3a: 7 Characteristics of Multicultural Education

Prior to Monday, please construct a post of your own for either 3a or 3b, then for the one you did not choose, please provide a comment on one of your colleague’s post. So, in other words, if you choose to post in 3a (7 Characteristics of Multicultural Education), then please respond to one of your colleagues in 3b (Learning from Students). Said one more way, your assignment is two posts—one original, one as a response to someone else.

In chapter 9, Nieto discusses critical ingredients of a multicultural education agenda. First, she reminds us that racism and discrimination, structural conditions in schools that may limit learning, impact of culture on learning, and language diversity are four areas of potential conflict. Then, she tackles the seven characteristics:

• Anti-racist education—meaning that we must work affirmatively to combat racism. This is everyone’s business: “Although not everyone is directly guilty of racism and discrimination, we are responsible for it. . . .[I]t means that working actively for social justice is everyone’s business” (p. 350).
  
• Basic Education-- It is not extra, it is: Nieto contends,“We need to expand what we mean by “basic” by opening up the curriculum to a variety of perspectives and experiences” (p. 351). Further, “We are not talking here of simply the contributions approach to history, literature, and the arts. . . .[Rather, it] is a consideration of how generally excluded groups have made history and affected the arts, literature, geography, science, and philosophy on their own terms (p. 352).
  
• Important for all students. That is, multicultural education is not just for non-white or poor students, it is for everyone: “Although the primary victims of biased education continue to be those who are invisible in the curriculum, those who figure prominently are victims as well. They receive only a partial education, which legitimates their cultural blinders” (p. 353).
  
• Pervasive—it permeates everything—all curricula, policies, procedures, etc.
  
• Education for social justice-- “A multicultural perspective presumes that classrooms should not simply allow discussions that focus on social justice, but, in fact, welcome them and even plan actively for such discussions to take place” (p. 356).
  
• Process—Very little about social justice work focuses on product/destination, it is all about the process/journey. We cannot achieve just, peaceful, and democratic ends if our process is not just, peaceful, and democratic.
  
• Critical pedagogy--“Teachers and students need to learn to understand even those viewpoints with which they may disagree, not to practice political correctness, but to develop a critical perspective about what they hear, read, see” (p. 359).

If choosing to respond to this post. Choose one characteristic that you think you may already be incorporating in your classroom. What is an example? How is that working out? What is one characteristic that you might want to try this upcoming year? What might it look like in your classroom?

Post 3b: Learning from Students

Prior to Monday, please construct a post of your own for either 3a or 3b, then for the one you did not choose, please provide a comment on one of your colleague’s post. So, in other words, if you choose to post in 3a (7 Characteristics of Multicultural Education), then please respond to one of your colleagues in 3b (Learning from Students). Said one more way, your assignment is two posts—one original, one as a response to someone else.

In chapter 8, Nieto begins to explore student success by revisiting issues of culture. She helps us understand Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital, by explaining, “Schools primarily reflect the knowledge and values of economically and culturally dominant groups in society, they validate and reinforce the cultural capital that students from such groups already bring from home” (pp. 311-312). In effect, for students not possessing the most ‘spendable’ cultural capital, “Students may perceive that what is not taught in schools is not worthy of learning” (p. 312). In order for the students to be proficient, then, they may have to give up (major facets of) who they are. Using Michelle Fine’s work, Nieto laments, “The price of success for students who remain in school may be silencing one’s voice” (p. 314). Also related to culture, Nieto warns us that culture should not be essentialized, nor is it destiny. That is, all students of a perceived cultural group do not learn the same way, act the same way, etc. They are each individuals. She cautions, “knowing about such cultural behaviors may lead teachers to have stereotyped expectations of all students of a particular background. . . .Being aware of cultural differences should not lead teachers to expect only certain behaviors” (p. 319). In the end, she suggests that we need to find ways to use students’ cultures to their and our advantage capitalizing on the real strengths inherent in all cultures: “Rather than attempting to erase culture and language, schools should do everything in their power to use, affirm, and sustain them as a foundation for students academic success” (pp. 321-322).

To the end of success, Nieto first outlines a few issues that go ‘beyond academics’, enlisting shields against peer pressure, development of critical thinking and leadership skills, belonging, and keeping on track. As well, she discusses the articulation of family, community, and school as a critical combination that can lead toward the success of a student: parental involvement, high expectations at school and at home, caring relationships between teacher and students, etc.

If posting here, talk about ways you, your colleagues and you, and/or your school have gone about trying to make your students successful. Have any of the ways been similar to what Nieto outlines above? How so? If you feel your school is lacking in this area, might your final project for this class provide a possibility to try this upcoming school year? What are some of your initial thoughts about this assignment that might capitalize on the strengths of your students?

Post 2: Linguistic Diversity and School Achievement

For this post, I would like you to do much the same as what was required in post 1b below—provide the main argument for one of the chapters, talk about how Nieto supports this argument, and how you agree or disagree with her. As well, though, I would really like you to dig into the content. For example, how have you experienced these issues of linguistic diversity, either as teacher or student? Or, which theory of student failure or student success did you identify with and why?

Project

Let us use this particular strand to discuss any issues related to our ongoing project at VOA.

Post 1a: Masucci and Renner

Discuss any experience you have had with service learning (either as a teacher or as a student). What did you take away from the experience? What could have made it better? What stood out to you related to the framework that Matt and I constructed or the problematics we discussed? How could some of these problematics be overcome in our K-12 classrooms? (If at all?)

Post 1b: Nieto, Chapter 5

What is the central thesis or main argument(s) in Chapter 5? How does Nieto back up her assertions? Do you agree or disagree, generally, with these assertions and argument? If you agree, why? How do you connect with her argument, either experientially or intuitively? If you disagree, why? How would you counter her argument? Also, provide any questions you have about the reading.

Post 1c: Experience at VOA

If responding to this post, please provide some reflective comments on your first visit to VOA. What stood out to you? What surprised you? What material that we have read so far and/or discussed resonated with you in thinking about your experience? What are you hoping to learn as a result of this experience?