Diversity and inclusion

Posted: December 10th, 2013

Competency 601.3.3: Cultural Awareness, Understanding, and Acceptance – The graduate understands and is sensitive to differences in cultural values, norms and mores of the families of culturally diverse students and is committed to respecting these differences.

Objective 601.3.3-04: Reflect on personal commitment to respecting cultural differences and avoiding cultural bias.

Given:

Schools in America are a microcosm of cultures. As a new teacher, it is important to recognize what your own understanding and beliefs are about culture and multicultural education.

Task:

A.  Create a graphic organizer (suggested length of 1 page) to organize your thoughts about respecting cultural differences and avoiding cultural bias in an educational setting.

Note: You may create your graphic organizer using a word-processing drawing document. An outline is not an acceptable graphic organizer.
B.  Using your textbooks and other references, investigate academic research about culture and multicultural education. In an essay (suggested length at least 2 pages):

1.  Define culture.

2.  Define multicultural education.

3.  Explain, using research-based multicultural strategies, how multicultural education could address cultural differences and cultural bias in an educational setting.

4.  Validate your findings.

a.  Include APA in-text citations.

b.  Use  three academic sources.

Please make sure you use 3 academic sources!

C.  After completing your research, reexamine your graphic organizer. In an essay (suggested length of at least 1 page):

1.  Compare your preconceptions about cultural differences and cultural bias with your research findings.

2.  Reflect on how this research has changed your ideas and beliefs about cultural differences and cultural bias.

3.  Predict the impact this new understanding will have on your teaching practices.