Diversity
As educators, it is our charge to ensure that all students are provided with the highest quality of education. In order to do so, we must meet the students at their level of knowledge with their individual experiences and work together to climb up the mountain of knowledge. By ignoring the differences in our students, we are limiting our students’ education. The different knowledge, experience, and skills of our students generate new ways of thinking and viewing a situation. Diversity is a vital thread that must be woven throughout each curriculum in the school.
My previous statements illustrate my disposition and beliefs about supporting diversity in our schools. This attitude was bolstered by the Instructional Technology Specialists Program at KSU. Beyond just the disposition, the KSU program provided me with the knowledge and skills to support my diverse learners. I am aware of the disparities regarding digital access between different genders, races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic groups. This knowledge has led to important applications in my classroom, such as facilitating digital equity by providing computer access before and after school and borrowing devices from the media center for classroom use. I have shared my knowledge with my PLC, which resulted in writing a grant for a class set of tablets.
Not only have I gained knowledge and skills regarding digital equity, but I have learned how to use technology to support diversity in learning. I have learned how to use assistive and adaptive technology to assist my students with disabilities in comprehending the material. I have incorporated a variety of strategies, such as multi-lingual notes and the inclusion of images, to ensure my ELL students are supported. I have learned how to use digital tools to facilitate differentiated instruction. Most importantly, I have implemented lessons and projects that include cultural aspects, a practice I intend to keep. In these projects, students are using digital tools to learn about and share cultural traditions with a broad audience. Throughout my experience in this program, I have been provided with many learning experiences, as evident in the list below, that have prepared me to meet the needs of my diverse learners.
Diversity Word loud obtained via creative commons from https://surveyingthecommunity.wikispaces.com/Word+Cloud+Gallery
My previous statements illustrate my disposition and beliefs about supporting diversity in our schools. This attitude was bolstered by the Instructional Technology Specialists Program at KSU. Beyond just the disposition, the KSU program provided me with the knowledge and skills to support my diverse learners. I am aware of the disparities regarding digital access between different genders, races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic groups. This knowledge has led to important applications in my classroom, such as facilitating digital equity by providing computer access before and after school and borrowing devices from the media center for classroom use. I have shared my knowledge with my PLC, which resulted in writing a grant for a class set of tablets.
Not only have I gained knowledge and skills regarding digital equity, but I have learned how to use technology to support diversity in learning. I have learned how to use assistive and adaptive technology to assist my students with disabilities in comprehending the material. I have incorporated a variety of strategies, such as multi-lingual notes and the inclusion of images, to ensure my ELL students are supported. I have learned how to use digital tools to facilitate differentiated instruction. Most importantly, I have implemented lessons and projects that include cultural aspects, a practice I intend to keep. In these projects, students are using digital tools to learn about and share cultural traditions with a broad audience. Throughout my experience in this program, I have been provided with many learning experiences, as evident in the list below, that have prepared me to meet the needs of my diverse learners.
- Created group-based learning projects based on student learning styles
- Implemented classroom lesson in which students interviewed and learned from community members of a different culture
- Taught my PLC how to use Symbaloo to provide students with differentiated digital tools
- Designed and led Device Donation Drive in order to facilitate equitable access
- Wrote a grant in order to acquire tablets for the foreign language department in order to facilitate equitable access
- Researched and implemented methods to assist my dyslexic and ELL students in being more successful in class
- Facilitated professional learning for teachers on methods of using technology in the classroom while ensuring digital equity
- Implemented digital tools on my class page to meet the needs of students with disabilities
Diversity Word loud obtained via creative commons from https://surveyingthecommunity.wikispaces.com/Word+Cloud+Gallery