The articles, Inviting All Students to Learn and Equity Literacy for All, both examined multicultural awareness and how it influences/effects schools and students. Equity Literacy for All stated that schools often attempt at multiculturalism but often do not know how the students feel or how it influences the students. In order to develop equity literacy for educators and students is to cultivate four key abilities including recognize bias/discrimination/inequity, respond to them, redress them, and cultivate/sustain bias-free/discrimination-free communities. Inviting All Students to Learn also examines cultural influence/effects in education. This article states four suggestions (1) recognize and appreciate cultural variance, (2) Learn about and look for culturally influenced learning patterns, (3) look beyond cultural patterns to see individuals, and (4) plan inviting curriculum and instruction.
Throughout both of the articles the idea that "in order to achieve a multicultural community, everybody must understand that it is a responsibility for everybody within the society."
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This week was our first week in Costa Rica, so I feel as though the articles discussing multiculturalism was appropriate. United States schools constantly attempt to multiculturalism. In one article it states that this is attempted through images of different cultures throughout the hall or celebrating different cultures for a week or month. So far in our experience at the private school, I have not seen many attempts at multiculturalism. This may simply be because of the time of year or because it is a private Christian school.
After being here for about a week, I have learned a lot about the similarities and differences between United States schools and Costa Rican schools. One major thing that has stood out to me is the fact that both elementary and high schools (there are no middle schools) get three recess breaks throughout the day. When I told the high school students that in United States schools they do not get a break and elementary school may get one, they were shocked (mouths dropped and eyes opened wide). This does not relate back to the text, however, it resonated with me on a high level. I think that students been a break, and can tell that these students seem much more focused and relaxed. Another thing that surprised me was that during recess, the students are responsible for themselves, and they come back as soon as the bell rings. This is not the case in United States schools; I think that since they have grown up with this freedom and responsibility, they know what to do. These students are not coddled like they are in the United States. These two major differences between United States schools and Costa Rican schools made me think about how our school are structured.