Friday, December 27, 2019
How to Find the Molecular Mass of a Compound
The molecular mass or molecular weight is the total mass of a compound. It is equal to the sum of the individual atomic masses of each atom in the molecule. Its easy to find the molecular mass of a compound with these steps: Determine the molecular formula of the molecule.Use the periodic table to determine the atomic mass of each element in the molecule.Multiply each elements atomic mass by the number of atoms of that element in the molecule. This number is represented by the subscript next to the element symbol in the molecular formula.Add these values together for each different atom in the molecule. The total will be the molecular mass of the compound. Example of Simple Molecular Mass Calculation For example, to find the molecular mass of NH3, the first step is to look up the atomic masses of nitrogen (N) and hydrogen (H). H 1.00794N 14.0067 Next, multiply the atomic mass of each atom by the number of atoms in the compound. There is one nitrogen atom (no subscript is given for one atom). There are three hydrogen atoms, as indicated by the subscript. molecular mass (1 x 14.0067) (3 x 1.00794)molecular mass 14.0067 3.02382molecular mass 17.0305 Note the calculator will give an answer of 17.03052, but the reported answer contains fewer significant figures because there are six significant digits in the atomic mass values used in the calculation. Example of Complex Molecular Mass Calculation Heres a more complicated example: Find the molecular mass (molecular weight) of Ca3(PO4)2. From the periodic table, the atomic masses of each element are: Ca 40.078P 30.973761O 15.9994 The tricky part is figuring out how many of each atom are present in the compound. There are three calcium atoms, two phosphorus atoms, and eight oxygen atoms. How did you get that? If part of the compound is in parentheses, multiply the subscript immediately following the element symbol by the subscript that closes the parentheses. molecular mass (40.078 x 3) (30.97361 x 2) (15.9994 x 8)molecular mass 120.234 61.94722 127.9952molecular mass 310.17642 (from the calculator)molecular mass 310.18 The final answer uses the correct number of significant figures. In this case, its five digits (from the atomic mass for calcium). Tips for Success Remember, if no subscript is given after an element symbol, it means there is one atom.A subscript applies to the atom symbol it follows. Multiply the subscript by the atoms atomic weight.Report your answer using the correct number of significant figures. This will be the smallest number of significant figures in the atomic mass values. Watch rules for rounding and truncating, which depend on the situation.
Thursday, December 19, 2019
Mainstream Game Development is Predominately Designed by...
First of all, despite the gaming audience being half women, most AAA games are made focussed entirely on male in mind. Ken Levine himself said that ââ¬Å"Bioshock Infiniteâ⬠was marketed to appeal to frat boys. And Naughty Dog has revealed they didnââ¬â¢t want to see what women thought of ââ¬Å"The Last of Usâ⬠and that they were trying to appeal exclusively to males. While the director of ââ¬Å"Remember meâ⬠has said the female protagonist has been killed off by publishers because men allegedly donââ¬â¢t want to play as a ââ¬Å"girly girlâ⬠. Mainstream game development is predominately designed by men, for men. In the same way female characters are being designed to appeal to men, so too are male characters, but not in the objectifying sense. Objectification is theâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦Some would say there are plenty of strong and powerful playable female characters such as Lara Croft from ââ¬Å"Tomb Raiderâ⬠. But even the best playable f emale characters are going to be inoffensively beautiful in some way shape or form. Lara Croft was a powerful and intelligent woman, but she was overly sexualised in the older games. In the latest ââ¬Å"Tomb Raiderâ⬠game she is attractive, realistically proportioned, properly clothed and is more human-like which makes her an acceptable sexualisation because sheââ¬â¢s not objectified. Sexism in the Gaming Industry For 20 years the industrys attitude was women donââ¬â¢t play video games, although they are slowly changing their attitude because 48% of gamers are in fact female, there is still major sexism in the industry that remains. An indie female game developer ââ¬â Zoe Quinn, was trying to release her game ââ¬Å"Depression Questâ⬠, an interactive fiction game where you play as someone living with depression, on to Stream Greenlight. Evidently her gender, or her desire to design game, or some combination of the two caused her to receive men dialling