Nowadays western universities have students from all around the world, with diverse backgrounds and beliefs, this situation has brought about the question of how to turn cultural diversity into an asset rather than a disadvantage. Cultural diversity is defined as the cultural variety and cultural differences that exist in the world, a society, or an institution. All the different cultures together can bring both benefits and challenges, but overall it has more advantages which schools can use for the benefit of the students as well as for the benefit of the institution. Cultural diversity can be turned into an asset by allowing a variety of viewpoints to offer new perspectives that inspire students and teachers to see the world differently. …show more content…
Research shows that multicultural classrooms can bring academic benefits like lower dropout rates, a higher rate of college enrollment, as much as 68%, more creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. It also brings civic and socio-emotional benefits, tolerance and cross-culture dialogue increase, reduces prejudices, enhances leadership skills. sharper self-awareness, personal and professional growth. It also has some economic benefits, it prepares students to succeed in the global economy and to have a successful performance in today 's workforce. The previous statement was further elaborated by university officials and business leaders who argue that diverse college classrooms prepare students for life, work and leadership in a globalized economy by creating leaders who are creative, collaborative and know how to work efficiently in dynamic, multicultural and diverse environments. Having a diverse talent pool allows an institution to retain the best talent from across the globe; in a diverse classroom, students are more likely to feel respected and valued for their unique contribution, this turns into respect among colleagues who also value the diverse perspectives of their team …show more content…
Communication between teacher and students is an important aspect to consider when talking about diverse classrooms. Teachers need to understand important ways in which cultures are different and how this affects the ways in which the students behave and learn. When teachers understand those differences they are less likely to do things that could be misinterpreted by students as well as less likely to misinterpret the student 's actions. Teachers need to continuously educate themselves to understand their students’ background. They can start by building a relationship with their students during school time, listening empathetically to what the students have to say, looking for cultural interpreters among pupils and looking for available resources whether it be people, books, web pages or others. Nonetheless must teachers do not have time for doing research in school hours and some teachers do not have good relationships with students, in those cases the learning process could come from assignments given to students, it could be through a presentation of the students homeland, an essay talking about cultural differences that apply specifically to them, trips to museums, research reports about a specific culture and many more. By giving assignments related to cultural diversity both the teacher and student will be able to educate themselves about culturally diverse
Banks’ “Multicultural Education and Curriculum Transformation”, does not state a certain history that is studied. Banks talks about different cultures and focus on how to get a diverse student to be engage. Banks seems to encourage students to learn about their culture along with the next student’s culture. Banks provides points that can help with the education reform. Banks also points out some flaws in theories, methods and practices.
A classroom should be filled with a wide variety of languages, experiences, and cultural diversity. An effective teacher understands the importance of culturally responsive teaching, and recognizes the significance of including students ' cultural references in all aspects of learning. Having an enriching classroom that engages all students does not mean making judgments about a student’s culture based on their skin color, gender, or socioeconomic status, rather it means knowing each student in a way that is individualized. According to the authors of The First Day of School: How to be an Effective Teacher Harry Wong, race, gender, religion, financial statue, and skin color is the least important factor determining a student’s achievement. Moreover, demographics and culture are not an excuse for students’ lack of achievement.
Culture includes many things such as language, cuisine, dress, beliefs, ways of living, histories, traditions, customs, religion and lifestyle choices. Culture is part of who we are as an individual and who we are within the community. Culture adds to a sense of belonging which is underpinned throughout the Early Years Learning Framework. As an educator we need to respect a child’s culture as this is where they begin their sense of belonging within the world (Outcome 1- children have a strong sense of identity: children develop knowledgeable and self confident identities EYLF) Respect for diversity is also one of the principles within the Early Years Learning Framework (pg 13 EYLF).
She points out gender and racial diversity in a workplace help people bring their knowledge and intelligence together to increase team performance. In addition, people engage in more critical thinking and gain broader viewpoints when they hear different opinions from someone in a different
As a second grade classroom teacher, I believe it is important for other educators to be aware of culturally responsive teaching which is closely related to multiculturalism. Culturally responsive teaching is pedagogy aware of the importance of considering the students’ culture in their learning. America’s educational system was built on a foundation of inequalities.
