Educación. Pedagogía. Effecting teaching.: Intercultural Education

Intercultural Education

In the past, Ecuadorian intercultural education has served as the condition of a certain number of people who have seen the need to promote education the sectors most isolated of the country because the State as such has not interested him and gave him political benefits this Education. It is so last century heroines like: Tránsito Amaguaña, Blanca De la Torre and Dolores Cacuango promoted intercultural education in various indigenous communities. These schools were successful the involved and making many leave the ostracism and illiteracy in which they were. Over time was built on the integration of these abandoned sectors by the central government was led into oblivion because there weren't people who continue this important work.

After the disappearance of the promoters of intercultural education many schools were abandoned and governments in power who saw in them one more expense and not as an opportunity for people to progress and improve their living conditions because we know that one citizenship with studies will be in the ability to be critical of the government in power when they fail, without them being manipulated by community leaders to not be interested in a commune to discerning what happens in their environment.

So, what is Intercultural Education? To answer this question we turned to Banks who says: "This modality challenges and rejects racism and other forms of discrimination in society and at school, accepts and affirms pluralism (Ethnic, racial, linguistic, religious, economic, gender and others) that the students, their communities and represent and teachers. Intercultural education curriculum and instructional strategies used at school like: interactions between teachers, students and parents and the many ways in which the school conceptualizes the nature of teaching and learning because it uses critical pedagogy and philosophy and focuses on knowledge, reflection and action (praxis) as the basis for social change, intercultural education advances towards the democratic principles of social justice." (Banks, 1995)

Teresa Aguado (1996: 54) defines intercultural education like: "a holistic and inclusive educational approach, based on the respect and appreciation of cultural diversity, search to reform school as a whole to increase educational equity, overcome racism / discrimination / exclusion, to promote communication and intercultural competence, and support social change according to principles of social justice.

However, must differentiate between Pedagogy and Intercultural Education as the first goes far beyond and the score Bagkey and Verna (cited in Aguado, 2003) "An education system that, in an ethnically complex society, tries to respond to the needs of self-concept, cognitive and cultural groups and individuals from different cultures. Promotes equal educational outcomes between groups and individuals, tolerance and respect between groups and finally equal status, resources, access, and power among different ethnic / cultural groups in society" Intercultural pedagogy is one that promotes practices directed to all members of a society. Through this teaching it comes to achieving equal opportunities, overcome racism and acquire intercultural skills regardless of what place they come from.

It can be considered that intercultural education not only seeks equality and eliminating all forms of discrimination, but seeks to create intercultural skills in humans; It aims to open spaces for real equal conditions for all learners, encourages and fight for respect for human rights. Also contributes to social cohesion, a culture of peace, and above all, provides for the education for a dignified and quality life for everyone.

"On the understanding that there is a common theme in most modern societies, which is: how to deal with the diversity of cultural expressions that characterize because intercultural education work is focused on generating a new sense of community to demonstrate to the students that the border between ethnic groups is a social boundary drawn and maintained by cultural elements" (Garcia and Sáez, 1998)

For all these guidelines are met, the teacher must be able to:

· Speak the language of the different cultures that emerge in the classroom, to strengthen the cultural identity of students also must know the organization of the communities in which their students come.

· The teacher must know the curriculum, tools and pedagogical techniques - administrative to develop class in the correct frame of learning.

· The teacher must know the: knowledge, wisdom, values, principles, practices and socio-cultural worldview of socio-cultural environment where the learning environment develops.

· The teacher should be in the ability to meet the psychological needs of students in relation to family, community environment.

· The teacher should develop the content and learning activities according to age, ability and willingness of students.

· You must be able to organize the classroom with a didactic which suits the diverse cultures that are present, respecting them, through dialogue build respect among students.

· Adapting class schedules with the social calendar of the community, without harming the established rules.

· Generate a self-assessment in student learning knowledge: scientific, cultural and values

The teacher's role in the new intercultural pedagogy

How should it be teaching profile the intercultural? It is the great question that this article will attempt to answer. For this, we begin to intercultural defined as: the process of human communication and interaction between two or more different cultural identities. When we presented an intercultural environment we define it in an environment of equality where all deserve to the same respect. Also, we can add that cultures enrich each other through dialogue.