Diversity
Carrying and being connected to the exponentially-developing collected knowledge of the world in our pockets has expanded our perspectives. We are no longer simply citizens of our states or even our countries. We are world citizens, and with that incredible change comes incredible responsibility. Our expanded perspectives and improvements in social, racial, gender, and needs-based equity have espoused an increasing diversity in classrooms across the United States. This progressive change is not without its obstacles, and teachers and students must be provided with and utilize resources that support the increasingly diverse teacher and student population and prepare teachers and students for global citizenship.
Inequitable access persists as a problem despite our expanding perspectives. Deeply-ingrained assumptions about different ethnic or racial groups, for example, contribute to teaching practices that do not support the needs of students of all races and ethnicities or that incorporate differentiation based on stereotyping instead of careful attention to specific students’ specific needs. According to researchers, minority students and students of low socio-economic status (SES) use technology at school primarily for drill and practice with content, whereas high-SES students at predominantly white schools use technology for projects requiring more depth of thinking and meaningful exploration (Ritzhaupt, 2013). To discourage this phenomenon and promote meaningful technology usage for all students, no matter their race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic standing, is an important element of effective 21st century teaching.
Oftentimes, teachers are unaware of their biased judgment calls, and becoming an effective leader that creates opportunities for colleagues to explore those biases in a non-threatening situation is critical to being an effective technology leader in my school. Presenting research alongside student learning data during collaboration team meetings and guiding the conversation by admitting my own assumption revelations will open the floor to honest reflection by my colleagues, and a network of teachers working to change the assumptions underlying the inequities can develop at my school.
Some activities that demonstrate the depth of my concern as well as my ability to address the needs of an increasingly diverse population of students and teachers are identified below:
Blog post: “The End of the Collectively Dehumanized ‘Other’ and the Rise od a Global ‘We’: Using the Internet to Promote Social and Cultural Consciousness”
Field work: I have created lessons using assistive technology to befit the needs of English Language Learners.
· Field work: I have created lessons differentiated for the needs of students with physical and mental disabilities.
· Staff development: I have developed teacher training sessions that model use of technology to encourage higher-order thinking of all students and to give all students a voice
· Curriculum writing: I have created online and blended learning experiences that incorporate the principals of Universal Design for Learning
Though this list is far from exhaustive, it provides insight into my personal, research-based understanding of diversity and my dedication to exploring how to best serve teachers and students from diverse backgrounds. This service includes continuing my own learning, analyzing and facilitating the analysis of data to determine and address learner-based problems, working to accommodate students’ diverse needs, and working to promote equitable access to technology and powerful learning experiences for all students.
References
Boudett, K.P., City, E.A., & Murdane, E.A. (2013). Data wise: A step-by-step guide to using assessment results to improve teaching and learning. Cambridge: Harvard
Education Press.
Ritzhaupt, A. E. (2013). Differences in student information and communication technology literacy based on socio-economic status, ethnicity, and gender: Evidence of a digital divide in Florida schools. Journal Of Research On Technology In Education (International Society For Technology In Education), 45(4), 291-307.
Carrying and being connected to the exponentially-developing collected knowledge of the world in our pockets has expanded our perspectives. We are no longer simply citizens of our states or even our countries. We are world citizens, and with that incredible change comes incredible responsibility. Our expanded perspectives and improvements in social, racial, gender, and needs-based equity have espoused an increasing diversity in classrooms across the United States. This progressive change is not without its obstacles, and teachers and students must be provided with and utilize resources that support the increasingly diverse teacher and student population and prepare teachers and students for global citizenship.
Inequitable access persists as a problem despite our expanding perspectives. Deeply-ingrained assumptions about different ethnic or racial groups, for example, contribute to teaching practices that do not support the needs of students of all races and ethnicities or that incorporate differentiation based on stereotyping instead of careful attention to specific students’ specific needs. According to researchers, minority students and students of low socio-economic status (SES) use technology at school primarily for drill and practice with content, whereas high-SES students at predominantly white schools use technology for projects requiring more depth of thinking and meaningful exploration (Ritzhaupt, 2013). To discourage this phenomenon and promote meaningful technology usage for all students, no matter their race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic standing, is an important element of effective 21st century teaching.
Oftentimes, teachers are unaware of their biased judgment calls, and becoming an effective leader that creates opportunities for colleagues to explore those biases in a non-threatening situation is critical to being an effective technology leader in my school. Presenting research alongside student learning data during collaboration team meetings and guiding the conversation by admitting my own assumption revelations will open the floor to honest reflection by my colleagues, and a network of teachers working to change the assumptions underlying the inequities can develop at my school.
Some activities that demonstrate the depth of my concern as well as my ability to address the needs of an increasingly diverse population of students and teachers are identified below:
Blog post: “The End of the Collectively Dehumanized ‘Other’ and the Rise od a Global ‘We’: Using the Internet to Promote Social and Cultural Consciousness”
- I wrote this blog post to discuss the use of Internet tools for increased reading literacy, digital literacy, and social literacy. In it are specific research-based technology-enhanced learning design possibilities to encourage student understanding of other cultures.
- I wrote this this blog post to relate concerns about the digital divide as it relates to minority students, students of low SES backgrounds, students with physical disabilities, and students with mental disabilities. Physical access to technology is addressed, and the principles of the Universal Design for o Learning are stressed to promote equitable access to information and skill development provided by access to that technology.
Field work: I have created lessons using assistive technology to befit the needs of English Language Learners.
· Field work: I have created lessons differentiated for the needs of students with physical and mental disabilities.
· Staff development: I have developed teacher training sessions that model use of technology to encourage higher-order thinking of all students and to give all students a voice
· Curriculum writing: I have created online and blended learning experiences that incorporate the principals of Universal Design for Learning
Though this list is far from exhaustive, it provides insight into my personal, research-based understanding of diversity and my dedication to exploring how to best serve teachers and students from diverse backgrounds. This service includes continuing my own learning, analyzing and facilitating the analysis of data to determine and address learner-based problems, working to accommodate students’ diverse needs, and working to promote equitable access to technology and powerful learning experiences for all students.
References
Boudett, K.P., City, E.A., & Murdane, E.A. (2013). Data wise: A step-by-step guide to using assessment results to improve teaching and learning. Cambridge: Harvard
Education Press.
Ritzhaupt, A. E. (2013). Differences in student information and communication technology literacy based on socio-economic status, ethnicity, and gender: Evidence of a digital divide in Florida schools. Journal Of Research On Technology In Education (International Society For Technology In Education), 45(4), 291-307.