Importance of Multicultural Education in Early Childhood Education - Annotated Bibliography Example

ASSESSMENT TASK Project Plan/Annotated Bibliography COVER SHEET School of Education Stamp è Please sign, and attach cover sheet to front of assignment A cover sheet is to be completed for each assessment task ED5833 SingaporeSUBJECT CODE STUDENT FAMILY NAME Student Given NameJCU Student Number Tangayah Saraswathy 1 2 6 6 9 3 65 ASSESSMENT TITLEProject Plan/ Annotated Bibliography DUE DATE13 August 2012 LECTURER NAMEDr Robyn Anderson Student Declaration 1. This assignment is my/our original work and no part has been copied from any other person’s work or from any other source except where acknowledgement has been made. 2. I/We hold a copy of this assignment and can produce a copy if requested. 3. This assignment has not been written for me/us by any other person. 4. This work has not been submitted for any other course/subject. 5. This work may be photocopied and/or communicated for the purpose of identifying plagiarism. 6. I/We give permission for a copy of this marked assignment to be retained by the School of Education for the purpose of course reviews by external examiners. Student Signature(s) Signed 1: Date 13 August 2012 Criteria Mark Comments Project Plan 10 marks Topic and reasons clearly stated. Currentknowledge and future researcharticulated. Presentation appropriate totopic. Reference list inclusive of allsources used and correctly presented. Appropriate literacy standard. Annotated Bibliography 10 marks Ten references, correctly cited and clearlysummarised and critique in relation toproject topic. Total/ 20 Assignment I Feedback: 1. Your rationale and purpose of the project is not clear. You need to state clearly what your study seeks to explore – multiculturalism, technology or both (and if so, how are they related?) 2. Your rationale contains no references. On what are you basing your understanding of this topic? 3. Your rationale does not include any theoretical approaches that you might draw on in explaining and addressing the REAL issues. Your discussion is very much at the surface level. 4. Check APA referencing – most referencing is incorrect 5. Avoid expressions e.g. ‘to come up with’ 6. Avoid expressions e.g. “implores on issues” (do not make sense). 7. Just wondered how you might have read 10 academic books to review them in such a short time? OR, did you read a section of the book? If so, it needs to be referenced accordingly. 8. This assignment needs to provide a basic plan for your major project. At this stage, it is rather vague with a loose direction. Your key question needs to be clear so that you know which line to argue and which studies, references you need to draw upon. Part 1: 3.5/10 Part 2: 5.5 /10 Total: 9/20 Task 1: Project Plan/ Annotated Bibliography Saraswathy Tangayah James Cook University, Australia Master of Education 13 August 2012TASK 1 Importance of multicultural education in early childhood education We are living in a highly globalized world characterized by diverse cultures and racial groupings. This change is being brought about by technology, communication and mass media (Silverstone, 2005, p.39). The increased mobility of civilizations has increased heterogeneity across the world (Silverstone, 2005, p.9). Conventional patterns of travel has been replaced by new avenues, and destinations (Silverstone, 2005, p.9). Mass media has allowed better cultural interactions and in turn has people and communities to understand each other quickly (Silverstone, 2005, p.39). The overall result is that people are now settling in areas which were perceived to be hostile and unfavorable to human life decades ago. Each and every society has now its own special group of migrant populations resulting in social diversity, and new patterns of social living but this has posed each society, a great many challenges as well (Reitz, Breton, Dion and Dion, 2009, p.11-17). The original communities have developed a fear of losing their cultural identity while the migrant groups fear a hostile environment (Reitz, Breton, Dion and Dion, 2009, p.168-175). The original dwellers tend to have a dominating trait that result in newcomers suffering suppression and cultural hegemony (Reitz, Breton, Dion and Dion, 2009, p.168-175). When this is not restrained, minority cultures will be forced to assimilate majority culture and the result is that they loose their own culture (Reitz, Breton, Dion and Dion, 2009, p.168-175). As Robinson and Jones-Diaz (2006) have pointed out, such a change will eventually lead to racism and homophobia. This study is of the view that one way of making a deliberate effort in building respect for and safeguarding different cultures is including multiculturalism in early childhood education. This way, children can grow up under equitable environments which treat all cultures equally. Neither majority or minority culture is put in a more than or less than equal position in such a scenario. Thus this study dwells on the merits as well as reasons why multicultural education should be adopted or incorporated in early childhood education. The choice of this topic was inspired by the current social context in Singapore. The country is home to many cultural groupings, the major ones being, Malay, Chinese, Indian, and European (Goh, 2010, p.126). Though all these groups have been supported by the governemnt and have also carved a realm of their own in the Singaporean society, there still exist problems of “racial prejudice, stereotypes, and institutional racism” (Goh, 2010, p.29). The governments