After a long semester spent reviewing articles pertaining to my theme, the multicultural classroom, I find that there are many issues left open, and no clear solution. I could be a severely left-winged individual and blame society, saying that the people are not trying hard enough; they are not open minded enough, they are not capeable of comprehending the importance of diversity and embracing diversity. I could swing to the right and say that multicultural classrooms and the embracing of multicultural classrooms is breaking down our good society. I will not say either of these things.
What I will say is that the multicultural classroom is an extremely complicated topic with various opinions on the matter from anyone who cares to give that opinion. As I explored this topic, it became increasingly difficult to conclude what is best. I was raised to believe that everyone is equal, and deserves equal opportunity. I think the U.S. has really missed something. It is a multicultural world, and the U.S. is stuck in a state of perpetual denial. That is not to say that the U.S. isn’t a great place to be, it really is, but the point remains that there is something off– old racial tensions are coming back stronger than ever. It is up to the next generation to squash this resurgance of racism.
It is true that there may always be tension in the world, but is possible that it can be reduced for the greater good. For my final word and opinion on the topic of the multicultural classroom, I merely wish to say this:
TOLERANCE.
Despite everything that has happened within recent years, the enrollment of foreign students in U.S. universities is on the rise.
“In the 2006-2007 school year, the report found, international students’ net contribution to the
United States economy was nearly $14.5 billion — up a billion dollars from the previous year, the largest annual increase to date.”
Anyone who is currently living anywhere in the
United States can say that anything that is bringing in revenue to our country is a good thing. On top of this revenue, the
United States has an increased interest among students abroad. Why is this important? U.S. Universities are drawing students from various cultural backgrounds to the states to get
U.S. educations.
“It’s a huge factor in a lot of cities, including New York, where international students contribute about $1.5 billion, more than the Yankees, the Mets, the Rangers, the Knicks and the Giants combined.” With all of these new cultures coming to
U.S. universities, it is important to keep in mind the importance of the multicultural classroom. True to descriptions of old, the U.S. is truly a melting pot of different nationalities and cultures. It is of no surprise to many that with growing numbers of immigrants and increases in foreign students there are growing cultural tensions as well. It is very clear when one looks through newspaper articles that recently many hate and culturally insensitive incidents have been occurring. At several universities nooses have been hung in front of classrooms and dormitories, and of course the
Jena 6 incident in the South has brought attention to racial tensions. So what is there to do?
“Next to water, the biggest shortage in the world today is probably higher education,” said Dr. Goodman, adding that only the United States could absorb the demand. There needs to be more done within the schools. Though this sounds like traditional preaching in a hippie-like-fashion, it is true. Several articles contained statistical data in recent weeks that prove that segregation is on the rise again. The same old racial tensions are reforming. It is time for the schools to step up and try to do more to alleviate these situations.
True schools have enough on their plate, trying to satisfy new and rigorous curriculums, however, most of the publicized racially charged crimes occur on campuses nation wide. So what’s changing? Perhaps students are simply not being educated on tolerance or exposed to other un-Western traditions. This is not to say that U.S. children need to absorb themselves in a new culture and become “un-American” it is merely an issue of giving students the tools to become more understanding and open-minded citizens.
With this increased revenue from foreign students coming to the U.S. many universities are receiving much needed funding. Needless to say that while the foreign students are within the continental United States, they are being consumers. Creating environments that are conducive to better foreign relations can only help the United States with its resurgence in social issues and increase revenue.
Study: Foreign Students Added to Economy
Tamar Lewin
New York Times
I attended the Celebrate Literacy Conference in October at the GVSU Pew Campus. The premise for the conference was to promote language arts and literacy in the area. The conference had not been held in several years due to the loss of board members, and for its opening night was a very small conference. The general session was conducted by Gijsbert and Robbyn von Frankenhuyzen, a husband and wife team who write and illustrate children’s books. Through their children’s books they write about themes such as protecting the environment, and animal conservation. As a person planning on going into secondary education, I was skeptical that I could learn very much to take with me into my own classroom; however when the concurrent sessions started I was pleasantly surprised.
I attended a “power of art in the learning process” session with Wendy Anderson Halperin, an illustrator. Typically Wendy works with the younger crowd, encouraging the development of fine motor skills. However, I found much of what Wendy had to say applicable to all age levels. Similar to some of the authors we have read for class, Wendy believes in more of a natural and organic approach to creativity. She is a firm believer in keeping utensils handy for whenever creativity happens to strike (she travels with a suitcase full of nothing but crayola crayons).
