The Differences Of Multicultural Education And Culturally Responsive Teaching

Introduction I have selected to critique the trends of multicultural education and culturally responsive teaching. Throughout my studies at the University of Georgia I developed a passion for diverse and multicultural learners. My place of employment has been known as a melting pot for learners that have represented a multitude of cultures. I have worked with minority students living in poverty daily, and I found that my recent studies regarding multicultural education and culturally responsive pedagogy has been the overarching theme of my studies that has directly impacted my view of diverse learners and my teaching style. The focus of multicultural and diverse education is focused on race, religion, and the socioeconomic statuses of a …show more content…
The trends that have been implemented in response to diverse education vary greatly. According to my research and course experiences cluster grouping by ability is extremely common. Diverse students have historically tended to be grouped together at the bottom of the proficiency scale, which has caused students to have low self-esteem and a negative perspective of school (p. 351). The common issue is that culturally responsive teaching is not a popular topic of discussion in schools. Schools often claim to acknowledge diversity, but showcasing different cultures for one night in the multicultural festival model isn’t an effective approach for multicultural education (Ladson-Billings, 1994). The transformative model is the most effective model of cultural implementation because students are exposed to a wide variety of cultures and the effects are demonstrated over the course of the year instead of one night. Educators tend to check off the cultural box and move to the next assignment, but culturally responsive teaching should be a driving force in all schools to educate all students about diversity and the different perspectives in the