1. Chapter 3: Education That is
Multicultural
Multicultural education is
developed through:
- diversity
- equality
- social justice
Goal of multicultural education:
- to help students learn and reach
their potential, regardless of SES,
ethnicity, race,
gender, religion, and ability or
disability
Curriculum in multicultural
education:
- value diversity, draw on cultural
experiences, support democracy
and equity
- all content should be presented
through viewpoints of different
groups
- help students understand there is
more than one perspective on the
interpretation of
events and facts
- Ex. Tasting ethnic foods,
celebrating black history month
Requires that all teaching is
culturally relevant
- classrooms and schools are
models of democracy
Achieving equity:
1. Place student at center of
learning process
2. Promote human rights and
respect for cultural diff.
3. Believe ALL students can learn
4. Acknowledge and build on
histories and experiences of
studentsmicrocultural
memberships
5. Help students understand racism,
sexism, classism,
discrimination
6. Critique society in the interest of
social justice and equality
7. Participate in collective social
action to ensure a democratic
society
People fought for equal education
throughout history
- women, low income families,
oppresses ethnic and religious
groups
Brown v. Board of Education
(Supreme Court, 1954)
- separate-but-equal education for
black and white students
declared illegal
Civil Rights (1960’s)
- new curriculum content about
various ethnic groups
- emphasis on equity for women,
disabilities, limited-English
speakers
Social justice and equality remain
goals for society
- to be modeled in classrooms and
schools
Discussion of multiculturalism
- side 1: promotion of diversity will
strengthen the nation
- side 2: promotion of diversity will
divide the nation and
Western tradition is denigrated as
diversity is highlighted
Outgrowth of discussion has led to
establishment of general education
requirements for ethnic, women’s
and global studies in colleges
and universities
Diverse student body and faculty
allow for interactions in
authentic settings with people from
different backgrounds
Social Justice and Equality
Justice
- related to fairness, moral
rightness, equity
Social Justice
- focuses on how we help others in
the community who are not as
advantaged as we are
- ethic of social justice is essential in
teaching
- requires all schools to provide all
students equal access to a
high-quality education
Schools reflect on inequities of the
broader society
See page 110
Antiracist Ed. V. Multiculturalism
Ed.: The critique
See page 110
Most students are subjected to the
same curriculum
Traditions in the school
- regional influences, social
structure, location of the school
- sports, activities

2. - rural schools emphasize Future
Farmers of America,
agricultural programs, 4H clubs
Read Jean Anyon’s article
4 types of curriculum:
1. Overt curriculum
2. Hidden curriculum
3. Extra/ co-curriculum
4. Null curriculum
Preferred teaching and learning
styles
- embedded in cultural backgrounds
and experiences
Making generalizations about
culturally diverse learners is very
dangerous
Many differences exist among
members of the same group
Culturally relevant teaching is
complex
Teacher must:
- listen to and observe students and
parents
- assess student performance to
develop the most effective teaching
strategy
Culturally relevant teaching
validates the cultures of students
and
Building on Cultural Context
Teachers should helps students see
the relationship between subject
matter and the world in which they
live
Use students’ prior knowledge and
experiences
Repertoires are limited for
beginning teachers
- good teachers are able to draw on
many different strategies
Know knowledge, skills and
commitments valued in cultures
- some students rebel as a form of
resistance against
the values of dominant society
Lack of understanding about
cultural differences and nonverbal
communication lead to student-
teacher conflict
Teach communication patterns of
the dominant culture to all
Centering the Cultures of Students
Curriculum for all academic areas
should reflect integration of
principles
of diversity and equality
Additive approach
- including one unit on another
group sporadically
1/3 of students in US schools do not
see themselves in the curriculum
-Curriculum does not normally
include stories of women,
disabilities, English language
learners, poverty, elderly
Inclusive curriculum reflects the
reality of multicultural world
Private schools grounded in
different cultures
- Afrocentric, Latino, Native
American, religious affiliations,
single sex
The opportunity to speak and be
heard as equal
Respect for differences is key in
affirming student voices
Incorporation of voices requires the
development of listening skills and
the validation of multiple
perspectives, languages, dialects
Teachers encourage students to
contribute their own realities and
experiences
- must listen to ALL voices
1/3 of students in US schools are
from ethnic groups other than
European
By 2020, more than 45% of the
school-age population will be
students
of color
The Challenge of Technology and
Equity
Technology is important in today’s
society
Most of the world’s population
does not have access to computers
or the
Internet
On some Native American
reservations, only 60% of residents
have a
telephone
2% of low income, rural homes
have Internet access
50% with income $75,000+ do have
access
Digital divide
- based on income, race, education,
household type, geographic
location
- difference in access to technology
tools and the Internet

