Trends in Multicultural Education
By; Helen Whisenhunt ~ EDUD 6322~ May 2015
Trends and Issues in Multicultural Education Welcome
Content in the newsletter below is a synthesis of the research and products realized during this course of study.
Please enjoy my journey through Trends and Issues in Multicultural Education!!!
Artifact 1: Self -Assessment of Past, Present and Future Leadership Capacity
As a student growing up in public education, I thought little about the cultural differences between my classmates and myself. I tended to gravitate toward those around me with the same interests during early education and paid little attention to our physical differences. However as I grew into an adolescent it became more evident that some of the classmates who surrounded me had a very different culture than the one in which I was raised. The area I grew up in was considered low income and had many students labeled as minority. I recall an instance in junior high school during cross country practice where a group of Hispanic girls began speaking to each other in Spanish about me assuming I would not understand and encouraging one another not to let the “gringo” beat them. I believe this is when I realized that though we were a team that we really weren’t on the same team and that kids in junior high can be really insensitive. As I moved through high school, college and into adulthood, some of this prejudice which created the awkwardness faded and some of my very closest friends were and still are from differing cultures, we have just learned to appreciate each other’s differences.
Professionally, one must really think about the diverse group of students or adults they could encounter within the field of education. As a classroom teacher, it was very important to be aware and competent of differing values and traditions that students embraced as our district is located very close to a major Air Force base and we have students enrolled from various regions of the world. Our ELL population encompasses a multitude of languages and creates unique challenges for the teachers assigned to instruct them. As a classroom teacher, I saw only a small portion of the “big picture” that was the reality of our district. Now as a district level administrator I see a much broader view of the educational world in which we live and that administrators at every level work together continuously to improve cultural issues. I have found that just when you feel you are becoming competent in issues of culture that new issues arise and deeper learning must therefore take place.
To self-assess on leadership competency in multicultural and global education I used the assessment provided by Lindsey, Robins and Terrell in their 2009 text Cultural Proficiency. The assessment is marked G3: Cultural Competence Self-Assessment (p.293). Within this assessment are the sections of: assesses culture, values diversity, manages the dynamics of difference, adapts to diversity and institutionalizes cultural knowledge.
Within my self-assessment, I scored the highest in the area of assesses culture at 94%. This section of the assessment entails whether I have awareness of my own culture, am comfortable talking about my culture, know what effect my culture may have on those around me, seeks to learn about culture of organization, employees and clients and to anticipate how organization with different cultures will interact with one another. I believe this to be my highest scoring section because with my current district level position the awareness about what is going on in our community is vital when helping to make decisions about an organization as a whole.
The area I scored lowest on in the self-assessment was values diversity at 75%. This result really surprised me as I feel that I do highly value the opinions of others and always seek to gain perspective when faced with a decision. Within this section of the assessment the following topics were covered such as: welcoming of diverse clients and colleagues, create opportunities to work inclusively, appreciate challenges of diversity, share appreciation of diversity, make conscious effort to teach cultural expectations of organization or department to those new to organization and proactively seek to interact with people from diverse backgrounds. Though I do believe I embrace diversity, I also believe working through issues of diversity is difficult and sometimes it can be hard to understand a point of view from a completely new perspective.
Reflecting on why my score was so low in this particular area, I look at the make-up of our administrative team and unfortunately there is very little diversity sitting around the table. As discussed by Singleton (2006) as well as Lindsey et al., (2009) I realize more now than ever the unsolicited privileges I may enjoy because of my title, age, gender, sexual orientation, physical ability or ethnicity which brings about a sense of guilt. Though I have faced several hardships growing up and feel as though I have earned my success, I know that others may not perceive me in this manner.
My future goals for cultural proficiency are to put aside my fears of the unknown and embrace the differences of students and peers to learn more about the culture of the world beyond my state and local boundaries. Kinsler (2013) discussed that our biases can often create unequal educational opportunities amongst racial groups and result in minority students receiving harsher punishments and inequitable educational opportunities due to true lack of cultural understanding. I need to ensure that I push the cultural boundaries of my own knowledge and those I can directly influence to guarantee a viable educational experience for all students. The only way for us to grow closer as an educational community is to branch out and explore the differences all around us.
References
Kinsler, J. (2013). School discipline: A source or salve for the racial achievement gap? International Economic Review, 54(1), 355-383. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2354.2012.00736.x.
