There are cultures prevalent in all areas of life, from race and socioeconomic background to gender and extracurricular activities.  Through my class Cultural Diversity in Education at Chandler-Gilbert Community, I have had the opportunity to dissect a number of cultures that are rampant in this country.  In this class, I discovered a variety of teaching methods that can be used in a culturally diverse setting; ways to incorporate culture in the classroom involve displaying posters and acquiring books that involve cultural diversity.   I personally researched bilingual education and the troubles and benefits that accompany it.   My favorite part of the class, however, included a variety of speakers who addressed issues such as gender in education, bi-racial issues, and the drop-out rate.  The speaker that impacted me the most was Mrs. Camacho, who spoke on her triumphs and challenges as a Mexican immigrant struggling through the education system.  Along with the speakers, I studied a variety of other topics including the white privilege, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, equity pedagogy, and ethnocentrism.  This class has opened my eyes to several irreplaceable aspects of teaching and has changed my views of cultural diversity in the classroom.

Graphic:  http://www.campqualitykc.org/thoughts/kids_holding_hands.gif