General Directions for Focus Papers:Each focus paper must be written in a scholarly manner using proper APA format (6th edition). Each focus paper must be at least 750 words in length. The 750 words
Running head: YOURTOPIC
Focus Paper #
HLTH 1373-48F
Student Name
Instructor: Name
Lamar University
Your topic
Why should we care about Multicultural and Global Education today? Support your answer with at least one scholarly resource.
The concept of multicultural education connects to education and curriculums’ instruction design because of the presence of various cultures and races in the educational system. Multicultural educational theory is based on the principle of freedom, equality, and justice. It is “an idea stating that all students, regardless of the groups to which they belong, such as those related to gender, ethnicity, race, culture, language, social class, religion, sexual orientation, or exceptionality, should experience educational equality in the school” (Banks & Banks,2008,p.20). There are several advantages to adapting the multicultural and global education for students’ academic achievement and intergroup relation. First, the multicultural educational practices help to improve the academic achievement of students (Zirkel, 2008). Moreover, the essential benefit of multicultural educational practices is that it allows leaders to develop respect and appreciation for all diverse cultural groups (Ameny-Dixon, 2004). It also provides an equitable educational opportunity for all students to achieve the academic success. Thus, Educational organizations and leaders need to realize the importance of developing this concept in school and educational environment.
Do you believe that there is a lack of diversity in K12 leadership? If so, please describe why you feel this way and provide support for your comments.
I believe that there is a lack of diversity in K12 leadership. According to Zirkel (2008), students of color make up 40% of the total students number. However, 90% of k-12 teaching staffs are white; this means that students of color are usually supervised and taught in the classroom by white teachers. Thus, many students of color might face some issues with their teachers related to the cross-race relationship (Zirkel, 2008). This lack of diversity among the school staff can have many negative effects such as unfair treatment, misrepresentation, and a lack of representation.
What are the most important leadership competencies in multicultural and global education that you demonstrate as a leader? Support your answer with at least one scholarly resource.
According to Ameny-Dixon (2004), multicultural competence can be define as “ the process in which a person develops competencies in multiple ways of perceiving, evaluating, believing, and solving problems” (p.5). As a leader in the field of deaf education, the most important leadership competencies in multicultural and global education I demonstrate now are coping fairly and impartially with all students, working transparently with my students, and respecting the cultural diversity among my students. Great leaders must be evenhanded and treat every student in their classrooms equally, regardless of their race, religion, gender, or disability to ensure that all students have the same opportunity to succeed. Therefore, all students should have the same rights to access education, regardless of their social background, gender, or religion. There are several federal civil rights laws which forbid discrimination on the foundation of disability. The Section 504 of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA)which was adapted in 1973, prohibits the exclusion or discrimination of individuals with disabilities, participating in programs or activities that are supported by federal funds ( Department of Justice). I also respect the cultural diversity among my students. Skillful leaders should learn about their students’ values, language and cultures. As stated by Banks & Banks (2008), “Teachers who understand how to build on the cultural and language of students will read the classroom behavior of such children more accurately and adjust their instructional process accordingly without lowering their expectations for learning” (p.46). Transparency is another competency for a successful leader. According to Gundling, Hogan, and Cvitkovich (2011), “Everything had to be transparent, and I had to be more self-aware” (p.77). As a leader, I always seek to provide a clear picture for my students about the educational objectives with specific timelines for achieving these goals.
References
Ameny-Dixon GM 2004. Why Multicultural Education is More Important in Higher
Education Now Than Ever: A Global Perspective. International Journal of Scholarly
Academic Intellectual Diversity,8(1), From <http://www.nationalforum.com/
dixon.h> (Retrieved on January 10, 2013)
Banks, J. A., & Banks, C. M. (2008). Multicultural education: issues and perspectives.
Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, c2008.
Boser, U., & Center for American, P. (2014). Teacher Diversity Revisited: A New State-by-
State Analysis. Center For American Progress.
Cvitkovich, K., Gundling, E., & Hogan, T., (2011).What is Global leadership? 10 Key Behaviors That Define Great Global Leaders. Boston, MA: Intercultural Press.
Department of Justice (2015). Types of Educational Opportunities Discrimination. Retrieved from https://www.justice.gov/crt/types-educational-opportunities-discrimination
Zirkel, S. (2008). The influence of multicultural educational practices on student outcomes
and intergroup relations, Teachers College Record, 110, 1147–1181.
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