Many beginning college math students feel alienated by the college environment as well as by their fear of mathematics. For nontraditional students the feeling of alienation can be even greater. Real or imagined alienation interferes with learning and can precipitate students withdrawing from class or dropping out of college. My goal is to help each student view her/himself as an accepted part of the group rather than different from the group. By interculturalizing my classes I hope not only to actively include nontraditional students in the classroom community but to educate all students in attitudes of acceptance that unite them in a supportive atmosphere.
One of the most valuable cultural resources at my disposal is my students. By showing an interest in my students' country of origin I demonstrate a concern for them and model an inclusive attitude for all students. Each semester during the first week of class, my students engage in various planned community-building activities. In one activity, each student introduces her/himself and describes where she/he was born. If they were not born in or close to Arizona, I ask them to tell how long they've been here and a little about their place of origin. The birth places are recorded. After the introductions the class surveys the list of various locales. I then congratulate the class for being so cosmopolitan. By celebrating the diversity of cultures within my classroom, I take a step toward creating a community of learners that is accepting of differences and feels comfortable actively engaging in learning mathematics.
As the semester progresses, I use the information gained from introductions to invite students schooled in other countries to describe alternative mathematical algorithms used in their home countries. This is a learning experience for students from the United States as well as a chance to validate the experiences of students who come from other cultures.
Using cooperative learning in my classroom lends itself to interculturalizing the curriculum. As students work in groups with others who are socially, culturally, racially, sexually, and ethnically different from themselves, they develop skills and attitudes needed to live effectively in a diverse society. They develop an understanding and appreciation for others.
A diversity of countries and cultures is frequently brought to the attention of students during class. During lectures, I often refer to other cultures. I frequently mention the historical development of the mathematics currently being studied and the countries of historical mathematicians.
I also use problems about other cultures for some of my sample problems. Examples of such problem topics are the amount of a fern used in a Korean dish that was grown in San Bernardino last year, the conversion of women's shoe sizes from country to country, and the exponential growth rate of the population of Central America. Finally, the homework and test problems include problems from data about other cultures. By integrating other cultures into my problems and lectures, minority students feel included and the awareness of other cultures is heightened in all students.
By interculturalizing my mathematics classroom the potential for success of minority students is expanded. In addition, an opportunity for all my students to increase their awareness of other cultures and expand their attitudes toward others is afforded. With the United States increasing in diversity and the advent of a global community, it is increasingly important that we educate our students not only in our subject areas, but also in the social skills needed to live in a diverse society.
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Alan Levine
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