I chose a picture of "It’s A Small World" to represent my multicultural logo. This is a ride at Walt Disney World Florida; the image is a copy of the 1976 sheet music for the ride. I was struggling to come up with an image for my web page and then a light bulb went off in my head. I have been to Disney World 14 times in my life and "It’s A Small World" has always been my favorite ride. Even when I was a little girl, the ride, the music, and this image meant something to me. I have always believed it brings peace and harmony to everyone who has the opportunity to experience it. The ride itself represents many aspects of multiculturalism. It represents the countries from the seven different continents. Not only do you see the images (on the ride) of the different countries, but you also get to experience the countries’ languages.

Teacher Learning

I do believe that teachers need to be understanding of the students in their classes. It is important to get to know your students (Pathwise Domain A) and understand their cultural background. The logo represents all people of different cultures. I will treat them fairly in my classroom.

Student Learning

Growing up, I lived in a community with segregation. The town was broken up into two parts: east and west. The students did not receive the same opportunities at both schools. It is important as teachers to be aware of our students’ situations outside the classroom. Not all students have computers in their homes, and some students do not have the financial ability to afford extra-curricular activities. If as teachers we are sensitive to these issues and take an active interest in our students, we can help them find the outside assistance they need. My logo represents equality in all students.

Inter-Group Relations

As teachers it is important to educate students about diversity and activate it in the classroom. As an emerging professional, I do believe it is important for students to work in groups. This gives them the opportunity to work with other students they normally would not befriend. We need to educate our students to be “friends” to everyone. Just saying hello makes a difference in a child’s life. A smile is the same in any language. You will see in my logo that all the children are smiling.

School-Governance

It is also important to be aware of what goes on outside your classroom, around your school, outside the school, and around the world. My picture encompasses the picture of the world for this reason.

Assessment and Conclusion

As a teacher we need to recognize each student’s individuality. In doing so we recognize that students need multiple types of assessments. My logo shows individuality.

I would like to restate that my logo shows diversity, ethnicity, language diversity, and many cultures. I believe that as teachers, it is our job to teach cooperation and tolerance of others in the classroom. If we don’t teach this, we will live in world full of chaos, rather than peace.

January, 2009

A is for Akers
           Which is my married name, for which I am uncertain
           of its origin

B is for Blanca
           Which means “white” in Spanish of which I can not deny

C is for Christian
           Which I follow the Christian doctrine, as best as I can

D is for Dama
           Which means lady is Spanish for this is my gender

E is for Eclectic
           Which represents my many different tastes

F is for Family
           Which is the number One priority in my life

G is for Gracias
           Which means “thank you” in Spanish, as I have
           many things in my life to be thankful for

H is for Haggerty
           Which is my maiden name and is of Irish ethnicity

I is for Imagination
           Which is the most powerful tool available at no cost

J is for Jamas
           Which means “never” in Spanish, as in never give up

K is for Kind
           Which is what I try to be to everyone I see

L is for Libra
           Which is my astrological sign and it means
           to have balance

M is for Mom
           Which is the hardest job that receives no monetary
           compensation

N is for Nieta
           Which means “neat” and “tidy” in Spanish

O is for Other
           Which means that other than English I speak Spanish

P is for Persnickety
           Which means to pay attention to all the little details in life

Q is for Quiet
           Which means to be quiet and peaceful,
           if only for 5 minutes a day

R is for Responsibilidad
           Which means to be trustworthy and responsible in
           Spanish, of which I am

S is for Sonria
           Which means “smile” in Spanish — A smile is the same
           in every language

T is for Teacher
           Which is my passion in life, to touch a child’s soul forever

U is for Unity
           Which is to bring everyone together, in peace

V is for Victorious
           Which I am for many things I have done in my life

W is for Wisconsin
           Which is my birthplace and home for twenty-two years

X is for X-Ray
           Which is to look inside myself and reflect upon what I find

Y is for Young
           Which I am, Young at heart, not in chronological age

Z is for Zippy-do-da
           Which means to be happy and carefree.
           I try to be a ray of sunshine to my students

February 27, 2009

For a printer-friendly copy
of the Multicultural Issues logo
R U B R I C ,
click the MC icon.

For a printer-friendly copy
of the Multicultural Issues logo
A S S I G N M E N T ,
click the Adobe logo.