her number to spout rape threats, sexist comments and telling her to kill herself. The abuse got so bad that Zoe had to change her phone number. She eventually took the game down because she couldnââ¬â¢t handle the abuse anymore. She then in the long run decided to try Greenlight again, she stated that, ââ¬Å"I thought since the game got into [International independent gameShow MoreRelatedDiversity at The National Basketball Asso ciation Essay2716 Words à |à 11 Pagescommunity outreach programs is its NBA Cares program. A program designed to spread the diversity throughout the world with the sport of basketball. ââ¬Å"The NBAs community outreach programs continue to address social issues, including education, environmental protection, health and wellness, and youth and family development. 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Tuesday, December 10, 2019
The Un and Their Involvement in the Rwandan Genocide free essay sample
The UN and their Role in the Genocide of Rwanda Introduction: In this paper I will give a brief history of the Genocide in Rwanda, and then I will focus on one key question: What responsibilities did UNAMIR have to help, and did they successfully accomplish those responsiblities? History of Rwanda: After the start of the First World War the Belgians moved eastward and took over Ruanda-Urundi (The colonies that were previously occupied by the Germans). In 1924, the League of Nations officially awarded that land to the Belgians. The Belgians saw the differences and problems between the Hutus (the lower class farmers) and the Tutsis (mostly upper class herdsmen), and they decided to give control of the country over to the Tutsis. From then on the Tutsis began to abuse their power and they were dominant and abusive to the Hutus. In 1933 all citizens were required to have racial identity cards, which separated the two races even more. We will write a custom essay sample on The Un and Their Involvement in the Rwandan Genocide or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page July 1962, Ruanda-Urundi gained their independence. The Urundi and Rwanda governments split and each formed separate countries. Urundi became a monarchy and changed its name to Burundi. Rwanda continued to have ethnic struggles and there was much violence. The first president elected was of the Hutu race. His name was Gregoire Kayibanda; after the election the Tutsis were made out to be the bad guys, and they were blamed for everything. Things continued to get worse for the Tutsis, and in December 1963, after a few Tutsi militias entered into Rwanda, 14ââ¬â¢000 Tutsis were brutally murdered. In 1973, Kayibanda was removed from the Government and Juvenal Habyarimana was put in as the new president. Habyarimana was very much anti-Tutsi and in 1986 he closed the Rwandan boarders to all Tutsis and even moderate Hutus. As opposition to the Habyarimana regime many Tutsi officers from the Ugandan army, grouped up with Rwandan Tutsis and they formed the RPF (Rwandan Patriotic Front). On October 1, 1990, the officers deserted their army with all weapons and equipment in hand and moved into Southern Rwanda. This act begun what would be 4 years of the worst genocide in history. After the invasion of Southern Rwanda, the RPF moved North-East. Habyarimana defeated them with the aid of French paratroopers, provided by President Mitterrand. In December of 1990, an extremist newspaper prints ââ¬Å"The Hutu Ten Commandmentsâ⬠which show the extreme hatred that the Hutu people had for the Tutsis. From that time on, the slaughtering of Tutsis continued, but there was pressure from many different countries for Habyarimana to make peace with the RPF and the Tutsi people. In 1993, there was a meeting held in Arusha, Tanzania with the hope of bringing peace to all; this was when the ââ¬Å"Arusha Accordâ⬠was established. The ââ¬Å"Arusha Accordâ⬠officially states that the war is over and that the remaining Tutsi refugees may return to Rwanda. The UN is called in to make sure that everything is carried out smoothly and they appoint a chapter 6 peace keeping force, UNIMAR, to see that out. On the 6th of April, 1994, the airplane carrying President Habyarimana and the President of Burundi, Cyprien Ntaryamira, was shot down. Both Presidents were killed. This marked the end of negotiations for peace and, to put it lightly, all hell broke loose in Rwanda. Between April 6th and the beginning of July, 1994 a genocide occurred that is easily one of the biggest disasters in the history of the civilized world. UNAMIR: The United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) was deployed during the time that peace talks were taking place. It was a Chapter 6 UN mission and was sent to keep the