GLOBAL AND MULTICULTURAL LITERACY

GLOBAL LITERACY
 Global Literacy aims to address issues of globalization, racism, diversity and social justice. It
requires awareness and action, consistent with a broad understanding of humanity, the planet, and
the impact of human decision on both.

 Global Literacy also aims to empower students with knowledge and take action to make a
positive impact in the world and their local community.

 According to the Ontario Ministry of Education (2015) A global citizen should display most or all
of the following characteristics:
1. Respect for humans no matter their race, gender, religion or political perspectives.
2. Respect for diversity and various perspectives.
3. Promoting sustainable patterns of living, consumption, and production.
4. Appreciate the natural world and demonstrate respectful towards the rights of all living
things.
 Today’s students are graduating into a global society where, at work, employees come in daily
contact with people from around the world and, at home, neighborhoods are becoming more
diverse. That means today’s teachers need to help students learn to live in this increasingly
interdependent world.
 “The issue of creating globally competent educators wasn’t something previous generations had
to face, but it’s a very real issue now, and its importance is only growing,” (David M. Moss, the
interim director of teacher education at UConn’s Neag School of Education)
 “Our goal as teachers is to prepare students for all aspects of life – for personal, social, and
professional success – and today, that means preparing them to be global citizens.” (Moss)
 “There’s a statistic that says if you look at the types of jobs available today, half of them didn’t
exist 20 years ago, so what does that mean for our kids 20 years from now? What kinds of
opportunities and jobs will be available to them when they become adults? None of us knows for
sure, though clearly they’ll have a global perspective. Teaching global literacy today gives
students an intellectual foundation they’ll be able to build on in the years to come.” (Moss)

MULTICULTURAL LITERACY
 Multicultural Literacy consists of the skills and ability to identify the creators of knowledge and
their interests. To uncover the assumptions of knowledge, to view knowledge from diverse ethnic
and cultural perspective, and to use knowledge to guided action that will create a humane and just
world. (Banks at Boutte)
  Multicultural Literacy then, brings attention to diversity, equity and social justice to foster
cultural awareness by addressing difficult issues like discrimination and oppression towards other
ethnicities. . (Banks at Boutte)

 One way to promote multicultural literacy is the use of Multicultural literature in the school.
Multicultural Literature can be used as a tool to open students' minds. It helps to
stimulate an understanding of diversity in the classroom and helps to build an understanding of
and respect for people from other cultures. Also, multicultural literature can be used to examine
racism according to Colby and Lyon, 2004.
Seven Ways to Embrace Multiculturalism in the Classroom:
1. Celebrate different cultural festivals.
2. Attempt to learn a bit more about the different backgrounds of pupils in your class.
3. Include a variety of books in your classroom book collection.
4. Hold a food fair to celebrate different dishes from around the world.
5. Set presentation projects for students on a culture or nation.
6. Host a culture day.
7. Hold events with guests and motivational speakers from different backgrounds.

Multicultural Competencies

Multicultural competency is defined as the knowledge, skills and personal attributes needed to live and
work in a diverse world.

The following is a synthesis of multicultural competencies according to Tilford, 2000-2001:

I. KNOWLEDGE. An Awareness and understanding needed to live and work in a diverse

world.

 Cultural Self. The ability to understand one's ethnic identity and how it influences identity
development.
 Diverse Ethnic Groups. Knowledge of diverse ethnic groups and their cultures.
 Social, Political, Economic, Historical Frameworks. Awareness of how social, political, economic
and historical issues impact race and ethnic relations in the world.
 Changing Demographics. Understanding population dynamics related to ethnic minority and
majority citizens.
 Diversity Implications for Career. Understanding how diversity impacts the academic discipline,
career and professional development.

II. PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES. The Traits needed by those who live and work in a diverse
world.

 Flexibility. The ability to respond and adapt to new and changing situations.
 Respect. An appreciation for those who are different from one's self.
  Empathy. The ability to understand another person's culture by listening to and understanding
their perspective.

III. Skills. The Behaviors and performance tasks needed to live and work in a diverse world.

 Cross Cultural Communication. Verbal and nonverbal communication skills in interaction with
those who are culturally different from one's self.
 Teamwork. The ability to work in culturally diverse groups toward a common goal.
 Listening. The intention and ability to attend to what others are saying.
 Conflict Resolution. The ability to resolve cultural conflicts that occur between individuals and
groups.
 Critical Thinking. The ability to use inductive and deductive reasoning to understand diverse
perspectives.
 Language Development. The ability to speak and write more than one language.
 Leadership Development. The ability to provide multicultural leadership.

 Every classroom contains students of different race, religion, and cultural groups. Students
embrace diverse behaviors, cultural values, patterns of practice, and communication. Yet they all
share one commonality: their educational opportunity.

 Teachers should teach their students that other cultures exist and that these deserve to be
acknowledged and respected. Integrating a variety of cultural context into lessons and activities,
teaches students to view the world from many angles, creates a respect for diversity and enables
students to learn exciting information. As classrooms become increasingly more diverse, it is
important for educators to acknowledge and address diversity issues and to integrate
multiculturalism information into the classroom curriculum.

ACTIVITY
1. Search for an article, film/movie, video, or any discussion regarding global and multicultural
literacy from the internet.
1.1. Copy the link of your source.
1.2. Make a summary.
2. How can you integrate global and multicultural literacy in a particular topic in the field of Social
Sciences?