Diversity
Due to the diverse society that we live in, educators have a crucial responsibility to meet the needs of all the learners they interact with on a day to day basis. Diversity comes in many shapes and forms such as ethnicity, gender, socio-economic, and special needs. I have the honor of working at a very diverse school, and the experiences I have gained and continue to gain have been extremely valuable to me. Many teachers, including myself, have had students who do not speak English at all at home. It is not uncommon to get a new student mid-year who has just moved to America. Those students cannot just slip through the cracks. They need to feel like they belong, and their diversity needs to be celebrated.
Working with students from a low socio-economic household can be very challenging depending on what their home life is like. These students need the stable environment that school provides them, and even more than academic knowledge, they need to acquire other life skills such as how to appropriately interact with others and how to problem solve. When teachers focus on meeting the needs of their diverse students, they truly do need to understand that that includes much more than just teaching them the standards they need to master for that grade level.
Throughout this program, I have learned a lot about the digital divide, and I have seen it come to life at my school. I had never really known what digital equity was or why it was so important, but now I am very passionate about it. All students should have access to digital tools, and for many students, this access only happens at school. Students also need to understand digital citizenship. Due to the digital age we live in, it is absolutely crucial that students learn how to use the Internet and other digital tools appropriately and respectfully.
Throughout my experience as a technology coordinator, I have discovered that so many students do not even know how to use a laptop. I have noticed many kindergarteners try to touch the screen of the laptop thinking that it works the same way as a tablet or phone. Along the same lines, I have worked with third graders who are not sure how to use an iPad. It is so important to expose our students to multiple forms of technology so that they can understand how to utilize it all.
The following is a bulleted list of 5-10 activities that I have completed that demonstrates my ability to successfully address diversity issues in today’s schools.
Working with students from a low socio-economic household can be very challenging depending on what their home life is like. These students need the stable environment that school provides them, and even more than academic knowledge, they need to acquire other life skills such as how to appropriately interact with others and how to problem solve. When teachers focus on meeting the needs of their diverse students, they truly do need to understand that that includes much more than just teaching them the standards they need to master for that grade level.
Throughout this program, I have learned a lot about the digital divide, and I have seen it come to life at my school. I had never really known what digital equity was or why it was so important, but now I am very passionate about it. All students should have access to digital tools, and for many students, this access only happens at school. Students also need to understand digital citizenship. Due to the digital age we live in, it is absolutely crucial that students learn how to use the Internet and other digital tools appropriately and respectfully.
Throughout my experience as a technology coordinator, I have discovered that so many students do not even know how to use a laptop. I have noticed many kindergarteners try to touch the screen of the laptop thinking that it works the same way as a tablet or phone. Along the same lines, I have worked with third graders who are not sure how to use an iPad. It is so important to expose our students to multiple forms of technology so that they can understand how to utilize it all.
The following is a bulleted list of 5-10 activities that I have completed that demonstrates my ability to successfully address diversity issues in today’s schools.
- Creating a technology survey for all parents to take in order to get an idea of what technology each family has access to at home
- Designing an activity that utilized assistive technology for a student receiving special education services
- Compiling a data inventory that looked at student test data and determined how assessment scores could be improved
- Leading professional development for teachers on how to use technology to meet the needs of all learners and promote higher-order thinking skills
- Providing technology workshops for parents on how to help their children at home using the technology resources that are available to them
- Identifying the digital divide at my school and working to improve
- Talking with the administrative team about providing computer labs in the morning or afternoon for students who cannot complete their online homework at home
- Forming a technology distribution plan to ensure that all classrooms have access to a large amount of technology for their students
- Providing one on one instruction to an English Language Learner and utilizing technology to help her learn English