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Literature review on diversity in the classroom
Role of education towards diversity
Promoting diversity and inclusion
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I believe it is important to first analyze the word diversity when examining the need for diversity within a classroom. According to Webster's New Pocket Dictionary, diversity means variety, a number of different kinds. I often discuss and read about diversity in terms of cultural backgrounds; the unification of histories and stories from people from all over the world. Although, I believe that in a higher-educational setting, diversity can also be discussed as the acceptance of the various minds within a classroom. I believe that it is important to recognize the thoughts and experiences of others in a learning environment. Collectively, students learn from teachers, teachers learn from students, and students learn from their peers. By allowing diversity within the classroom, a sense of community can develop. Diversity encourages an active, not passive, learning style. I believe that the culture of Columbia College Chicago is dependent on diversity. The motto “Create Change,” suggests students actively seek the change they want to see in the world. In order to obtain change a community developed out of diversity must be discovered.
In high school, my education was limited to the knowledge of my teachers. Rarely was I in an environment that encouraged active participation. Everything I learned had to be accepted, not questioned. I was a passive learner; constantly memorizing and never truly understanding. There was a loss of connection between my teachers, my peers and my education. The result of this learning environment was disempowerment.
In a higher-educational setting, like that of Columbia College Chicago, I believe that there is an opportunity to revolutionize education through diversity. In high school, if
I was disgr...
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...nd can be comfortably questioned by both students and teachers. This is important within higher education, if the education is to be seen as a practice of freedom.
A strong understanding of diversity should be the foundation of all classrooms within a higher educational setting, like that of Columbia College Chicago. Diversity should not only be considered as the varying amount of racial/ethnic groups within a classroom, but also the varying experiences and histories of each person. The narrative freedom gained through diversity may allow for personal and historical connections that are often overlooked by textbooks and traditional education to be discovered. By examining the diverse nature of both students and teachers, education can be revolutionized. Common threads in history can be questioned, untold stories, told and empowerment through education, gained.
By embracing, and not just celebrating diversity in our colleges, we can create a more broad, educated, and interesting view of the
Alger, Jonathan. "The Educational Value of Diversity." The American Association of University Professors. Academe, January/February 1997.
Spring, Joel H. “Chapter 6: Student Diversity.” American Education. Sixth ed. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 145. Print.
Selingo, Jeffrey. "New Study Questions Educational Benefits of Diversity." The Chronicle of Higher Education 49.29 (2003). Academic OneFile. Web. 9 Aug. 2011.
The essay " Diversity, Ideology, and Teaching Writing" written by Maxine Hairston discusses the diversity in college classrooms in 1992. She highlights the idea that these students come from different backgrounds and have a lot to offer the class through their experiences. Also, they come in at different levels of writing and understanding. She believes that these students can learn from one another. They can learn about the diverse society that we live in. She states that " Real diversity emerges from the students themselves and flourishes in a collaborative classroom in which they work together to develop their ideas and test them out on each other." She looks at this diversity as an opportunity for students to learn and collaborate about society. Their papers and analysis would come from experiences that the class has had in life.
When diversity is being discussed, there are a plethora of ideas that are associated with it. Whether people are talking being put on a waitlist for college, about people of color, or about representation in the media, the subject of diversity is not rare. Recently, the conversation of diversity has become more common because colleges want to demonstrate that they have diversified campus. How would diversity on campus be defined? Most importantly, diversity is more than having an extraordinary personality. Race, gender, sexuality, and social status are a few of the superfluous traits that make an individual unique in a college’s eyes. In Sophia Kerby’s article, “10 Reasons Why We Need Diversity on College Campuses”, she notes that, while there has already been an effort to diversify high schools and middle schools, accepting students of different backgrounds is not as apparent in higher education (1) . A university desires to diversify its campus in order to benefit the students that are attending the college. Students are not only likely to improve
When the majority of teachers in America are White, middle class women who only speak English in a country were students are starting to come from a multitude of backgrounds it is no wonder problems are arising. As more people from different cultures and religions immigrate to the United States the average classroom is losing the cultural uniformity it had in the past. Though the faces in classrooms are steadily changing many teachers have not been able to adjust as quickly to the ever growing diversity taking place. One would expect for teachers to still be able to teach students effectively whether they share a similar background or not, but in actuality cultural conflicts between teachers and students are only getting worse. Especially when
Diversity in a university is so important. First of all “diversity enriches the educational experience”. Students are able to learn from one another’s experiences. Also diversity helps maturity through most students. With diversity, students are able to learn about the other people’s experiences and are able to break down the stereotypical “walls” that our country has built. While students are breaking down these stereotypical “walls”, students will be able to effectively communicate with others of various backgrounds. As students learn about each other’s hardships or success, they will be capable of reaching a state of mutual respect for one another(On the Importance). “The higher education community stands committed to furthering the goals of equal opportunity and diversity on college...
