Learning not to be colorblind: Multicultural education for teachers

1. Learning not to be colorblind: Multicultural education for teachers Elizabeth Sauer Pries EDD 811 Spring 2012

2. Why research multicultural education? My job is to provide academic, social and cultural support to Native students attending public schools. I work with them and their teachers to improve their academic performance. This can include trying out new teaching strategies to find the most effective method of instruction for these students. Hopefully, it will be beneficial to the teachers and others in the class as well.

3. What’s the problem? Discrimination Necessity of cultural recognition Shifting demographics & cultural gap Persistently low-levels of achievement for students of color Competition Testing and accountability

4. The Problem Student demographics are changing at a rapid rate. But teacher demographics are lagging behind.

5. Culture consists of language, beliefs, taboos, dress, food, nonverbal skills and a host of other aspects. A lack of understanding, whether through ignorance or misinformation, can lead to false assumptions about students of color that adversely affect their ability to perform academically. Really? You don’t look Indian…

6. Multicultural Education Is there even a definition? • A body of advocacy regarding specific changes in classroom instruction that developed as a result of the civil rights movement – Sleeter, 1996 Theory behind it What it includes/does Best definition I could find Banks’s Five Dimensions of Multicultural Education Content integration of diversity Knowledge construction of diverse peoples Prejudice rejection Equitable pedagogy for all students Empowering school culture and social structure to reflect equity for all students Gorski’sFive Defining Principles of Multicultural Education Political movement & process that attempts to secure social justice Social justice is an institutional matter and can be secured only through comprehensive school reform Comprehensive school reform can be achieved only through critical analysis of systems of power & privilege Eliminate all educational inequities for all students Good education for all students

7. Other definitions in Multicultural Ed. Literature Equity: Justice according to natural law or right; specifically: freedom from bias or favoritism. Fairness or justice in dealing between persons Equity Pedagogy: teaching strategies & classroom environments that help students from diverse racial, ethnic & cultural groups attain the knowledge, skills, & attitudes needed to function effectively within & help create & perpetuate a just, humane & democratic society Hegemony: preponderant influence or authority over others :domination; the social, cultural, ideological, or economic influence exerted by a dominant group NON-EQUITABLE (BAD) PRACTICES Colorblind: not influenced by differences of race; especially: free from racial prejudice; insensitive, oblivious. Treating people of different skin colors equally Racial Colorblindess: The idea that ignoring or overlooking racial & ethnic differences promotes racial harmony.

8. Castagno’s Typology of Multicultural Education es

9. What can be done to improve multicultural teacher education? Pre-service and in-service teacher preparation programs – several already include a multicultural or non-western requirement, usually within the general education classes. Requiring a multicultural ed. class within an education program could be an option. Immersion programs – allow participant to get a deeper experience of a culture and history. Requiring some type of immersion helps internalize the notion of culture.

10. Potential Interventions Collaborations between schools, universities, and minority communities provide support to those in teacher preparation programs . The university is the place to learn pre-experience information and to give context to the experience as learning opportunity. It is where the participant learns about a culture. The community gives an experience, whether through tutoring, cultural events, or mentoring. It is where the participant experiences a culture. The school puts this information and experience into practice. It is where the participant applies this new knowledge in the classroom.

11. Does multicultural education really belong in adult education? YES!! But I’m biased. Do I really expect that my teachers would be willing to learn this and apply it in their classrooms? Some of them. Do I think that pre-service teachers would be willing to learn this and apply it in their classrooms? Sure. Some of them. Do I think that instructors of pre-service teachers would be willing to learn this and apply it in their classrooms? Yes, some of them.

12. References Aud, S., Fox, M., and KewalRamani, A. (2010). Status and Trends in the Education of Racial and Ethnic Groups (NCES 2010-015). U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Banks, JA. (1991). Multicultural education: For freedom’s sake. Educational Leadership. 49:4. 32-36. Banks, JA. (1994). Transforming the mainstream curriculum. Educational Leadership. 51:8. 4-8. Bennett, CI. (1995). Preparing teachers for cultural diversity and national standards of academic excellence. Journal of Teacher Education. 46:4. 259-265. Castagno, AE. (2009). Making sense of multicultural education: A Synthesis of the various typologies found in the literature. Multicultural Perspectives. 11:1. 43-48. Feistritzer, CE. (2011). Profile of teachers in the US 2011. Washington, DC: National center for Education Information. Gay, G. (2002). Preparing for cultural responsive teaching. Journal of Teacher Education. 53:2. 106-116. Gay. G. (2005). Politics of multicultural education. Journal of Teacher Education. 56:3. 221-228. Goldstone, B. (2006). Expanding comfort zones: an Instructional model to broaden cultural awareness of future teachers. Thinking Classroom. 7:2. 28-35. Gorski, PC. (2009). What we’re teaching the teachers: An Analysis of multicultural teacher education coursework syllabi. Teaching and Teacher Education. 25:2. 309-318. Gorski, PC. (2010). The Scholarship informing the practice: Multicultural teacher education philosophy and practice in the United States. 12:2. 1-22. Kyle, K. (2009, August 03). Racial gap between Brown County teachers, students vast. Green Bay Press-Gazette. Retrieved from http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20090802/GPG0101/102040008/Racial-gap-between-Brown-County-teachers-students-vast Merrian, SB & Caffarella, RS. (1999). Learning in adulthood: A comprehensive guide.Jossey-Bass Inc.: San Francisco. 2nd edition. Michaelson, I. (2009). Everybody. On Everybody [CD]. New York: Cabin 24. Sleeter, CE. (1996). Multicultural education as a social movement. Theory into practice. 35:4. 239-247. Sleeter, CE. (2001). Preparing teachers for culturally diverse schools: Research and the overwhelming presence of whiteness. Journal of Teacher Education. 52:2. 94-106.