peace between the two rivaling groups, oversee government activities, and ensure safety until elections took place. The United Nations Observer Mission Uganda-Rwanda (UNOMUR) also played a role in the mission for Rwanda and they were treated as a Sector within UNAMIR. UNOMUR was stationed in Kabale, which was on the Ugandan side of the Uganda/Rwanda border opposite the area under RPF control; they were to monitor the flow of men, arms, and supplies from Uganda to the RPF in Rwanda. Their force consisted of MILOBs. A Chapter 6 mission mandate states: ââ¬Å"First of all, seek a resolution by negotiation, enquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlement, resort to regional agencies or arrangements, or other peaceful means of their choiceâ⬠. That was another major problem, because when the killing was going on the troops were not allowed to defend themselves because they were only there to enforce peace by negotiation and not by way of force, as stated by the mandate. The ROE also stated that the military personnel were to, ââ¬Å"Only fire when fired upon. â⬠UNAMIR was an ill-equipped, undermanned, and severely limited mission. The troops in Rwanda totaled 2ââ¬â¢584 people; they had virtually no means of transportation, very limited supplies, and very few weapons. Most of the equipment that they had was out-dated and virtually unusable. The mission had to put in requests for everything ranging from toilet paper to ammunition; much of which was never provided. This was a large part of what made UNAMIR a complete failure. There was a complete lack of attention to the mission in Rwanda and no country wanted to provide resources to help. The reason that they could get no reinforcements or supplies was because of the unwillingness of Western countries to contribute anything. The exception to that is Belgium, who contributed most of the troops that were deployed into Rwanda. The different countries around the world saw the mission in Rwanda as a sideshow to the other things that were going on, for example, in the former Yugoslavia, in Somalia, etc. This unwillingness and unconcern was what allowed the Genocide to occur and what facilitated the deaths of 800,000 people in Rwanda. There are many reasons why UNAMIR failed, most of which I have attempted to explain, but it is impossible to point the finger at just one group. There were many different factors that contributed to the Genocide. UNAMIR itself tried as hard as it could under the limited supplies and the mandate that they had. Lieutenant General Romeo Dallaire did what he could with what he had, and he with the small contingent that he had saved the lives of many, but had he been given the things that he needed many thousands more could have been saved. This was not an organization, or a mission that failed; it was the failure of humanity. The Un and Their Involvement in the Rwandan Genocide free essay sample In this paper I will give a brief history of the Genocide in Rwanda, and then I will focus on one key question: What responsibilities did UNAMIR have to help, and did they successfully accomplish those responsiblities? History of Rwanda: After the start of the First World War the Belgians moved eastward and took over Ruanda-Urundi (The colonies that were previously occupied by the Germans). In 1924, the League of Nations officially awarded that land to the Belgians. The Belgians saw the differences and problems between the Hutus (the lower class farmers) and the Tutsis (mostly upper class herdsmen), and they decided to give control of the country over to the Tutsis. From then on the Tutsis began to abuse their power and they were dominant and abusive to the Hutus. In 1933 all citizens were required to have racial identity cards, which separated the two races even more. July 1962, Ruanda-Urundi gained their independence. We will write a custom essay sample on The Un and Their Involvement in the Rwandan Genocide or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The Urundi and Rwanda governments split and each formed separate countries. Urundi became a monarchy and changed its name to Burundi. Rwanda continued to have ethnic struggles and there was much violence. The first president elected was of the Hutu race. His name was Gregoire Kayibanda; after the election the Tutsis were made out to be the bad guys, and they were blamed for everything. Things continued to get worse for the Tutsis, and in December 1963, after a few Tutsi militias entered into Rwanda, 14ââ¬â¢000 Tutsis were brutally murdered. In 1973, Kayibanda was removed from the Government and Juvenal Habyarimana was put in as the new president. Habyarimana was very much anti-Tutsi and in 1986 he closed the Rwandan boarders to all Tutsis and