Module One Overview

The Journey Begins

Is there a compelling reason to support diversity in the United States? Do we, as educators, need to be culturally competent? How does our level of cultural competence, or views about towards diversity, impact student success in our classrooms? We begin this transformative journey by asking ourselves whether we believe that diversity is worth supporting.

Our answers to these questions can inform and impact how we interact with students and their families. We also support cultural competence in ourselves and our students when we reflect on and put into practice our answers about diversity in the classroom.

At the completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Identify effective practices in multicultural education.
• Reflect on the ways personal life experiences shape expectations about teaching and learning in a diverse society.
• Develop an informed perspective on the social and political influences on our education system.
• Apply critical thinking skills to a variety of cultural competency concepts.