I. Sociopolitical context
1. Mention six factors that shape identity
Race
Ethnicity
Social Class
Language
Gender
Sexual orientation
2. Explain the connection between “education” and sociopolitical context
Education is tied to the social, economic and political structures that define society. Education is molded by the sociopolitical context, which are the laws, regulations, policies, practices, traditions and ideologies. 3. Define:
~Racism – Discrimination based on Race
~Ethnocentrism – Discrimination based on Ethnicity or national origin
~Linguicism – Discrimination based on Language
4. Mention the goals of multicultural education
-Tackling inequality & promoting access to equal education
-Raising the achievement of all students and providing them with an equitable and high quality education.
-Providing students with training and the opportunity to become critical and productive members of society.
5. Define: ~Equal Education – Providing the same resources for all students
~Equitable Education – Providing students with the resources they need to achieve equality.
~Social Justice – is affording each person the real opportunity to achieve his or her potential and full participation in a democratic environment.
~Achievement gap – It is the opportunity gap. Achievement shouldn’t be the comparison of numbers. Achievement is a matter of resources.
6. How has the phenomenon of immigration been portrayed and managed by the system of education?
There are negative individual perspectives and social ideologies about immigrants that influence system of education. Immigrants have been view as “exotic” and illegal immigrants. The view of immigrants is distorted, full of non-intellectual ideologies, stereotypes, and disadvantages. Teachers have to make sure they teach students that America is a nation of old and new immigrants. However they teach the opposite ideas in school, this allows those negative ideologies to perpetuate in the system of education. This perspective on immigrants has to change.
7. Explain why the argument of “pollution of the canon” (against ME) could be harmful for “students of color” or any other minorities?
8. Define:
~Standard driven curriculum – Draws ideas from strategies from standards for further design and implementation (in this kind of curriculum, the goal is to satisfy the standards)
~Standards conscious curriculum – This type of curriculum uses the standards as a tool rather than the starting point or the ideology. Tools are molded to help students.
II. Multicultural Education (ME)
1. ME – Multicultural education is an attempt to create a democratic environment in the classroom by taking into consideration cultural and social diversity. It challenges and rejects racism and other forms of discrimination in schools and societies and accepts the diversity that students and teachers reflect.
2. List Anti-Racist Education goals
-Being mindful of how some students are favored over others in school practice & policies (curriculum, choice of materials, teacher’s interaction)
- Ensuring that students have access to a wide variety of viewpoints
-To transcend uncomfortable feelings
-To create the environment that makes equality a source of action
-To teach a realistic and neutral perspective of history (to get rid of the “fear of naming” or/and the “safe hero”
3. Explain why the topic of racism is sometimes excluded:
-White students experience guilt and embarrassment when they
