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June 1, 2003
Using Virtual Learning Spaces to Promote Multiculturalism
By Zoevera Ann Jackson
Virtual Learning Spaces can promote multiculturalism by helping teachers and students to explore the stories of peoples from other racial, ethnic and cultural backgrounds that may not have been otherwise represented in textbooks. Teachers can use them to accommodate students who may be discouraged from identifying with their culture in an academic setting by allowing them the opportunity to share and/or express their culture with technology. Virtual Learning spaces are also useful to enhance student participation in a learning environment that may or may not include multicultural and diverse teaching and learning approaches.
Teachers and students can use virtual learning spaces to promote and/or explore multiculturalism in the classroom. The following web sites are useful for teachers whose students have diverse backgrounds and even for those teachers who are beginners in multicultural and diverse learning environments.
Virtual Teaching & Learning Resource Links
TechTrekers Virtual Field Trips
Excellent for incorporating multiculturalism into the classroom. Through this site teachers can encourage their students to travel virtually to many countries. This site consists primarily of links to numerous virtual field trips as well as teaching projects, strategies and resources used by teachers around the world.
Virtual Field Trips
Very useful for teachers and students who would like to take a virtual field trip in the various academic disciplines of Applied Technology, Fine Arts, Foreign Languages, Health/PE, Language Arts, Math, Library Media, Science, Social Studies, Special Education, and Technology. This Web site also provides resource links for creating virtual field trips and links to other related sites.
Web Site of Snaith Primary School
This site provides great examples of multiculturalism in the classroom. This site is very valuable to teachers who would like to implement various forms of technology in their classrooms by creating Web sites for interpersonal exchanges. The sample sites are by students, and the collage of sites of which it consists makes this a remarkable virtual field trip.
Eras in Black History
Although not technically a virtual field trip, this siteıs navigational structure contains the various elements of a virtual field trip by allowing the user to browse without a specific sequence. This is the official Encyclopedia Britannica Guide to Black History, and it includes links, timelines, study guides, bibliographies and audio and video tapes — all useful to teachers.
Multicultural Calendar
This interactive site serves as a resource for teachers of all academic disciplines. Students can journey to international & domestic lands, as well as learn more by seeing quick-time video clips, photos and graphical images of topics in various subject areas. It offers a celebration of cultural holidays and festivals, through the sharing of historical backgrounds, recipes for food, and other customs not accessible in books.
The Cyber Journeyıs Learning Environment
Part of the United Kingdomıs Beaumont Virtual Learning Environment, this site is suitable for both teachers and students. It leads viewers through various activities and exercises related to language arts, math, Web-design, K-3 education and ESL/EFL. The project links are interactive and can be used at low, medium and high levels of interaction. Projects include a Treasure Hunt, Online Math Projects, On-line Collaborative Projects, and Chain Stories.
Explorer Trail
This Web site of multicultural resources is targeted to teachers and administrators. It consists of multicultural-themed activities and/or projects for classroom use in all academic disciplines. It includes numerous links to multicultural curriculum materials such as Web sites for kids, Email exchange activities, and links to other schools that are promoting multiculturalism.
Multicultural Madness
A Web site that consists of numerous links to lesson plans integrating Internet activities, a directory of multicultural terms, readings and famous speeches. Features Multicultural Mind Mapping, Celebrating Differences, and Talking Tolerance as subject headings for introducing teachers who want to find various ways to teach multiculturalism.
Global Food Trek
This Web quest is an exploration of of the various foods connected with various ethnic cultures and countries. It includes recipes, typical diets, and differences and similarities in food preferences. Food is a great motivator when introducing students to the idea of multiculturalism.
Multicultural Games
This Web site is a must-see for teachers who are interested in multicultural education through the use of games. Created by the Germantown Academy, the site consists of games from all over the world, listed in alphabetical order. Students can learn about both old and new games, learn where the game is played, where the game originated, and the equipment that is needed.
Email: Zoevera Ann Jackson
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