ED 258 Multicultural Education Theories

Final Paper
Hai-Au Tran
March 19, 2014

The global social changes from technological and economic changes to modernization and
globalization issues strongly impact international educations in general and American education
locally. Particularly, in a large country like America, we are welcoming multiple cultures, which
bring both opportunities as well as challenges to education. We have got opportunities to
diversify educational pedagogy and face challenges in running the education effectively and
appropriately for students of multiple different cultures.
An effective educator is required lots of factors and qualities. First of all, the educator has to
provide equal opportunities for all students to maximize their potentials. Create a friendly
learning environment where students own cultures are understood and respected so that they
feel free and comfortable to learn, share, explore and grow. It is so challenging that
implementing the multi-cultural education is reflective to both multi-culture of society and
cultural differences of each individual student. Noddings stated that before educating, we need to
ask ourselves about what we want for children, what children need, and what our society needs.
Then we can determine education goals, curriculum and pedagogy appropriately.
It is important that the curriculum for cultural integration represents cultural pluralism not only
limited to racial differences but also expanded to other differences in gender, sexual orientation,
religion, physical disability and family background. We need to answer the questions for how to
bring all the differences together harmoniously in a classroom. We need to consider current
education issues and get involved in solving the problems. Do we really need to emphasize
talents in mathematics and science while still surrounded by increase in crime and violence? Its
time to think about educating students not only to be academically excellent but also loving and
caring people. Morality lessons and building intimacy based on trust and respect are always
necessary and central for making the world a peaceful place.
One of Americas multicultural education approaches at some schools is color blindness to our
students to keep justice to all students. Needless to say, we are lying to ourselves that our
students are all alike. We are all humans but each of us is unique. If being examined in DMIS, it
is so ethnocentric that we try to avoid differences and look for similarities. This is the stage of
minimization of differences. Hence, in order to step up global cultural integration, we not only
acknowledge differences but also embrace and foster differences.
As Howard stated, We cannot teach what we dont know. It is vitally important to be
culturally-competent in teaching. That means a number of components creating a classroom with
appropriateness of teaching responding to multiple cultures. They include understanding the
importance of multicultural influence in society, diversifying the curriculum responsive to
multiple cultural groups, and communicating proficiently across cultures. Noddings gave six
recommendations that we have to implement for to make a good foundation for competent
teaching. First, clarify the educational goals. What are parents and teachers expecting of our
childrens education. It requires opening conversations among parents, teachers and those who
are involved in education. Second, build up a firm long-term relation between teachers and
students. Third, promote democracy at schools among teachers, students, and parents. Fourth,
dare to face changes, especially when students are changing their minds. Somehow changing is
a way to learn and explore, which is the root of development. Fifth, we are not creating a
human robot excellent in doing math and science problems but a qualifying, loving and caring
person. Morality supports intelligence and helpfulness. Intelligence without morality will
damage the world like Hitler or hackers in modern life. Morality without intelligence will be
uselessness. Finally, we teach caring. When we care, we are willing to take responsibility to
make ourselves competent.
After all, I would like to explore more about GLBT and homophobia. I was born and grew up in
a country where homosexuality is unacceptable. There homosexual people never expressed
themselves and they would be teased or condemned. Nobody could know their real lives as well
as whats happening to them. Thats completely belonging to denial of differences as described
in the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity. Honestly speaking, when I first came
here, I was not comfortable with this topic and tried to avoid discussion. I wondered why we
addressed gay or lesbian issues with children and why GLBT needed to be included in the
curriculum. Are children too young to know or deal with it? Gradually, I have been aware of the
existence of so many serious maltreatments to GLBT students and painful sufferings: teasing,
bullying, harassment and physical violence against GLBT students and even suicide among
them. All of these things hurt children, which makes me rethink about it. Throughout some
classes, I have got some knowledge via textbooks and online resources. Its not yet enough for
me to understand deeply how it is really happening in real life. I would like to explore more
about how homophobia impacts the childrens learning and living, what actual contents of
homosexuality are now taught to children, and to what extent the curriculum covers this issue. I
am curious to observe it in a real classroom and then to become an activist in anti-heterosexism.

REFERENCES
Nell Noddings: A Morally Defensible Mission for the Schools in the 21st Century
Paul Gorski: 20 (Self) Critical Things I Will Do to be a More Equitable Educator
Gary Howard: Speaking of Difference
Bob Peterson, Teaching for Social Justice, One Teacher's journey (ROC, p. 28-34)
Linda Christensen, My Dirty Little Secret, Why I don't Grade Papers (ROC, p. 146-150)
Bill Bigelow: Role Plays: Show, Don't Tell (ROC, p.130-132)


INSTRUCTIONS FOR FINAL PAPER (3-5 pages)
1. What does it take to be an effective multicultural educator? Using articles by Noddings,
Gorski, Peterson, Christensen, and Bigelow, what specifically does each of these
educators teach you about being an effective multicultural educator?
2. How would you define culturally-competent teaching? In terms of effective culturally-
competent teaching, what stage or stages of the DMIS should the educator be at? Where
do you see yourself in terms if dealing with difference, what specific stage of the DMIS?
Consider Gary Howards article.
3. What are some areas we discussed in this class where you realize you want to continue
learning (white privilege, homophobia, sexism, classism, poverty issues)? Focus on one
of those issues and write why you think this particular issue is so critical for educators.
Use at least one article from Multicultural Articles (within the module) and comment on
the article as part of this discussion here.