Multicultural Instructional Practices: Preparing All Students for 21st Century Thinking
Format
Individual Presentation
First Presenter's Institution
Rutherford County Schools
First Presenter’s Email Address
isomj@rcschools.net
First Presenter's Brief Biography
Jacob Isom, BSW, M.Ed., has been teaching for 10 years in the classroom, and has over 20 years of experience working with children as young as five through adulthood. He is currently a coach, mentor, business owner, and teacher. Jacob has published two non-fiction books and is currently working on turning his dissertation into his third book, that focuses on multicultural instructional practices. He is attending Walden University where he is finishing his Ph.D. in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment.
Location
Session Two
Strand #1
Head: Academic Achievement & Leadership
Strand #2
Heart: Social & Emotional Skills
Relevance
Multicultural instructional strategies focus on creating an environment inclusive of all learners but specifically for diverse learners. Diversity is a fact of life, and all cultures are valuable and can be used as a resource. The acceptance and support of these differences is key, but the recognition of these differences is equally as important. The number of diverse educational materials has expanded to address the growing numbers of diverse students and more attention has been paid to diverse school districts and communities. Multicultural instructional practices primary goals remain consistent: to design systems of education that are culturally relevant and are inclusive, rather than exclusive; to ensure that all students leave school possessing the skills for social, academic, and economic success; to teach students to relate respectfully to others, perceiving and appreciating both differences and commonalities.
Brief Program Description
The use of multicultural instructional strategies is beneficial for teachers but also other stakeholders that want equity in our schools. Cultural understanding is necessary to create classrooms and learning environments inclusive to all. This presentation provides educators with tools, strategies and techniques to engage diverse learners.
Summary
Jacob Isom
8th grade Social Studies Teacher
Rutherford County Schools
382 Stones River Rd.
LaVergne, Tn 37086
isomj@rcschools.net
615-809-9287
Multicultural Instructional Practices: Preparing All Students for 21st Century Thinking
Differentiating instruction for students academically, culturally, and socially is a key component of multicultural education and academic success of all learners. Teachers who create an environment where diverse learners feel comfortable and safe provide a context for successful learning. The research on culturally responsive teaching and culturally relevant pedagogy involves studies on incorporating students’ culture to make learning relevant and to support learning. Most teachers are employed in communities with diverse populations of students and have received relatively little preparation for working with diverse student populations. Students of diverse backgrounds have been found to experience a greater sense of community, personal growth, and academic achievement by being in classes taught by faculty trained in multicultural education.
Multicultural education is defined as providing students with knowledge about their histories, cultures, and contributions of diverse groups, including respect for gender, race, and socioeconomic background. Research findings have supported the importance of teachers’ perceptions regarding culturally diverse students in the classroom as an important element in educating, motivating, and making a difference in educational achievement among all students. To inform educators on multicultural instructional practices, I use research-based practices to inform teachers of what multicultural instructional practices are and the need to create an inclusive environment.
This digital age opens children worlds up quickly where privacy is harder to maintain. How do we teach children in this new and dynamic reality? Students today need an effective education in not just topics, but concepts and skills so that they can be job-ready for multiple possibilities in our rapidly changing economy. This presentation seeks to give educators strategies to address diversity, not just in the classroom but also in creating a dynamic school culture.
Evidence
Alismail, H. A. (2016). Multicultural education: Teachers’ perceptions and preparation. Journal of Education and Practice, 7(11), 139–146.
Aragona-Young, E., & Sawyer, B. E. (2018). Elementary teachers’ beliefs about multicultural education practices. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 24(5), 465–486. doi:10.1080/13540602.2018.1435527
Banks, J. A. (1995). Multicultural education and curriculum transformation. Journal of Negro Education, 64, 390–400. doi:10.2307/2967262
Cherng, H. Y. S., & Davis, L. A. (2019). Multicultural matters: An investigation of key assumptions of multicultural education reform in teacher education. Journal of Teacher Education, 70(3), 219. doi:10.1177/0022487117742884
Childs, K. (2017). Integrating multiculturalism in education for the 2020 classroom: Moving beyond the “melting pot” of festivals and recognition months. Journal for Multicultural Education, 11(1), 31-36. doi:10.1108/JME-06-2016-0041
Djonko-Moore, C., Jiang, S., & Gibson, K. (2018). Multicultural teacher education and diversity practices in early childhood. Journal for Multicultural Education, 12(4), 298–313. doi:10.1108/jme-07-2017-0041
Jun, E. J. (2016). Multicultural education course put into practice. Multicultural Education Review, 8(2), 83–98.
Watters, S. M., Ward, C., & Stuart, J. (2020). Does normative multiculturalism foster or threaten social cohesion? International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 75, 82-94. doi:10.1016/j.ijintrel.2020.02.001
Learning Objective 1
Educators will be able to identify specific multicultural instructional strategies to use in their diverse classrooms.
Learning Objective 2
Educators will be able to discuss and define what multicultural education is and its benefits.
Learning Objective 3
Educators will be able to describe what inclusive school environment are.
Keyword Descriptors
Multicultural education, multicultural instructional practices, reflection, inclusivity, diversity, literacy, classroom management, culturally relevant pedagogy, culturally responsive teaching
Presentation Year
2024
Start Date
3-4-2024 11:30 AM
End Date
3-4-2024 1:00 PM
Recommended Citation
Isom, Jacob, "Multicultural Instructional Practices: Preparing All Students for 21st Century Thinking" (2024). National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference. 14.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2024/2024/14
Multicultural Instructional Practices: Preparing All Students for 21st Century Thinking
Session Two
The use of multicultural instructional strategies is beneficial for teachers but also other stakeholders that want equity in our schools. Cultural understanding is necessary to create classrooms and learning environments inclusive to all. This presentation provides educators with tools, strategies and techniques to engage diverse learners.
