How does a classroom move from a Multicultural curriculum to an anti-bias curriculum differ?
In all of our reading, it talked about the importance of anti-bias curriculum and how it is so important to include everyone and make all cultures feel welcome in the classroom. A NAEYC criterion reiterates the importance of culture in the classroom. When I was reading the examples of multicultural and anti-bias curriculum and reflected back into my classroom, I realized that I do some of both and made me question how do we move away from a multicultural curriculum into an anti-bias curriculum?
This year we were going through our NAEYC accreditation and while reading the criteria we saw how much emphasize NAEYC puts on culture in the classroom. While Hawaii is a very multicultural place, we realized that we (the teachers) are so mixed and most of us raised in Hawaii, that we don’t know much of our own culture. We felt that we were doing a disservice to the children because we didn’t know different songs in different languages, or colors or counting in different languages. What we realized is that we were just trying to find anything cultural and throwing it into our curriculum or classroom that we were really just bombarding our children with it and it really became meaningless. I think that the pressure from NAEYC did the opposite for our anti-bias curriculum. I realized that by trying to jam so many cultures into our curriculum, I would have to leave some cultures out and this made it biases. In the end, there are many activities that families can do with their children that represent the cultures in the classroom. It’s a great way for children and families to get involved but to create an anti-bias curriculum.
Hi Sarah!
ReplyDeleteWe live in a diverse society and so we as teachers need to make sure our learning environments need to reflect and honor that diversity. Some ways to create a classroom with a sense of place is to include natural materials and art from our local environment. In the past,I've seen teachers include lauhala brushes for art, lauhala baskets, books and pictures that depict Hawaii or customs from Hawaii and alohashirts and muumuus in the dramatic area? What types of materials do you include from our local environment in your room?
Yes, Hawaii is a very multicultural place. Teaching children about different cultures can happen in many ways. From counting in different languages to learning about traditional customs such as girls day and Chinese New Year. We as teachers need to learn about these celebrations but also need to reflect the diverse cultures of our group and to foster respect for their cultures. How do you support the diversity in your classroom?
-suzanne
We have this lab student in our classroom who is slowly intergrading out hawaiian culture into our classroom. This is the first I've seen happen because we are singing songs in hawaiian, learning the colors, counting numbers all in hawaiian. Since we live in hawaii, it will be good for the children to use since it's relatable to them. It is very important that we be careful not to overload our curriculum because then it would lose focus as to what we really want the children to get out of this anti base curriculum theory. Just have fun making it out and just think of the children while planning it, see what they'll be interested in. I personally don't think that it is bias because you don't include every culture in your curriculum because it's just impossible. Good blog!
ReplyDeleteAloha, after readfing your blog, I wonder if anti-bias really has anything to do with singing songs or counting in different languages? Perhaps it is not in the content of what we teach but in the quality and authenticity of our conversations. How can we begin honest open dialogue with children about race and color? Are we comfortable enough in our own skin to talk about that of others?
ReplyDeleteAloha Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI'm very grateful that we live in Hawaii because it's so diverse. Everywhere you look, there are people of many different cultures and colors. Within our classrooms alone, we have children of many cultures and backgrounds. I think it's a great idea to involve family members and children in cultural activities. All of the children will have an opportunity to experience a diversity of cultures firsthand. My question is, "what kind of creative ideas and activities did you use to help children understand the diversity of cultures?"
Hi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteIt is exciting to hear how reflection on your own practice inspired you to rethink about the represntation of your own culture. (This is one of the first times I have heard about accreditation being empowering!) So what doe it mean to come to know yourselves from a cultural perspective? Does it change your teaching? Does it change your perspective on the children and families you serve? Does the overall school community change? Futher, does the understanding of an anti-bias curriculum change?
I am thinking about this in terms of my own teaching at the university level - how might knowing myself better improve how I serve my students?
Jeanne
Hi Sarah!
ReplyDeleteYou are so right that Hawaii is a multicultural place. As a teacher I find myself sometime just winging it when it comes to different culture and languages, especially when trying to implement it into our curriculum or classroom activities. I ask myself is this necessary? “Well?” to understand my children (students) it is necessary. Can I do it on my own? “NO!” Instead of trying to jam it into our curriculum this is where the families can get involved.
Now, here’s my question “Do you have any ideas how the parents can get involved with this kind of activities?”