Wendy was good enough to remind many of us that there are still traditional visual learners left in the world who tend to be ignored during classes. It is important to try to engage these learners using various mediums, for example giving students time to sketch out diagrams or even draw pictures in their notes or on a white board to give the students more to grasp visually. It is true that in many classrooms the most visual a lecture can be is merely writing notes upon a board and the occasional student conducted presentation. Wendy was able to show us that if used appropriately more artistic segues can be used in the classroom to help students assimilate information into their long-term memory. When Wendy visits classrooms she believes in giving students time to creatively express themselves in either writing or sketching. Some students are more productive with letters, but other students are capable of making notes or brainstorming ideas by simply doodling.
I think the conference on the whole was more geared towards elementary teachers, but the one key idea I take away from the conference was freedom of expression. It is not sufficient to force students to create finely tuned drafts or ideas for what they want to do for an assignment—sometimes it really is sufficient to let the visual learners brainstorm in their own way, even if it is slightly outside the accepted norm. The drafting process isn’t necessarily what is important; it varies from person to person. What is important about the creative process is that there are creative steps taken along the way to produce a finely tuned finished project.
At a high school football game in Harlem, NY, a racial slur was inscribed onto a team bench prior to the start of the game.
Mr. Fergerson said he reported the discovery to a school security officer, who called the police. Then, Mr. Fergerson said, he was approached by an assistant vice principal from Staten Island Tech. “He said, ‘Why don’t you let it go?’” Mr. Fergerson said yesterday. “He said this could only have been done by kids.”
I think this is a completely irresponsible reaction to the situation. I don’t think there is enough zero-tolerance in relation to the use of racial slurs or racism on the whole. It is horrible to say to another human being “just ignore it, it’ll go away” because it never does go away. Racism is here, and it needs to be addressed before anything can be done about it. The article makes no indication of any measures taken by the school to investigate the issue. By asking the situation to be “let go” it strikes me as pacifist outlook, and perhaps this school believed the racial slur was “all in good fun.” By letting this notion fly, the Staten Island school is unconsciously perpetuation prejudice and racism among their student body.
Mr. Fergerson said an athletic director from Staten Island Tech later chastised him for calling the police and told a referee to move the bench. Mr. Fergerson said he argued that the bench should stay in place until the police arrived, but the referee moved it anyway.
I realize that vandalism and perhaps racial slurs are one of the least of a school’s concerns, however, I am surprised that there was so much opposition to the issue. I would imagine school officials to at least apologize for the incident, but the article gives no indication of that taking place. I don’t think the coach was overreacting by calling the police, because vandalism is vandalism.
“I’m not African-American, so I can’t say I know how they feel, but I think any human being would put life before feelings,” said Mr. Bonamo, who added that he was not among the officials who spoke with Mr. Fergerson. “I think had they known that we had a student under cardiac arrest, they may not have perceived us having a cavalier attitude.”
I think regardless of the situation with a student under cardiac arrest, the school could have made an effort to at least make a school announcement, or conduct some sort of action to investigate the racial slur after the fact. There was plenty of time to deal with the issue the next day if school officials were taking care of an injured student. I find it inexcusable that there were no apologies, nor the faculty in attendance at the football game offered any support to the coach of the opposing team. It almost sends an indirect message of “you’re not worth my time or effort” to the other team. I also find it equally interesting that the white principal of the school also makes implications of the issue being taken too far. Yes, it is true, that life should come before feelings, but what about after the life has been preserved? Then don’t feelings become important? It appears that the school was very neglectful of the situation from the beginning, and it never had any intention or cares to pretend to have remorse for the situation. I really wish more of an effort, or at least an apology was issued to the Harlem coach and team.
Thomas J. Leuck
“Racial Slur Written on Bench of Harlem Team at
Staten Island Game“
New York Times
The founding principal of the city’s first Arabic-language school said yesterday that the Bloomberg administration forced her to resign in August by threatening to shut the school. She said she was applying to get the job back. In her first detailed public account of what led her to step down after defending the word “intifada” on a T-shirt, the principal, Debbie Almontaser, presented herself as the victim of an anti-Arab “smear campaign” from conservative newspapers and blogs and of pressure from city officials.
I find it interesting that job loss can now be determined by t-shirts. To me it appears that there is a lot of unjust controversy swarming around this school. I am also surprised at the drastic step taken by the administration to threaten the shut down of a school without a principal resignation. To me this is the first sign of trouble. If a board had to threaten the school as a whole to remove the principal from that school, then obviously the board didn’t have solid reasons to dismiss the principal in the first place. I would then agree that the board held something against this principal.
Almost from the time the Education Department announced plans for the school in February, it faced opposition from parents at public schools that were to share their space with the Arabic-culture school, as well as from conservative columnists, who said the school would promote radical Islam.
I am particularly troubled in hearing that many people in this area automatically classified Arabic and Islam as one in the same. There is more to a culture than just a religion, and furthermore, Islam is not the only religion found in the Arabic-speaking world. I am not surprised that these unnamed “conservative columnists” would backlash against such a school, as people often fear what they do not understand. It also sounds if “parents at a public school opposed sharing their space” that there are severe racial undertones to this matter. Could it have something to do with the fact that this school is established in New York? Are there more dwindling stigmas and stereotypes here because of the 9/11 attacks?