Diversity has given me a strong determination to face any new challenge confidently. Every move was unique in its own way. I have understood that beneath every culture, people are the same and that each culture presents a new perspective, new life style and a rich learning experience. With this outlook on diversity, I am confident that I can blend with the student community from all over the world. I would focus on human values of the people I meet and endeavor to promote thought
Issues of cultural diversity are more focused, especially in the class room setting. There are several techniques that may be applied to teaching to accommodate students of diverse backgrounds. Teachers must first be aware of stereotypes, ethnocentrism, and biasness. They should apply management techniques to the physical space as well as students’ behavior. Multiple intelligence theory active learning, technology and multi cultural education are among some of the techniques that may be applied to teaching in the class room.
A teacher is no longer the source of learning, rather a facilitator of learning. As a teacher I should know my student and understand that all students possess diverse backgrounds, by knowing your students, I will be able to decide which teaching style and strategies are needed to maximize their learning. I strongly believe it is vital to encourage the integration of culture, ethnicity, and life experiences into personal and corporate learning. I believe it is important to develop and implement innovative strategies in teaching. I feel that student learning is enriched and confidence increased with the utilization of
Academic Summary of “Acting on Beliefs in Teacher Education for Cultural Diversity” By Gay (2010) The article “Acting on Beliefs in Teacher Education for Cultural Diversity” by Gay (2010), who is a Professor at University of Washington in Faculty of Education, focuses on educating teachers for cultural diversity in classroom environments, which is frequently discussed but not a well-developed topic. According to Gay (2010), the society we live in has a huge impact on our lives, although we try to ignore or minimize its effect on educational area. There is a huge Eurocentric emphasis in the educational setting that affect students from culturally, ethnically and racially diverse backgrounds, and because of this she thinks that some major changes
IDEA lists three ways of being culturally skilled in the classroom. This includes the teacher being culturally alert in the class to connect the gap of learning about other ethnicities, learning to communicate to students in unwritten and non-vocal styles, and know the different views of the cultures, for example, skin-to skin contact, no communication, the clothing of the student, and simple gestures. This is important in my eyes because my school alone is very diverse, and I had my share of teachers that did not respect a certain students religion or culture. This upset me and made me want to learn more about different cultures and religions. It also leads me to want to work harder to become more culturally aware, and diverse for my future students and willing to do what I can to break down barriers that may be created by students of different cultures or religions.
- Diversity brings a variety of ideas and viewpoints to the organisation especially when creative problem solving is required. - Diversity increases passionate workers and makes work fun and
An example of a diverse society is Singapore. The definition of a diverse society is to have different types of people, who do not share the same race, culture, ethnicity, beliefs, practices, race, tradition, et cetera, to ‘come together’ and form a community. Living in a diverse society has its advantages. One of the advantages is that it can increase one’s knowledge, awareness and understanding about others culture, ethnicity, beliefs, practices, customs, tradition, et cetera. Despite that fact that living in a diverse society has its advantages, it also has its disadvantages.
While issues associated with socio-economic diversity are extremely important in the classroom, this is only one of several elements of diversity which must be considered in order to minimize inequity in students ' experience of education. Another important issue is that of cultural diversity. Australia is a multicultural country. Lawrence et. al.
The definition of multiculturalism is when you have cultural diversity within a society. Many people assume that having a multicultural society is a great thing, and in most ways it is. However, with a multicultural society, some problems will occur. In this essay I will debate whether or not a multicultural society is a good thing, and will be pointing out advantages and disadvantages.
Introduction Have you heard before about multicultural education?. In the last years multicultural education has been increasing in all the countries around the world, but the question is why this issue became so relevant and how this kind of education brings impact, rather positive or negative to students? Schools are being forced to change their method and increase the academic level because of multiculturalism. In this passage you would know about what is the definition of multicultural education in United States schools.