What Does Multicultural Education Really Mean?

When you think about multicultural education, what comes to mind? Well, there can be many different aspects of this concept. It could mean learning about other cultures, or different countries around the world. To me, it means that in a classroom setting, or in the real world, people are working together, learning about each other, understanding each other, to make life simpler...a learning experience....a comfortable, friendly, healthy environment. I think that in the year 2014 going into 2015, it is important for us, as human beings to responsible for our own learning of things that are different than us. Because in reality, we are not all the same. The United States is made up of people who can be extremely different than the person sitting next to them. By understanding each other, we are creating peace. I think everyone could use a little more peace in their lives... in the world!
As a future teacher, I hope to help young children to begin to do this. According to the National Association of Multicultural Education, multicultural education "affirms our need to prepare students for their responsibilities in an interdependent world. It recognizes the roles schools can play in developing the attitudes and values necessary for a democratic society. It values cultural differences and affirms the pluralisms that students, their communities, their teachers reflect. It changes all form of discrimination, in schools and society, through the promotion of democratic principles of social justice."
I hope to someday try my best, to teach students to be open and understanding of one other and continue to follow what the above quote says to instill in my students who are also the future people of the world and teachers to their students someday too.