By Lewis Diuguid, Kansas City Star Editorial Board Columnist

In a workshop, Patty Bode provided a wonderful definition of multicultural education and how it can be put to use effectively to boost student achievement.

Bode, director of art education at Tufts University, quoted a number of other experts Saturday at the 19th Annual International Conference of the National Association for Multicultural Education in Denver.

She said multicultural education content has to be integrated into the school curriculum so that the literature, history and accomplishments of the nation's diverse population are woven into the fabric of all studies. It has to have a knowledge construction, be focused on prejudice reduction, equity and it must be empowering.

Bode said there are four levels of integration: the contributions approach, additive approach, transformative approach and social action approach. Each goes beyond the heroes and holidays lessons as well as fun, food and festivals that too many schools use to expose students to other cultures.

As an example, Bode showed educators how students were taught Cambodian history and culture. From it they learned math and science and how many people from that Southeast Asian country came to the United States during the Vietnam War. Many students said they had no idea beforehand.

Another lesson from the convention: history always influences current events.