Lindsey, R., & Robins, K. (2009). Cultural proficiency: A manual for school leaders (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Singleton, G., & Linton, C. (2006). Courageous conversations about race: A field guide for achieving equity in schools. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Corwin Press.
Artifact 2: Engagement in Educational Media
Technology in education has become very prominent in the 21st century. With most every resource that is purchased for classroom use comes with it a digital component. Though this is exciting and an opportunity to further incorporate technology into education, there can also be many obstacles to overcome throughout implementation.
With increasing popularity of social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, we see our students glued to their devices as they communicate with their friends both near and far in real time through cyberspace. As stated by Huffman (2013) social media is very popular with the adolescent population as they use this medium to self- identify. This enthusiasm however does not always translate into student excitement toward digital learning components incorporated by many K-12 school districts. This school year we implemented our newly adopted science textbooks for K-12. Every adopted text has a digital component or are 100% digital in nature such as our Earth and Space text (Discovery Education Tech-book). With each of these texts, came ability to create digital assignments where students can complete and turn in work to their teachers through the computer. Everyone assumed that our digital natives would jump all over this opportunity, but much to our disappointment, there has been quite a bit of push-back both from the parents and the students. Students complain that they do not find the assignments interesting or feel as they do not get the support they need from teachers and parents to complete their assignments when they are not presented on pencil and paper format.
Skophammer and Reed (2014) discussed that this digital disconnect may be related to lack of teacher preparation in educational technology components during pre-service teacher education. If we expect our students to learn through technology and for our teachers to instruct through use of technology we must provide that experience before sending new teachers into the classroom. Fortunately, many newly graduated teachers are themselves digital natives, however, they have not had instruction in pedagogy surrounding the incorporation of technology. When first hired on campus and assigned to a veteran mentor teacher, they have only a small chance of seeing technology incorporated into instruction at full strength. Veteran teachers, though receiving some professional development in technology applications, do not always have the support they need when trying to learn technology and often do not use it because they feel comfortable with the way they have always done it – lectures, pencil and paper.
Basham, Smith, Greer, and Marino (2013) wrote about varying formats of digital learning used by K-12 schools. One we are currently trying in our district is the flex model in which there are no pre-scheduled instructional times, instead the students move through the online content based on their own schedule within a brick and mortar location which is staffed with teachers as well as other adults who provide support for the students. This program is being used for credit recovery, however some of our seniors who do not have all of the credits they need to graduate are using the program to gain initial credit as well. There are both good and bad things associated with the incorporation of this software. The positive effects surrounding this program is high quality content being available for many different subject areas and the relief provided to teachers that were traditionally responsible for credit recovery who can now assign students to these pre-made modules that do not require extra teacher time.
On the flip side, there are negatives associated with this program as well. Initially all teachers who wanted to learn the program were given logins with the ability to customize courses for their students. This seemed like a positive thing until we started realizing discrepancies between teachers and campuses regarding the amount of work they expected students to complete to recover a credit. While one campus had approximately 9 hours required to recover a semester of English I, other campuses required approximately 21 hours to recover the same credit. This situation therefore resulted in central office having to create credit recovery courses for all subjects to alleviate equity issues for students. Needless to say, this has created a great deal of push-back and a lot of high stress meetings. We are in the learning stages of being truly sufficient implementing this model.
Another negative that has emerged from the use of this program to recover credit is the “hands-off” attitude it has created amongst the teacher of record. Once the students were enrolled in these courses, they dropped responsibility for this student’s success, feeling that the computer program took the place of the student needing their support. Unfortunately, this has resulted in far fewer credits being recovered this school year than in the past.
Though technology components can be extremely successful when used with effective instructional pedagogy, there can also be negative effects when guidelines are loose and training is done haphazardly. In order to utilize the amazing digital tools we have access to as educators, everyone involved needs continued training and built in support to include students, parents, teachers and administrators. We have moved into an age of globalization and must gain a firm understanding of the benefits and pitfalls surrounding technology in education as we prepare our students for an interconnected world of commerce and communication.
References
Basham, J.D., Smith, S.J., Greer, D. L., & Marino, M. T. (2013). The scaled arrival of k-12 online education: Emerging realities and implications for the future of education. Journal of Education, 193(2), 51-59.
