MULTICULTURAL CURRICULUM

Signature Assignment: Multicultural Curriculum

HD 412

Tonya Carline

7-11-17

Veronica Dayag, MA
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The topic of a “Multicultural Curriculum” is one that usually begins with many different

titles, but an overall similar perspective: “Anti-Bias Curriculum,” “Culturally Relevant

Teaching,” “Multicultural Education.” Whatever the title- the idea of inclusion, and a curriculum

that provides students with a knowledge about their histories, cultures, and the contributions of

diverse groups- is a curriculum that I believe creates a healing synergy among human beings that

promotes the value, clarity, and self-worth that we all need in order to become productive people

in society, but also in order to move forward together within a world filled with diversity.

Within my research I discovered very many strategies, and pedagogy that I believed

would inspire the creation of my “Multicultural Curriculum.” In a book titled: “Building

Bridges with Multicultural Picture Books” Its focus was on “the common bonds between

children.” It showed how multicultural values and ideas can be infused into an early childhood

program using picture books, that are strategically chosen with the developmental stage of the

child in mind. The book is an excellent source for creating a component to a multicultural

curriculum because it provides an explanation of how to lead children into book extension

activities and how to create programs that are multicultural through pictures, some examples are:

children can create their own versions of culturally relevant stories by retelling it in their own

way through the creation of pictures, murals, crafts, mobiles. Merril (1997).

Another source of information from my research was from a book titled: "Integrating

Multicultural Literature in Libraries and Classrooms in Secondary Schools.” Although this

was information that wasn’t generalized for Early Childhood or preschool program, I found the

information resourceful for an early childhood program as well. Because there is always much

debate about multicultural curriculum, I wanted to include a debate from a chapter in this book

called: “Using Multicultural Literature.” The book discussed the debate, disagreement, and
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confusion concerning its definition, “some define it broadly, arguing that everyone has a cultural

heritage, often that is woven from many diverse strands therefore all literature can be considered

culturally diverse in relation to each other (Cullinan & Galda p. 275). Although that statement is

a fact, this research concluded that such a broad definition of multicultural literature is contrary

to the purpose of advocating for the use of multicultural literature in our nations classrooms. Cai

(2002) explains that the definition of multicultural literature should… “draw a democratic line

between the literature of the dominant mainstream culture and that of marginalized cultures.”

There are three major approaches in line with the goals of multicultural education that I will later

use in the development of my curriculum that this chapter discusses.

In a Journal titled: “Dialogic Multicultural Education, Theory and Praxis: Dialog and

the Problems of Multicultural Education in a Pluralistic Society” by: Nermine Abd Elkader,

she writes: “The purpose of the theoretical article is to highlight the role that dialogic pedagogy

can play in multicultural education for pre-service teachers.” She talks about the debate that exist

against ideas such as multicultural curriculum. She says: “there is a dilemma that multicultural

education has to deal with, it is the democracy of pluralism, and the struggle among different

voices in society, for and against multiculturalism.” The article basically describes the “dilemma

caused by the fact that while many educators regard the goal of multicultural education policies

and practices to be social justice and equality for minorities (Landson-Billings 1999; yosso,

2002), fulfilling the multicultural requirement teacher education programs is a mandate for all

students (Yang & Montgomery, 2013). She states: “even those who have no intention to work

with minority students and those who might not believe in the multiculturalism and pluralism of

the society in the first place.”

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In a book titled: “Rethinking Our Classrooms: Teaching for Equity and Justice,”

There is a journal of an interview on page 15 of a woman named: Enid Lee- the journal is titled:

“Taking Multicultural, Anti-Racist Education Seriously.” Enid Lee conducts online and on-site

professional development with school communities working to ensure academic excellence for

all students through “anti-racist education.” Enid explains in the interview that, the term

“multicultural education” has a lot of different meanings, the term she likes to use is- “anti-racist

education”

Multicultural, or anti-racist education is fundamentally a perspective. It’s a point of view

that cuts across all subject areas, and addresses the histories and experiences of people

Who have been left out of curriculum. Its purpose is to help us to deal equitably with all

The cultural and racial differences that you find in the human family.

The book goes on to discuss how some teachers think that just because they have children from

different backgrounds, they have a multicultural classroom. In her interview she provided

examples of how “Bodies of kids are not enough.” I will use some of the strategies that I learned

from this chapter in developing my curriculum. The purpose of me including this in my research

is because it is imperative that we understand how important it is to take multicultural education

seriously.

In our course book titled: “The Inner World of the Immigrant Child” We journeyed

through one educator’s lenses as she explored the evidence of what happens when you provide

children the opportunity to reveal themselves in the safety of “the nest the educator creates for

them in her classroom.” This book conveyed a message that multicultural curriculum is about

being able to explore a teaching method that is centered through child-guided learning, where the

child’s culture, knowledge and skills are the fundamental platforms that support their learning
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and development- through their own exploration and experience. In a segment of the book titled:

“Thoughts about Themes from the Dialogues” Cristina Igoa explores a concept called (CAP)

which is a threefold learning process- cultural/academic/psychological.” She explored how five

children had profited from working in a center that had been developed to integrate a “sense of

self.” Because the student was allowed sufficient “sheltered time” in the center, the threefold

(CAP) could take place. ~Igoa p. 104.

This particular chapter in the book explored the effects of a multicultural curriculum as it

relates to supporting “the challenges of silence, isolation, resistance to change, vulnerability,

helplessness, exhaustion, feelings of hopelessness, feelings of difference, fear of ridicule, inner

expressions of the child’s Native Culture, and problems adjusting to the new culture, and how

the place, time, and warmth of the surroundings-along with the direct cultural, academic, and

psychological interventions facilitates in the child’s adjustment.”

