Today I felt class was a lot more stimulating than it was last week. I really think my classmates, myself included, were able to use Geneva Gay's list of definitions to form our own personal definition of what multicultural education is and why it is important to have in our society. I believe multiculturalism is something our society has formed in trying to bring everyone to an ‘equal playing field’. But then I ask, is everyone equal? And what does ‘equal’ actually mean? Well, I personally feel that everyone is equal, meaning everyone was created equally in the eyes of the Creator, but with that being said our world is not an equal playing field; not everyone has the same opportunities. As mentioned in the book Rethinking Multicultural Education by Wayne Au, he talks about white privilege and how it is harder for some cultural groups in the United States to achieve certain things. Au explains that while the places we get to in life are credited to hard work, being part of a certain race or from a certain culture does make it easier. Some cultures have more doors open to them than others. The dominant culture today I think chooses to believe that everyone is equal and has equal opportunities, but that is not necessarily the truth and that is discomforting to me.
Another point, touched upon in my education course today, was why do we need to put into practice multicultural education in our schools? This I think brings up an even more important point; it highlights the question of what the primary purpose of schooling is. Why does our country mandate school for all youth? Now, I understand there are many different views on this question, but I personally believe the primary purpose of schooling today is to prepare kids for the work world and our global economy. Schools today have reported that they are not only ‘teaching to the tests’ but they are also prepping kids in areas that future employers will want. For example, teaching kids how to collaborate together, to build a strong work ethic and to teach the youth to use technology - all to make sure that the next generation will be a strong contributor to society. It is from this perspective that I believe multicultural education is essential in our schools. In the future, our youth will come in contact with people from all over the world and from all different backgrounds, and they need to have the knowledge and understanding of those backgrounds and cultures. It is for that reason that we need to prepare students for these future interactions.
I would like to make one last point; I find it important that we should not think of multiculturalism as a separate entity, and as an extra class that is sometimes offered to students. But it should be something that is incorporated into all subjects. When learning about American History - the curriculum should include the history of the Native Americans, the coming of Blacks to this country, as well as colonial history. We need to intertwine multiculturalism into all our classes and our daily lives so we can gain an understanding, acceptance and knowledge of other cultures and subcultures.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHmwZ96_Gos&feature=related
Unbelievable video. That says it all - what life is like now (and that was made almost a year ago)!
ReplyDeleteI think you really captured the essence of the points made in class. Specifically the idea that we should be able to gain an understanding about the backgrounds of different people. However I think it must go further. Our education should not only end with the goal to understand a set amount of backgrounds, but rather to also have the capacity and tools to understand any "Other" that we come across.
ReplyDeleteI agree that you seem to have a very good understanding of the struggles non European cultures face in the world of work and schooling. The only way to change this is to start teaching diversity and acceptance from a very young age.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that schooling is preparation for working in our society. Therefore mulicultural education should be a necessity for working in our world today. In order to work with different people, you must have the knowledge of different cultures and backgrounds. I also really enjoyed the video, it was very interesting.
ReplyDeleteI agree with all the points made, except the idea that school is a preparation for work. Of course school does prepare you to enter into the work force, but I think it's a dangerous path to make that the focus of education. Especially at younger ages. Schools should introduce children to all of that which they will not encounter in their homes and their neighborhoods. Of course children need to learn math and reading, and all the skills that will let them continue through school and into the workforce. But that should not be the focus.
ReplyDeletemamberg1-I agree with that the sole focus should not be to train youth for the job market but thats what it has turned into. That is the problem with the American educational system. I think our country feels threatened by other countries' success (especially in the technology field) which is why I stress even more the importance of multicultural education...since in the future we will com to contact with people from all over the world its important to understand those cultures. But of course I personally think the main purpose of school and multicultural schooling should be for the individual's personal growth.
ReplyDeleteThe reality is that we're in a money-driven society and they have created education systems to enforce that mentality. It's unfortunate but that's the reality. We're at the head of the "globalization" movement, another money-driven concept. So of course we won't educate just for the sake of job-training (this concept is what has failed our children in the past) but it's the reality of our society today, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteYes, I 100% agree that its a money driven society which therefore makes the primary purpose of educating our youth to prepare them for this money driven globalized economy. I think its important to help the youth to develop skills where they can be succussful and contribute to society but its so sad to see that has become the primary purpose...what ever happened to educating just for the sake of learning and learning history because its interesting and we can learn from it to make ourselves better people...
ReplyDelete