Diversity
Maya Angelou, the American poet, stated, “It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.” I think this is a beautiful quote that expresses the significance of diversity. Our nation is more diverse today than it has ever been. Not only do we have students and teachers in our classrooms from a multitude of cultural and religious backgrounds, but we have students who have different learning styles and capabilities. The 21st century classroom reflects intellectual diversity as well as cultural and religious diversity.
Valuing diversity and teaching acceptance is an important mission for of every educator. Students do not emulate what we say, they emulate what we do. Technology is an awesome tool because it provides teachers with a plethora of resources in which students can learn about cultural and religious diversity and can experience/observe the use of assistive technology which allows the learning environment to be adapted to accommodate learners from a multitude of backgrounds.
My experiences at Kennesaw State University have exposed me to an array to resources and experiences that can be used to enhance and embrace the diversity of every learning environment. The list below highlights several experiences that were pivotal in my professional growth:
· Using assistive technology to meet the needs of students with disabilities.
· Identifying, researching, and adapting technology based materials to address the learning style and readiness level of students.
· Designing professional development opportunities that inform teachers of various tools that support cultural and learning diversity.
· Providing opportunities that ensure low-income students have equitable access to technology.
· Developing lessons that provide students opportunities to communicate digitally with students from diverse backgrounds.