RUNNING HEAD: Literature Review

Literature Review
Cultural Diversity, Multiculturalism and Inclusion in our Schools
Cristina Ulloa

In partial fulfillment for the requirements for TED 602

National University
Professor Joe Ohlinger
April 19, 2014

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The increase of multiculturalism in the United States is nothing more than the
consequence of the great diversity we now find in the classroom. Diversity is a very difficult task
to deal with, not only for the English language learning student, but for the teachers as well. As
educators we must be capable to adapt and to be open to learning and teaching about different
cultures. We must take in consideration the difficulties our immigrant students have to
experience during their transition into a new culture. We must understand that its not easy for
our students or for their families to adapt into a totally different culture and language. Its a
difficult process that we, as educators must feel the responsibility of helping make the process a
lot less traumatic for our students and their families.
Nationally, we are clearly in the throes of figuring out how we will respond to the needs
of a population far more diverse than that of any other time in our history. As a nation (and I
believe as a planet), we must figure out how to live interdependently, understanding that. If we
cant, we may not survive (Kendall, 1996 p.1)
Diversity in our American schools is increasing significantly, and as the waves of
migration continue to shape our country we must continue to create solutions to help our
newcomers in the classroom. Our public school system must be extremely careful at considering
all of the strategies being used in order to help our students that come from a variety of cultures
in order to best serve them. The transitions that our immigrant children have to go through are
particularly difficult, having to adjust to new customs, new language, new culture, and even new
friends in order to adapt in their new country. Chapter six in our textbook gives really good
examples of many of the difficulties Mexican children had to go through in the early 1900s in

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order to receive an education in the United States, segregation and denial was something
immigrant children had to deal with on a daily basis. Those Mexican children who did attend
school faced segregation and an education designed to rid them of their native language and
customs (Spring, 2014, p.135). I believe weve come a long way as a nation that likes to
educate with equality.
Sharing a little of my own personal experience as an immigrant student in the United
States, I left my country Mexico at the age of seventeen to immigrate to the United States. I must
share that the educational system in this country was very kind to me. I was very fortunate to
have been offered a wonderful English Language Learning program that helped me overcome
many of the obstacles presented to me as a newcomer in this country. I missed my country very
much, but the wonderful teachers I had and the school program I was in made me believe in
myself and allowed me to succeed in my educational goals. I felt very fortunate that this
powerful country has managed to change its educational system in order to adapt and help all
these new cultures that have now become an essential part of this country.
...American multicultural education must consider the transition of immigrant children
from collectivist societies to the individualist origination of U.S. society" (Spring, 2014, p.161).
As educators, finding the motivation to become more knowledgeable on cultural
diversity, it makes it a lot easier for us to create a more welcoming learning environment for our
immigrant students. This is accomplished by building bridges of meaningfulness between home
and school experiences as well as between academic abstractions and lived sociocultural
realities (Gay 2010, 2nd ed., p.33). This would not have benefit only our immigrant students, but
the rest of our students as well, because it enables students to become better human beings by
comprehending and respecting other cultures.

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The struggles of learning a new language and accepting a totally different culture are two
of the toughest things our immigrant students have to overcome. As educators we must try to
incorporate different techniques and accommodation for our English learners. I succeeded thanks
to my family and teachers that believed in me and told me that I could succeed. Motivation
works wonders for our children, a simple phrase like I believe you can! takes our students a
step higher in their education because you get them to believe in themselves and that is all you
really need to get students on the right track. Attitudes play a critical role in learning English.
Like Spring (2014) shares with us, A fundamental aspect of multicultural education is that
different students have different ways of knowing and seeing the world (p.157).
Inclusion in our educational system has also come along way for our special needs
population. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 declared that no child with disabilities be
excluded from the state testing systems. This is very important because it is a way of testing the
schools capability of helping our special needs students. This is also an excellent way of getting
educators motivated into becoming more involved with students with disabilities. Like Spring
(2014) states, Educators realize that these students also count, just like all other students; they
need to make sure that these students learn to high levels, just like other students (p.123).
As educators, its important to take into consideration that these students need more
attention, special accommodations and a lot more care. For example, keeping an emergency
card(s) of the student(s) on our desk in case of an emergency is always important, if you have a
student in a wheelchair and needs to use the elevator, try to keep an elevator key in your
classroom if possible. There are many things we can do to help our special needs students
succeed in school, making them feel cared for is one of them! Having a classroom where

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differences among our students are felt welcomed is important into making it a successful
classroom.

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References:
Frances E. Kendall, (1996) Diversity in the Classroom: New Approaches to the Education of
Young Children; (2nd ed), Teacher College, Columbia University, teachers College Press, New
York, NY.
Gay, Geneva (2010), Culturally Responsive Teaching: Theory, Research, and Practice, (2nd Ed),
Teachers College, Columbia University.
Spring, Joel (2014) American Education. (16th Edition) McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Queens College:
City University of New York