since 1950 have been supporting multiculturalism by establishing and supporting “community centers, ethnic self-help groups, and confidence circles” (Goh, 2010, p.20). But globalization has posed a new challenge to Singaporean society and its multicultural soundness because the community-based cultural vision of the society is being replaced with “consumerist individualism”, resulting in the decline of “multicultural dialogues and hybrid identities that are needed to maintain social cohesion” (Goh, 2010, p.20). To counter this influence, the society has to be refreshed with multicultural discourses and the starting point could be the children, who need to taken into the fold when they are young (Wood, 2008, p.29). This is necessary because early childhood has been proven to be the period when a human being assimilates the core cultural values (Wood, 2008, p.29). Research has proven that by age of five, a child would have absorbed the values of its primary culture (Anning, 2004). It is in this backdrop that this study hypothesizes that incorporation of multicultural education in early childhood education can give Singapore a future where multiculturalism based on equality and harmony among races, prevail. Annotated Bibliography Anning, A., (2004). The co-construction of an early childhhod curriculum, In Cullen, J., & In Fleer, M. (Eds.). Early childhood education: Society and culture. London: SAGE. This book has done well to combine practice and research findings which allow the reader to relate to different practices within the early childhood education and understand exactly how they affect children. This is mainly because of the research findings which explain different results. Another commendable aspect of the book is its inclusion of historical, social and cultural dimensions which help understand children under different contexts. The book insists on an open mind because it wants the reader to carry the lessons highlighted within the text. These lessons are gained by an examination of different, socio-cultural issues in Child forum, New Zealand. These lessons are then evaluated into how they can fit within the current theories of childhood education. In the case of the current study, the book provides an exemplary example on how different lessons learnt from studying variant socio-cultural approaches can be in actual practice. Braud, H. N. (2007). "Easier said than done": Pre-service teachers and multicultural education. UT Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Retrieved September 23, 2012, University of Texas Libraries Digital Repository. This dissertation looks at the views of 15 pre-service teachers who were undertaking apprentice teaching in diverse early childhood classrooms. The main concern for the study is pre-service teachers’ beliefs related to teaching in diverse classrooms. Additionally, the study also lays emphasis on the beliefs that influenced the teachers’ conduct while teaching children in the diverse classes. The main way of collecting evidence was through interviews which yielded four themes. The first theme looked at the teachers’ views on how children learn as well as the teachers’ role in the learning process while handling diverse, early childhood classrooms. The second theme is related to ways through which the teachers marginalized multicultural education by checking what it involved and isolating it for certain classes, units or children. All this information drew an interesting aspect on the issue of diversity in classrooms, particularly diversity as enabled by culture. Through this resource, the study understands the issues of diversity from the teachers’ perspective which is critical in a bid to develop an all round study. Brooker, L. (2005) Learning to be a child: Cultural diversity and early years ideology, In Yelland, N. (Ed.).Critical issues in early childhood education. Maidenhead: Open University Press. Seeks to examine the cultural foundations of modern day childhood education and challenges the long standing beliefs on early childhood education. Provide scholars and curricular developers with an opportunity to evaluate facets of their profession that are critical in generating equitable educational prospects for children. Investigate cultural issues that are not only important in developing curricular for children but also critical for generating alternate ideas and frameworks that are not traditionally associated with the field. This article is relevant to this study also because it looks at modern ideas on childhood experiences and reexamines the contemporary practices, in the context of culture. The impact of technology on a multi-language student community is also examined in this article. One of the concerns expressed under this discussion is the increased rate of interaction which raises the need for multicultural education. Burgess-Macey, C. and Krichlow, K. (1996) The equal opportunities curriculum, In Blenkin, G. M., & Kelly, A. V. (Eds.). Early childhood education: A developmental curriculum. London: Paul Chapman. This is another article which focuses on the theory of early childhood education. It incorporates thorough research, which guides practical implementation of theoretical frameworks. The book’s main concerns are recent changes in American early childhood education as enforced under the National Curriculum. The authors of the book show that early childhood education is unique and thus requires different measures and standards. The article insists on use of experience, past knowledge on childhood development, as well as developing knowledge in creating a