6/5/21; Week 7; Response to "Cross-Cultural Students in the Classroom".

 

What is Multicultural Education?

Multicultural education is not a task to be done or even an end goal to be accomplished. Instead, it is an approach to education that aims to include all students, promote learning of other cultures, and teach healthy social skills in a multicultural setting. “It is the present and future of education,” according to Shilpa Bhouraskar, who runs a business offering online courses to students worldwide. “Multicultural classrooms are a melting pot of learning,” she says. “Rather than a passive, one-way flow of learning from teacher to student, there is a brainstorming of ideas, stories, and experiences that enrich the educational experience in ways that are impossible in monocultural classes.”

Classroom Resources for Multicultural Education

Using different activities and games in multicultural classrooms is a great way to promote inclusivity and encourage students to share their heritage. It’s also a beneficial way for teachers to involve students in different styles of study to immerse them in their learning. Sharing about oneself within the confines of an activity is often much easier than being asked open-ended questions and being put “on the spot.” These activities can then provide a safe space for dialogue and serve as an entryway into more in-depth interactions later on. It also gives us the opportunity to get to know better our students and their cultural background. For example, some immigration stories where students have the opportunity to share how their family arrived to the country they are now and the struggles they went through.

What are some other ideas for activities on a multicultural classroom? Let me know in the comments!