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Productive Confusion: Advancing Intercultural Perspectives Through A Multicultural Professional Development Program For Educational Leaders, Jack Frawley, Kim Anh Dang, Daravone Kittiphanh

Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education

The bulk of theory and practice around educational leadership is drawn almost exclusively from narrowly conceived Western beliefs, philosophies and understandings. Australian Catholic University’s Centre for Creative & Authentic Leadership has hosted four AusAID funded Australian Awards Fellowships (AAF) programs for educational leaders from nine countries in Asia and the Pacific since 2007. The AAF programs aimed to influence personal and professional development by supporting and enhancing AAF Fellows’ educational leadership skills and knowledge, and leadership values. The AAF programs have been practice-based, informed by leadership principles, values and practices that shape influential and authentic educational leaders. To strengthen the …

Insights Gained From A Cultural Contexts Counseling Course In A Rural Setting, Susan Dodd

Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education

Abstract

The intention of this study was to explore the ways in which graduates of a master’s level counseling program reflect their knowledge and experiences gained during a required course entitled, “Cultural Contexts in Counseling.” Seven graduates of the counseling program participated in the study. The study took place at a state university located in a rural, racially homogenous region of the northeast. Using a qualitative design, the researcher, who was also the course instructor, solicited feedback from her former students who had taken the course at least one year prior to the time of the study. Participants responded via …

Understanding English Language Learners: Incorporating Our Own Cultural Narratives In Tesol Education, Burcu Ates, Soonhyang Kim, Yurimi Grigsby

Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education

Due to increasing globalization and immigration, there has been an increase in culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) student population in the U.S. public school. Educating teacher candidates to become culturally aware, sensitive, and competent in order to meet the needs of this diverse population has been a concern of teacher education programs. As a result, various teaching methods and strategies are being implemented in teacher education programs. The purpose of this study was to explore the use of cultural narratives (CNs) as an instructional strategy in TESOL education. In this article, we share an example of how one teacher educator …

Multicultural Curriculum In Rural Early Childhood Programs, Lydiah Nganga Dr.

Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education

This study investigated the use of multicultural curricula in early childhood programs (licensed and licensed-exempt) in rural communities in Wyoming. In previous studies, little attention has focused on the nature of multicultural education in rural schools. This study specifically explored the ways in which existing instructional strategies and curricula were utilized to address the diverse learning needs of young children, and the ways in which culture and race are embraced and celebrated in early childhood programs in rural communities. Data showed a positive correlation (r= .45 p = < .01) between national accreditation of early childhood programs and the availability and use of multicultural curricula.

Yes, Actually Subjugation Is A Vocabulary Word, Susan E. Dwoskin Ms.

Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education

Abstract.

Teaching today is driven by calls for accountability in the form of high-stakes testing and relies on a standardized, de-contextualized approach to education. The results are "one size fits all" curriculum that ignore local contexts of students' lived experience, discourage student engagement and ultimately work against deep understanding of the content. In contrast, a praxis of ethical caring and place-based education that includes a radical-democratic approach, recognizes teaching as political and utilizes the students’ stories, local knowledge, culture, language and community as an integrating context for learning.

The N-Word: Lessons Taught And Lessons Learned, Neal A. Lester

Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education

In the fall of 2008, I dared to teach a fifteen-week course that focused on a single word, a word arguably like no other, a word adorned with these emotionally colorful descriptors: “the most explosive of racial epithets,” “our cruelest word,” “the most toxic in the English language,” “the most troubling word in our language,” “almost magical in its negative power,” “six simple letters that convey centuries of pain, evil and contempt,” “an almost universally known word of contempt,” “occupies a place in the soul where logic and reason never go,” and “the filthiest, dirtiest, nastiest word in the English …

Using Culturally Ambitious Teaching Practices To Support Urban Mathematics Teaching And Learning, Lanette R. Waddell

Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education

Culturally relevant pedagogy is an ideology upon which strong urban classrooms can be built. However, culturally relevant pedagogy has not been operationalized in a way that allows consistent implementation in classrooms. This work focuses on the conceptualization of culturally ambitious teaching practices (CATP) in mathematics that exemplify the tenets of culturally relevant pedagogy – academic achievement, cultural competence, and critical consciousness – with those of ambitious mathematics teaching practices. This paper will describe the findings of the initial work of developing and operationalizing CATP in mathematics through a quantitative and qualitative analysis.

Exploring Literacy In Our Own Backyard: Increasing Teachers’ Understanding Of Literacy Access Through Community Mapping, Kathy R. Fox

Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education

Teachers develop a greater understanding of children when they leave their classrooms and become learners in the community. This article describes a project involving both pre-service and in-service teachers as they practice action research at community sites, such as a local homeless center, and then use these authentic experiences to inform their teaching.

