Reflection Paper 3

Growing up in a Hispanic/American atmosphere I’ve experienced a very cultural lifestyle at home and at school. Almost every instructor I had was of some Hispanic descent and so that definitely contributed to my learning experiences as well. My multicultural education consisted of a contribution approach and an additive approach. Both my elementary and secondary teachers taught using these approaches.

According to Sadker and Zimmerman (2010) a contribution approach is when teachers use ethnic public figures like Martin Luther King Jr. or Rosa Parks and make lesson plans according to their contributions. Teachers contribute certain holidays as well, like Cinco de Mayo for instance. In elementary school I do recall celebrating and being taught these certain curriculums. Every year I would watch a film about Martin Luther King Jr. or would write an essay about him. Also, we would celebrate Jose Marti and each year there would a parade in honor of him. In Spanish class a lesson would be to recite one of his poems. Therefore, in my elementary and secondary schools I did have lessons in which contribution approach was used as part of the curriculum.

Sadker and Zittleman (2010) mentioned that multiculturalism has different meaning to a lot of instructors. Not only did I learn in a contribution approach but as well as in a additive approach. An additive approach is somewhat similar to a contribution approach, however it does not specifically concentrate on a holiday or person per se, it’s broader, more monthly. For instance, Hispanic Heritage Month and Black History Month are considered an additive approach because instructors concentrate on lessons that have to do with these certain months. Hispanic Heritage Month was always a big deal in my elementary and secondary education because of where I went to school. Almost the entire school was of Hispanic descent, including the teachers so of course this month was something to really celebrate. The lesson plans usually consisted in writing about a famous Hispanic person who’s made an impact or a celebrity. They were events at the school itself like a Hispanic Heritage show which people would perform; they’d sing, dance, recite famous poetry, etc. Black History Month was another important month when teachers took times to specifically make lessons about all the important African Americans who contributed a lot to the country. As can be seen, my teachers in elementary and secondary schools really instilled additive approach.

If I could go back to elementary and secondary school I would not want my teachers to change the approaches they used, however, I would like for them to add transformation approach as well. Transformation approach is one of the best approaches because it gives you the prospective of other ethnic backgrounds. I feel like I’ve been contained in mainly one ethnic background in almost all my life. I do feel fortunate to have been able to be raised in a Hispanic atmosphere; however, it’s mainly the only thing I know. I would have also liked to understand different ethnicities like Native Americans for instance and understand their way of life.

Multicultural education is a wonderful thing because it teaches students about other ethnicities, race, cultural, and religious groups.