Cultural Pluralism
Cultural pluralism is a social model in which different cultural groups cohabitate and preserve their identities, values and traditions within a larger community. It focuses on tolerance and fascination with other cultural communities in contrast to the blending into a ruling culture. Cultural pluralism is relevant in special education in emphasizing that students with disabilities have diverse cultural backgrounds that need to be acknowledged and respected (Smith et al., 2018). Embracing cultural pluralism allows educators to develop inclusive learning environments that celebrate the students’ cultural identities, and as a result, they are thriving academically and socially. As a special education teacher, I interact with children of diverse cultures. The acceptance of cultural pluralism has enabled me to value the individuality and experiences that each student brought to the learning setting—introducing a variety of cultural views into my teaching methods to create an inclusive and educationally more prosperous learning environment for all students.
Multicultural Education
Multicultural education is an educational approach which identifies and acknowledges cultural diversity within the classroom. It encourages mutual respect, appreciation, and recognition of diverse cultural outlooks, along with a push for equity and social justice. Special education requires multicultural education as it encourages using inclusive practices that consider and address the varying needs and experiences of students with disabilities (Smith et al., 2018). Through the adoption of multicultural education into unique education curricula and Instruction, educators can develop an educational setting that regards the cultural, linguistic and social-emotional needs of all students and those with disabilities. My approach to multicultural education in my special education classroom involved integrating different perspectives and experiences into the curriculum, using culturally relevant teaching materials and encouraging open discussions about cultural differences. This model allowed for cultivating an environment that was more inclusive and supportive, in which the students felt appreciated and respected for the uniqueness of their identities.
Achievement gap
The achievement gap is the enduring disparity between different groups of students in academic performance, often attributed to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or disability status. It illuminates inequalities in educational opportunities and outcomes. The achievement gap is considerable in special education as it presents the disparities in academic achievement and educational attainment that students with disabilities experience about their non-impaired peers. Assessing the achievement gap necessitates tailored interventions and supports focusing on particular learning needs and obstacles of students with disabilities (Smith et al., 2018). Being a special education teacher, I saw the influence of the achievement gap on students with disabilities directly. Some of the students had to deal with academic severe difficulties because of their disabilities, which were linked to poverty, lack of resources, and systemic injustices. Solving the achievement gap is about differentiated teaching methods, offering specific learning assistance, and promoting policies focusing on equal opportunities so all students can achieve their academic goals.
Disproportionality Representation
Disproportionality is the overrepresentation or underrepresentation of certain racial, ethnic or cultural groups in special education programs or disciplinary actions compared to the population at large (Smith et al., 2018). Disproportionality representation is significant in special education as it demonstrates the systemic disparities in students’ access to educational opportunities and services. The elimination of the system of disproportionality necessitates scrutinizing and deconstructing institutional obstacles, adopting culturally relevant practices, and supporting policies that foster equity and equity. From my point of view as a special education teacher, I encountered the over-representation in the referral and placement of students with disabilities. Some ethnic and racial groups were overrepresented in special education programs, which, among other factors, included poverty, lack of resources, and racial biases in education—eliminating disparities called for partnership with colleagues, families, and community stakeholders to uncover the underlying causes of inequality and to achieve equitable outcomes for all students.
Cross-cultural dissonance
Cross-cultural dissonance is the uneasy, miscomprehension or conflict created when two people from different cultures come across differences in beliefs, values, behaviors, or communication styles (Smith et al., 2018). Cross-cultural conflict is central in special education, for it could negatively influence the students’ relationships and interaction with educators, families and communities from culturally different backgrounds. Although cross-cultural dissonance is vital in education in bridging the communication gap, collaboration, and understanding among different cultures, research and scholars have begun to pay little attention to it. My responsibilities as a special education teacher brought me face-to-face with cross-cultural dissonance while I worked with students, families, and colleagues from different cultural backgrounds. Often, miscommunications or conflicts were caused by differences in communication styles, expectations or cultural patterns. Coping with cross-cultural dissonance demanded active listening, empathy, and readiness to learn from others’ views. Through valuing and recognizing cultural differences, I developed conducive relationships and made inclusive learning conditions that honor students’ diversity.
