Diversity in Education

Topic: Traditional Education

Many scholars have written about their philosophy of education. It is common to find that most of these writers actually derive inspiration from other writers who have written about their philosophies too. This paper shall focus on my professional philosophy of education. It is derived from the teachings and ideas of a great American philosopher; John Dewey. This philosopher detested authoritarian education. Additionally, he incorporated democracy into his teaching approaches. It is these ideas that will form the foundation for the latter paper with specific emphasis given to how these ideas can be applied to diversity in education.

Background Information

John Dewey affirmed that education can only occur through the process of social consciousness. This is seen in almost all spheres of life. For instance, whenever we acquire different habits or whenever an individual's feelings have been awakened, then that is still part of education. Regardless of the level of strictness in any school environment, teachers cannot claim to deviate from this principle. All people are first educated through the unconscious state. The latter assertions can be carried forward to the issue of diversity in education. This is because they allow children to learn from one another especially in terms of those who may be different from them. According to the latter philosopher, education is imparted through two aspects * Psychological aspects * Social aspects The first aspect is more important than the second because of the fact that it incorporates the issue of a child's instincts. The latter characteristic is usually the starting point in any learning process. If education is conducted independently from the child's activities, then it can only be regarded as a form of external pressure. However, if those approach contradict a child's psychology, then it will create conflict within the child's mind thus impeding learning. Consequently, there is a need for a merger between these two issues. This aspect must be included in teaching in order to impart real knowledge. Education must be such that it continually resorts to the following * Capacities * Interests * Habits When educators continually resort to the following aspects, then chances are that those children who are being taught will have greater opportunities for learning. At every point of the teaching process, educators must make reference to the enlisted factors because this will be allowing them to translate children's actions to society and thus enabling them to be ready for their future lives. (Neil, 2005) Problem statement Student populations within the country are changing by the day. Many classrooms are packed with children who come from different races, ethnicities, disabilities and cultures. Consequently, educators need to be equipped with sound and adequate modes of preparation to cope with these diversities. But the current school environment has not yet been fully organized. There is a need for members of society to embrace greater levels of cultural diversity. This means that viewpoints and instructional material taught in classrooms needs to embrace these diversities. History needs to be taught in such a manner that it reflects the history of minority groups too. Political science needs to reflect society as it is today and so do many other disciplines. Future teaching must be such that it is engaged and meaningful to all students irrespective of their race, heritage, ethnicity, gender or cultural background. The question is how can this be achieved today? Literature review By the year 1984, twenty percent of the school population emanated from minority groups. It has been predicted that twelve years from today, fifty percent of school environments will be made up of minority groups. As of 1997, almost seventy percent of US's twenty five largest schools were represented by minority students. There is also another concept that one must take into account when considering issues of diversity; that of social class. Most of the children who come from minority groups happen to belong to low income households. Learning styles in such environments are particularly disturbing owing to the fact they are quite limited and leave no room for exceptions or differences. This approach is not appropriate at all for multicultural learning yet this is what most teachers in the past have been taught. According to John Dewey's philosophy of education, very little emphasis should be placed in a set of rules or guidelines from creating the perfect product. Instead, more efforts should be given to the societal reflection of the learners. It should also be noted that the most effective way of dealing with diversity in education is through a three pronged approach * Highly interactive instruction * Heterogeneous grouping * Inclusive curriculums Greater collaboration between educators and the learners is the best method of tackling this issue. In other words, the education system should be transformed in such a manner that it embraces cultural diversity. From this philosophy, it is the right of all children to receive an education that reflects upon their diversity. Also, they need to be taught how to take control of their own lives by embracing their cultural and historical backgrounds. Additionally, educators need to play their part too. They need to realize the fact that there can be no other solution to diversity challenges without holding the same expectations of all children in their classrooms. Teachers need to be in a position where they understand human diversity itself. Consequently, they can be better prepared to deal with some of the challenges that emanate from the diverse classroom through training them in the following; * Field experiences in multicultural environments * Assessment of teacher competencies in diverse classrooms * Including multicultural experiences in curricula * Liberal arts * Offering courses in multicultural education * Etc Through these initiatives, it can then possible to carry on program in which the most diverse and underrepresented groups are tackled adequately within the classroom. Given the changes that have been taking place across many spheres of society, one cannot help but realize the changes that are necessary in order to tackle diversity. For instance, in a particular school in California, there had been very little diversity in their classrooms. Most children of school going age came from middle class white backgrounds. However, following an influx of some minority groups, members of society began voicing some concerns. Some of them claimed that they were not happy with the curriculum changes that the new diverse groups had brought to their schools. When asked about this, parents cited the use of a class text known as Huckleberry Finn in the eighth grade. Additionally, other parents complained about increased fighting and indiscipline in these schools. All these responses put teachers at a loss for words because of the fact that most of them may not be in a position to respond to these fears. However, the issue of diversity need not be a problem in education institutions. If handled correctly, then there will be no cause for concern among members of the community. First of all, it is important for teachers to understand why certain communities react the way. By getting to the root of the problem, then diversity can be a solution not a problem in society. (Rosenberg, 2003) First of all, when there is high influx of members of another race, ethnic group, social class etc, the recipient group is usually in a position where they feel threatened. Most of them operate under the presumption that they may not cope with these differences. This causes high levels of insecurity amongst members of the population. These feelings are usually vented out on the incoming group and this can spark of a lot of tension, conflict and hostility between these groups. Consequently, most of the recipients express these sentiments through resentment and uneasiness. By placing these issues in context, teachers can be in position of improving the overall education system. It should also be noted that most fears about diversity are founded upon historical factors. Whenever new sets of immigrants entered the US, authorities normally looked towards schools to integrate these groups. Taking the example of Mexican American families that took their children to desegregated schools; these schools were regarded as avenues for diluting their own Mexican experiences and assimilating children into the conventional culture. Usually when children are taken to highly diverse schools from these minority groups, they are likely to lose touch with the goings on in such environments. (Gurin & Hurtado, 2002) The reason behind this is that certain educators and the school environment at large consider the cultural experiences of such children to be inferior to their own. But such an attitude could be used to explain why minority groups perform poorly in schools. Human beings have an inherent need to be treated with dignity and respect. Whenever an individual is regarded as a second class citizen, then chances are that they may feel sidelined. In order to affirm their importance or existence, such children may want to get attention through fights or other undisciplined behavior. Additionally, children from minority backgrounds may not achieve their potential academically because of the inferiority complexes that have been ingrained in them. According to Dewey, whenever teachers fail to embrace children's cultural diversity, then they are likely to propel them into other spheres of life that may not necessarily be the most advantageous for them. Consequently, teachers need to look for mechanisms that can promote greater levels of performance among these various groupings. Additionally, they need to look for ways in which they can boost their self confidence by treating them as equals in the classroom environment.

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Through diversity, students can learn how to be committed to racial awareness. Also, they can also be cultural aware thus making them very academically rich in the process. There are certain attributes that come with learning in diverse institutions and they include; * Involvement in cultural awareness workshops * Greater concern on racial and gender issues in classes * Strong commitment to multiculturalism * Better student retention * Better social confidence * Better college satisfaction * Better grades * Better intellectual self confidence

Conclusion

My philosophy of education is guided by the views of John Dewey. He believed that the child should be the center of the education system and this is only possible through reference to his environment. Consequently, diversity will promote greater socialization and hence better education. Additionally, in order of diversity to produce substantial results, it needs to be grounded on pursuance of common goals, genuine interactions and promotion of self respect.

by Dr. Sherry Robert

02/03/2010

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Diversity in Education

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