A Historical Perspective Of The National Association For Multicultural Education, H. Prentice Baptiste, Ashley Ryan, V. Patricia Williams

Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education

The spark for the idea of a national organization that would serve as the forum and professional arena for the discussion, deliberations, and creation of knowledge related to concepts and principles of multiculturalism ignited after years of gestation. The discussion of this period is presented in Part 1: The Perspective. The genesis chapter explores and discusses the isms and other forms of oppression that permeated the cultural environments of the Founders. Part 2: The Voices contains chapters which emanate frustrations, concerns, and obstacles that the Founders, led by Dr. Rose Duhon-Sells, had to endure as they strategized and developed a …

Gay And Lesbian Literature In The Classroom: Can Gay Themes Overcome Heteronormativity?, April M. Sanders, Janelle B. Mathis Ph.D.

Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) characters do exist in children’s and young adult literature, yet there is a lack of classroom exposure to such literature. Educational organizations have realized the need for dispelling prejudices about LGBT people by including such texts in the classroom as well as discussions regarding LGBT themes and characters in the books. Yet the practice of simply including diverse texts without discussing LGBT issues could cause greater marginalization for students because the silence regarding LGBT issues and characters encourages the practice of heteronormativity. This inquiry examined a range of children’s and adolescent books that could …

Valuing Students’ Cultural Experiences And Linguistic Abilities In The Classroom, Tynisha Meidl, Christopher Meidl

Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education

English Language Learners (ELL) and students represented in culturally diverse communities are the fastest growing groups in US public schools (Samway & McKeon, 2007). Mainstream classrooms often struggle to meet the needs of Linguistically and Culturally Diverse (LCD) students, trying to connect instruction to students’ linguistic backgrounds or cultural experiences (Darder, 1991). Unfortunately, the education of LCD students has become exercises of “drill and kill” and highly scripted instruction (Darder & Torres, 2004). This article explores reasons why students’ cultural experiences and linguistic abilities are not recognized in mainstream classrooms in an era of high-stakes testing. Additionally, the article will …

Culturally Responsive Teaching For Significant Relationships, Sarah Edwards, Nancy A. Edick Ph.D.

Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education

This article expands discussions of culturally responsive teaching to include the framework of what it is, why it matters and how it can be accomplished in the classroom. The four principles of interaction, accommodation, ownership, and opportunity outline culturally responsive strategies teachers use to create significant relationships with all students in the classroom.

In Search Of Professional Dispositions That Yield Cultural Relevance In Primary Grade Pedagogy: A Cautionary Tale Of One Kindergarten Teacher, Patricia L. Marshall Ed.D., Jessica T. Decuir-Gunby Ph.D., Allison W. Mcculloch Ph.D.

Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education

Primary grade teachers are challenged to establish firm learning foundations for all children, yet for many teachers cultural diversity makes this a complex pedagogical challenge. It is widely assumed that the success with which teachers meet this challenge is reflected in their dispositions toward diversity, and ultimately toward culturally relevant pedagogy as a professional orientation. This article describes a multi-year study of cultural relevance in early mathematics teaching. Using the case of one kindergarten teacher who exhibited positive dispositions toward cultural relevance, the authors examine factors that seemed to work against its adoption in her pedagogy.

A Qualitative Study Using Community Cultural Wealth To Understand The Educational Experiences Of Latino College Students, Nora A. Luna, Magdalena Martinez Ph.D

Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education

The Latino population is the largest minority group in the United States (Quijada & Alvarez, 2006) and has the highest high school dropout rate of any ethnic group (American Council on Education, 2008). If the U.S. is to compete in the global economy, it is important to understand factors that facilitate or hider the academic performance of Latino students. This qualitative study provides rich narratives on how Latino students used community cultural wealth, including knowledge, skills, abilities and networks, to excel in educational settings and overcome obstacles. A total of 15 individuals participated in the study. Findings suggest that Latino …

Critical Conversations: Developing White Teachers For Diverse Classrooms, Omobolade O. Delano-Oriaran Ph.D, Tynisha D. Meidl Ph.D

Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education

Many White, middle-class educators experience challenges as they attempt to teach in racially diverse classrooms. This article explores and challenges a widely held and often unexamined conception of White in-service teachers as learners about issues of diversity and equity vis-à-vis voluntary professional development. This study sought to examine how White in-service teachers explore their racial identity and how identity awareness influences their ability to successfully meet the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students. Participants were part of a voluntary book discussion professional-development program offered by a community multicultural center in collaboration with surrounding school districts. The findings of …

Praxis Spring 2011 Editorial Board

Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education

No abstract provided.

Praxis Spring 2011 Table Of Contents

Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education

No abstract provided.

Speaking Up: Opening Dialogue With Pre-Service And In-Service Teachers About Reading Children’S Books Inclusive Of Lesbian And Gay Families, Teresa M. Bouley

Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education

One of the best ways to include all family structures in classroom practice is through children‘s literature. While more and more quality books depicting family diversity, inclusive of gay and lesbian families, are published every year, it is often the unknown discourse surrounding such readings and the unknown support of the teacher that keeps these books from even entering preschool through grade four classrooms.