proper curriculum which recognizes the diversity of modern day classes. In regard to the current study, the article provides a guide on how continuous knowledge of socio-cultural factors can be incorporated into modern day curriculum. This gives direction in achieving a balanced curricular which ensures equity irrespective of the children’s cultural background. Gaetano, Y. D. (2011) Education that is multicultural and promotes social justice: The need, In Fennimore, B. S., & Goodwin, A. L. (Eds.). Promoting social justice for young children: Advances in theory and research, implications for practice. Dordrecht: Springer. This article seeks to examine the issues of social justice as related to children in contemporary society. Though it is majorly based on the American situation, it provides lessons and models that can be adopted in any early childhood structure; that is, any curriculum seeking to promote social justice among children of different cultural backgrounds. The article explores critical, contemporary social justice issues that face modern day children. The article also looks at a wide range of topics based on issues relating to treatment of young children and their families. The main argument is that a fair society must seek to safeguard the well being of children irrespective of their social, cultural or economic backgrounds. This must be done to ensure equity as these children grow and become productive citizens capable of propagating justice. The article is founded on previous research by authors and professional who have been vocal in issue of social justice, especially where children are involved. The article identifies that one sure way of ensuring equity is by teaching children while still young of the importance of different cultural backgrounds. This article helps this study in understanding why the students be taught of how to take their cultural backgrounds as strength as opposed to a weakness which encourages divisions and ultimately erodes social justice. Quintero, E. P. (2004). Problem-posing with multicultural childrens literature: Developing critical early childhood curricula. New York, NY: Peter Lang. This is another book which is based on qualitative study of early childhood teachers involved in teaching groups of multicultural children. It stresses the need to develop an integrated multicultural curriculum in the context of teaching using literature. Especially, problem-posing teaching, a relatively new idea for children’s education, is highlighted as an effective way that enriches multicultural education curriculum. Elaborates upon how this approach ensures maximum participation from children, optimum communication in the context of multiculturalism, and best student-centered integrity. Reveal why the multicultural education process must not remain static but change according to the constantly transforming world cultural scenario. This book is important for this study in that it provides a model and also the logic behind that model in a candid manner. Robinson, K. H., & Jones-Diaz, C. (2006). Diversity and difference in early childhood education: Issues for theory and practice. Berkshire, England: Open University Press. This book identifies the expectations of the public on professionals while working with children from diverse backgrounds. Thus as its starting point, this book dwells on issues affecting these professionals in the attempt to achieve balanced education for the children from these diverse backgrounds. For the reader to follow its arguments, the book first describes and defines diversity, striving to give it the broadest possible meaning. The second part of the book seeks to educate professionals on how to take on critical disposition on issues related to early childhood education, issues drawn to educators touch on social justice and diversity. Based on research, the book identifies relevant theories that would achieve balanced education for these children. These theories are majorly contemporary social theories which include post-structuralism, post-colonialism, and queer theory. In each of the book’s sections, the author seeks to point out at opportunities and situations that present a chance of developing an equitable early childhood education. The greatest contributions to this study come from the book’s mention of issues such as new racisms, immigration and homophobia. These issues are still rife and closely touch on the need for multicultural education in our early childhood education classrooms. Salili, F. and Hoosain, R. (2010). Democracy and multicultural education. In Salili, F. and Hoosain, R. (Eds.) Democracy and Multicultural Education, Charlotte, N.C: Information Age Publ. The book explores democracy and its impact in education systems. The book notes that democracy is the desired governance model for most people around the world. This is because it allows people to access opportunities competitively and it aspires to safeguard human rights and ensure social justice. Most importantly, a democratic system provides for people from different cultural backgrounds to live harmoniously with their differences intact. In any case, these differences leverage the country and act as bases for better ideas and quality life. However, to ensure the strengths of diversity the democratic unit must teach its people on the importance of respecting individual cultures amongst other differences. This book provides ideas on how diverse backgrounds can be unified, especially, through education in an attempt to ensure social justice which is a major characteristic of democracy. Ideas propagated