even moderate Hutus. As opposition to the Habyarimana regime many Tutsi officers from the Ugandan army, grouped up with Rwandan Tutsis and they formed the RPF (Rwandan Patriotic Front). On October 1, 1990, the officers deserted their army with all weapons and equipment in hand and moved into Southern Rwanda. This act begun what would be 4 years of the worst genocide in history. After the invasion of Southern Rwanda, the RPF moved North-East. Habyarimana defeated them with the aid of French paratroopers, provided by President Mitterrand. In December of 1990, an extremist newspaper prints ââ¬Å"The Hutu Ten Commandmentsâ⬠which show the extreme hatred that the Hutu people had for the Tutsis. From that time on, the slaughtering of Tutsis continued, but there was pressure from many different countries for Habyarimana to make peace with the RPF and the Tutsi people. In 1993, there was a meeting held in Arusha, Tanzania with the hope of bringing peace to all; this was when the ââ¬Å"Arusha Accordâ⬠was established. The ââ¬Å"Arusha Accordâ⬠officially states that the war is over and that the remaining Tutsi refugees may return to Rwanda. The UN is called in to make sure that everything is carried out smoothly and they appoint a chapter 6 peace keeping force, UNIMAR, to see that out. On the 6th of April, 1994, the airplane carrying President Habyarimana and the President of Burundi, Cyprien Ntaryamira, was shot down. Both Presidents were killed. This marked the end of negotiations for peace and, to put it lightly, all hell broke loose in Rwanda. Between April 6th and the beginning of July, 1994 a genocide occurred that is easily one of the biggest disasters in the history of the civilized world. UNAMIR: The United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) was deployed during the time that peace talks were taking place. It was a Chapter 6 UN mission and was sent to keep the peace between the two rivaling groups, oversee government activities, and ensure safety until elections took place. The United Nations Observer Mission Uganda-Rwanda (UNOMUR) also played a role in the mission for Rwanda and they were treated as a Sector within UNAMIR. UNOMUR was stationed in Kabale, which was on the Ugandan side of the Uganda/Rwanda border opposite the area under RPF control; they were to monitor the flow of men, arms, and supplies from Uganda to the RPF in Rwanda. Their force consisted of MILOBs. A Chapter 6 mission mandate states: ââ¬Å"First of all, seek a resolution by negotiation, enquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlement, resort to regional agencies or arrangements, or other peaceful means of their choiceâ⬠. That was another major problem, because when the killing was going on the troops were not allowed to defend themselves because they were only there to enforce peace by negotiation and not by way of force, as stated by the mandate. The ROE also stated that the military personnel were to, ââ¬Å"Only fire when fired upon. â⬠UNAMIR was an ill-equipped, undermanned, and severely limited mission. The troops in Rwanda totaled 2ââ¬â¢584 people; they had virtually no means of transportation, very limited supplies, and very few weapons. Most of the equipment that they had was out-dated and virtually unusable. The mission had to put in requests for everything ranging from toilet paper to ammunition; much of which was never provided. This was a large part of what made UNAMIR a complete failure. There was a complete lack of attention to the mission in Rwanda and no country wanted to provide resources to help. The reason that they could get no reinforcements or supplies was because of the unwillingness of Western countries to contribute anything. The exception to that is Belgium, who contributed most of the troops that were deployed into Rwanda. The different countries around the world saw the mission in Rwanda as a sideshow to the other things that were going on, for example, in the former Yugoslavia, in Somalia, etc. This unwillingness and unconcern was what allowed the Genocide to occur and what facilitated the deaths of 800,000 people in Rwanda. There are many reasons why UNAMIR failed, most of which I have attempted to explain, but it is impossible to point the finger at just one group. There were many different factors that contributed to the Genocide. UNAMIR itself tried as hard as it could under the limited supplies and the mandate that they had. Lieutenant General Romeo Dallaire did what he could with what he had, and he with the small contingent that he had saved the lives of many, but had he been given the things that he needed many thousands more could have been saved. This was not an organization, or a mission that failed; it was the failure of humanity.
Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Multicultural Pedagogy in Higher Education free essay sample
Running Head: MULTICULTURAL PEDAGOGY Multicultural Pedagogy in Higher Education Multicultural Pedagogy in Higher Education There is a difference between teaching a course in which multiculturalism is the focus and incorporating an underlying multicultural, inclusive perspective into the classroom environment. Given that ââ¬Å"there is no universal construction of a multiculturalism course that is perfect for achieving all goals for all studentsâ⬠(Henry, 2003, p. 6), finding a way to build a multicultural foundation for courses across the disciplines may be a better aim for faculty in higher education institutions. Multiculturalism is a concept that cannot be ignored in todayââ¬â¢s society. It is real, it is related to the globalization of higher education, and it is going to do nothing but grow in abundance in the future of higher education settings in the United States. Therefore, ââ¬Å"it is critical that colleges and universities play a leading role in preparing its con stituents to function effectively in a more pluralistic societyâ⬠(Benns-Suter, 1993, p. We will write a custom essay sample on Multicultural Pedagogy in Higher Education or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page ). In university and college efforts to prepare students for success in a multicultural world, instructors need to recognize that they can play a lead role by exposing students to multicultural awareness in their classrooms. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the importance of multiculturalism in the classroom and then, based on past research and literature, provide a guide on how to put these ideas into practice. It is meant to serve as a starting point for teachers who seek guidance in multicultural pedagogy. The specific areas covered in this paper include faculty responsibilities, environmental factors, and classroom techniques that will lead to a more multicultural experience for college students. Faculty Responsibilities Teachers hold a central responsibility for creating an environment that nurtures multiculturalism and embraces diversity. Before examining a possible means toward the development of multicultural pedagogy, this paper will describe the challenges that faculty must take on to prepare for this approach to teaching. By reflecting on their own identities and attitudes, taking the initiative to learn about their students and their studentsââ¬â¢ cultures, and using their knowledge to act as multiculturally-competent models, instructors can make a positive impact on students in the area of multiculturalism. Through self-analysis, self-critique, and self-awareness, one can reach a position of knowing his or her own identity and then begin to examine how it relates to that of othersââ¬â¢ cultures. More specifically, educators should critically reflect on their understanding of multicultural education and their position among the diversity of the student community (McIntyre, 1997). Depending on the cultural background of the educator, there may be more or less work to do in regard to this self-critique. Individuals who are of majority status and may lack knowledge about their own racial and cultural identity are especially encouraged to engage in self-reflection. For example, McIntyre suggests the following: By white educatorsââ¬â¢ questioning and confronting their white identities and challenging the meaning of being ââ¬Å"whiteâ⬠teachers, they can more effectively pursue teaching practices that significantly alter the way white students are educated about themselves and about multicultural education. (p. 653) In her study, McIntyre asked student teachers to examine internalized stereotypes that they held about students of color and found that the stereotypes that arose led to great concerns by these teachers. Among these were worries about whether they could effectively teach students of color, how they were perceived by students of color, and also regarding unequal expectations of performance from students of color. These are all strikingly harsh concerns but signify the starting point from which many teachers must begin in their self-critiquing process. By finding that some instructors viewed ââ¬Å"inner city students of color as passive recipients of white teachersââ¬â¢ good willâ⬠(p. 664) or that they ââ¬Å"didnââ¬â¢t expect them to do much because of where they came fromâ⬠(p. 65), McIntyre was able to conclude that educational racism and institutional silence need to be addressed, and that teachers must become accountable for this type of pedagogy. Although this study was conducted among student teachers in primary and secondary education, these concerns can be applied across the board and into higher education as well. Therefore, the first step in incorporating m ulticulturalism into the classroom is recognizing the need for instructor-coaching to remedy the lack of knowledge surrounding multiculturalism and diversity. The next responsibility that educators eed to possess is becoming educated about their students. In a study conducted by Allen (2000), one participant stated that ââ¬Å"it is important for teachers to be educated about their students and their backgrounds and to promote appreciation and respect for different cultures, races, and religionsâ⬠(p. 9). Not only is this important in creating a comfortable environment for students, but it is necessary to have a grasp on where the students are coming from and what kinds of cross-cultural conflict could arise in the classroom. For instance, faculty members should be familiar with the campus and community climate. Also, to be able to create a multicultural base in oneââ¬â¢s pedagogy, the instructor must be able to understand the dynamic between studentsââ¬â¢ different cultural groups while in the classroom (Pang, 1994). By doing this, the teacher can better set up an environment where students can be respected through acknowledgement of their background, and they will also be more apt to learn from each other. Also relative to multicultural pedagogy are the actions that instructors take to display their awareness and competency in multiculturalism. If the goal is to support confident, inclusive, ethical students, then educators must exert similar qualities. In fact, Pang (1994) goes so far as to say that ââ¬Å"modeling is the most powerful strategy in teachingâ⬠(p. 89). Conveying a similar message, one of Allenââ¬â¢s (2000) participants states that instructors must not impose their own values on students, but must be models for how to live ethically in todayââ¬â¢s society. One of the ways to model multicultural competency is by using inclusive language. An example of this is not separating cultures by saying ââ¬Å"usâ⬠and ââ¬Å"themâ⬠when discussing different ethnicities or different cultural groups (Nagy, 2000). Multiculturally-oriented faculty should display inclusive and openness to helping all students. ââ¬Å"College students who perceive their professors to be highly supportive of questioning are more likely to be motivated internally and to use strategies typical of self-directed learnersâ⬠(Locke Kiselica, 1999, p. 82). Encouraging and supporting questions in the classroom are essential qualities for faculty members to have if they are striving to create a safe environment in which students can learn. Also note that feedback addressing student progress is crucial for self-esteem (Locke Kiselica). Feedback can be critical in aiding studentsââ¬â¢ multicultural development. As instructors become more self-aware and knowledgeable of their responsibilities in creating a multicultural atmosphere in the classroom, they will naturally integrate these skills into the creation of the classroom environment. Environmental Factors To build on what was addressed in the previous section, the classroom environment can be a very encouraging place for multicultural learning if the climate is established in a way that is effective for all students. Or, it can be a discouraging environment for students if they do not feel represented through course material, presentations, and class discussions. Consider the following quote by Adrienne Rich (an influential American poet): When those who have the power to name and to socially construct reality choose not to see you or to hear you, whether you are dark-skinned, old, disabled, female or speak with a different accent of dialect than theirs, when someone with the authority of a teacher, say, describes the world and you are not in it, there is a moment of psychic disequilibrium, as if you looked in a mirror and saw nothing. Maher Tetreault, 2001, p. 201) Relative to this powerful quote, Nagy (2000) states that ââ¬Å"in classrooms we, as higher education teachers, create a certain culture which may form our studentsââ¬â¢ concept of realityâ⬠(p. 3). Taking this into consideration, educators must create an environment where important issues in human relations can be discussed openly and honestly (Benns-Suter, 1993). Making mistakes should not be feared in the classroom, because ââ¬Å"wrong answersâ⬠are legitimate (Locke Kiselica, 1999) and ââ¬Å"mistakes are the fertilizer of successâ⬠(Pang, 1994, p. 0). As the common cliche states, people are more likely to learn from their mistakes than from their successes. Another factor that plays a role in creating a multicultural environment is the concept of community. In the classroom, students should know and feel comfortable with each other and their teacher. Also, it is very important for instructors to not assume that minority students are experts on multiculturalism (Locke Kiselica, 1999); minorities should not be given the role of representing their entire race (Nagy, 2000). Students should have the opportunity of learning in an environment where they see their own and other cultures present in the classroom. Aleman and Saltever (2004) address the implications of promoting diversity to campus populations, while not forgetting the goal of diversity-based pedagogy. They discuss the common perspective of faculty that ââ¬Å"it is necessary to have students of color in the classroom, because these students are able to present the unique perspectives of experiential differenceâ⬠(p. 1). The downfall of this, however, is that ââ¬Å"Because the diversity initiatives are understood in this way, the pedagogical value of multiculturalism is ignored, and faculty express great skepticism about the effectiveness and worth of these initiativesâ⬠(p. 53). When it comes to contributing to the creation of a multicultural classroom environment, both diversity of students (and faculty) and diversity of curriculum should be held at great value. Also, there should be an interesting, lively classroom climate (Pang, 1994), which leads to the next multicultural education matter: some techniques that instructors can use to integrate multiculturalism into the classroom. Classroom Techniques ââ¬Å"Creative teaching strategies can help the process become less threatening and more productive than traditional lecture approachesâ⬠(Locke Kiselica, 1999, p. 85). Making use of varying multicultural teaching techniques is beneficial for students of all learning styles. The following section will cover many options for integrating multicultural pedagogy into the classroom. They include: reflection and writing, reading, interactive, and the IQ test. Reflection is a key method to prompt growth and learning among students. Studies on multicultural education recognize the importance of reflection through journal-writing about lessons and their work (Rasmussen, Nichols, Ferguson, 2006), self-critique and self-analysis (McIntyre, 1997), soul-searching for racist aspects