Huffman, S. (2013). Benefits and pitfalls: Simple guidelines for the use of social networking tools in K-12 education. Education 134, no 2: 154-160.
Skophammer, R., & Reed, P. A. (2014). Technological Literacy Courses in Pre-Service Teacher Education. Journal of Technology Studies, 40(2), 68-80.
Artifact 3- Education Manifesto
Artifact 4 - Examination of Research Based Practice in Multicultural and Global Education
Artifact 5 - Pulling it All Together......................
Throughout the duration of this course we have examined multicultural education from various viewpoints by discussing issues that are relevant to our experience. I have realized personally and professionally that I have room to grow in regard to my own cultural proficiency.
As a post-assessment for cultural competency I accessed the National Association of School Psychologists webpage and located the self-assessment titled: Promoting Cultural Diversity and Cultural Competency. This assessment posted by Goode (2002) asks that you identify with each statement as either things I do frequently, occasionally or not at all. With a strong drive to be culturally competent and sensitive, I found that I did answer frequently or occasionally to almost every statement on the assessment. The statements that I was not able to answer frequently or occasionally to were ideas I had not previously thought of adding to my practice professionally such as ensuring that toys available for children’s play or that magazines available in the office waiting room are eclectic enough to be meaningful to the diverse population we serve. These are both wonderful ideas that would make all stakeholders feel more welcome and comfortable in a new situation and environment.
Embracing diversity and putting forth effort to understand others around you is of utmost importance as we become increasingly diverse in North America. Hammerich (2014) conducted a study of chiropractic schools in the United States and found that there was no curriculum set in place for students to become culturally competent. A majority of the chiropractic students were Caucasian and graduating from their program with little understanding of the populations they would serve as practitioners. Hammerich further discussed the predicted shift in our population by 2050 in that the mixing of cultures is expected to continue and our population will continue to diversify. If we are not preparing our students for the reality they will face in employment, we are doing them a great disservice as well as the people they will serve. This is not only true of our students, but our faculty as well. We must put forth the effort with all of our stakeholders to embrace diversity and show that we as educators truly do want ALL students to learn. It would be beneficial in a place of work to have an opportunity for professional development in regard to diversity and multicultural education. The more we learn to accept one another, the more we will accomplish as a society.
Singleton and Linton (2006) stressed the importance of having conversations about race and ethnicity as isolated factors when considering academic performance, discipline or other issues within the realm of education. We look at test data in a disaggregated way according to race, economic status, etc. because that is the way the state reports it to us. This forces us to look at things from the perspective of how students of different race are performing. We must look at all of our data this way and recognize our individual issues surrounding race or ethnicity dependent on location and campus climate. Education professionals must openly have these crucial conversations and get the issues out on the table in order to begin making progress in a positive direction that advocates for all learners.
References
Singleton, G., & Linton, C. (2006). Courageous conversations about race: A field guide for achieving equity in schools. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Corwin Press.
Hammerich, K. F. (2014). Commentary on a framework for multicultural education. Journal Of The Canadian Chiropractic Association, 58(3), 280-285.
Goode, Tawara D. (2002). Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development-University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research & Service Adapted from - Promoting Cultural Competence and Cultural Diversity in Early Intervention and Early Childhood Settings - June 1989. Revised 1993, 1996, 1999, 2000 and 2002.
Self-Assessment: Promoting Cultural Diversity and Cultural Competency
Self-Assessment Checklist for Personnel Providing Services and Supports to Children and their Families
This checklist is intended to heighten the awareness and sensitivity of personnel to the importance of cultural diversity and cultural competence in human service settings. It provides concrete examples of the kinds of values and practices that foster such an environment.
Directions: Select A, B, or C for each numbered item listed.
A = Things I do frequently
B = Things I do occasionally
C = Things I do rarely or never
Physical Environment, Materials, and Resources
_____ 1. I display pictures, posters and other materials that reflect the cultures and ethnic backgrounds of children and families served by my program or agency.
_____ 2. I insure that magazines, brochures, and other printed materials in reception areas are of interest to and reflect the different cultures of children and families served by my program or agency.
_____ 3. When using videos, films or other media resources for health education, treatment or other interventions, I insure that they reflect the cultures of children and families served by my program or agency.
_____ 4. When using food during an assessment, I insure that meals provided include foods that are unique to the cultural and ethnic backgrounds of children and families served by my program or agency.
