Multicultural education teaches about multiple cultures rather than just the dominant culture. It benefits students by making them better rounded, helping them value other cultures, and reducing racism and prejudice. Integrating multicultural education prepares students for today's diverse world. However, teachers often lack time or motivation to create new multicultural lesson plans. Support from others could encourage teachers to integrate multicultural education.
2. The Issue at Hand
• Should teachers integrate
multicultural education in the
curriculum or base their
lessons solely on one
dominant culture?
3. Common Places
• The United States is comprised of people
from many different cultural backgrounds.
• People who are knowledgeable in other
cultures (specifically languages) are more
likely to be successful.
• Students feel safe and are more likely to
open up when they feel they can relate to
something.
• Prejudices and racist views still exist.
4. What does it mean to teach “multiculturally”?
• It means that teachers integrate several
cultures into the curricula as opposed to
teaching from the view of only one
dominant culture.
• For example, rather than only teaching the
history of America, the teacher would also
teach about Native American history or
Afro-centric history.
5. What benefits can be reaped?
• It teaches students to value and respect other
cultures
• Makes students better-rounded
• Students are able to form deeper bonds with
other peers through mutual understanding
and respect of other cultures
6. More Benefits…
• When students see they are learning not only about the
American culture, but their own and the cultures of their
peers, they will find the information useful and will be
more motivated to continue their education.
• Through gaining knowledge, respect, and understanding of
other cultures, racism and prejudices will be eliminated.
• Students will understand the cultural backgrounds of their
peers and other people so through this understanding, these
people will become “humanized” again- thus racism will
decrease.
• When students become knowledgeable about traditions and
rites of other cultures, their prejudices or prior assumptions
about people they do not know will be diminished because
they will better understand other people.
7. Addressing diversity in the classroom and in society
• The vast majority of schools and cities are
composed of many different cultures.
• Multicultural education directly addresses
the high diversity that exists in most public
schools and cities.
• Through the acknowledgement of
many cultures, students are better
prepared to face the real world.
8. Examples of Multicultural Education
• Teaching about Dia de Los Muertos
• Explaining the background of Martin
Luther King Jr. Day
• Teaching about the Chinese New Year
• Talking about Thanksgiving from a
Native American perspective
9. Why isn’t it already occurring?
• Because of other obligations, such as
standardized testing, teachers don’t always
have the time to create separate lesson plans.
• Other reasons:
– Fear of misunderstanding (condescending)
– Fear of being fired for not following the
textbook
– To avoid any conflicts
10. What can be done to integrate it?
• Teachers need to be motivated and aware of
what is occurring in their surroundings as
well as the benefits they will see from
teaching about other cultures.
• If they begin to see a push for multicultural
education of behalf of other teachers,
parents, siblings, students, etc. they will be
more likely to take the time to integrate
multiculturalism.
11. Conclusion
• The integration of multicultural education is
crucial for our ever-changing and diverse
communities for students to understand
themselves
and the people
around them.