A Plan for a Culturally Diverse Classroom, Essay Example

Introduction

This “vibrant mixture of cultural, ethnic, linguistic, and experiential plurality (has) profound implications for developing instructional programs at all levels of education that respond positively and constructively to cultural diversity” (Gay, 2004) One of the greatest challenges for today’s teacher is developing lesson plans and classroom activities that embrace the cultural diversity of their classroom. Whether it is selecting cultural diverse literature to identifying behavioral learning cues based on cultural differences, teachers must shape their curriculum in a way that can connect students from all different ethnicities.

In order to correlate multiculturalism with skill-based learning, teachers must develop a variety of instructional practices that will foster a culturally sensitive environment.  Attempting to utilize a one size fits all teaching method will not meet the needs of America’s diverse classrooms. Whether it is religion or ethnicity, there are three fundamental methods that will assist in the development of a cultural diverse classroom and a cultural diverse learning style:

• Incorporating Visual Aids
• Teaching Tolerance
• Embracing Differences
• Instructional Differentiation

Incorporating Visual Aids

There are a number of different ways to incorporate religious and ethnic events into the classroom. One of the most classic methods is by utilizing bulletin boards. The most efficient strategy is to create a monthly or seasonal bulletin board [Seasonal bulletin board attachment]. By using a seasonal or event bulletin board, teachers and students can incorporate religious and cultural events each season or each month. During this time, teachers can place symbols and images that will symbolize these occasions. Some of these symbols and images can include the Christmas tree (Christianity), the dreidel (Hanukkah), the Star of David (Passover), Diwali or the festival of lights (Hinduism) and the crescent moon and star (Ramadan). The bulletin board can also include pictures of individuals and their major contributions to society:

• Martin Luther King
• Ghandi
• Elijah Muhammad
• Albert Einstein
• Harriet Tubman
• Helen Keller

Teaching Tolerance

“By (the year) 2020, almost half of the U.S. school population will consist of members of non-Caucasian cultural groups.” (Kauchak, 2005).  In order for students to overcome their cultural biases, they must first become cognizant of them. Teaching tolerance in the classroom is a way to accomplish this goal. One of the primary ways to develop a teaching tolerance strategy is through cooperative learning. Cooperative learning is a teaching method that allows students to work in groups to accomplish a specific task. When teachers incorporate cooperative learning into lessons and activities, students can began valuing the differences and involvement of others. A lesson plan that can help develop this goal is a lesson in human rights. The lesson could include real life events (through print media or video) which demonstrate individuals of different races being denied certain rights. Afterwards, students can discuss the affects and implications of being denied human rights while in their cooperative learning groups. The lesson plan can move forward with presentations, essays and etc.

Embracing Diversity

While teaching tolerance is the process of learning and accepting different cultures, embracing diversity is the application of this concept. In order to incorporate this strategy, it is important to include visual aids as part of the curriculum [International attachment]. For example, placing images of individuals from different backgrounds in highly visible areas serve as a reminder of America’s anthology; a melting pot of people from all different backgrounds. A teacher may develop the visual aid of this plan by creating a bulletin board titled “Embracing Diversity”. On the bulletin board the teacher can place clip art images that represents different cultures along with a paragraph of their important contributions to society.

As it relates to embracing diversity and lessoning plan, teachers must always include a continuous process of reminding students of cultural contributions through novels, plays, poetry, short stories and video. Allowing students to act out (i.e. a play) certain literary works as it relates to cultural and historical contributions is always an added advantage to learning. Developing an actual lesson plan that shares the contribution of various races and cultures will assist in helping students understand the contributions of each culture to society along with their struggles for freedom and individuality. By applying the appreciation of various cultures and their contributions, students can begin the process of transitioning their thought processes into a more favorable view of different ethnicities.

Instructional Differentiation

Incorporating instructional differentiation into classroom learning is the great equalizer. Students whose cultures are more representational of the school’s overall culture have a greater advantage over the rest (The Knowledge Loom, 2010). These students suffer less isolation, tend to have more friends and do not suffer as many challenges in understanding assignments and teacher expectations. Additionally, when there are language barriers with the students, there are often language barriers with the parents. As a result, these barriers will result in a lack of parental involvement in their child’s learning.

While most teachers associate instructional differentiation with learning styles, part of this strategy can also address the issue of teaching a culturally diverse classroom. In order to accommodate students from a variety of backgrounds, teachers must first understand their background. “Cultural sensitivity requires that teachers interpret their students’ behaviors within the cultural context of the student.” (The Knowledge Loom, 2010). When teachers have familiarized themselves with the various learning and behavioral cues as it relates to cultural backgrounds, teachers are able to identify signs of lack of comprehension, distress, confusion, the need for further assistance and the modification of the lesson in order to accommodate students are who lost. For example, Asian students are typically more group or family centered versus individually oriented. Consequently, the average American classroom may be intimidating to certain Asian students since American classrooms are more individually focused (Feldman, p. 376). This may cause the Asian student to be reluctant to answer questions or to provide their individual perspective on certain issues and discussion questions.  The teacher of an Asian student or any student who may be faced with instructional isolation must develop a culturally sensitive curriculum that will not decrease student isolation but also encourage participation and learning.  An example of a lesson that can accommodate this type of student maybe to have him or her serve as a group leader who coordinates and oversees the activity of the group versus assigning this student an isolated task within the group. Another example may be to allow this student to work with a partner or peer during individual task time. Collaborative learning may be the best way for this type of student to learn.

Conclusion

“It’s not just an add-on or an afterthought. Curriculums infused with multicultural education boost academic success and prepare students for roles as productive citizens” (Gay, 2004). The cultural challenges that teachers face within the classroom will continue to increase. As globalization spans across our world and teacher expectations increase, teachers must continue to incorporate learning theories and teaching methods that mirror the diversity of their students. Developing a curriculum that is more representational of the students in the classroom will not only increase relevance but will also have a greater impact on student achievement and their life beyond the classroom.

References

Feldman, Robert S. (2006). Development across the life span, 4th ed., Pearson Prentice Hall

Gay, Geneva (2004). Educational Leadership: The Importance of Multicultural Education. Retrieved from web: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/dec03/vol61/num04/The_Importance_of_Multicultural_Education.aspx

Kauchak, Donald P. & Eggen, Paul D. (2005). Introduction to Teaching: Becoming A Professional. 2nd ed., Pearson, Prentice Hall

The Education Alliance. (2010).The Knowledge Loom: Culturally Responsive Teaching. Retrieved from web: http://knowledgeloom.org/practice_basedoc.jsp?t=1&bpid=1125&aspect=1&location=2&parentid=1110&bpinterid=1110&spotlightid=1110