Description and Rationale of the for the Topic
Multicultural thinking and learning explore and justify cultural diversity among the learners. This kind of thinking ensures that the learners’ cultural backgrounds are valued and accorded the necessary respect in the classroom. Often, multicultural learning involves integrating the people who fall under the different class, age, nationality, sexual orientation, gender, capability, religion, race, and other forms of identities.
Indeed, the learning is justified for its effectiveness in incorporating the different cultural affiliations of the people in the classroom. Once the tutor understands that the cultural background does not act as a barrier to the student’s development, it would be very appropriate for him/her to incorporate the ideals of various groups of people.
The Multicultural Model Used
There are various multicultural models that the tutor may effectively apply in the classroom. For example, cultural hospitality, uniting culture and full multicultural are the models applicable in this study (Francis, 2000). Although they do not have significant variations, the models are applied differently depending on the cultural mixes, which are present in the classroom.
The “cultural hospitality” is a model that promotes generosity among the diverse cultural groupings, which might find its way in the classroom (Francis, 2000). In this case, the spirit of accommodation is very important for the success of the classroom activities. Due to the accommodative nature of the model, it brings harmony in the classroom as no particular group would feel disadvantaged.
The “uniting cultural” is the model that underscores the importance of integrating the diverse culture in a single classroom (Francis, 2000).
Although the proponents of this model understands that achieving unity among the people professing different cultures is not easy, the tutor can play an active part in forging this unity front. This might help the tutor reduce the cases of cultural conflicts that might arise in the learning environment.
The “full multicultural” is also a model that tries to overcome the weaknesses of the other to techniques. In this model, all the people regardless of the social class, age, nationality, sexual orientation, gender, capability, religion, race, and other forms of identities, are brought together under a single zeal (Francis, 2000). As a result, this model requires sensitivity and flexibility to be practical.
The Educational Setting
In terms of the educational setting, the learners are a collection of people of different age levels and socio-cultural background, thus need careful treatment while in the classroom with other colleagues.
In fact, some of the students might feel dishonored if their plights do not reach the tutor or if the teacher does not address their concerns even after receiving them. In this regard, the students who have similar thoughts may perceive the tutor as discriminative, thus might not be free to engage in classroom activities.
Time Required to Implement
Articulating and integrating multicultural thinking and learning in the classroom requires a lot of time to implement depending on the complexity of the issues in place.
Definitely, highly multifaceted issues such as the cultural norms and traditional languages cannot be easily are integrated with the others, while at the same time; the people with such distinct values should co-exist with one another. In this case, the time needed to implement the complex attributes of the people differs significantly.
Goals and Objectives
In the classroom, the goals and objectives of multicultural thinking and learning is to enhance the students’ capability in areas including the following.
Knowledge: to enhance the students’ understanding about the meaning and other factual information about issues relating to the people’s multicultural thinking and teaching (Ford, 2000).
This is important since the students would be able to propose workable social actions, which enhance cultural integration among the people. For instance, they would be expected understand the acquisition of knowledge about cultural differences and make the people appreciate diversity and learn to integrate them.
Comprehension: the objective here is to increase the students’ ability to justify the issues that enhance cultural understanding and learning such as the media (Ford, 2000). They are also informed of the social actions to be taken so that the media could portray the social differentiations in a manner that does not discriminate a cultural practice of the people, including those of the minority.
Application: the objective here is to teach the students how to relate the cultural issues based on their understanding on the people’s diversity (Ford, 2000). For instance, the students might be expected to review the affirmative actions, which have been taken to reduce the affects of cultural diversity.
Learning Activities and Material/Media
In learning, a number of activities are conducted using different materials. For example, there is an actual teaching in the classroom that the tutor conducts. This can either be interactive or directed. The other activity is the learning. This is the activity of the students, with close assistance from the tutor. Learning is a process or activity that is really involving the stakeholders.
Examining the learners to ascertain their understanding and progress is another activity that the tutors should uphold. The materials, which facilitate learning, include projectors, computers and other electronic media. The materials could be used in transmitting the information.
Instructional Activities to be used
The instructional activity to be employed in teaching multicultural thinking also varies according to the specific cultural attributes of the people.
Some of the instructional activities used in teaching in a multicultural setup include questioning, role playing, cooperative learning, exposure, group discussions, and active involvement among others. These activities might have some relationship, but it is important for the tutor to make sure that the students are allowed to freely exercise them.
Questioning enables the students to attract the attention of their colleagues, especially on their thoughts about cultural variations in the classroom. Therefore, this activity must be interactive and approached in a manner that satisfies the person raising the question and the respondent without compulsion.
Role playing is another instructional activity that gives the participants the freedom to participate in the discussion in his/her capacity. Similarly, cooperative learning involves the integration of various students with different cultural attributes so that they learn from one another.
Exposure is another significant learning activity because it increases chances of the learners to understand and appreciate different cultures and languages in the classroom. Group discussion is another learning activity that increases interaction among its members who have diverse knowledge on different cultural attributes.
