is a situation in which all the

different cultural or racial groups in a

society have equal rights and

opportunities, and non is ignored or

regarded as unimportant.

Essential for developing multicultural/diverse perspective learnings is a positive and trusting

classroom environment - one in which all students are made to feel welcome,

comfortable, and respected. Listed below are several strategies that are particularly useful

in promoting multicultural/diverse perspective learnings in such a classroom.

Questioning techniques that personally

involve students will allow them to respond

in a way that reflects their cultural diversity

and that will expose their fellow students to

those differences (Evans, 1991).

Role-playing is a versatile activity that allows students to express their opinions in a realistic

situation. Students can "trade places" with a fellow student or a character from a literature selection

(Tiedt & Tiedt, 1990).

Role-playing enables students to express and to examine their attitudes, beliefs, and feelings about

prejudice and discrimination. Poetry, biography, and powerful fiction are excellent sources for both

discussion and role-playing (Banks, 1989).

Many years of research and practice support the use of cooperative groups to focus on students' different

strengths and styles. In addition, cooperative learning groups have been found to have strong and consistent

positive effects on social relationships between culturally different students (Slavin, 1983). Group

members become more accepting of classmates who are different.

It is important for students to recognize that English is not the only language spoken in the United States.

Students should be exposed to speakers of various and languages. In addition to broadening students' perspectives by introducing them to different

languages, such speakers can also share with students ideas and values from other cultures (Tiedt & Tiedt,

1990).

Group discussions stimulate thinking. The notion that thinking originates within individuals - and only after

that is it ready to be shared socially - has given way to the belief that some of the best thinking results from a

group's collective efforts (Sternberg, 1987). In discussions in which students examine more than one

point of view, there is ample opportunity to enrich and refine their understanding by helping them to

view their own interpretation in the light of the interpretations of others (Alvermann, 1991).

Instructional techniques that allow for individual differences and that add a spark

of excitement to classroom activities should be used in place of fill-in-the-blank

activities. Students should be engaged in listening, speaking, reading, writing, and

thinking activities that provide opportunities for them to make decisions and solve

problems (Tiedt & Tiedt, 1990).