The controversy that ultimately lead to Ms. Almontaser’s resignation began in early August, when she faced questioning from The New York Post over the phrase “Intifada NYC,” which was printed on T-shirts sold by Arab Women Active in the Arts and Media, a Brooklyn-based organization. The shirts had no relation to the school. She said that the word “intifada,” — which is commonly used to refer to the Palestinian uprising against Israel — literally meant “shaking off” and did not only suggest violence.
Now, if the principal exercised her right to free speech, why is she being held accountable? It depends on your point of view. If I read the above paragraph in the context of being associated with a women’s group, I would assume “intifada” would have some precedence over women’s issues and women’s rights. I would assume that this word was borrowed from these Palestinian uprisings and adapted to women’s causes. A woman principal, supporting women’s rights? How can this be bad? I suppose if a school board was really searching for a way to get rid of this principal, the nature of the word “intifada” being related to uprisings would serve as a lightning rod.
“They suggested that as an observant Muslim I was disqualified from leading” the school, Ms. Almontaser said. “To stir up anti-Arab prejudice, they constantly referred to me by my Arabic name, a name that I do not use professionally.”
I am quite surprised that the media would refer to this woman by her Arabic name if it is not her professional name. To me, the media is blatantly attacking her, and making a spectacle out of the fact that Ms. Almontaser is Muslim. I really think this is an example of racial tensions at play. The very nature of the school being Arabic led to a public outcry, who asked for the resignation of the principal, and the school board, agreeing with the public, fought to remove the principal, hoping that with another, major changes could be made to the institution. I really think tolerance needs
Jennifer Medina
“Arabic School Ex-Principal Fights to Get Job Back “
New York Times
In New Jersey, the Bilingual Buds preschool has been gaining in popularity. Here, many children are immersed in diverse settings at early ages.
The Mandarin preschool here, Bilingual Buds, has grown to 110 students from 10 in three years. The Scotch Plains school, Little Lingoes, which opened 15 months ago, now serves 50 students, ages 1 to 8, teaching Spanish and Mandarin.
By exposing these children to other languages early on, the children are more prone to develop good language skills. It has been proven time and time again that pronunciation, understanding, and overall fluidity of language become much stronger when children are taught at an early age than in adulthood. In adulthood, because the brain has for the most part polarized, it becomes increasingly difficult to learn languages much past the teen years. Of course there are exceptions to this, but for the vast majority, the prime time for language acquisition is early on.
“People who start their children on a language so young understand it’s a multicultural world and they want their children to be part of it,” she says.
I agree with this statement because by simply learning a foreign language, a child will have much greater opportunities in life. If many of these students are able to continue developing their language skills as they grow, they will become valuable assets to the workforce. Along with the benefits of having increased fluency in the language, these children would presumably be more open to diversity on the whole. I think from a social perspective this could only help society in general. We all know that there is a balance between nature and nurture in human psychology, and if students are taught young about other cultures, and not to pass judgments in an ethnocentric way, racism could be greatly reduced in the country.
The teachers are better educated than those at most preschools — half have a master’s degree — making Bilingual Buds more costly. Five days of preschool, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., is $12,870 a year.
I think more preschools and schools in general with similar formatting should be opened. It is important that children receive high-quality education, and are exposed to foreign languages. The teachers for these schools are native speakers of these languages, which from personal experience is more valuable than teachers who studied that language as a second one. The importance of learning a foreign language cannot be stressed enough. There is a high demand for multilingual employees in our country.
Michael Winerip
“Diversity as Normal as Speaking Chinese“
The New York Times.
In 2004 Ohio University began a Diversity conference open to the entire student body, to of course promote cultural awareness and acceptance. The latest conference was held earlier this month to address these issues once more.
“Unify helped promote community by bringing together students to talk about issues that “relate to everyday life,” said junior Tara Melvin, Unify’s current president.”
As elementary as it sounds, I think these conferences are a good idea for anyone who has an open mind about learning about different cultures. It was always said that people fear the unknown, and perhaps the best way to combat many stereotyping issues is to hold these days to expose the willing to these different cultures.
“In the collaborative break-out sessions, students agreed that diversity means more than a person’s skin color or heritage, but encompasses other aspects such as sexuality, religion and ideology. Open discussions were moderated by members of Unify, who asked attendees about topics such as affirmative action, gay marriage, and prejudices and stereotypes of different racial, social and political groups.”