All the research that I have discussed in part, points to more than just an embrace of

multicultural curriculum as a standard, but also allowed us to explore some of the challenges that

come along with an approach to a multicultural curriculum. Although I couldn’t go into each

subject in its entirety, the message that I wanted to convey within this brief research was how

Even though there will always be complications, or a backlash of opinions when it comes to

change, or inclusion, or just simply attempting to create less of a monocultural education system

for all students, it will not be easy, but at the end of the day it is worth it.

My Multicultural Curriculum

If I were given a million dollars to create a multicultural curriculum, I would do so in an

early childhood, or preschool program, I feel that early years of strong self-esteem, and cultural

awareness can last a child a lifetime. The first things that I would do in my program is to pay for
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extensive training for my teachers, to develop their knowledge of diverse cultures, making sure

they are taking the time to learn the various backgrounds of students as well as the population

they serve. I would hire instructional coaches to follow-up on the progress of the educator for a

specific time frame, sort of a stipend position that has a start and end session. This stipend will

be utilized for reinforcement of my program’s standard.

As I discovered in the book “Rethinking Our Classrooms; there is a lot of resistance to

change in schools- it’s not reasonable to expect to move straight from a monocultural school to a

multiracial school, Enrid Lee explained; “first there is the surface stage in which people change

maybe a few expressions of culture in the school.” Because creating a multicultural curriculum

usually stops at “welcome signs in several languages, foods, festivals and that’s it- this usually

becomes the inclusion, the curriculum standard that satisfied the multicultural component.

I would incorporate a Parent Welcome Learning Center within my facility. We would

start off with six computers equipped with Rosetta Stone- that they may come into the school 1

hour 3 days out of a week to develop or embrace the development of any new language they

choose to learn. This center would begin the Family Involvement component in Early

Multicultural Learning. Great schools, communities, as well as academically strong children,

with a positive awareness of self, comes from supportive, engaged parents, who become a part of

their children’s learning process. Because research supports the idea that: “children’s early

experiences are powerful in influencing their cultural understanding (Banks, 1993). Children

develop ideas about racial identity and attributes through cultural groups other than their own as

early as three years of age.

In my center, I will create a curriculum of inclusion and cultural identity, by creating an

open classroom platform where parents, with proper screening, and clearance- can come in and
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share a puppet show or story with the children in their own language, and have the children to

build on the experiences of the families that come in to share; through pictures, arts, crafts,

however they choose to express themselves- with what the parents have taught them through

sharing. These activities, infused with cultural identity and parental involvement, will be part of

our language and literacy component.

Our center would have state of the art centers that promote cultural identity and self-

awareness. We will have Language Art Centers with multicultural stories and headphone sets for

the children to explore other cultures of their choice- in a comfortable, private setting. There

would be Emergent Literacy Centers with mirrors, writing and reading materials that will nurture

the children to develop self-esteem, through their own cultural identities. The center will be

called: “I am me.” Everything within my center will be done through Intentional Teaching

methods but will be motivated through “Child Guided” curiosity and self-expression. The

Language Centers for the students will be 21st Century equipment that will become a system that

connects to two computer centers that will allow the children to say a word into a microphone

and it will translate the words they speak into 3 different languages for the children to explore.

My center will infuse “Accomplishment Cards” as I learned about them in my research.

These cards serve as effective tools for evaluating each child’s gains and integrating

multicultural topics into the program for children. Merril (1997). The parent literacy involvement

component will be filled with materials that support “how to bring book characters to life for the

children, through “play” with multicultural people, puppets, dolls, character cut-outs, chopsticks,

blocks, drums, tape recorders, magnifying glasses, roleplaying with diverse parent volunteers,
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and story reenactments. All of the materials that I will include in my expense, will assist in

creating a multicultural curriculum that extends past lesson plans. This will all be a part of what I

learned from my research from “Building Bridges with Multicultural Picture Books.”

Choosing good literature in a multicultural classroom is so imperative to the child’s self-

esteem, and self-awareness, even awareness and empathy for other cultures. A great majority of

my spending will be on literature building strategies for the children. In the interview with Enrid

Lee from “Rethinking Our Classrooms, she encouraged people, teachers, to listen for the voice

of the people who are frequently silenced, people with disabilities, gay and lesbians, all who are

challenged by a diversity that is not always accepted.”

Our Center will always look for materials that invite kids to explore explanations of

culture beyond the information that is before them, like Enid Says, “allow the children to choose,

and have diversity available for them to do so.” I hope to empower a value of self, and positive

cultural identity through our multicultural curriculum. I think we can do it.

Bibliography

● Au, W., Bigelow, B., & Karp, S. (2007). Rethinking our classrooms, volume 1: teaching

for equity and justice. Milwaukee, WI: Rethinking Schools.

● Beaty, J. J. (1997). Building bridges with multicultural picture books: for children 3-5.

Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill.

● Hinton, K., & Dickinson, G. K. (2007). Integrating multicultural literature in libraries and

classrooms in secondary schools. Columbus, OH: Linworth Pub.

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● Elkader, N. A. (2015). Dialogic Multicultural Education Theory and

Praxis: Dialogue and the Problems of Multicultural Education in a

Pluralistic Society. Dialogic Pedagogy: An International Online Journal,

3. doi:10.5195/dpj.2015.71

● Igoa, C. (1995). Inner World of the Immigrant Child.

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