A Perspective changeA Perspective change

Changing the way we Changing the way we perceive our studentsperceive our students

How do Native and Non-How do Native and Non-Natives perceive each other in Natives perceive each other in

modern society?modern society?

• In societyIn society

• In schoolIn school

• In law enforcementIn law enforcement

• Within our own Within our own biasbias

How we view each otherHow we view each other

• Lowden (2002) stated “Teachers can Lowden (2002) stated “Teachers can teach anyone if the teacher is able to teach anyone if the teacher is able to ‘change lenses’ and orient ‘change lenses’ and orient themselves to the cultures that themselves to the cultures that thrive within their schools.”thrive within their schools.”

• We must acknowledge our own We must acknowledge our own biases. biases.

Who has a bias?Who has a bias?

• Everyone has bias.Everyone has bias.Recognizing racism involves acknowledging beliefs, Recognizing racism involves acknowledging beliefs,

attitudes and symbols that are legitimized by those attitudes and symbols that are legitimized by those with cultural and political power and are socialized with cultural and political power and are socialized in successive generations (Parks, 1999).in successive generations (Parks, 1999).

““Fair-minded, service oriented educators consider Fair-minded, service oriented educators consider racism to be inconsistent with the values that racism to be inconsistent with the values that attracted them to teaching, and therefore don’t attracted them to teaching, and therefore don’t recognize that their own attitudes and behavior recognize that their own attitudes and behavior may be tinged with its effects” (Parks, 1999).may be tinged with its effects” (Parks, 1999).

Acknowledging your biasAcknowledging your bias

• Once educators acknowledge the nature of racism, Once educators acknowledge the nature of racism, they can explore the relationship between racism and they can explore the relationship between racism and other issues, such as teen violence, safe schools, other issues, such as teen violence, safe schools, gang behavior, dropout and suspension rates, gang behavior, dropout and suspension rates, diversity, and equity in personnel policies and school diversity, and equity in personnel policies and school administration.administration.

• Most Indians believed that non-Indians’ perceptions of Most Indians believed that non-Indians’ perceptions of them are based on crude stereotypes, and indeed, them are based on crude stereotypes, and indeed, non-Indians often had a foggy, distorted set of non-Indians often had a foggy, distorted set of perceptions about Indians, usually based on little perceptions about Indians, usually based on little direct contact and on what some admitted were little direct contact and on what some admitted were little more than Hollywood stereotypes or generalizations more than Hollywood stereotypes or generalizations (Doble, Yarrow 2007).(Doble, Yarrow 2007).

Changing education to meet Changing education to meet the needs of our students.the needs of our students.

• ““The main issue for Native The main issue for Native American students in the American students in the traditional educational system traditional educational system is cultural dissonance” is cultural dissonance” (Eshelman 1997).(Eshelman 1997).

• White educators have White educators have underestimated the underestimated the importance of culture in the importance of culture in the learning process. Rather than learning process. Rather than validate non-traditional ways validate non-traditional ways of knowing, thinking, and of knowing, thinking, and behaving, these students have behaving, these students have been labeled deficient by been labeled deficient by uninformed educators uninformed educators (Viadero, 1997).(Viadero, 1997).

• Not only do educators label Not only do educators label them as deficient but so do them as deficient but so do our standardized test. our standardized test.

Effective Multicultural Effective Multicultural EducationEducation

• School districts must apply it in a School districts must apply it in a cross curricular fashion (Parks, cross curricular fashion (Parks, 1999).1999).

• School districts must have clear School districts must have clear expectations of what they want to expectations of what they want to accomplish.accomplish.

Realistic ApproachesRealistic Approaches

• If student behavior at a local If student behavior at a local high school reflects racist high school reflects racist attitudes, instituting a attitudes, instituting a multicultural education multicultural education program aimed at preventing program aimed at preventing racism is not likely to address racism is not likely to address the immediate conflicts and the immediate conflicts and tensions.tensions.

• Peer mediation, conflict Peer mediation, conflict resolution, or anti-violence resolution, or anti-violence education may be necessary in education may be necessary in order to create a culture of order to create a culture of openness before students can openness before students can realize the benefits of realize the benefits of multicultural education.multicultural education.

• We must have a culture based We must have a culture based on respect and fairness for all on respect and fairness for all members of our school members of our school community. community.

StrategiesStrategies

• ““We must focus on culture not as a label but We must focus on culture not as a label but as an internal value system.” as an internal value system.”

• ““We must believe that multicultural education We must believe that multicultural education is required in all educational institutions.”is required in all educational institutions.”

• ““This could lead to a paradigm shift from This could lead to a paradigm shift from devaluation and marginalization of non-devaluation and marginalization of non-mainstream students and families to the mainstream students and families to the embracing of these families and students as embracing of these families and students as valuable contributors” (Lowden, 2002).valuable contributors” (Lowden, 2002).

Our own discomfortOur own discomfort

• 40% characterized diversity education as nothing more 40% characterized diversity education as nothing more than political correctness, with more African-American or than political correctness, with more African-American or Hispanic students than white expressing that view.Hispanic students than white expressing that view.

Van Norstrand, as quoted by Parks (1999)Van Norstrand, as quoted by Parks (1999)

● ● Meaningful multicultural education must deal with Meaningful multicultural education must deal with substantive issues that touch people’s lives, perhaps a substantive issues that touch people’s lives, perhaps a generation of students and teachers may be uncomfortable generation of students and teachers may be uncomfortable and disappointed as the content and the conduct of and disappointed as the content and the conduct of multicultural education evolved toward greater multicultural education evolved toward greater effectiveness in combating racism (Parks, 1999)effectiveness in combating racism (Parks, 1999)

Such findings remind us that one residual effect of racism in Such findings remind us that one residual effect of racism in the lives of people of color is an understandable skepticism the lives of people of color is an understandable skepticism about the positive change in racial attitudes (Parks, 1999).about the positive change in racial attitudes (Parks, 1999).

Five Components of Multicultural Five Components of Multicultural Education that play a direct role in Education that play a direct role in

reducing racismreducing racism• Content Integration: use the example, data, and Content Integration: use the example, data, and

information from a variety of cultures to illustrate the key information from a variety of cultures to illustrate the key concepts, principles, generalizations and theories. concepts, principles, generalizations and theories.

• Knowledge construction: helping students understand how Knowledge construction: helping students understand how knowledge is created and influenced by factors of race, knowledge is created and influenced by factors of race, ethnicity, gender, and social class. ethnicity, gender, and social class.

• Prejudice reduction: developing strategies to help students Prejudice reduction: developing strategies to help students acquire positive racial attitudes. acquire positive racial attitudes.

• Equity pedagogy: using instructional techniques that Equity pedagogy: using instructional techniques that promote cooperation and include the learning and cultural promote cooperation and include the learning and cultural styles of diverse groups.styles of diverse groups.

• Empowering school culture: creating a learning Empowering school culture: creating a learning environment in which students from diverse racial, ethnic, environment in which students from diverse racial, ethnic, and social groups believe that they are heard and are and social groups believe that they are heard and are valued and experience respect, belonging, and valued and experience respect, belonging, and encouragement.encouragement.

Thank youThank you

We must celebrate diversity within the We must celebrate diversity within the classroom; we must acknowledge the classroom; we must acknowledge the differences in learning, differences in learning, understanding, and the ways that understanding, and the ways that education or knowledge displays education or knowledge displays itself within a culture. itself within a culture.

Banks, as quoted by Parks (1999)Banks, as quoted by Parks (1999)