Multiculturalism inclusion in education is extremely important. In the 21st century with almost all knowledge at the tips of our fingers, on our phones, on our laptops, chromebooks, or computers, educating our students in factual, discretionary, curriculum has a greater importance now more than ever. Through social media the naive may perceive something gone viral as fact, this could cross into reaffirming stereotypes, and fostering ignorance.
In Harold Best’s article Lemonade or Merlot? Authentic Multiculturalism and High Culture he focuses on the need to teach tradition and foundations in arts education but also, implies that multicultural diversity in other cultures only adds to the depth of education in the arts, when taught with a wholesome and all in inclusive view of diversity. He says, “I want to show them that it is possible to like one thing more than another while loving both.” Though formalist in the foundation of Best’s article, his multicultural desire to inform has the components of the Multicultural and Social Reconstructionist approach to arts education. In Patricia Stuhr’s article, “ The reconstructionist’s approach educates students to become critical thinkers capable of examining their life experiences and the social divisions that keep them and their group from fully enjoying the social and economic rewards of the United States” ( Grant & Sleeter, 1993). Best also defines four principles in reconstructive teaching that brings students to fuller aesthetic, spiritual, and intellectual learning. Defining one’s centeredness, knowing widely and evaluating accordingly, the difference between intrinsic worth and relative value, and differences in kind make room for the allowance of differences in a quality among kinds (aesthetics, and the means by which we categorize our experiences). A response to art may differ but we need to allow for differences within context, media, culture, etc, and aesthetics is a tool in which we can “measure” our response and understanding of our experience. I was reminded of my own whiteness when I read the study, Constructing an Image of a White Teacher by Alice Mcintyre. The foundation of my art education journey began in Milwaukee. I did a practicum in inner city schools and was a resident teaching artist in the urban environment. My children went to an inner city school. My husband was a teacher in an inner city school. That being said, three years removed from that environment, my experience has faded. I’ve become complacent. This article was a reminder and I could relate to the problem I faced as a “white knight” in the inner city. There is potential to turn ourselves into the all caring patriarchal role which separates us from the students. Fighting battle fronts white teachers don’t understand in a black world, initially, and as in this study particularly, student teachers. “They failed to realize that no amount of caring-if it is not linked to some possibility of change, is going to dismantle the foundations of racism that hold our schools intact. The participants paternalism, along with some of the teaching they observed, mutes the critical discussion of racism and teaching.”(674) Often we find ourselves in situations that “no matter how much or how little they had already acknowledged the role race played in their lives and the lives of others, there had still been too little acknowledgement of it and too much silence about it.”(664) In a classroom and actively teaching/observing in that environment, you can learn the most about the subtle variations or glaringly obvious differences in our whiteness and culture vs. the inner city or urban environment. This study was a good introduction to an area of teaching that does often have “too much silence” about it. I feel that multiculturalism and the issue of race are related, but do deserve a closer look together and as well as separate. I
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorI have a passion for the visual arts and love sharing it with others. I have enjoyed teaching all ages and love to incorporate art history and traditional disciplines as well as innovative ideas. Art is vital to who I am as a creator and educator. Archives
May 2020
Categories |