4 Approaches to Multicultural Education

http://www.intime.uni.edu/multiculture/curriculum/approachs.htm

McNergney, Robert F. Education: the Practice and Profession of Teaching. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/ Merrill, 2009. Print.

 

Schools today are trying to promote diversity amongst students and teachers. They are trying to make classrooms learning facilities to welcome the contributions of each culture represented there. One way that this is address is by using the 4 approaches to Multicultural education. The Contributions Approaches uses the least amount of involvement. It does not change the curriculum at all. It does use books with cultural/ethnic subject matter, it does celebrate holidays such as Martin Luther King and special events such as a Multicultural food day. The Additive Approach is added to the curriculum but does not change its basic structure. In this approach content, concepts, themes, and perspectives are added to the curriculum without changing its basic structure.The Transformation Approach changes the curriculum. It allow all students to see concepts, issues, themes, and problems from several ethnic perspectives and points of view. The Social Action Approach is the Transformation approach put to action. I feel the last 2 approaches are really needed and desired  from students. If a student is able to learn about other cultural contributions and it own then there may be a higher self-esteem and expectations There needs to be reform in today curriculum in schools. What do you think about Multiculturalism? Is it attainable?  Multicultural approaches to education sounds just fine to me.

Labeling??

 

http://www,edycatuib,cin/refernce/article/advantages-disadvantages-labeling

http://www.multculturalfamilia.com/2011/06/13/at-risk-in-school-what does it mean/

Is labeling students in elementary really necessary? Is there an advantage to such tags? It seems that what started out as a great idea to combat the problems that students face in school as now gone sour. Too many kids are being targeted as being a potential problem before they even get a chance to develop and grow as a student. A student who fits one or more of these criteria are label "At Risk". If a student has at least one disability, been retained in a grade at least once, speaks English poorly,comes from a single parent home,parents are immigrants, is poor according to poverty limits or parents/parent is unemployed. This is supposed to be the criteria regardless of race or socioeconomic status however why is it that in urban schools the only students you see in these programs in large numbers are minorities. How is it that a child can be put in such a category that follow him or her for the rest of his school years solely on outside influences that may or may not effect his academic performance An excerpt from the book, Tyrell, by Coe Booth, a 15  year old minority high school drop out states:"Starting in first grade, them teachers took one look at me and stated putting me in programs for at-risk kids, then at risk boys, then at risk teenagers, Personally, I ain't never knew what the F***I was s'posed to be at risk of except growing up black, but ain't no program I know of gonna change that." how powerful a statement is that. It speaks volume. How many kids will feel this way because of being label "at risk" and being placed in special programs? There needs to be reform. Teachers need to see children as individuals and not have preconceived notions because of where a kid comes from or how a kid behaves. There are some that my argue that labels are necessary to get federal funding for programs. Others may argue that labeling brings public awareness to problems facing today's students. This all may have weight but it seems in public urban schools labeling is just modern day segregation and racism.

Why Teach

http://www.terry.uga.edu/~dawndba/4500FailingBlkBoys.html

Canestrari, Alan S., and Bruce A. Marlowe. "Why Teach." Educational Foundations: an Anthology of Critical Readings. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2010. 27-28

 

Why is teaching important to me? There are a lot of reason's I believe people want to become teachers. I comment the few that choose to go into this field. There is a need for devoted, unbias skilled teachers in the urban areas. Too many of inner city youth are fail and falling behind in school. The drop out rate is getting higher in High school. Why is that? I want to teach to help close the margins for inner city youth. My special interest is African-American males. In articles and stories I have read it seems there is a big problem of how young boys are taught in elementary school. Most of the teacher's today that work in the inner city schools are have no clue on the cultural differences of African- American kids. They are not equipped with the background to really understand what it takes to teach a kid from that Environment. How can you teach all kids to read one way when they all don't learn the same way. There needs to be more training on the part of teachers that teach inner city kids. There needs to be more effort and time spent learning how to reach each kid at thier cultural level. I want to teach because I want to be that beacon of hope for these kids. I want to see positive articles on the success in spite of social and economic challenges of these kids. I want to teach because I believe in kids and I believe kids have a lot to offer this society. They just need help starting off the ground. The article I have referenced is one that speaks volume to the reality that African- American boy are being failed by schools. I don't want this to continue and I want to be apart of change that I believe will happen.

Hello There!

This Blogging is very new to me. I am very excited to be taking this class so I can prepare for my new career change into the Education field. A little about myself. I am a seasoned student-- 46years young to be exact I am a wife, mother of 2 adult daughter's living on there own, and a grandmother to a very handsome 5year old boy. I work full-time and am taking 3 classes at Salem State University.  I am a transfer student after receiving my Associates degree this past June. I am majoring in Elementary Education and minoring in Psychology. I do not plan on becoming licensed to teach in Massachusetts but plan on moving to the south once I receive my degree to teach there. I am very much interested in working with inner city children. It is my passion to reach and inspire as many kids as I can. I believe I will learn a lot about the school system.