Second Blog Posting- Multicultural Videos

           As educators, it is our duty and responsibility to create an environment that embraces and values all different cultures. We must be aware of all the multicultural beliefs in regards to manners, education, body language, and etc that may be present in our diverse classrooms. Furthermore, we must be culturally sensitive and responsive. I feel the videos we watched this week were very helpful. They have assisted me in becoming more culturally aware, conscious, and sensitive.
        They have made me aware of some body language actions that are considered offensive that I use almost daily with my students such as thumbs up to signal that they have done a good job. I did not realize this signal was offensive to people of  Middle Eastern culture. Furthermore, the video informed that body language is more than likely to be misunderstood across cultures. Certain body language signals can be misread as offensive or shameful. This aspect of the video was particularly important in regards to meeting with the parents or guardians of students. Additionally, educators must be aware of multicultural manners when meeting with parents or guardians also. From the video, I learned that the smile is not always recognized as a universal sign of happiness, but can be viewed as a signal for seriousness for the Korean culture. As educators, we need to be very careful and conscious of the manner in which we use gestures and body language in our classrooms. Furthermore, I feel that all schools should incorporate multicultural education into their curriculum.
         In regards to education, some cultures place a higher value on it than others. The video emphasizes the fact that the value of education coincides with a family's economic situation. For example, Latin American cultures consider family obligations before education, especially Mexican families. Financial survival comes before the importance of education. On the other hand, Asian cultures place a extremely high value on education and success. Children are punished if they do not do well. I feel this is very important to know because it makes us aware of some of the pressure our students may be encountering. Additionally, people of Asian cultures are uncomfortable about offering opinions and more than often do not question their teachers. I felt this was also very important to be aware of because we may not know whether the student needs assistance or not. Furthermore, as educators, we must be aware of the body language our students are displaying when we are talking to them. In the video, it pointed out that in some cultures, children will not return eye contact as a sign of respect. Educators must not be so quick to judge these students as disrespectful or rude.
          I feel the videos we watched this week were very informative and helpful. They have made me aware of certain cultural beliefs that I did not know previously. The information presented in the videos will assist me in becoming a more culturally sensitive and responsive educator.