It is useless to try to make people change their opinions and beliefs about anything, as it is their given right to hold these beliefs. I do think it is very important to find ways to discuss the hot topics and try to emphasize tolerance to diversity. I can’t imagine the world being very interesting if there wasn’t anything different or seemingly foreign. I think a major issue is a lack of tolerance in today’s society. Many people think “this is the way I was taught, and is therefore the correct way.” Perhaps it would be more constructive to begin exposing children to different ideologies at an earlier age to further promote thinking outside of their “cultural norm.”
“”Those in attendance reflected on the experience, commenting that they felt inspired by the things that were discussed and excited about being a part of both Unify and future initiatives that work toward the achievement of personal and institutional goals,” said Mitchell.”
I think it’s brilliant that many campuses have multicultural clubs and organizations to promote these activities, especially considering the racially-charged cases appearing in the news recently. Though it’s true not everyone will ever attend these functions, it is good to know that they exist for those who want to learn and experience more. At the risk of sounding like a peace-loving hippie, it is imperative to expose as many as possible to diversity, and made to adore it for the betterment of everyone.
“Diversity event continues tradition started at OU in 2004″
Emily Mullin
Athens NEWS campus reporter
Currently schools, students, and educators are now facing new issues with segregation.
“In its June ruling the Supreme Court forbade most existing voluntary local efforts to integrate schools in a decision favored by the Bush administration despite warnings from academics that it would compound educational inequality.”
I think it’s far too soon for the Supreme Court to be undoing these kinds of educational reforms. True it has been many years, and times are different now than when these decrees were initially passed, however, racism is still rampant. In some parts of the United States it is truly necessary to have referendums to ensure a diverse student body.
“Many segregated schools struggle to attract highly qualified teachers and administrators, do not prepare students well for college and fail to graduate more than half their students.”
I find it a horrible and tragic blow to basic rights to have the Supreme Court overturn segregation laws. It is easy to still find segregation between schools even in Grand Rapids. I for one attended a rich-affluent-suburban high school, and off the top of my head, I only graduated with 3 African Americans, out of a total graduating class of 365 students. I can only imagine how these numbers are turning out in areas where there was forced bussing and other procedures to ensure diversity in the classroom.
“The United States risks becoming a nation in which a new majority of non-white young people will attend “separate and inferior” schools, the report said.” “Resegregation … is continuing to grow in all parts of the country for both African Americans and Latinos and is accelerating the most rapidly in the only region that had been highly desegregated — the South,” it said.”
I like to have more faith in humanity; however statistics don’t tend to lie.
“During the desegregation period there was a major decline in the education gap between blacks and whites and an increase in college entry by blacks …. That gap has stopped closing,” Orfield said.
It may not seem to be a problem right away, but there are definitely racial barriers left in the country. I hear racial slurs exchanged several times in a week, and I see it often as well. This is an important issue to keep into consideration for the new groups of teachers preparing to go out into the world. In the future it may become necessary again for new referendums to again try to address the problem of segregation. But at the same time, what else can be done, if after 50 years, the struggle is still ongoing? We will have to see.
”Segregation in Schools is increasing: report”
Matthew Bigg
In Florida, a charter school that created a program for the bilingual education of English and Hebrew was ordered to suspend the program. Recently the program was under scrutiny by concerned parents who believed that “the Jewish faith was seeping into public classrooms.” This is the first Hebrew-language charter school in the country. Currently there are 400 students enrolled in classes from kindergarten to eighth grade, and the school is abiding by the state curriculum, with the addition of a core class being taught bilingual, as well as Hebrew classes. Classes were suspended for three weeks while county board members assessed the situation.
“The school district will work with the school, Ben Gamla Charter School in Hollywood, Fla., to create training programs for teachers and board members to ensure the separation of church and state, Superintendent James Notter said. Lesson plans will be submitted monthly for district review.”
Firstly, in my humble opinion, why would one deliberately send their children to a charter school which teaches children in Hebrew, when historically Judaism and Hebrew have been interconnected? Parents can easily decide not to send their children to a school that teaches Hebrew. Now, I am not defending the school, because it is entirely plausible that the school was overstepping its bounds with religion, however, it should be expected that perhaps a certain extent of religious beliefs would shine through during classes. Many people unwittingly share their personal beliefs without meaning to convert or assert authority. If the school is deliberately and blatantly supporting the teaching of Judaism, then there should be an investigation. This would be unlawful for any public school to do. If the school is merely enforcing the historical importance of Judaism to the Hebrew language, I believe the school is entirely within its limits. Despite the lack of details given by the article, based on these processions, I would assume that not the entire population of this school practices Judaism. To maintain a comfortable classroom for all cultural backgrounds, references to Judaism would have to be maintained to a merely historical and pertinent level. This is a very hard thing to accomplish, seeing as people are often difficult to please, but would include catering to the dominant group. It saddens me that a new and refreshing program has started so recently, and has already met opposition.
”Board: Chater School Can Teach Hebrew”
Matt Sedensky
The Associated Press