of oneââ¬â¢s personality, exploring their beliefs about other people (Locke Kiselica, 1999), exploration of their own background (Nagy, 2000), and summary reports about the way they think and feel about themselves after an activity (Allen, 2000). Henry (2003) suggests engaging the class in writing reflections after an activity or discussion, and displaying all of the anonymous responses on the overhead to provoke more thought about how studentsââ¬â¢ perceptions may be very different depending on each of their individual backgrounds. The hope is that through some of these times of reflection, students will experience dissonance between their own attitudes and beliefs and those of others surrounding them. They are given the opportunity to add to their own concept of diversity and multiculturalism by making connections with individuals who are different from themselves (Allen). Specific reflective activities that can facilitated in the classroom include the ââ¬Å"one-minute paperâ⬠(Locke Kiselica, 1999), free-writing in response to literature or a quote (Nagy, 2000), the ââ¬Å"Thoughts Tapeâ⬠(Henry, 2003), or sheer questioning about studentsââ¬â¢ personal worldviews (Pang, 1994). The one-minute paper is assigned for one minute at the end of a class period and is meant to give students a chance to write about their concerns based on that dayââ¬â¢s class. Free-writing can be used to prompt students to react to a quote (e. g. ââ¬âthe Rich quote on p. -6), or to ask direct questions like ââ¬Å"what do you know about your own culture? â⬠followed by, ââ¬Å"why do you think you need information about black culture? â⬠(Pang, p. 89). The ââ¬Å"Thoughts Tapeâ⬠exercise is a method to help students get a clearer sense of their own ideas and to self-monitor their growth (Henry). In the beginning of the term students tape the mselves talking about their beliefs on multicultural issues, diversity, and racism and turn the recordings in to the instructor. They are ensured that no one, including the instructor, will listen to the tapes. In preparation for the final class period, the tapes are given back to the students and after listening to their original thoughts, they create a ten-minute presentation on the changes they have experienced or the new questions that have arisen for them since the beginning of the term. Henry claims this to ââ¬Å"be one of the most powerful learning activities we have explored in classâ⬠(p. 26). These are all activities that can be altered in one way or another to become relevant to any course offeredââ¬âeven if it is not a course directly focused on multicultural issues. Another area of coursework to consider while attempting to create a multicultural environment in the classroom is reading. Approaching case studies from diverse viewpoints (Rasmussen et al. , 2006) is one method; selecting texts by ââ¬Å"minorityâ⬠authors can be used to explain and elucidate historical injustices (Hogan, 2006). Incorporating ethnic content and literature is a great way to uphold diverse voices in the classroom (Pang, 1994), and it can have a positive impact on students of all different ethnic backgrounds, high school and college students alike. For example, one instructor stated that ââ¬Å"a young African-American 11th grade student recently told me how much she appreciated reading about African-American people in schoolâ⬠(Nagy, 2000). Updating curriculum by incorporating race, gender, and multicultural perspectives can be beneficial in defining the classroom as a multicultural learning environment (Benns-Suter, 1993). However, it is clear in the research that students need to be exposed to more avenues of multiculturalism than just through reading and alterations of textbook curriculum. Hogan states that ââ¬Å"ethical content does not effectively acknowledge or address the ways in which racism is a viscerally real as well as discursively constructed systemâ⬠¦ and thus it has not led to widespread social or curricular changeâ⬠(p. 356). Beyond the content of the classroom exists the importance of contact in the classroom. The next section will outline suggestions of how to use multicultural pedagogy via interactive methods. The first point to make regarding classroom interaction is that students must be able to grasp the relevance of the material, the lessons, and the activities to their own lives. As Pang (1994) describes it, ââ¬Å"wise teachers create lessons on issues that their students have chosen to investigateâ⬠(p. 92). For that reason, it can be helpful to open up the classroom to suggestions on what the students would like to explore during the course of the term. Using the concepts of highest interest, instructors can create interactive methods to get the students engaged in those areas. Debates (Allen, 2000; Rasmussen et al. , 2006), role-plays (Rasmussen et al. 2006; Benns-Suter, 1993; Nagy, 2000; Warren, 2006), group papers and projects, and case studies are all possible activities where students can learn by taking a multicultural approach. Case studies are particularly interesting in this respect because there is a greater comfort level for students to comment on behavior of others rather than on their own attitudes and behaviors (Nagy, 2000). Individual growth is an emphasis in higher education and can be related to reflection activities, but this growth must be balanced with the powerful communal aspects of college life. Making community-building a priority at the start of a course will affect how the students will interact throughout the term. Taking a pragmatic approach is one method to encourage interaction between students, and it can help to create the opportunity for students to see their interdependency (Henry, 2003). Instructors can address a multicultural or individual/social divide by asking students what they all have in common and how they need each other to be successful in college