Diversity in the Classroom

Adrianna Anderson

Andrew Hulle

Matthew Decker

Michael Conklin

Group #5

What questions must we

address, when talking about

diversity?

MD

AA

HOW ARE TODAY‟S SCHOOL‟S, DIVERSE?

DIVERSITY RANGES FROM….

CULTURE

ETHNICITY

LEARNING STYLES

ACADEMIC LEVELS

LANGUAGE

SOCIOECONOMICSand much more….

MD

With diversity, comes barriers…

What are the Barriers for diverse learners?

MD

CULTURAL/ETHNIC BARRIERS

• Race

• Religion

• Traditions

• ClothingSolution:

“Teaching content about the cultures and contributions of many ethnic groups and

by using a variety of teaching techniques that are culturally responsive to different

ethnic learning styles will help to equalize learning advantages and disadvantages

among the different ethnic groups in the classroom” (Merlino, 2007)

To Read the Article: http://www.educationspace360.com/index.php/addressing-cultural-diversity-in-the-classroom-4-32353/ AA

microsoft

office image

“Skin Color- How Kids See It”

CULTURE/ETHNICITY continued

Children are taught early on in

society that:

● adults prefer white students

● white is pretty, black is ugly

● white is smart, black is dumb

But given the right influences

and life lessons, students can

overcome these lies and learn

that skin color is not an

identity.

“It‟s the inside that counts.”

AA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcAuO0PNnrs

LEARNING STYLES

Many students have a variety of learning styles and are at different levels of learning….

MD http://tinyurl.com/bewqslf

http://liveandteachdeep.blogspot.com/2013/06/week-2-learning-styles-and-students-as.html

Everyone has a

different way of

learning and for

showing that learning.

Therefore, providing

opportunities for

different forms of

assessment can help

address diverse

learning styles.

AA

LANGUAGE BARRIERS

Language plays a role in diversity …Types of barriers...

- ELA learners

- Speech difficulties

- American Sign Language (ASL)

- Verbal communication

- Social dialects

MD

1. Exchange information with parents about race, language, and culture.

2. Involve parents in the life of the school.

3. Use parent teacher conferences to set mutual goals.

4. Validate home language in the classroom.

Four Strategies for Working With Children of Families

with Different Languages and Cultures

MC

Low Income Homes

● A lack of money is not a lack of intelligence

● “In “The Missing „One-Offs‟: The Hidden Supply of High-

Achieving, Low-Income Students,” (PDF) Caroline M.

Hoxby of Stanford and Christopher Avery of Harvard find

that there are indeed low-income students with SAT and

ACT scores and grades that place them in the highest 10

percent of all students.” (Hoxby, Avery)

● Students need to be encouraged to reach their fullest

potential regardless of their differences.

low income opportunity podcastAH

Student dropout rates.

Percentage of high school dropouts among persons 16 through 24

years old (status dropout rate), by sex and race/ethnicity: Selected

years, 1960 through 2011

https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d12/tables/dt12_128.asp

Percentage of high school dropouts among persons 16 through 24

years old (status dropout rate), by income level, and percentage

distribution of status dropouts, by labor force status and years of

school completed: 1970 through 2011

https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d12/tables/dt12_129.asp

AH

United WayAn organization to help all students be successful

and creating an even playing field for all students.

Our Goal

In 2008, United Way initiated an ambitious 10-year

plan to cut in half the number of lower-income

families who are financially unstable. With your

help, we believe that by 2018 we can help 1.9

million working families get on the road to economic

independence.

AH

There is a great quote in this

video at 5:20. “Be part of a team

for students who feel like they are

playing by themselves.”

BARRIERS FOR LEARNING

MDhttp://easi.cc/archive/book-

reviews/burgstahler/web_data/file

14.htm

WHO ARE TODAY’S

TEACHERS, TEACHING?

MD

Today’s learners…

-Have prejudices reinforced by societal “norms” AA

-Are “connected” (technology, social media ect...) MD

-Have generational gaps MD

-Culturally diverse MD

-Are aware of a “global” world MD

WAYS TO ADDRESS DIVERSITY

YOU CAN ADDRESS DIVERSITY THROUGH…

-INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACHES

(Lectures, PowerPoints, computer aided instruction, PBL, ect...)

-AUDIO

(Songs, speeches, interviews etc…)

-VIDEOS

(Movies, YouTube etc…)

-BOOKS

(E-Books, online textbooks, etc…)

-POSTERS

-HANDS ON ACTIVITIES

-FOOD/SMELLS

-WEB 2.0 TOOLS MDhttp://tinyurl.com/m57zg44

● Build relationships

with students

● View diversity as

an advantage

● Use diversity to

enrich activities in

class and school

WAYS TO ADDRESS DIVERSITY continuedAA

http://tinyurl.com/krmw8al

Respect for Cultural Diversity

- A primary goal of culturally

responsive education is to help all

students become respectful of the

multitudes of cultures and people

that they‟ll interact with once they

exit the educational setting.

- Classroom activities can be

tailored around teaching students

about multicultural appreciation.

- Students should have consistent

exposure to positive role models.

MC

“Let us in education dream of an aristocracy of achievement arising out of a democracy of

opportunity.”

Thomas Jefferson

http://www.searchquotes.com/search/Diversity_In_Education/ AA