This is important in sharing of opinion about the cultural issues in question in trying to create harmony between divergent cultures. Finally, active involvement is significant in increasing individual participation in the classroom activities.
The Framework for Enhancing Diversity
Since the students’ diversity characterizes the classroom, the tutor should use relevant and specific framework for enhancing diversity. Here, the most reliable framework is to accept and integrate the different players within the classroom so that they embrace each other regardless of cultural affiliation.
This framework is important because it is through acceptance of diversity that the students embrace one another despite the differences. Notably, integrating the different cultures is one way of enhancing diversity and promoting mutual understanding among the students.
Teaching Strategies
In order to address the student differences and enhance their engagement in the classroom activities, the tutor could apply the following interactive teaching strategies. First, the tutor would introduce group discussion.
Through the use of this strategy, the students will be classified into different groups, which portray the cultural diversity. The students would use the groups to discuss the various facets of culture present in the group so that the members could gain a clear understanding of the practices and their significance.
The other strategy would be to engage the students in interactive exchange within the classroom to discuss the attributes of diversity in the learning environment.
In this strategy, the students would be expected to ask their colleagues questions about the cultural practices they embrace and how important the norm is to the people in those regions. Since the strategy is interactive, the participants would get elaborate information about the subject and boost their knowledge.
Expected Student Outcomes
The learners will be equipped with the necessary knowledge, thereafter expected to apply the specific issues pertaining to multicultural thinking and learning. This is also important because understanding the relevant aspects of the cultural attributes and their application in daily life and community development.
In addition, after the students are informed of the various social events and measures to be taken in addressing the cultural differences, they would be expected integrate and exercise acceptance among them in order to reduce social disparities.
The students are also expected to embrace multicultural hospitality. Indeed, this should be conducted in a manner that does not single out the cultural practices of the people, including those of the marginal zones.
Assessment for Measuring Student Outcomes
In measuring the student outcomes, the tutor would ask the students to demonstrate their knowledge about the different aspects the people’s culture. The question might be in form of research or timed in order to help the tutor assess the student understanding of the facts covered.
The manner in which the student expresses his or her opinion and the views that were raised in the group discussion will demonstrate his/her understanding and capability.
Techniques for Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Curriculum
The CIPP model examines the curriculum variables such as its context, for instance, things to be done, and their relevance and effectiveness in delivering the outcome. Also, the input that the curriculum has in learning, for instance, the manner in which the program helps utilize the resources is also evaluated to ascertain whether it commensurate with the learning objective (Cavanaugh, 2011).
The process of articulating the issues that the curriculum raises is also an important during the evaluation. Finally, the outcome or product of the curriculum must be evaluated, in terms of the students’ ability to apply the knowledge that they acquire. This determines whether the curriculum succeeds or fails to deliver.
The Stake Countenance model postulates that evaluating the curriculum proceeds in three steps. First is the antecedent phase that examines the period before the instructions are given and its relations to the outcome (Cavanaugh, 2011). Second is the transaction phase that includes instructions of the curriculum (Cavanaugh, 2011). Finally, the outcome phase examines the curriculum’s success (Cavanaugh, 2011).
The Eisner’s Connoisseurship model examines the complexity of the learning environment to determine the curriculum success. The model utilizes experience and skills to evaluate the success (Cavanaugh, 2011).
Lesson Plans for at least Five Lessons
Lesson 1: Meaning of Multicultural Thinking and Learning
The tutor has to introduce the students to the meaning of multicultural thinking and learning. This forms the first lesson for the course, thus must be very explicit to make sure that the students have a fair and detailed understanding of the concept multicultural.
Since multicultural learning fall under social education, the tutor would use a social action approach in teaching the lessons. Therefore, the plan for this lesson proceeds in six steps as mentioned and discussed below. Each step is aimed at achieving a particular learning objective as presented in each case.
Knowledge: in this case, the students are taught the meaning and other factual information about issues relating to the people’s multicultural thinking and teaching (Ford, 2000).
This is important since the students would be able to propose workable social actions, which enhance cultural integration among the people. For instance, they would be expected understand the acquisition of knowledge about cultural differences and make the people appreciate diversity and learn to integrate them.
Comprehension: in this case, the students are introduced to individual justifications of the things enhancing cultural understanding and learning such as the media (Ford, 2000). They are also informed of the social actions to be taken so that the media could portray the social differentiations in a manner that does not discriminate a cultural practice of the people, including those of the minority.
Application: here, the students are taught and asked to apply the cultural issues based on their understanding on the people’s diversity (Ford, 2000). For instance, the students might be expected to review the affirmative actions, which have been taken to reduce the affects of cultural diversity.
Analysis: in this case, the students would be expected to analyze various cultural practices and their affects on other people within a particular social circumstance, or compare them on different contexts (Ford, 2000). For example, the students might be asked to analyze the variations of cultural practices in different countries and the impacts of such practices on those regions.
Synthesis: here, the students are expected to create a practical solution to the cultural affects on different environment by recommending an action plan to achieve them (Ford, 2000). For example, the students would be asked to synthesize the importance of group work in reducing the cultural diversity.