Culturally responsive Instruction
Responsive to culture means Instruction founded on teaching practices that bring in, organize and lead students’ cultural backgrounds, experiences and perceptions into the curriculum and instructional strategies (Smith et al., 2018). Its main objective is to encourage student participation in the academic process, promote academic success, and teach students how to relate their cultural identities to their learning experiences. Culturally responsive teaching is paramount in special education as it acknowledges the varied learning requirements and competencies of students with disabilities from different cultural backgrounds. Educators can develop culturally inclusive, affirming, and success-oriented learning environments by ensuring that what they teach is culturally relevant, the resources they use, and their teaching approaches/strategies. Enacting culturally responsive Instruction in my special education classroom meant modifying curriculum materials, including multiple viewpoints, and that students would have to share their cultural knowledge and experiences. This process enabled the creation of a more interactive and purposeful learning environment for the student to maintain connection and enthusiasm. Through respecting and appreciating my students’ cultural identities, a safe learning environment where all students were respected and could see themselves as capable inhabitants of the classroom was created.
Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP)
Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) is a research-based instructional framework that assists English language learners (ELLs) in accessing the acic content and developing English proficiency. It offers teachers a guide of instructional strategies and methods which make content understandable, scaffolded, and accessible for students with minimal English proficiency (Smith et al., 2018). SIOP is critical in special education; it provides strategies that can be used in teaching students who are English language learners and have disabilities. Through SIOP principles and techniques, educators can differentiate Instruction, deal with language support, and scaffold learning experiences to meet the distinctive requirements of students with disabilities in acquiring English language skills. As a special education teacher, I applied SIOP strategies to serve students with disabilities who were also English language learners. The strategy included the provision of visual cues, the use of real-life situations, and the splitting of complex concepts into smaller components. I achieved a student-centred and inclusive learning environment where students had access to academic material, were fully engaged in class activities, and could pursue their learning aspirations by implementing SIOP principles.
The Personal Vignette of Sonial Nieto
The vignette by Sonia Nieto and Patty Bode aims to discuss the phenomenon of colour blindness in education to show how this idea influences diverse students’ outcomes both culturally and racially. The authors point out a prevalent view of most teachers declaring to be colourblind, where they argue that nothing but students can be seen and not racial differences, or ethnic distinctions. In this way, however vague, the reason that it is being used may be because of an intent to treat students uniformly. However, Nieto and Bode contradict this perspective when they claim that the colour-blind approach facilitates stripping students’ identities of culture, race or ethnicity. However, the authors contend that although there may be well-meaning intentions driving colour blindness to ensure nondiscrimination attitudes and behaviours, ironically, it leads to fostering an assimilation culture where differences are either overlooked or suppressed. Thus, an attempt to ignore cultural and racial differences can lead educators not only unconsciously subjectivize the current culture as the norm but also force students who do not conform to that standard outside or marginalized. Denial of the students’ identities can cause them to feel invisible and alienated, holding back these students in terms of education, life, and social life.
The significance of this story lies in its criticism of the colour-blind approach to their reflection towards equity and inclusion. Nieto and Bode stress the need to pay attention to students’ diverse backgrounds, experiences, and identities for the school environment to become inclusive, where every student feels noticed and ac, acknowledged and accepted. Some features should be acknowledged and even celebrated in school: cultural and racial differences as elements of diversity. By doing so, the teachers can help these students develop a sense of being accepted and empowered, thus having enough motivation to encourage academic success or at least see themselves on par with others’ living standards, which significantly contributes to well-being.
This vignette reflects the chapter since it amplifies problems with diversity and fairness in education. It prompts educators to reflect upon their prejudices and stereotypical judgments by actively striving for classrooms and schools, preferably encouraging cultural values. Doing so enables educators to contribute towards dismantling oppressive systems and, in their place, availing equitable opportunities for all students to flourish.