by the book can help in transforming early childhood education, with the aim of ensuring equity irrespective of cultural backgrounds amongst other causes of diversity, and can be used by this study for stressing the same. Teitler, J. L. (2008). Toward a Developmentally and Culturally Appropriate Early Childhood Classroom: The Teacher Experience. New York: ProQuest, Oakland University. This was a study conducted to examine the processes teachers are involved in as they aspire to achieve culturally appropriate practices while teaching children from culturally diverse classrooms. The study conducted research among 150 graduates involved in teaching children. The study has collected data under a survey titled Multicultural Teaching Practices complimented by four case studies came up with seven conclusions on teaching in multicultural environments. Out of the seven conclusions, this study majors on two which highly compliments the current study. The first one dwells on the advantages of adopting multicultural practices when teaching in diverse classes, the study notes that this allows for better teaching experience and ensure equity among children. The second conclusion deals with the merits of delving into multicultural teaching practices. The study outlines that this cultivates understanding of culture and helps develop cohesion in class, a factor which heightens chances of academic excellence. Thus this study contributes information on the importance of cohesion in classroom that can be incorporated into the intended research. Vold, E.B. (2003) Young childrens affirmation of differences: Curriculum that is multicultural and developmentally appropriate, In Isenberg, J. P., and Jalongo, M. R. (Eds.), Major trends and issues in early childhood education: Challenges, controversies, and insights. New York: Teachers College Press. Provides an important social, historical, and philosophical standpoint on multicultural childhood education. The author, who is a scholar in the field of early childhood education, combines her experiences with insights from other authors and experts in the area to develop a well rounded view of modern day challenges in early childhood education. The main areas the article touches on include diversity, program models, public policy and inclusion. It utilizes past challenges as well as modern day weaknesses in development of early childhood as the foundation of the learning process. However, the main contribution of this article to this assignment is in regard to diversity. It recognizes that unlike in the past, modern day childhood classes are more diverse. It is pointed out that this requires a change of curricula to ensure all students feel comfortable and participate equally in the class. The need for emphasis on the merits of diversity on human development and cultivation of the correct mind frame which ensures there is no discrimination, either socially or academically, are stressed. References Anning, A., (2004). The co-construction of an early childhood curriculum, In Cullen, J., & In Fleer, M. (Eds.). Early childhood education: Society and culture. London: SAGE. Braud, H. N. (2007). "Easier said than done": Pre-service teachers and multicultural education. UT Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Retrieved September 23, 2012, University of Texas Libraries Digital Repository. Brooker, L. (2005) Learning to be a child: Cultural diversity and early years ideology, In Yelland, N. (Ed.).Critical issues in early childhood education. Maidenhead: Open University Press. Burgess-Macey, C. and Krichlow, K. (1996) The equal opportunities curriculum, In Blenkin, G. M., & Kelly, A. V. (Eds.). Early childhood education: A developmental curriculum. London: Paul Chapman. Gaetano, Y. D. (2011) Education that is multicultural and promotes social justice: The need, In Fennimore, B. S., & Goodwin, A. L. (Eds.). Promoting social justice for young children: Advances in theory and research, implications for practice. Dordrecht: Springer. Goh, D.P.S. (2010) The third phase of Singapore’s multiculturalism, In Tan, T.H. (Ed.) Singapore perspectives 2010: Home, heart, horizon, Singapore: World Scientific. Quintero, E. P. (2004). Problem-posing with multicultural childrens literature: Developing critical early childhood curricula. New York, NY: Peter Lang. Reitz, J.F., Breton, R., Dion, K.K., and Dion, K.L. (2009) Multiculturalism and Social cohesion: Potentials and challenges of diversity, Berlin: Springer. Robinson, K. H., & Jones-Diaz, C. (2006). Diversity and difference in early childhood education: Issues for theory and practice. Berkshire, England: Open University Press. Salili, F. and Hoosain, R. (2010). Democracy and multicultural education. In Salili, F. and Hoosain, R. (Eds.) Democracy and Multicultural Education, Charlotte, N.C: Information Age Publ. Silverstone, R. (2005) Media, technology, and everyday life in Europe: From information to communication, Farnham: Ashgate Publishing Ltd. Teitler, J. L. (2008). Toward a Developmentally and Culturally Appropriate Early Childhood Classroom: The Teacher Experience. New York: ProQuest, Oakland University. Vold, E.B. (2003) Young childrens affirmation of differences: Curriculum that is multicultural and developmentally appropriate, In Isenberg, J. P., and Jalongo, M. R. (Eds.), Major trends and issues in early childhood education: Challenges, controversies, and insights. New York: Teachers College Press. Wood, E. (2004). Developing a pedagogy of play, In Cullen, J., & Fleer, M. (Eds.). Early childhood education: Society and culture. London: SAGE. Read More