Diversity
Our schools today mirror a diverse society, filled with unique children with differing cultural backgrounds, ethnicity, abilities, religions, languages, socio-economic levels and more. As schools strive to provide the best possible education to all students, it is imperative that attention be given to these differences to ensure the needs of all learners are addressed. To build a school climate that fosters respect for differences and instruction that successfully reaches all children, teachers must possess the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to meet these diverse needs of their students.
This program has provided a foundation of knowledge to equip me in using technology to meet the diverse needs of all students and to share with others. For example, I have learned that we must first know the diverse make up, demographics and needs of the students, and in addition to electronic data bases that exist, various technologies, such as Google student surveys, can assist me in fully understanding differences, needs, as well as interests, likes and dislikes. I have learned that Internet search tools make it easy to identify articles and materials that highlight diverse cultures, or information on some specific cultural aspect. These resources build my knowledge and provide ideas to include in the instruction in a way that increases the cultural understanding and sensitivities of my students. I have learned best teaching practices infused with technology to assist in meeting the diverse needs of students, such as WebQuests with a variety of activities and options provided for students that reach beyond the school walls. Such activities may be designed in a way that provides students opportunities to interact with others different from themselves. With the use of web tools, I have learned how lessons can be built to support the various interests and needs of students, such as sports, drawing, music, acting and writing. Additionally, I have learned the value of using technology to assist in implementing best practices in the classroom, such as collaborative problem-solving and decision-making. For example, Google Drive or Edmodo can be used to share their research and to collaboratively make decisions on project designs or solve problems that have been posed.
The program has additionally provided skills needed to meet the diverse needs of my students and to coach others in this area. I am better able to direct students to sites that support cultural understanding of diverse cultures. I am more skilled at designing and facilitating lessons that allow students to make choices to incorporate information from the cultures they represent, and providing options to meet differing interests. Skills developed in blogging allow me to successfully assist students to incorporate blogging into their school work or projects, not only for reflections on their learning, but to communicate and collaborate with others within the school, community or globally. I am better able to design lessons with differing group arrangements that allow them to work with others different from themselves. In this way, students are given the opportunity to learn and appreciate the different skills or abilities of others and different ways of approaching a problem. I have developed skill in using technology to more effectively differentiate lessons to meet the diverse needs of students, such as varying the assignments online, having groups using technology collaboratively, and providing online resources to support the varying needs of students.
Thirdly, this program has instilled dispositions needed to meet these diverse needs of my students. I have come to recognize that of the many roles I fulfill as a teacher, valuing diversity is one of the most important roles, and this attitude of valuing diversity must be modeled for my students. The understanding of differences increases my cultural awareness and respect for others and prepares me to do the same for my students. Digital tools and resources make gaining this understanding easier than ever. When teachers and students recognize and respect differences that benefit the whole group, we may then build on these differences for the greater good. For example, we are then able to recognize and use the unique contributions of all members, their various skills and points of view to design better products and make impactful decisions. Decisions made collaboratively representing a diverse group are more likely to be grounded to support the collective interests of the group, and are more likely to positively impact a larger audience. As our students experience the benefits of diversity in classrooms they are becoming more prepared to function as successful citizens in a richly diverse world in the years to come, while potentially having a greater and longer-lasting impact in whatever profession they choose.
The following provides a list of activities completed that demonstrate my ability to successfully address diversity:
This program has provided a foundation of knowledge to equip me in using technology to meet the diverse needs of all students and to share with others. For example, I have learned that we must first know the diverse make up, demographics and needs of the students, and in addition to electronic data bases that exist, various technologies, such as Google student surveys, can assist me in fully understanding differences, needs, as well as interests, likes and dislikes. I have learned that Internet search tools make it easy to identify articles and materials that highlight diverse cultures, or information on some specific cultural aspect. These resources build my knowledge and provide ideas to include in the instruction in a way that increases the cultural understanding and sensitivities of my students. I have learned best teaching practices infused with technology to assist in meeting the diverse needs of students, such as WebQuests with a variety of activities and options provided for students that reach beyond the school walls. Such activities may be designed in a way that provides students opportunities to interact with others different from themselves. With the use of web tools, I have learned how lessons can be built to support the various interests and needs of students, such as sports, drawing, music, acting and writing. Additionally, I have learned the value of using technology to assist in implementing best practices in the classroom, such as collaborative problem-solving and decision-making. For example, Google Drive or Edmodo can be used to share their research and to collaboratively make decisions on project designs or solve problems that have been posed.
The program has additionally provided skills needed to meet the diverse needs of my students and to coach others in this area. I am better able to direct students to sites that support cultural understanding of diverse cultures. I am more skilled at designing and facilitating lessons that allow students to make choices to incorporate information from the cultures they represent, and providing options to meet differing interests. Skills developed in blogging allow me to successfully assist students to incorporate blogging into their school work or projects, not only for reflections on their learning, but to communicate and collaborate with others within the school, community or globally. I am better able to design lessons with differing group arrangements that allow them to work with others different from themselves. In this way, students are given the opportunity to learn and appreciate the different skills or abilities of others and different ways of approaching a problem. I have developed skill in using technology to more effectively differentiate lessons to meet the diverse needs of students, such as varying the assignments online, having groups using technology collaboratively, and providing online resources to support the varying needs of students.
Thirdly, this program has instilled dispositions needed to meet these diverse needs of my students. I have come to recognize that of the many roles I fulfill as a teacher, valuing diversity is one of the most important roles, and this attitude of valuing diversity must be modeled for my students. The understanding of differences increases my cultural awareness and respect for others and prepares me to do the same for my students. Digital tools and resources make gaining this understanding easier than ever. When teachers and students recognize and respect differences that benefit the whole group, we may then build on these differences for the greater good. For example, we are then able to recognize and use the unique contributions of all members, their various skills and points of view to design better products and make impactful decisions. Decisions made collaboratively representing a diverse group are more likely to be grounded to support the collective interests of the group, and are more likely to positively impact a larger audience. As our students experience the benefits of diversity in classrooms they are becoming more prepared to function as successful citizens in a richly diverse world in the years to come, while potentially having a greater and longer-lasting impact in whatever profession they choose.
The following provides a list of activities completed that demonstrate my ability to successfully address diversity:
- Collecting and reviewing demographic information of students and conducting student surveys to better understand who my students are and their unique needs and interests.
- Reviewing instructional materials and resources to ensure lack of bias or cultural insensitivity.
- Designing and facilitating lessons that meet the needs of all students and that are culturally sensitive.
- Incorporating resources and activities within instruction that provide students with insights into other cultures.
- Differentiating instruction in a way that provides a variety of groupings, choices and activities that support the varying needs and interests of my students.
- Modeling differentiated instructional practices using technology for other educators in professional development.
- Using technology to develop higher-order thinking skills in a way that includes all students’ unique contributions, and modeling this for other teachers.
- Ensuring equitable access to digital tools and resources for all students, and collaborating with parents to assist with special situations involving access at home.
- Developing leadership abilities of all students, rotating leader roles in various classroom activities and projects.