3. African Americans, Native
Americans, Hispanics, women hold
few
technology jobs
More than 90% of all schools in the
country are wired with at least one
Internet connection
- Internet connections differ by the
income levels of students
5 characteristics of a positive
information society
1. Is community driven and meets
real community needs?
2. Overcomes major content
barriers facing the underserved
3. Provides people to help
4. Offers online content that is easy
to use
5. Is sustainable
The Challenge of Gender-Sensitive
Education
Traditionally, females were trained
to be wives and mothers
Today, 40%+ of graduates from
medical and law schools are
women
Rigid definitions limit the options
and potential of both males and
females
Today’s realities: See p. 122
To promote gender equity, females
should be encouraged to be
involved
in math, science, and computer
science
A gender-sensitive education
provides equity to boys and girls
- does not mean males and females
are always treated the same
Teachers in gender-sensitive
classrooms monitor interactions
among
girls and boys and their own
interactions with the sexes
The Challenge of Language Diversity
Immigrant students populating
large cities
Language differences used at home
and at school can lead to
dissonance
between students, their families
and school officials
Dropout rate of English language
learners is 2-2.5 times as great as
for
other students of the same age
Nat.’l Assoc. for the Education of
Young Children
- urges teacher to encourage “the
development of children’s
home language while fostering the
acquisition of English
Assimilationist instruction
integrates students into the
dominant or
mainstream culture
- bilingual education, newcomer
programs, sheltered instruction
Teachers as Social Activists:
Thinking Critically
Critically-thinking educators ask
how and why inequities are
occurring in
their classroom and school
Teaching equitably does not mean
teaching everyone the same way
- helping students function
effectively in multiple classroom
settings and used by the students in
the classroom
Critical thinkers challenge the
philosophy and practices of the
dominant
society that are not supportive of
equity, democracy, and social
justice
Practicing Equity in the Classroom
Caring and fairness
Teacher perceptions may be based
on personal characteristics of the
student and/or group membership
Multicultural education does not
tolerate unjust practices by
teachers
No discrimination
Students learn to respect
differences and to interact within
and across
ethnic and cultural groups
Teachers might praise some
students while tending to correct
and
discipline others
Everyone has been raised in a
racist, sexist, and classist society in
which the biases are so embedded
that it is difficult for people to
recognize anything other than overt
signs.
Reflecting on practice and on the
practice of those you observe
- are students from different
gender, economic and ethnic
groups
treated differently?
- are the fewer discipline and
learning problems among students
who are from the same background
as the teacher?
- Which students receive the most
assistance?

4. Equity is the ability to recognize
one’s own biases and make
appropriate
adjustments
Culturally relevant teaching helps
students struggle in class with
social
problems
Racism, sexism, classism, prejudice,
and discrimination are felt
differently by students of color than
by members of the
dominant group
Anger, denial, guilt, and affirmation
of identity are critical parts of
learning about and struggling with
the pernicious practices that
permeate most institutions.
Students from the dominant group
have never experienced
discrimination and often believe it
does not exist
In teaching for social justice,
teacher help students understand
the
equalities, oppression and power
struggles that are the realities of
society
Maxine Green
- “To teach for social justice is to
teach for enhanced perception
and imaginative explorations, for
the recognition of social
wrongs…”
Students learn to apply the
knowledge and skills they are
learning to a
local, regional , or global issue
- the learning becomes authentic
Involving communities and families
Parents and the community are the
essential resources in the delivery
of
multicultural education
Few beginning teachers will have
had direct involvement in multiple
cultural communities
Learning to function effectively in
several cultural communities
requires
participants to be comfortable with
their own background
Teachers who are most successful
in helping students from diverse
cultural backgrounds learn there
are those who “struggle to
confront their own histories, hear
the dissonance in their own
profession