67). The Center for Research on Education, Diversity, and Excellence produce educational practices reports and research that focus on the linguistically diverse students. The College Board offers services on publication reaching the top. This involves a report on the Minority High Achievement in the National Task Force. The Councils for Basic Education is a research center that focuses on the improvement in schools and practices for efficient instruction for learners from diversity. Council for Exceptional Children provides a variety of informational, support, and educational services associated to children with disabilities. The Council of the Great City Schools gives the report on closing the Achievement Gap in Urban Schools in regard to the student achievement information. Cross City Campaign for Urban School Reform disseminates resources and information related to the schools established in the urban centers. The education alliances get established to offer resources and research for educating and training diverse learners. The non profit foundation such as the Educational Research Service offers information needs for the public and educators and research. Educational Resources Information Center coordinates dissemination activities and educational outreach for federal clearing houses. They focus on unique topics stipulating rural and urban education and the learners who are diverse linguistically. Programs such as Gates Millennium Scholars give annual college scholarship information regarding the minority students. The scholarship funding gets established and enhanced by Melinda and Bill Gates. The organization of Generating Expectations for Students Achievement provides educators with training. The equitable education enhances student achievement. The Mid Atlantic Equity Center is a regional center facilitated by the education department of the United States. It gives technical assistance on related issues of gender, national origin, and race and promotes equity in education. The institutional barriers In order to provide possible learning opportunity for students in my community, several barriers should be recognized. Instructional materials and textbooks: there exists invisibility in materials. In this case, the disability groups and micro cultures get underrepresented within the materials. Such omission shows that these groups are insignificant in the community. Imbalance and selectivity may arise when situations and issues get interpreted from a single perspective. These perspectives involve only the majority group. Such emphasis make individuals with disabilities and minority persons do not learn on contributions to the development of the community. Controversial topics get glossed over. Discussions of prejudice and discrimination tend to be avoided. The unrealistic coverage denies children the required information to recognize and conquer the problems that infect the community. Designing multicultural curriculum: these are programs for the minority, ethnic, and women studies; cultural awareness; bilingual programs; value clarification; and human relations. It involves concepts like sexism, racism, prejudice, oppression, discrimination, power inequality, stereotyping, powerless, and equality. Educators are to teach from a multicultural perspective. The approach shall require changes within the educational programs. It should enhance the values and attitudes development conducive to the promotion and preservation of cultural and ethnic diversity (Gay, 2000, p. 102). Attitudes and styles of teaching: the behavior exhibited by the instructor in the classroom is a chief factor that helps all learners attain their potential regardless of age, ethnicity, religion, gender, or exceptionality. Educators unknowingly transmit biased information to students. Most instructors do not intentionally and consciously discriminate or stereotype students. They should treat all students equitably and fairly. However, I have learned about behaviors and attitudes in my community that are ethnocentric, sexist, racist, and ageist. Some forms of bias tend to be internalized to degree that one does not recognize that he has become biased. Teachers who are able to identify the unintentional biases and subtle in their behavior can make positive changes in the classroom. The school climate: a school that verifies multiculturalism integrates the entire community in its program. This will establish participation of the community and parents in the school activities. The educators are able to understand and know the community. Teachers need to ask the community members for assistance to partake in the activities within the school. It is not a guarantee all the community members shall be positive towards the participation hence posing challenges. The action plan This action plan has the intended objectives. It will help to cope up with the potential barriers and enable the families and communities to feel that their success can be accounted. In developing this plan, the teacher education courses and approaches that emphasize service learning structures get reflected. In this case, one responds to a variety of questions. What stages of developments need to be identified in the process of teaching to enable the teacher to teach in culturally receptive ways? What would be the impact of teacher education process of adopting strategies in culturally responsive teaching? What issues can the educators spot in the process to promote and model culturally responsive pedagogy? With regard to the teacher education program nature, what can educators do to develop teachers who can meet the culturally relevant strategies in teaching? So as to answer these questions, there must be professional development competencies, to facilitate teacher efficacy and implement multicultural education (Banks, 2007, p. 46). The education should aim at accelerating the minority achievement. The core competencies shall encompass; 1) intercultural communication. 2) Prejudice reduction. 3) Designing culturally supportive environments for learning. 4) Establishing instructions and curriculum for education that is multicultural. 5) Measurements, assessments, and tests for achievement equity. The intercultural communication shall develop strategies to eradicate cultural conflict between the school and home environment. These strategies shall apply to cultures including poverty and gender. In order to reduce prejudice, the participants identify and use strategies that foster intergroup understanding and create positive social and academic relationships. A harassment and bias free environment should be created for all students. A culturally supportive environment shall involve learners to reflect their cultural identities. The plan shall appreciate and understand how expectations have philosophical impacts on self confidence and educational effects for all learners. The curriculum shall incorporate culturally relevant materials for instructions to be used in the classroom. The existing material must be checked for possible bias across gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic class. The assessment criteria shall ensure accurate, fair and equitable measures of student achievement. This shall help teachers to document instructional efficiency that results in breakthrough acceleration for the minority achievement. Conclusion This paper has described my community demographics and predicted the diversity expected in the classrooms. It has identified real life cases which represent different groups in the community. It has identified Resources and social services available in the community and institutional barriers anticipated. The paper gives an action plan that satisfies the needs for families and communities. References: Aldeman, L. (2003). Race the Power of an Illusion (Motion Picture). Los Angeles: California Newsreel. Banks, J. A. (2007). Educating Citizens in Multicultural Society. New York: Teachers College Press. Banks, J. A. (2000). Cultural Diversity and Education: Foundation, Curriculum, and Teaching (4th Edition). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Diller, J. V., & Moule, J. (2005). Cultural Competence: A Primer for Educators. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth. Gay, G. (2000). Culturally Responsive Teaching: Theory, Research and Practice. New York: Teachers College, Columbia University. Gollnick, D. M., & Chinn, P. C. (2006). Multicultural Education in a Pluralistic Society (7th Edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall. Read More