The second chapter of the textbook describes on the current state of education for diverse students in the United States, including various reports on the progress (or lack thereof) of fourth and eighth grade math and reading scores and the gap in scores in diverse populations. Taylor also provides his four causal aspects of those gaps: high poverty schools, ill-equipped schools and teachers, inadequate facilities, and tracking of students.
My reflection on this chapter will focus on the utilization of Bank’s four approaches to curriculum reform, Gardner’s multiple intelligences, and de Bono’s thinking hats to develop a culturally diverse classroom.
As an educator, I strived to incorporate multiculturalism into my high school special education curriculum with both the additive and social action approaches. I would make efforts to provide different perspectives of issues, and encourage my students to discuss and analyze those points of view. I would also incorporate real social action into that discussion and analysis by assigning and encouraging community involvement as a culminating unit activity.
For example, I had a 17-year-old junior who had become enamored of Adolf Hitler after watching several programs about the dictator on History Channel. This student would frequently quote Hitler in classroom discussions, draw swastikas on his notebooks, and make non sequiturs in conversations about the German “genius.” In an effort to use his fascination with the ruler as motivation to learn, I wrote several stand-alone units about the Holocaust, Elie Wiesel’s “Night,” and genocide.
When this student realized that not only Jews – but also people with learning disabilities -- were exterminated, I saw the proverbial light bulb shine over his head. He continued to show interest in the Hitler topic, but instead began writing his essays from the other point of view – the victims. The culminating activity was participation in the reading of names at the Holocaust Memorial at Grand Prairie; I’m proud to say my student participated and wrote an article for our classroom newsletter about his experience.
This anecdote illustrates how an educator can provide develop a culturally diverse classroom with various curriculum approaches, utilization of a student’s specific learning intelligence (in this case, verbal/linguistic), and a thinking hat (in this case, green for alternatives and new ideas).
My question for this class is: how can we better utilize the transformation approach in the curriculum when dealing with cultural, racial, and other diversity issues?
I'll respond to my post with a discussion of something I wanted to incorporate into my curriculum. My students always took an interest in the causes and effects of the September 11, 2011 terrorist attacks. If I were still teaching, I would definitely use the 10th anniversary of these events to integrate more understanding of differences between Islam and Muslim cultures.
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