Adapting Curriculum for Multicultural Classrooms - Essay Example

Adapting Curriculum for Multicultural rooms Adapting Curriculum for Multicultural rooms Introduction It is a common knowledge that the United States of America (USA) is a dynamic society. Its population is composed of the members of minority native tribes and other immigrant groups affiliated to the European whites, Latin Americans, Black Africans and Asians. Each of these groups traces their origin to different times in the history of the nation. It is such a scenario which has been reflected in the kindergarten, elementary, middle and high schools all over the country. As a matter of fact, nearly all schools in Pulaski County Special School District are plural. This is because they have drawn learners from diverse socio-cultural backgrounds. It is for this reason that its curriculum should be dynamic. This paper seeks to give an in-depth and critical analysis of the multicultural curriculum used in the schools in the district. It goes ahead to give a well-thought adaptation plan that can be applied to effectively apply the curriculum. Multicultural Curriculum Indeed, the plural nature of the local community within Pulaski County Special School District has necessitated the designing of a multicultural curriculum. The federal government, through the Arkansas Department of Education has [put up the necessary measures to promote equality and democracy in education. since education is one of the unifying factors in the country, it has been made to be all inclusive. Meaning, each and every diverse group has been captured. The government acknowledges that it is its responsibility to provide education to all its citizens. However, this should not just be done for the sake of it. It needs to be provided in a manner that fulfils the national goals of education in the country. One of the features of the multicultural curriculum which has been in use in the district is that it includes different types of subjects. One of the subjects which have been emphasized in this curriculum is History. In fact, it has become one of the mandatory subjects which must be undertaken by each and every learner regardless of their background. In order to cater for the highlighted diversity, the contents of this subject have been designed to capture all the racial and ethnic groups in the country. By learning about their past, the learners can be in a better position of understanding about the present and also be able to predict the future of their society (Nieto & Bode, 2012). History is a very important subject that should be taught to all the learners. A part from understanding their past, it can be instrumental in instilling a spirit of patriotism in them. The other important subject included in this curriculum is Social Studies. Here, learners are granted an opportunity to learn about the cultural practices, beliefs, traditions, norms and behaviors of each community. It is a good idea to promote the teaching of cultural studies amongst the elementary and high school students. It is rich is information that can be of great benefit not only to these learners, but to the society in entirety. By learning about their own culture, learners can be able to know the kind of practices that they should carry out. Besides, it can make them to comply with the principles of ethical conducts that are accepted by their people. On the other hand, getting a chance to earn about other people’s cultural practices can be of much benefit to these learners. By getting to know about them, they learn to understand, accept, tolerate and appreciate. Thus, they learn to harmoniously coexist regardless of their cultural diversities. This is a clear proof that the type curriculum adopted by the schools within Pulaski County Special School District is multicultural in nature. Its designers were keen on promoting multicultural understanding, unity and equity. By including aspects of each and every cultural group in the curriculum, learning has been made more interesting, responsive and relevant to the lives of all the learners. It indicates that the education system is concerned about providing the learners with the curriculum content which can be of benefit to each of them. Moreover, it makes learning to be relevant and up to the context in which it is offered. Education curriculum should be designed in such a manner since that is how it can present dynamic face of the society (Pinar et al., 2007). Adaptation Plan Having acknowledged that the curriculum used by the schools in the district is multicultural, I would like to go ahead to express my displeasure with the manner in which it has been implemented. In this regard, I would like to give the following suggestions on how it can be adapted in order to effectively accomplish its goals. First, as an experienced educationist, I would like to recommend the adoption of contribution approach during the adaptation of this curriculum. This simply refers to the use of a wide range of literature and resources from diverse cultural groups. Being that it is multiethnic, it implies that it should have content drawn from all the culture of all the people within the district. The approach can be appropriate when applied during the teaching of History and Cultural Studies. Therefore, while teaching these subjects, I would have to use a variety of publications made by scholars from each and every cultural group (Banks, 1999). Secondly, I would advocate for the use of social action approach while adapting the curriculum. Here, I would have to look for measures to ensure that I teach a content which seriously advocate for social change. Since education entails equality, I would have to tailor my content towards providing information rich in equity, democracy, transformation and social justice. This is the surest way through which I can contribute towards to the generation of a curriculum which can be responsive to the challenges facing people in the contemporary society. In addition, I would advocate for the adoption of a collaborative approach while adapting the multicultural curriculum. Having realized that education is a societal property, I would do everything within my capacity to satisfy the diverse needs of everyone in the society. Therefore, while implementing the curriculum, I would need to collaborate with everyone in the society. The opinion, support and contributions of all the stakeholders: learners, colleague teachers, school management and the local community members would be sought. If it is effectively done, I would manage to adapt a pragmatic and beneficial curriculum to all the people in the society. Finally, I would have to ensure that I thoroughly assess the effectiveness of the implementation of the curriculum. While doing this, I would need to use both the formative and summative assessment strategies. To conduct a formative evaluation, I would be required to carry out periodical assessments by using Continuous Assessment Tests (CATs); assignments; brain storming; and tests. These should be issued throughout the entire program. For instance, written assignments might be issued at the end of every lesson. On the other hand, summative assessments would be done at the end of the program or a certain period of time. If these assessments are properly conducted, it would be much easier for me to ascertain the extent to which the multicultural curriculum’s objectives, relevance, effectiveness, rigorousness and quality (Pinar et al., 2007). At the same time, it would help in evaluating the performance of the learners and the teacher. Conclusion The plurality of the Pulaski County Special School District community has necessitated the adoption of a multicultural curriculum. Since these schools are committed towards promoting equality and fairness amongst all the people they have resorted to using an inclusive curriculum. However, a lot still need to be done in order for it to be effectively implemented. Thus, for its proper execution, there needs to be a wise choice of adaptation approach, collaboration and thorough assessment of the entire process. This would be it to be responsive and unifying. References Banks, J.A. (1999).  An Introduction to Multicultural Education (2nd Ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Nieto, S. & Bode, P. (2012). Affirming Diversity: The Sociopolitical Context of Multicultural Education (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education. Pinar, W. et al. (2007) Understanding Curriculum: An Introduction to the Study of Historical and Contemporary Curriculum Discourses. New York: Peter Lang Publishers. Read More