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The commencement of the school year provides an excellent opportunity for educators to assess their classroom and school's multicultural efficacy.
Educational environments that reflect the rich diversity of the community, nation and world assist in opening students' minds and actively engaging them in their learning. Research has shown that prejudice is countered when educational environments foster critical thinking, empathy development and positive self esteem in students. The downloadable checklists linked from this page include some criteria for creating positive, anti-bias environments where respect for diversity is taught, modeled, and experienced firsthand.
Diverse Images and Experiences
Classroom/program environments for young children include both images, such as artwork, books, music, toys, learning centers, and displays; and experiences, such as songs, plays, curricular lessons, poems, literature, and games.
Classroom environments for older students include images, such as artwork, textbooks, displays, school promotional materials, such as newsletters, Web site, etc. and experiences, such as selected class syllabi, diverse teaching styles, opportunities to interact with adults and other students, and participation in extracurricular activities.
All students benefit from opportunities to learn about the perspectives and experiences of diverse groups. Diversity among students and staff greatly enhances any learning environment. In schools where diverse perspectives are missing, educators can supplement the curriculum with outside speakers or other presentations. Members of students' families are often willing to speak with students and can be a wonderful source of cultural information to expand students' understanding of diversity.
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