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Today we searched for simularities between culture and nature. We saw that the nature is changing like cultures do. The island we had class is quickly disappearing and currents are changing. In cultures there are also changes during time. We studied the five dimensions of multiculturalism. Multiculturalism  occurs naturally when a society is willing to accept the culture of immigrants. Like nature is changing cause of climate changes, culture will change with immigration. In the article we have to study Banks said that he developed the five dimensions of multiculturalism to help educators see that content integration is important, but that is only the first dimension of multicultural education. We studied about the other dimensions like knowledge contruction, equity pedagogy, prejudge reduction and empowering school cutlture and social structure. I think very valuable for every school!

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Reflection on our fourth session of the Classroom with a view on the world project

Today we’ve been learning about the five dimensions of multicultural education.

Ø  Content integration

Ø  Knowledge construction

Ø  Equity pedagogy

Ø  Prejudice reduction

Ø  Empowering school culture and social structures

I was actually quite surprised to find in the article many practices that the author qualifies as aspects of multicultural education, I already know as general good teaching practices.

It seems that the interviewed author has made the mistake of assuming that the current way of teaching is actually the best way to learn for students of the dominant culture and that it’s just Mexican students (for instance) that benefit from cooperative learning. I think this premise is wrong, and this has been shown quite extensively by amongst other things Hattie’s metastudies of education interventions that work.

Of course Mexican students benefit from cooperative learning, because all students benefit from cooperative learning. What the author (at least judging from the interview) failed to show is that Mexican students benefit more from cooperative learning than children from the dominant culture.

I like the idea of thinking more about equity pedagogy, whenever we explain something we always seem to pick examples of things close to us, or from popular culture. We probably often fail to account for how western centric that makes our lessons. It’s going to be hard to get examples from cultures you’re less familiar with yourself, but perhaps it could be a good start to use examples that are less explicitly and clearly western/Christian/white oriented, especially when trying to explain a difficult subject to a student from a different background.

Classroom question: What do you notice about the dolls shown in this picture?

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Today we have been on a beautiful island surrounded by turquoise waters and really looked like a piece of paradise. That wonder of nature has made me think about the five dimensions of multiculturalism and how I can develop those dimensions with my elementary students. For example you could look for traditional stories Kike the three little pigs And I ask my students what would hapen if The Story Was from the point of view of the wolf, (it Would be different wouldn't it ? I could also look for traditional stories from different parts of the world and discuss about The similarities to devolope The respect and The peace. It is certainly a challenge to develop all these dimensions but we can not forget that we are teachers and we must plant a Good seed in them.

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“Strength lies in differences, not in similarities”
― Stephen R. Covey

Today, on a little piece of heaven on earth called Iles de Caret, we were confronted with some of the biggest challenges in the human world: climate change and multiculturalism.

I think there's not more to say here really than this day on the island. At the same time we saw what the human kind can do: destroy what is given to us or learn to live alongside and with eachother. A lot of diversity on the island and in our daily lives. If we just learn from each other and see each other as humans instead of race, colour or what ever, we could live like we did today: all a small part of a paradise.

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When ignorance isn't bliss

'The teacher has a culture, and the teacher and students learn together, share their cultures and construct new knowledge in the classroom. That's how I see teachers reconceptualizing their role'. (Dr. J.A. Banks)

Before today I was hard pressed to mention what exactly it was I did to make sure my multicultural students felt at home in my class and felt accepted. My objective is to make students feel welcome and seen. This means that you interact with one another and have conversations about topics that matter boh to the students and myself. Rationally I know that I work in a school with a lot of 'foreigners' but it is only when I have a critical look at a student register that I become aware of the extent of our multiculturalism. I see individuals with their own stories and backgrounds and do not think in terms of 'black', 'white', 'poor' or 'rich'.  What matters to me is mutual respect and understanding. Understanding comes from talking and listening to each other. My students can tell me anything they like as long as they are respectful. In a previous course I was taught the seven values of effectiveness. One of them is 'trying to understand before being understood yourself'. I think that taking this principle to heart in any social situation will go a long way towards a more pleasant social interaction. If my pupils feel seen and heard then as a teacher I feel I have done the better part of my job. On a personal level I would love to continue with the exchanges since I too can keep learning from interacting with different cultures. My personal goal is to accept things as they are without labelling. So not 'The Italians are so lazy' (labelling), but rather 'We started our days later than we had planned'. I try to teach my students to keep an open-mind and relish the experience. Our students shouldn't want to try and conform others, thinking that their way is the (only) (right) way.

After all: 'Before we can transform the world, we must first transform ourselves'.