Reading The World: Supporting Teachers’ Professional Development Using Community-Based Critical Literacy Practices, Stacia M. Stribling, Elizabeth K. Demulder, Monimalika Day

Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education

This paper shares the findings from a study that assessed the impact of a graduate level curriculum that engaged fifty-seven k-12 teachers in community-based critical literacy practices. The findings from the participants‘ written critical reflections following two community exploration activities showed that they gained enhanced awareness of social inequalities. In addition, some of the participants made connections between the observed community disparities and their civic responsibilities to work towards social justice.

African-Born Immigrants In U.S. Schools: An Intercultural Perspective On Schooling And Diversity, Immaculee Harushimana, Janet Awokoya

Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education

Despite the significant increase of African-born immigrants in the United States of America, the education system does not recognize their presence and does little to facilitate their integration through the implementation of necessary curricular adjustments. The purpose of this article is to call on multicultural education advocates to endorse the argument for the distinctness of African-born immigrants as a complex cultural group with unique vulnerabilities requiring sensitivity. Organizationally, the paper develops four key points: the current demographic representation of the African population; the absence of African voices in multicultural education scholarship; the salience of multicultural education advocacy in recognizing the …

The Politics Of Caring In A Bilingual Classroom: A Case Study On The (Im)Possibilities Of Critical Care In An Assimilationist School Context, Charise Pimentel

Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education

By juxtaposing colorblind and critical approaches to caring, the author suggests there is often a disjuncture between teachers‘ caring practices and those that students of color and/or language minorities may expect of their teachers. While critical care may provide the foundation for equitable practices, the author warns against idealizing critical care. The author makes a case that all classroom practices, including pedagogies of care, must be contextualized in larger social and political power dynamics that often shape the (im)possibilities of caring. The article includes a case study of a fourth and fifth grade dual language bilingual teacher, wherein the author …

Chinese Papermaking: A Multicultural And Environmental Education Strategy For Pre-K Teachers, Li-Yuan J. Liao, Patricia J. Larke, Valerie Hill-Jackson

Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education

Many scholars see the urgency of implementing multicultural education (ME) and environmental education (EE) in the primary level (Abdullah, 2009; Bower, 1998; Cohen & Horm-Wingerd, 1993; Trubowitz, 1995). The scholars also share how hands-on and art approaches fit well in both Multicultural Education and Environmental Education fields (Adams & Chisholm, 1999; Bower, 1998; Damm, 2006; Seltzer-Kelly, Westwood, & Peña-Guzman, 2010). Chinese papermaking, an interactive and hands-on exercise in the creation of handmade paper, can be a means of integrating concepts of multiculturalism and sustainability into a young child‘s education. To address this issue, this study aimed at (a) introducing multicultural …

Examining Shades Of Grey With Students: Social Justice Education In Action, Darren E. Lund

Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education

The researcher undertook a critical examination of an innovative social justice education course being piloted at an urban high school in the prairie region of western Canada. The research involved observations, conversations, document analysis, and in-depth interviews with a small number of students and teachers, in order to analyze the daily experiences, challenges, and successes of a group of students and teachers who have undertaken to address issues of discrimination, social justice, and human rights in their school. This research links ongoing academic and school work by focusing attention on the experiences of a specific group of students and their …

National Association For Multicultural Education (Name): Mission Statement

Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education

NAME is committed to a philosophy of inclusion that embraces the basic tenets of democracy and cultural pluralism. NAME celebrates cultural and ethnic diversity as a national strength that enriches a society and rejects the view that diversity threatens the fabric of a society. NAME believes that multicultural education promotes equity for all regardless of culture, ethnicity, race, class, language, age, gender, sexual orientation, disabilities, or religion.

Praxis Spring 2011 Title Page

Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education

No abstract provided.

Praxis Spring 2010 Editorial Board

Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education

No abstract provided.

Praxis Spring 2010 Title Page

Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education

No abstract provided.

Praxis Spring 2010 Table Of Contents

Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education

No abstract provided.

Foreword: Multiple Voices Advocates For Educational Equity And Social Justice, Lavonne I. Neal, Lindy Crawford

Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education

This special issue of The Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education celebrates the 20th anniversary of the National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME) and its legacy of educational equity and social justice, by listening to the voices of faculty in the College of Education at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS) as they discuss the latest panoply of research and practices utilized at UCCS and beyond, to prepare educators who are advocates for educational equity and social justice.

Preservice Teachers’ Self-Perceptions And Attitudes Toward Culturally Responsive Teaching, Barbara Frye, Linda Button, Catherine Kelly, Greg Button

Journal of Praxis in Multicultural Education

When infusing Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) concepts in preservice methods classes, teacher candidates (TCs) begin a journey that involves understanding the cultural contributions of the students in the classroom, as well as becoming aware of the possible disconnects between their cultures and the culture of the school. To help preservice teachers learn how to bridge these gaps, teacher education faculty integrated history, literacy, and art into a literacy methods course as a first step in helping teacher candidates develop the necessary competencies to successfully implement culturally responsive teaching in their own classrooms. Four university faculty members administered an adapted version …