# data[].attributes.body
I teach at Fort Plain Central School District in upstate New York. The community that I teach in is located in a very rural area full of farm land. The community has a high rate of economically disadvantaged households. According to the data on NYSED 57% of the students are economically disadvantaged. This could be due to the job shortages in the area. There are few job opportunities that pay enough to support families. Many people in the community were affected when the large beechnut company closed down in the area. There is a large population of farmers in the area so many of my students work with their families on farms. The community is not very diverse in race with 85% of students being white. There was no data found on any ELL students in the school district.

Although the school community I teach in is economically advantaged, it is a small close-net community. Being that the community is close it is easier to communicate and work with community members and families to help educate students. However it can still be a struggle to provide equal resources to all students because of home life. Students are equipped with Chromebooks from the school but some households do not have access to the internet. The school district and teachers work together to offer alternative resources for these students. Another challenge for learning is the low diversity in the community. With a majority of the students being white there is not a mix of perspectives to learn from.

# data[].attributes.body
In reviewing all of the literary works from Nieto, Banks, Freire, and Hooks, I would define multiculturalism as a set of educational principles and strategies that provide students with knowledge about the histories, cultures, and contributions of diverse groups. Multicultural education looks at issues in education regarding race, ethnicity, culture, religion, and social class. In An introduction to multicultural education, Banks argues “Multicultural education incorporates the idea that all students—regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, social class, and ethnic, racial, or cultural characteristics—should have an equal opportunity to learn in school” (2019, p.1). Although there are so many benefits for social change in education by adopting multicultural education, there are still many schools who do not effectively incorporate multicultural education. In result, students are left with the negative effects including lack of understanding of self, lack of self confidence, learning gaps, discrimination, and learning gaps. As educators we can help make a change and foster a multicultural classroom environment, as well as encourage a multicultural change in schools.

Multicultural education looks at reforming the education system to provide equal education to all students regardless of their background. Multicultural education doesn’t just affect curriculum and instruction, but it should be about building a community where students are able to reflect and share freely and respectfully. In Affirming diversity: The sociopolitical context of multicultural education Nieto claims “Multicultural education is, by definition, inclusive. Because it is about all people, it is also for all people, regardless of their ethnicity, ability, social class, language, sexual orientation, religion, gender, race, or other difference” (2018, p.38). This idea of inclusion is not properly executed in a traditional style of education. Banks supports this by stating “The Anglocentric curriculum negatively affects many students of color because they often find the school culture alien, hostile, and self defeating” (2019, p.4). Teachers need to adopt instruction and curriculum to examine all different types of culture. By casting a singular narrative from a dominant race, it deprives students of a full education and it can cast a negative light on minority groups.

Looking towards the future teachers can start to develop a more multicultural classroom by building a community of learners who aren’t afraid to speak up. In Teaching to transgress the author claims “One way to build community in the classroom is to recognize the value of each individual voice” (Hooks, 2014, p.40). To cast a way the idea of a dominant group teachers can encourage classroom discussion that include various cultures and provide opportunities for expression of their own cultures. The issue with traditional education is that it predominantly focuses on one point of view causing misunderstanding and doubt for minority groups. In Pedagogy of the oppressed the author argues “This pedagogy makes oppression and its causes objects of reflection by the oppressed, and from that reflection will come their necessary engagement in the struggle for their liberation” (Freire et al., 2020, p.48). By encouraging self expression and reflection it allows for students to feel valued as individuals.

It is the goal of educators to prepare all of our students for society. Teachers cannot properly fulfill this goal without exposing students to various perspectives. Banks elaborates stating, “Another important goal of multicultural education is to help individuals from diverse racial, cultural, language, and religion groups to acquire the knowledge, attitudes, and skills needed to function effectively within their cultural communities, the national civic culture, their regional culture, and the global community” (Banks, 2019, p.6). Educators may believe that they are providing the necessary skills based on state standards, however there are so many other important skills that are necessary for navigation in society. Talking about topics related to a multitude of perspectives is a skill that will help all students no matter their background.

In conclusion, multicultural education is a culmination of strategies and principles focused on education for all students regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, social class, and ethnic, racial, or cultural characteristics. The goal of multicultural education is to provide all students with a plural education that encompasses many different cultures. Multicultural education differs from traditional education because its focus is to learn from multiple perspectives as opposed to a singular perspective. It's the responsibility of educators and schools to create a multicultural community. To cast out negative bias, discrimination, and violence educators must encourage free respectful discussions about different backgrounds. As well as incorporate classroom instruction that encompasses multiple cultures. Providing skills to navigate society transcends state standards. It requires teachers to self reflect and encourage other to self reflect in the pursuit of equality in education.

