virtual journal.docx - Virtual Field Experience...

Virtual Field Experience Multicultural Journal Entry
Spirituality as a Cultural Component
The idea of spirituality relates to how someone connects or perceives nature, mind to
body connection, religious practices, or possibly even the belief of a divine being. Spirituality is
further defined as varying cultures that may demonstrate their spirituality using symbols,
meanings, and practices. Dependent on an individual's culture, they may show their spirituality
by hanging relics in their home (i.e., hamsa, yin yang, buddhas). In contrast, others feel
connected by practice, such as meditation, yoga, or breathing exercises. As a result, culture and
spirituality go hand in hand and help create an individual's mindset on how to process
information, how to respond to situations, how to interact with others, and how to achieve
personal growth.
The virtual tours of Whitefield Academy and Oak Christian School demonstrated the
connection students make between their learning and religious beliefs. Whitefield Academy
emphasizes through their statement of faith that "a Christian faith is the foundation to every
aspect of life and thought." At Oak Christian school, which serves middle to high school
students, they emphasized that their curriculum focuses on having the students "connect facts
with deeper meaning and higher-level integrated concepts." Whitefield Academy and Oaks
Christian school's mission statement and history center on creating future generations that take
on prayer, patience, and dedication, which are strong values in the Christian faith. Even though
both schools are focused on the Christian faith for education, they do also support students from
different faiths and accommodate international residents into their school.

Correspondingly, Whitefield Academy and Oaks Christian School appear to offer a
rewarding experience as the focus is not only academic education but also the expansion of
kindness and positivity for others that can increase a multicultural worldview. While both
schools do an excellent job of demonstrating their curriculum's effectiveness, and the integration
of religion and spirituality into their learning, Whitefield Academy appears to articulate more in-
depth their Christianity into their education. This result may be because Whitefield Academy