_____ 5. I insure that toys and other play accessories in reception areas and those, which are used during assessment, are representative of the various cultural and ethnic groups within the local community and the society in general.
Communication Styles
_____ 6. For children who speak languages or dialects other than English, I attempt to learn and use key words in their language so that I am better able to communicate with them during assessment, treatment or other interventions.
_____ 7. I attempt to determine any familial colloquialisms used by children and families that may impact on assessment, treatment or other interventions.
_____ 8. I use visual aids, gestures, and physical prompts in my interactions with children who have limited English proficiency.
_____ 9. I use bilingual staff or trained/certified interpreters for assessment, treatment and other interventions with children who have limited English Proficiency.
_____ 10. I use bilingual staff or trained/certified interpreters during assessments, treatment sessions, meetings, and for or other events for families who would require this level of assistance.
11. When interacting with parents who have limited English proficiency I always keep in mind that:
_____ limitations in English proficiency are in no way a reflection of level of intellectual functioning.
_____ limited ability to speak the language of the dominant culture has no bearing on ability to communicate effectively in their language of origin.
_____ a person may or may not be literate in their language of origin or English.
_____ 12. When possible, I insure that all notices and communiqués to parents are written in their language of origin.
_____ 13. I understand that it may be necessary to use alternatives to written communications for some families, as word of mouth may be a preferred method of receiving information.
Values and Attitudes
_____ 14. I avoid imposing values that may conflict or be inconsistent with those of cultures or ethnic groups other than my own.
_____ 15. In group therapy or treatment situations, I discourage children from using racial and ethnic slurs by helping them understand that certain words can hurt others.
_____ 16. I screen books, movies, and other media resources for negative cultural, ethnic, or racial stereotypes before sharing them with children and their parents served by my program or agency.
_____ 17. I intervene in an appropriate manner when I observe other staff or parents within my program or agency engaging in behaviors that show cultural insensitivity, bias or prejudice.
_____ 18. I understand and accept that family is defined differently by different cultures (e.g. extended family members, fictive kin, godparents).
_____ 19. I recognize and accept that individuals from culturally diverse backgrounds may desire varying degrees of acculturation into the dominant culture.
_____ 20. I accept and respect that male-female roles in families may vary significantly among different cultures (e.g. who makes major decisions for the family, play and social interactions expected of male and female children).
_____ 21. I understand that age and life cycle factors must be considered in interactions with individuals and families (e.g. high value placed on the decisions of elders or the role of the eldest male in families).
_____ 22. Even though my professional or moral viewpoints may differ, I accept the family/parents as the ultimate decision makers for services and supports for their children.
_____ 23. I recognize that the meaning or value of medical treatment and health education may vary greatly among cultures.
_____ 24. I recognize and understand that beliefs and concepts of emotional well-being vary significantly from culture to culture.
_____ 25. I understand that beliefs about mental illness and emotional disability are culturally-based. I accept that responses to these conditions and related treatment/interventions are heavily influenced by culture.
_____ 26. I accept that religion and other beliefs may influence how families respond to illnesses, disease, disability and death.
_____ 27. I recognize and accept that folk and religious beliefs may influence a family's reaction and approach to a child born with a disability or later diagnosed with a physical/emotional disability or special health care needs.
_____ 28. I understand that traditional approaches to disciplining children are influenced by culture.
_____ 29. I understand that families from different cultures will have different expectations of their children for acquiring toileting, dressing, feeding, and other self-help skills.
_____ 30. I accept and respect that customs and beliefs about food, its value, preparation, and use are different from culture to culture.
_____ 31. Before visiting or providing services in the home setting, I seek information on acceptable behaviors, courtesies, customs and expectations that are unique to families of specific cultures and ethnic groups served by my program or agency.
_____ 32. I seek information from family members or other key community informants that will assist in service adaptation to respond to the needs and preferences of culturally and ethnically diverse children and families served by my program or agency.
_____ 33. I advocate for the review of my program's or agency's mission statement, goals, policies, and procedures to insure that they incorporate principles and practices that promote cultural diversity and cultural competence.
There is no answer key with correct responses. However, if you frequently responded "C", you may not necessarily demonstrate values and engage in practices that promote a culturally diverse and culturally competent service delivery system for children with disabilities or special health care needs and their families.