Diversifying the curriculum based on fairness for All

Introduction

Nowadays it is important to avoid critical race theory as a Social studies educator. As social studies educators, we must avoid leftist indoctrination. We must educate, never indoctrinate. We must focus on the curriculum, not our personal beliefs! 

It is crucial for our students that we Infuse tolerance, diversity, and social personal curriculum into Inclusive Social Studies classes.

Using Family Portraits and Contextual Teaching and Learning illustrates the importance of tolerance, awareness, and effective curriculum development in a diverse classroom.

Additionally, emphasis is set on strategies to effectively promote collaboration with diverse students; henceforth, promoting awareness and cognitive development.

The article provides a lesson plan, among various other strategies to teach diverse students to the fullest potential.

This article effectively illustrates the role of a social studies teacher in a culturally diverse classroom, although not limited to cultural diversity; religion, age, disability, and race are also examined (Kevin J. Miller, 2005).

Review and Analysis

As a social studies teacher, the task of teaching history in a diverse classroom is relatively less complex. However, it is important to utilize all available resources in order to achieve the desired cognitive result while respecting and promoting student diversity, without using critical race theory.

Thus, “Breaking down the stereotyping of a given culture… should be at the foundation of tolerance and diversity education” (Kevin J. Miller, 2005, p. 3). This includes all stereotypes, including those that made all white Americans, inherently racist just because of skin color.

Whereas literacy and mathematics teachers are limited, in the sense of the material they cover, social studies teachers can address every diversity present in the modern classroom, including arriving from eastern Europe, such as Albania, and Poland. Awareness, as illustrated by Kevin J. Miller, 2005, about classroom diversity is the key to an effective classroom.

A cognitive approach to diversity

Teach based on Individuals, not skin colors

A cognitive approach that illustrates multiculturalism in the curriculum conveys a clear message to the students on what their role is.

Although it is difficult to find a common core standard that has all the aspects of a diverse classroom under its umbrella. Social studies educators should integrate resources, not cover in state standards, to significantly impact the perspectives and development of the students.

Thus, social studies educators may be able to take advantage of the various teaching strategist and technology resources to address the most diverse groups.

I feel that the article greatly illustrates possible teaching methods that can easily be implemented in a culturally diverse classroom. For instance, Contextual Teaching and Learning is, among other strategies, an effective tool to teach diverse groups.

For instance, “The concept and guiding principle of CTL [Contextual Teaching and Learning] are rooted in brain research and the notion that when presented with information, the brain seeks patterns to link new information with familiar knowledge…” (Kevin J. Miller, 2005, p. 7).

The CTL is an effective way to address student differences, perspectives, and learning styles based on cultural diversity. For example, social studies teachers can develop group research assignments in which the students can integrate their personal perspectives.

As a result, the students, through collaboration, are able to interact and intermingle cultural perspectives while promoting cognitive development.

Additionally, by emphasizing cognitive development through collaboration, integrating the CLT method, students become aware of each other’s cultural differences and similarities. For example, “Educators must provide accurate timely information in order to assist students in their formation of attitudes towards tolerance, respect, and acceptance of diversity” (Kevin J. Miller, 2005, p. 4). 

Critical Race Theory

Diversity and Fairness

This article highlights many tools and resources and illustrates a potential lesson plan that can significantly benefit diverse classrooms without racial critical theory. However, as historians, it is crucial for educators to opinionated teaching. There are many topics that MUST be left to the parents.

Unless we are teaching in private schools, we must refrain from activism. Critical Race Theory creates a divide between young students.

Implementing a theory that focuses students to believe that everything is a construct by the “white man“, is very divisive and nonfactual. Biological boys and girls are not a social construct, the race is not a social construct, “white privilege”, and other critical factors. 

This information must be left to the TAXPAYERS, the parents who actually pay our salaries, and pay for the school, and the community. Parents must a, or at be least the majority by a large margin and have a consensus on the school curriculum. 

With the current educational resources, educational technology, for instance, serves as the bridge to connect the gap between cultural diversity. The use of technology in the classroom has proven an essential tool in the development of a global classroom.

Technology breaks through all cultural barriers in the modern classroom. With the use of technology, educators are able to create culturally relevant activities, a culturally relevant environment that integrates the students’ family, as well as community, and provides tools that adapt to meet the students’ best academic needs.

Conclusion

I feel Social studies teachers can take advantage of collaborative research techniques made easy by internet-connected devices. For instance, among other steps, group investigation techniques require the “Formation of learning teams based on interest (themes, issues, big questions) (Candy Beal Cheryl, 2008, p. 137).

Therefore, using the steps on the article as a base, I would develop a group investigation techniques’ project employing students’ personal interests based on their cultural background.

In addition, aside from igniting cultural diversity in the classroom, collaborative projects can be used to promote cultural awareness among the students in the classroom.

Thus, “students became aware of views outside their original box of beliefs” (Kevin J. Miller, 2005, p. 8). Subsequently promoting tolerance based on cultural differences and awareness.

Ultimately, although Kevin J. Miller, 2005 generally emphasizes acceptance in the classroom, cultural diversity in the classroom is more about cognitive development through an effective curriculum rather than general acceptance.

I feel the article would have focused more on cognitive development based on cultural diversity than soo much on tolerance, although tolerance is a very important part. Nevertheless, I feel in the end, the article clearly illustrates the importance of collaboration resulting in effective cognitive development.

References

Miller, K.J. & Sessions, M.M. (2005) Infusing tolerance, diversity, and social personal
curriculum into inclusive social studies classes using family portraits and contextual teaching and
learning.

TEACHING Exceptional Children Plus, 1(3) Article 1. Retrieved 07/11/2015 from
http://escholarship.bc.edu/education/tecplus/vol1/iss3/1
NCCS. (2002).

National Standards for Social Studies. Retrieved from National Council for the Social Studies Teachers: retrieved 07/11/2015 from http://downloads.ncss.org/NCSSTeacherStandardsVol1-rev2004.pdf

CANDY BEAL CHERYL, M. B. (2008). Teaching Social Studies in Middle and Secondary Schools. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

CHISHOLM, I. M. (1998). Six Elements for Technology Integration in Multicultural Classrooms. Journal of Information Technology for Teacher Education.

Wallace, M. (2006). Social Studies All Day, Every Day in the Early Childhood Classroom. Belmont CA: Delmar Cengage learning.