Diversity
Today we live in the world that is more transparent than ever before. A rapid growth of technologies provides ongoing opportunities for people to learn about cultures and develop an appreciation and respect for diverse traditions, values, and opinions. Every story has a kaleidoscope of perspectives, and technology makes them instantly available to everyone. People are not isolated members of the society with the values and biases of their parents impresses upon them (Hilt, 2011). Information is at the tips of our fingers, waiting to connect and unite all members of the global society.
As the program progresses from one course to another, a powerful discovery has been made: the more diverse a classroom setting is, the more opportunities teachers and students have to honor academic, cultural, and familial differences (Smith, 2009). Coming from a different cultural background enables me to appreciate the importance of global education. Understanding how and why different people see and react to the same issues in a variety of ways is a powerful skill that all students should start developing early, and teachers must make such learning a reality in every classroom.
Different technologies can be used to connect students with peers and experts outside the classroom walls. Skype, online blogs, collaborative projects, publishing sites for children, YouTube, and other Social Media sites are only a few that can be easily integrated in any classroom to enhance learning experiences and make them authentic and relevant. Below is a list of activities that describe my field experiences related to diversity in the past year.
References
Hilt, L. (2011). The case of cultivating cultural awareness. Powerful Learning Practice. Retrieved from http://plpnetwork.com/2011/10/26/the-case-for-cultivating-cultural- awareness
Smith, G. & Throne, S. (2009). Differentiating instruction with technology in middle school classrooms. International Society for Technology in Education, 28-39.
As the program progresses from one course to another, a powerful discovery has been made: the more diverse a classroom setting is, the more opportunities teachers and students have to honor academic, cultural, and familial differences (Smith, 2009). Coming from a different cultural background enables me to appreciate the importance of global education. Understanding how and why different people see and react to the same issues in a variety of ways is a powerful skill that all students should start developing early, and teachers must make such learning a reality in every classroom.
Different technologies can be used to connect students with peers and experts outside the classroom walls. Skype, online blogs, collaborative projects, publishing sites for children, YouTube, and other Social Media sites are only a few that can be easily integrated in any classroom to enhance learning experiences and make them authentic and relevant. Below is a list of activities that describe my field experiences related to diversity in the past year.
- Promoted implementation and co-taught the Around The World with 80 Schools project in fourth grade classrooms.
- Organized and facilitated multiple Skype sessions with science experts to enhance student learning. Learning about life cycles, sea turtles, weather patterns, and Safari animals were the topics addressed in these sessions.
- Facilitated a Mystery Class Skype lesson in which students learned about the life style and cultural principles of another group to determine their geographical location. The Mystery Class was from Spain, the country that most of our fourth graders thought existed a long time ago because they only heard of it once when learning about early American explorers from the social studies textbook.
- Introduced, modeled, and facilitated writing experiences via online blogs. Students in all grade levels were exposed to connective writing and commenting online. One of the favorite topics was sharing family traditions around winter holidays. The diversity of cultural and familial backgrounds allowed students and teachers to learn about the diversity of our community.
- Designed, developed, and implemented a culturally responsive lesson with technology integration for kindergarten.
- Requested, distributed, and monitored the use of Kajeets, devices to provide a free filtered wi-fi connection in homes of students who did not have access to the Internet.
- Developed a plan to provide a free access to school technology to families in after-school hours. In addition, parent workshops were designed and offered to educate them about digital tools and their use to enhance student learning.
- Completed field experiences focused on students with special needs and English Language Learners.
References
Hilt, L. (2011). The case of cultivating cultural awareness. Powerful Learning Practice. Retrieved from http://plpnetwork.com/2011/10/26/the-case-for-cultivating-cultural- awareness
Smith, G. & Throne, S. (2009). Differentiating instruction with technology in middle school classrooms. International Society for Technology in Education, 28-39.