Evaluation: in this case, the students are expected to provide a critique of the issues purported to contribute to cultural differences among the people and give practical alternatives (Ford, 2000). In addition, the students would be expected to provide an overall understanding about cultural differences among the people.
Lesson 2: Features of Multicultural Thinking and Education
This follows immediately after the students are aware of the meaning of multicultural thinking and learning. It also applies the same approach in enhancing the students’ understanding about the specific features of multicultural thinking and education. It also proceeds in six steps as mentioned and discussed below.
Knowledge: in this case, the students would be taught about the features of multicultural thinking and learning, and expected to apply the knowledge in their every day activities (Ford, 2000). For instance, they should understand the different cultural attributes such as language, norms and practices of the people.
Comprehension: under comprehension, the students would be taught how the features impacts on the people ways of life, which are the positive contribution of cultural features (Ford, 2000). For example, language is a cultural attribute that differentiates the various communities in a given region.
Application: notably, the application different cultural practices have various affects on the people (Ford, 2000). Therefore, at the end of this topic, the students will be expected to apply the various practices of different people to the development of the place.
Analysis: in this case, the students would be expected to analyze various features of cultural practices and their affects on other people in an area, and/or compare them on different geographical contexts (Ford, 2000). For instance, the students might be asked to analyze the contribution of variations cultural norms and languages in development of the countries. Similarly, the impacts of such practices on other neighboring regions
Synthesis: similarly, in this case, the students are expected to create a realistic solution to the affects that the different cultural features such as language and norms have on different environment by recommending an action plan to harmonise them (Ford, 2000). For example, the students would be asked to synthesize the value of the indigenous language or norm to the practicing community.
Evaluation: on evaluation, the students are expected to provide a critique of the contribution of indigenous language and norms to the community development and integration and give sensible alternatives if there is any (Ford, 2000). In addition, the students would be expected to provide an overall understanding about the different languages and cultural norms of the people.
Lesson 3: Strategies of Multicultural Thinking and Leaning
After the students are now versed with the topic under discussion and its attributes, they are introduced to the strategies of multicultural thinking and education. In this lesson, the tutor would use the following strategies in illustrating multicultural thinking and learning.
The Umbrella Strategy: The tutor would focus on the importance of the umbrella strategy since it is the widely used model of explaining multiculturalism. Considering the figure below of an umbrella, the various sections show the different cultures and how they relate to produce a complex whole (Reissman, 1994).
Figure 1: Multicultural Umbrella
Source: Rose Reissman, 1994
Survey: this is another strategy of understanding multiculturalism. Through conducting surveys about the various cultural practices and languages, the students are expected to justify the significance of each of the attributes (Reissman, 1994).
Naming Cultural Selves: This is another practical way of understanding multiculturalism (Reissman, 1994). Here, the students would be expected to name and understand diversity and spatial activities, which the different people engage in.
Lesson 4: Significance of Multicultural Thinking and Learning
Here, the students have to be taught on various aspects of multicultural thinking and receptiveness because the learning environment consists of diverse cultures (Shiraev & Levy, 2012). Therefore, the educational curriculum should infuse the cross-cultural learning to make it viable for the different personalities globally.
The lesson must cover the categories and importance of different cultures that the people practice, without any prejudice for a given practice (Shiraev & Levy, 2012). In this case, the tutor should not consider any of the practice as dominant while undermining the others because the classroom might be consisting of most of the cultures.
The lesson should also cover the distinct cultural practices and norms so that the students could be able to learn and apply their importance (Shiraev & Levy, 2012). If the issues of cultural differences are addressed in the lesson, the students would easily identify with or respect diversity.
Lesson 5: the Students’ Understanding about Multicultural Thinking and Learning
This lesson starts with examining the overall understanding of the students regarding multicultural thinking and learning. The tutor would inquire about the capability of the students to apply the knowledge acquired in classroom, about multicultural thinking and learning to solve real life problems affecting the people’s productivity.
Under assessment of the students’ understanding, the tutor evaluates the students’ understanding about multiculturalism and other aspects discussed, in terms of engagements and testing to make sure that the latter do not have any misconception about the topic (Shiraev & Levy, 2012). In this case, the evaluation would focus on all the other lessons.
This lesson is very critical in evaluating the student’s understanding and assessing their overall performance in the topic. Since it is a final stage of the topic, it provides room for recommending adjustments on the curriculum to shape the students attention towards a deeper understanding of the subject.
References
Cavanaugh, L. (2011). An Exploration of the Effectiveness of a Surf Camp Curriculum on Social Competence, Social Skills, and Self-Concept Changes of Children with Autism. Kindle: Kindle Edition.
Ford, A. (2000). Infusing Multicultural Content into the Curriculum for Gifted Students. Web.
Francis, M. (2000). Models for Multicultural Liturgy. Washington DC: Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions.
Reissman, R. (1994). Evolving Multicultural Classroom. Alexandria: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development Publishing.
Shiraev, E. & Levy, D. (2012). Cross-Cultural Psychology: Critical Thinking and Contemporary Applications. New York, NY: Pearson Education.