Assignment:
Part 1 of this assignment: BECOMING A MULTICULTURAL EDUCATOR
Please read each of the four steps below and then reflect on where you think you are in each of these areas around becoming a multicultural educator. Please write (1 to 2) paragraphs for each step. Then after doing that create an action plan of how these steps and process will become a regular part of your everyday practice. I want you to really think about the action plan and be specific about how you will use it every single day with children.
4-Step Model
Knowledge: To become resources for our students, we need to commit to expanding our knowledge base about people who are different from us. This included knowledge of beliefs and values, communication and interaction patterns, histories, attitudes and behaviors. This is lifelong effort.
Awareness: Education is value laden and embedded with conscious and unconscious values. Often as educators we are not fully aware of all the assumptions, beliefs, and values under which we operate. To be able to work with diverse students, we must first examine our own beliefs, biases, and prejudices and become aware of our own cultural essence. Then we can begin to become aware of the value of the various dimensions of diversity in ourselves and others.
Skills: Working with those who are different means learning new skills, including communication; lesson planning; integration of knowledge about motivation, diversity and multiple intelligences and so forth. WE need to learn gender-neutral language that is inclusive and how to intercept statements and actions that are prejudicial. Teacher must also learn the various ways of infusing multiculturalism into the curriculum and pedagogical strategies. There are variety of lesson plans that support students and different ways to teach that can offer a more responsive approach to education students of different cultures.
Action: Teacher must learn how to develop individual and organizational action plans in order to implement education that is multicultural in their classroom and in the school. Teacher must first learn how they can get started with becoming more multicultural. They must also learn how to develop support networks and collaborations with other teachers.
With knowledge comes awareness. This leads to a change or acquisition of skills.
Part 2 of this assignment: Developmental Influences
Please research and find an article or a resource around what influences children's development the most. Include the resource and why you choose it. Then please make a list of what you feel are the top ten developmental influences of children and how as a teacher you can negatively or positively affect children.