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The article on the five dimensions worked in such a way that it reaffirmed my existing notions of how to be a teacher in a multicultural society. The dimension on prejudice reduction is the most important one in my own teaching. I've always felt that the classroom can be a great position and situation in which you can break down prejudice, and expose it for the lie it can be.

What also resonated with me is the first article, which is much more critical on what it means to include other cultures, and respect them. Respect for other cultures should, in my eyes rightfully so, end when it hurts or oppresses others. Aspects of anyone's culture should not include the hurt of fellow human beings. And, visiting this disappearing Island in the Antilles, maybe that should include not hurting the planet through our culture of way of living. Celebrate what you do and how you live, unless it hurts others.

Quote: "a handful of people can change the world"

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Today we went to a small island called Ile Caret. It had a beautiful white beach and was surrounded by a beautiful blue sea. If you are used to the Dutch coast then being here feels if you are on a tropical island. It gives you peace and time to reflect on the many differences that a culture has to offer. There was also a large group of children on the island. Probably a school class with their teachers. It was nice to see how they enjoyed a day out. They also got swimming lessons and special strings were tensioned in the sea. Strange actually because you would think that if you live on an island you can swim fairly quickly. Funny that they have swimming lessons in the ocean. In the Netherlands we are used that the swimming lessons are in a swimming pool.

In the afternoon we had a delicious lunch. To become a global citizen, it is important to first experience. How and what do the people eat? Are there any habits? Each country and culture has different habits. I really like traveling, seeing other cultures, learning from other cultures.

In order to learn something, you do not always have to read books, but you can learn a lot by simply living a country's daily life. Learning is not only studying but also to experience.

Quote of the day; "I think that we need to know, to care, and to act, because I think in that way we can help transform ourselves and help transform the world.

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Although we visited the beautiful island ;" Ilet de Caret" in the caribbean sea, I I had this strange feeling that something was wrong.When we reached the little island we saw no trees at all. The last few years,this island is ging to disappear. The last palmtrees felt down on the beach and some of them were in the sea, because its changing "cours". The water level has increased for at least five meters.The coral reef nearby is disappearing because of the global warming and for that reason the island looses his " right to exist".I feal sad because within a few years maybe months this island will be gone. And we all know that this is just the tip of the iceberg.We saw the children playing and swimming in the sea not aware that all these beautiful places will be gone in later life. We also enjoyed the snorkeling and swimming.But I realized once again that my grand children will be living in a different world. And what we learnd about history is that knowing is not enough ,we also need to care.Being aware that we have to engage in a process of self-transformation to understand the need of the other.

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Today we visited Ile Caret, a white sand island surrounded by transparent turquoise waters. It is home to many different species and it gives you the feeling of being in paradise. The mangrove swamp was impressing with all the beautiful birds.

We have been snorkling on several spots enjoying the interesting marine life.

We enjoyed a great lunch prepared by our guide: ti- punch, grilled fish, chicken and a delicious banana desert with rhum and chocolate.

After a day in paradise you really feel humble to make part of nature and you feel the urge to tell children how important it is to acquire knowledge about other cultures , knowledge that creates a certain kind of self-transformation in order to be( come) a good global citizen.

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If we take a quick look at middle eastern history we see that Islam has taken a negative role on people's lives their  about  tolerance and multicultural. Because the religion of Islam not accept it and mixing between religion en government is to strong  and they say that is one culture and that is Islam
If we take a look  to Western land  they believed in democracy  and they  opened the borders to refuges  .Today we visited very nice place in guadeloup we ate a traditional eating  and swam in the attractive Caribbean sea was beautiful day we enjoyed alot

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As an English teacher in a multi cultural city with a mixed background, I have to say that the article on the five dimensions of multiculturalism was a mere summary of items and aspects of which I am already aware. Using a wide variety of techniques, being open minded, enabling kids from all racial groups and prejudice reduction have always been important to me.
Nevertheless, the article does included a quote by Dante which really interests me: “hell is reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, take a neutral position.” As mentioned before, I think that multiculturalism, in many ways, is only tolerated and not fully accepted since the majority of people adopt a neutral position and just think that it’s not their problem, so they also do not have to engage in becoming a part of the solution.

During our trip to and from the Island, the everlasting effects of climate change became even more clear since this was the very first time that I was witnessing it’s devastating outcomes first hand. The sad truth is that we are the only species out of the millions who are unable to live in harmony with nature.

During our stay on the small island the importance of nature to the local people was visible on the smiling faces of the school children who were on a field trip to the sea. It’s absolutely terrible to know that this, once incredibly beautiful island, will no longer be there in the future due to our way of living.