References:

Banks, J. A. (2019). An introduction to multicultural education. Pearson.

Freire, P., Ramos, M. B., Macedo, D. P., & Shor, I. (2020). Pedagogy of the oppressed. Bloomsbury Academic.

Hooks, B. (2014). Teaching to transgress. Routledge.

Nieto,S.;Bode,P. (2018). Affirming diversity: The sociopolitical context of multicultural education.Pearson: New York. ISBN 0134047230

# data[].attributes.body
In the article “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack”, Peggy McIntosh explains all of the advantages that white people don’t realize they have and talk about them. Unpacking the invisible knapsack refers to coming to terms with the privileges that white people take for advantage. Peggy McIntosh claims, “I think whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privilege” (McIntosh, 2019, p.1). I believe this is an important claim because in society there is an issue of dominance. Without recognizing there’s an advantage to being white, issues with our present hierarchies remain.

A large reason that privilege is not common knowledge is that it is not being talked about. Peggy McIntosh states, “My schooling gave me no training in seeing myself as an oppressor, as an unfairly advantaged person, or as a participant in a damaged culture” (McIntosh, 2019, p.1). Privilege needs to be discussed in order for people to take action. When talking about oppression the author also states “I was taught to recognize racism only in individual acts of meanness by members of my group, never in invisible systems conferring unsought racial dominance on my group from birth” (McIntosh, 2019, p.4). I think back to my childhood understanding of racism. As a kid you learn that certain actions or phrases are racist, which is true. However as white people hold dominance with no acknowledgement of privilege that is also oppression.

I think the idea of writing down things that you take advantage of based on your race is a great way to understand privilege. It helps you think about things that you don't typically see as advantageous. Peggy McIntosh brings up a great point that we should start identifying negative types of advantages or else the privileges will always remain (McIntosh, 2019, p.3). I think it’s important that we take action. I believe in this process of unpacking the invisible knapsack. I will be spreading this idea along to raise more awareness of white privilege.

Reference:

McIntosh, P. (2019). White privilege: Unpacking the invisible knapsack (1989) 1. On Privilege, Fraudulence, and Teaching As Learning, 29–34. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351133791-4

# data[].attributes.body
After reading the research article The psychosocial effects of Native American mascots: a comprehensive review of empirical research findings, I’ve gotten a better understanding of the psychosocial impact on both native and non-native populations. For instance the article mentions four studies conducted by Fryberg et al. (2008) on the impacts of Native American mascots on native youth. According to the article the research found “Native mascots, regardless of type, and regardless of whether they are perceived positively by Native youth, are harmful to the psychological well-being of these youth” (Davis-Delano et al., 2020, p.5). More specifically native mascots had influences on native dropout rates and self esteem. A further study, LaRocque et al. (2011), found that Native students experience negative feelings after viewing both the neutral and controversial slide show on Native mascots (Davis-Delano et al., 2020, p.6).

There are also many psychosocial impacts for non-native populations. Angle et al. (2017) looked at the impact of Native sports logos on non-native participants and found that exposure to Native logos does not increase positive perceptions of Native Americans (Davis-Delano et al., 2020, p.8). Another Study by Chaney, Burke, and Burkley (2011) looked at the negative thoughts and stereotyping associated with Native American mascots and White mascots. In this study the researchers concluded that the White participants tended to associate more negative thoughts and stereotypes with the Native American mascots compared to the White mascots (Davis-Delano et al., 2020, p.10). Another piece of evidence that focuses on the effect of white Native mascot supporters and their prejudice was done by Gonzalez (2005). The research found that the white native mascot supporters were “more apt to exhibit prejudice and discrimination against Native than White people'' (Davis-Delano et al., 2020, p.11).

All of the above research findings show significant psychosocial impacts on both native and non native populations. Some impacts on the Native youth include lower self esteem and higher dropout rates. The Native mascots give native students negative feelings. Additionally for non-native populations Native mascots can cause increased negative thoughts, stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination. The mascots don’t yield any positive perceptions of native populations.

Reference

Laurel R. Davis-Delano, Joseph P. Gone & Stephanie A. Fryberg (2020) The psychosocial effects of Native American mascots: a comprehensive review of empirical research findings, Race Ethnicity and Education, 23:5, 613-633, DOI: 10.1080/13613324.2020.1772221

# data[].attributes.body
Here is the link to my Cultural Autobiography.