or university life. Locke and Kiselica (1999) show their accordance with this idea by stating that ââ¬Å"The central educational issues today hinge on social relations, not on cognitive ones, and on relations among persons, not relations between persons and thingsâ⬠(p. 80). McIntyre (1997) suggests an activity that was successful for her. As an orientation activity and to get the students thinking about the importance of multiculturalism, she paired students and asked them to write down all the things that they had in common and also to write down all of their differences. Then they returned to the large group and had a discussion about how the activity went. This is a type of activity that can be used in any sort of classroom, and is especially important during the initial weeks of the term when students are just getting a feel for the learning environment of that particular course. Truly, through activities like this one, students are given the opportunity to set the tone for the rest of the term. Lastly, I will describe the IQ Test method of incorporating multicultural perspective into a classroom (Warren, 2006). This can be used to raise awareness of the importance of multiculturalism in any chosen discipline. Warren uses three simple learning activities with undergraduate psychology students at Texas AM University. One of the activities is the IQ Testââ¬âwhere the students complete a knowledge questionnaire that is written in Spanish. They receive one minute to complete the questionnaire, and are given the challenge of understanding what it means to struggle with language ability, to be part of the minority in United States culture. Warren states that ââ¬Å"These activities are easy to implement (simple materials, easy to give to classes of varying sizes) and make obvious the fact that considering the construct of ulticulturalism in psychology and in intelligence testing is criticalâ⬠(p. 108). Again, this is an activity that can be implemented in any course to simply and quickly get students thinking about the role that multiculturalism plays in higher education in the United States. Conclusion Multicultural pedagogy is not an easy art to learn, especially among faculty members who have never put much thought in putting it into practice. However, given the college student populations of today, multiculturalism is essential to consider in respect to diverse students, multicultural workforces, and multicultural relationships. By acknowledging diversity of people, ideas, and pedagogical methods in the classroom, instructors are simply doing their students a beneficial service for their futures. Once faculty take on responsibility for their own self-awareness and knowledge of multicultural teaching methods, then an environment can be created for student growth in this area. Then, by using multiculturally-inclusive language, activities, and curriculum, students will be given the opportunity to reflect on what it means to them to live in a multicultural world. Nagy (2000) states the following: I will continue to structure my classes so that the students and I can explore our own attitudes and learn about one anotherââ¬â¢s attitudes as a way of helping to create a reality of which we are all a part. Perhaps as my students begin or continue to teach in higher education, they will be inspired to do the same. (p. 7) With this as an example, faculty in higher education can begin to reshape their personal pedagogical perspectives in a multicultural way. One by one, classrooms have the potential to become more culturally-inclusive and to recognize the importance of multiculturalism in the colleges and around the world. As multicultural pedagogy becomes the norm, or the culture, both instructors and students will reap the benefits. If reflective of higher education, perhaps the rest of the world ââ¬Å"will be inspired to do the same. â⬠References Aleman, A. M. M. , Saltever, K. (2004). Multiculturalism and the American liberal arts college: Faculty perceptions of the role of pedagogy. Studies in Higher Education, 29, 39-58. Allen, J. D. (2000). Teaching about multicultural and diversity issues from an humanistic perspective. Albany, NY: The College of Saint Rose. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED443791) Benns-Suter, R. (1993). The utilization of simulations in multicultural education. Millersville University, PA. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED364613) Henry, S. E. (2003). Facing moral problems in teaching multiculturalism: Using pragmatism as a problem-solving tool. Lewisburg, PA: Bucknell University. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED478108) Hogan, M. I. (2006). Making contact: Teaching, bodies, and the ethics of multiculturalism. Review of Education, Pedagogy, and Cultural Studies, 28, 355-366. Locke, D. C. , Kiselica, M. S. (1999). Pedagogy of possibilities: Teaching about racism in multicultural counseling courses. Journal of Counseling and Development, 77, 80-86. Maher, F. A. , Tetreault, M. K. T. (2001). The feminist classroom: Dynamics of gender, race, and privilege. Lanham, MD: Rowman Littlefield. McIntyre, A. (1997). Constructing an image of a white teacher. Teachers College Record, 98, 653-681. Nagy, N. (2000). Fostering the exchange of ideas about diversity in the higher education classroom. Scranton, PA: Marywood University. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED470706) Pang, V. O. (1994). Why do we need this class? Phi Delta Kappan, 76, 89-92. Rasmussen, K. L. , Nichols, J. C. , Ferguson, F. (2006). Itââ¬â¢s a new world: Multiculturalism in a virtual environment. Distance Education, 27, 265-278. Warren, C. S. (2006). Incorporating multiculturalism into undergraduate psychology courses: Three simple active learning activities. Teaching of Psychology, 33, 105-109.
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