Diversity is the condition of having or being composed of differing elements: variety; especially: the inclusion of different types of people according to Merriam- Webster Dictionary. In high school diversity means much more than being different. Having a diverse school enriches the education experience by helping students learn from others experiences, beliefs, and perspectives (Fairleigh Dickinson University). Diversity also challenges stereotypes, teaches communication between varied backgrounds, and educates students to work with different cultures (Fairleigh Dickinson University). Students in diverse schools also have a chance to learn how other cultures live, are forced to think about other cultural issues and reduce racism (Santrock, pg. 348). In 2007 a study by the National Comprehensive Center for Teaching Quality came to the conclusion that “76% of teachers say they were trained to teach ethnically diverse student body but few that 4 in 10 said their training helps them” (Greatschools). In order to change this, teachers should use the concept of a jigsaw classroom which is a mix of cultures in a classroom working towards a common goal (Santrock, pg....
This source will equip the argument for utilizing diversity as an educational apparatus that supports student development and learning. The showcase of impact of diversity student engagement will definitely be useful for providing a strong reasoning for showcasing how the experience of students in the US schooling system shapes the educational experiences of diversified student group.
Diversity in classrooms can open student’s minds to all the world has to offer. At times diversity and understanding of culture, deviant experiences and perspectives can be difficult to fulfill, but with appropriate strategies and resources, it can lead students gaining a high level of respect for those unlike them, preferably than a judgmental and prejudiced view.
The cultural diversity in society, which is reflected in schools, is forcing schools not to solely rely on content-centered curriculum, but to also incorporate student-centered lesson plans based on critique and inquiry. This requires multicultural education to a dominant part of the school system, not just an extra course or unit. Further, it demands that learning itself no longer be seen as obtaining knowledge but rather, education be seen as creating knowledge. Multicultural education should be seen as affirming the diversity of students and communities, promoting the multicultural ideas of the United States, and building the knowledge and behaviors needed for students to be a positive and contributing member of society and the global community as a whole.
The world is currently undergoing a cultural change, and we live in an increasingly diverse society. This change is not only affect the people in the community but also affect the way education is viewed. Teaching diversity in the classroom and focusing multicultural activities in the programs can help improve positive social behavior in children. There is no question that the education must be prepared to embrace the diversity and to teach an increasingly diverse population of young children.
There are many factors that play a role in the learning process for every human being. Race, religion, language, socioeconomics, gender, family structure, and disabilities can all affect the ways in which we learn. Educators must take special measures in the delivery of classroom instruction to celebrate the learning and cultural differences of each of their students. As communities and schools continue to grow in diversity, teachers are searching for effective educational programs to accommodate the various learning styles of each student while promoting acceptance of cultural differences throughout the classroom. It no longer suffices to plan educational experiences only for middle-or upper class white learners and then expect students of other social classes and cultures to change perspectives on motivation and competition, learning styles, and attitudes and values that their homes and families have instilled in them (Manning & Baruth, 2009).
In conducting her research, the author understood that she needed to describe key issues of culturally diverse students, recommend a curriculum approach to address the issues, and discuss the challenges and benefits expected. In reading Cultural and Linguistic Diversity: Issues in Education (2010), s...