Education That Reflects Diversity

Education that represents individual diversity

Education that represents individual diversity is founded on the ultimate belief that all students should have equal access to educational opportunities. Furthermore, people should be treated with dignity regardless of their color, gender, social class, or ethnicity. As a result, it tries to reduce racial and ethnic biases in education. It enables pupils to learn about and interact with people from diverse cultures (Ford and Milner 83). A multi-cultural education method also assists students from diverse cultural backgrounds in developing competency in the prevailing culture. The goals of a diverse education and their ramifications in the classroom are discussed below.

Goal 1: Cultural Pluralism

Cultural pluralism is the tendency by the minority to maintain their cultural identities as they live within larger societies and at the same time reliably obeying the laws of the larger society. This goal aims at improving the understanding of the concept of pluralism among educators as well as the students in the American Society (Yuen 734). Cultural pluralism helps in creating positive cultural attitudes in teachers, counselors and students. In this regard, teachers focus more on helping their students develop an understanding and appreciation for those who are culturally different from themselves. Moreover, it takes into consideration student's ethnic differences, gender differences, as well as their religious differences. Cultural pluralism is essential as it helps in changing students' attitudes and behaviors towards people from different cultures. To address this goal in a classroom, I would consider explaining to the students the importance of understanding, respecting and appreciating other people's cultures and learn how to interact with them (Ford and Milner 113). Such an approach helps them to effectively communicate across all cultures and also develop and maintain new and essential inter-cultural relationships.

Goal 2: Expand the Knowledge Base of Culture

Members of a minority group like women and people of color often face disapproval and discrimination. The goal regarding knowledge expansion is meant to ensure that education is provided for all people regardless of their different social and racial backgrounds. Teachers are therefore required to expand their student's knowledge regarding different minority groups and cultures found in the United States (Yuen 737). Teachers are also accorded with the responsibility to ensure that their students are aware of the importance of equity in education provision inclusive of the minority groups. Moreover, it is concerned with ensuring equal education provision for all students irrespective of their race, gender or social class. It ensures that the previously marginalized groups like women, people with disabilities and racial minorities are included in the curriculum without any prejudice and biases (Ford and Milner 101). To address this goal in a classroom, I would ensure that all students are provided with the necessary physical, emotional and financial assistance they require to grow their fullest potential academically.

Goal 3: Improve Intergroup As Well As Intergroup Interactions

This goal is aimed at ensuring that educators' impact knowledge, skills, and attitudes and create a classroom environment that enables their students to interact with members of their cultural group freely and those of other cultural groups (Ford and Milner 132). Improved intergroup interactions, therefore, demand that teachers broaden their knowledge of different cultures they are likely to encounter with amongst their students. It also requires that students learn how to interact with others who are culturally different from them. To address this goal, I would encourage students to work together irrespective of their cultural differences (Rios 93). For instance, during classroom group discussions, I would ensure that students from different cultural backgrounds are grouped together so that they can learn to work together, learn from each other and rely on each other. These intergroup interactions will help students adapt to, value cultural differences, and resolve their conflicts in culturally competent ways. Intergroup interactions also lay a foundation for intergroup harmony, cultural pluralism and the ability to work and live with a multicultural perspective.

Goal 4: Empowerment

Empowerment for all school members is another crucial purpose of a multi-cultural education. Reflective decision makers and action-oriented educators willing to be socially and politically active in the school, community and the state should be empowered. Empowered Educators provide culturally relevant teaching and can nurture a sense of interdependence among their students (Rios 115). They also help their students become independent and assume responsibility for their cultures as well as other people's cultures. Empowerment also helps students to become self-directed learners as they aspire to improve the quality of their education. To address this goal in the classroom, I would ensure that all students are motivated to achieve the best of their academic proficiencies. Moreover, I would provide appropriate role models to empower the students so that they can be able to work towards the achievement of their goals.

Conclusion

Multi-cultural education is important for teachers as it helps reduce prejudices and biases as they execute their duties. A multicultural perspective contributes to promoting culturally sensitive teaching strategies in a cross-cultural society (Rios 134). There are various goals designed to promote a multi-cultural education system. Cultural pluralism aims at educating students about cultural differences existing in the US and ways they can learn to interact with these people. Expanding student's knowledge on other cultures is another goal of a multicultural education as it helps reduce racial and ethnic discrimination in education provision (Yuen 739). Intergroup interactions help students learn how to live with people who are culturally different from them. Finally, empowerment is also essential for multi-cultural education as it helps educators provide culturally relevant teaching strategies.

Works Cited

Ford, Donna Y, and H R. Milner. Teaching Culturally Diverse Gifted Students. Waco, Tex: Prufrock Press, 2005. Print.

Rios, Francisco A. Teacher Thinking in Cultural Contexts. Albany, NY: State Univ. of New York Press, 1996. Print.

Yuen, Celeste YM. "Dimensions of diversity: Challenges to secondary school teachers with implications for intercultural teacher education." Teaching and Teacher Education 26.3 (2010): 732-741.