Adult Support for Multicultural Education

Adult Support for Multicultural Education

Both teachers and parents need to take an active role in facilitating multicultural education. The challenge of helping all children excel in a multicultural environment is one that cannot be met by just the school; parents must take an active role as well. The increasing ethnic diversity in society is causing schools to focus more intently than ever before on the concepts associated with effective communication in a multicultural educational environment. Both parents' and teachers' communication skills can have a profound effect on the attitudes and behaviors that students exhibit in school and at home. For example, when children are taught that diversity is a 'bad thing' and that they should learn to blend in and conform, they lose their sense of individuality and cultural identity. However by teaching children to embrace diversity and to be proud of who they are where they came from, both parents and teachers can enhance the development process and help to create well-rounded, well adjusted students, and individuals.

By helping children to view their environment as a resource from which to gain knowledge from the family, school, and community, teachers can help to readjust student mindsets to view learning as an adventure as opposed to a chore. Furthermore, because schools often reflect habits of the larger society, educators must additionally question their own belief systems and examine them in relation to their teaching practices.

The lack of true understanding of cultural diversity is not only leading to frustration for both teachers and students, but is also increasingly leading to situations in which young people who are different backgrounds are falling behind both academically and socially. This is often a result of parents failing to adequately prepare their children for an environment that is far more diverse than the one they experience within the confines of their home. As is stated by Pattnaik (2003) "Without the participation of parents, the task of preparing all children for a multicultural world and equipping them with the requisite attitudes, knowledge, skills, and commitment to seek justice for all members in a diverse society will remain incomplete" (p. 18).

An internal factor of linguistic and cultural development is the learner's cognitive abilities, and an external factor is the manner in which they are taught. As Bennett (1995) points out, in different cultures, different types of knowledge and different ways of organizing knowledge are valued. Learning is a dialogue between input and the learner's pre-existing conceptualization of the world, developed through his/her experiences in a culturally constructed universe. Therefore, no matter how innately intelligent a child may be, the values and customs of his or her culture can have a dramatic effect on how they learn. The extent to which the parents of the child emphasize cultural heritage is also significant.

Of course, for parents who do not speak English fluently, the thought of participating in their child's education may seem intimidating. In order to get non-English speaking parents involved in school activities Pattnaik (2003) suggests developing "Family Projects" in which the entire family is involved in an activity that supports multilingual households, such as field trips to community landmarks where the focus is on visuals rather than words. She also suggests creating "Interactive Family Learning Nights": "Interactive family learning nights could include such activities as: 1) 'Mommy / Daddy and Me' sessions, in which parents practice strategies, with guidance, to facilitate children's interactions with multicultural materials from the arts; 2) interactive sessions with a children's author or an ethnic minority artist; and 3) sharing family projects or unique multicultural experiences, such as a special trip to a multicultural art gallery, or attending a Special Olympics event at the state or international level" (pp. 20-21).

Educational technology can be extremely helpful in diverse student populations because there is great deal of educational technology that is specifically designed to deal with multicultural student bodies. According to Sleeter (2002) "Technology connects with multicultural education in a number of ways...web-based instruction, online education, computer mediated communication, web quests, education portals, DVD, CD-ROM, video streaming, and audio streaming allow for all possible uses in multicultural education" It can also help overcome language barriers and enhance communication. The biggest obstacle to incorporating this technology into the multicultural classroom is usually a lack of finances.

A lack of appreciation for cultural diversity can also be a result of teachers failing to plan their curriculum in such a way that addresses diversity, such as reading books about different cultural backgrounds, and encouraging multicultural activities such as every student bringing in a typical meal from a different country (Ogbu, 1992). These are the types of activities that parents can become involved in as well.

Allen and Tracy (2004) assert that home visits provided by the schools encourage parents to become more involved in their children's education. They emphasize that parental involvement in the educational process can significantly enhance academic achievement. The authors make an excellent point when they acknowledge that the parents are really the child's first teachers -- and before they become old enough to go to school, the parents are essentially their only teachers. Therefore what children learn in the home can have a dramatic impact on how they adapt to a formal educational environment. For this reason, Allen and Tracy suggest that school personnel visit the homes of students to get a better sense of how their learning style has developed. The researchers ultimately conclude that "home visiting can be a crucial strategy for bridging the gap between home and school" (p. 206)

The attitudes parents have toward the importance of their children's education can also have a dramatic impact on how well they perform in school. For example, it is important for parents to implant in their children's minds the importance of regular school attendance, rather than treating it as an arbitrary choice. However, according to Baker et. al. (2001) among African-American and Hispanic households, rates of "parental-condoned absences" are often significantly higher than in other households. On the other hand, in Asian households, the rates of parental-condoned absence are often significantly lower. Too often, schools are inclined to forget that cultural differences can directly affect student behavior and achievement.

It is no secret that teachers telling parents how to raise their children and what ethics to instill in them is not likely to go over very well. Therefore, the most logical solution is for the teacher to act as a role model rather than a 'preacher'. By showing parents how to help their children embrace cultural diversity, rather than simply telling them, teachers may be able to make some headway. The same approach can be used with the children.