Words Matter and Its Significance to Special Education
“Words Matter” highlights how one should address racial identity groups, such as ethnic or cultural aspects. The excerpt correctively states that the language of desire frequently changes, just as disability-related words. It describes categories used by the United States federal government on racial groups but understands that there is diverseness within each group. The present discourse bears some importance in discussions on special education. This sensitive consideration is seriously required in diverse classrooms where students come from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds, with educators having to be cautious of their language. It is an old or offensive language that contributes to stereotypes, marginalizing certain groups and fostering, thus creating a hostile learning climate. For instance, a term like “minority” may be construed to possess negative connotations and, in turn, gives an impression of inaccurately portraying demographics that would then have the chance for students or individuals to perceive themselves and their place within the education system.
Additionally, what sticks out in the excerpt is that personal preferences play an important role in discussing appropriate words. This precept directly correlates to special education, in which disabled students may have personal preferences regarding how they are referred or identified. Fundamentally, such acknowledgement and acceptance underline the identities of students but also create a sense of belonging in the learning environment.
In general, the provided excerpt stresses linguistic sensitivity and cultural competence from a special education point of view. As educators, we must be conscious of the language used in everyday practice and ensure that our choice reflects respect, inclusivity, and awareness of diverse identities. By doing so, they can establish a friendlier setting favourable to all students, especially those with disabilities, to ensure their academic performance is promoted.
Video View: Stephen Wilshire – Autistic Savant Artist Draws Cities From Memory
The video Autistic Savant Artist Draws Cities From Memory is about Stephen Wiltshire, a British architectural artist. He is one of the most famous artistic artists in the world who, just after flying across New York City in a twenty-minute ride, created an intricate city sketch drawing with unbelievable accuracy. All this is a result of beauty from his memory. Stephen drew the unbelievable building sketch with details in a style encompassing the free bars of New York, New Jersey and Manhattan. Stephen is known for his ability to draw artistic art from memory after seeing them just once (Wonder World, 2018). Stephen suffered from savant syndrome, a condition in which someone with significant mental disabilities demonstrates specific abilities that are far in excess of average. Some skills that savants excel in are generally associated with memory, including rapid math calculation, artistic ability, map making, or musical ability. Stephen was born in London, but he was mute as a result of autism. Until the age of five, he was unable to communicate verbally. Therefore, he learnt to do other things, such as drawing. He started sketching stunningly accurate images of animals and people at this age. Later on, he began drawing buildings that he had seen in London with impressive details. Today, he is an incredible skyscraper artist who has depicted prominent cityscapes such as New York and Tokyo that he has built from memory. He has fantastic drawing skills that go hand in hand with his photographic memory.
The video of Stephen Wiltshire provides deep insight into special education in general and two significant issues in acknowledging and nurturing distinct abilities and approaches to individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders. The video deepened my understanding of special education in several ways, as follows:
Recognizing and nurturing strengths: Stephen’s story highlights the importance of noticing and developing people’s strengths. As he coped with autism issues, his exceptional ability in artwork became evident from an early age. His travel emphasizes acknowledging and cultivating such talents so people with disabilities can follow their pathways.
Individualized learning: The personalized education approach is seen in what happened to Stephen. One of the weaknesses attributed to conventional teaching methods is that they do not often meet all the needs and strengths of students with disabilities. Stephen’s path demonstrates effective personalized learning, which exploits his art and visual memory strengths to support him in getting excellent results.
Empowering self-expression: Art gave Stephen a crux for communication and self-expression, given that verbal means of expressing oneself were complicated for him. Alternative ways of expression, such as artwork and music in special education, are important because they lead to the value attached to his story. Communicating with others through avenues for expressing oneself can give an individual who is disabled a sense of belonging, identity and purpose.
Challenging stereotypes: Stephen Wiltshire demonstrates that people with disabilities do not fit stereotypes reflecting common misconceptions about their capabilities. His, however excellent of a talent, rebels against the presumptions that limit autism, knowing what transpires from each individual’s neurodevelopmental imprint. His story motivates us to resist cliché and embrace various effective capabilities in people that are beyond physical descriptions.
References
Wonder World. (2018). Billions of Windows – Autistic Savant Artist Draws Cities From Memory. Www.youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1O_TMTc660
Smith, D.D, Tyler, N. C, & Slow, K. G. (2018). Introduction to contemporary special education new horizons. (2nd ed.) Pearson Education, Inc.
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