Final Reflection
I grew up in a multicultural, mixed race home. My mother is Korean and African American, my biological father was African American and Native American Indian, and my step-father is Caucasian. For as long as I can remember, I have heard the word “diverse” used to describe my family as if it was special or out of the ordinary, but never quite understood why some thought it was unusual. That is my family; that is all that I knew so it was normal for me. My mother is a social worker and quite often exposed my siblings and me to the different diversities of the people she encountered. She worked in several group homes where the tenants were homosexual, transgender, or bisexual. I sometimes went with her to the homes on visits and met many of the people she helped. I have also met many United States veterans that she has helped. Some of them had physical handicaps, mental illnesses, or were homeless. I believe that it is because of these experiences that I have come to have what I consider to be, a clear understanding of diversity.
Impact of Coursework and Fieldwork
In regards to the classroom, I am always aware of the diversities of colleagues and students. I recognize the differences between others and myself and always attempt to understand and respect those differences. Perhaps the most significant things that EDUC 5173 has helped me do are learn how to address diversity in the classroom and create a culturally sensitive environment for students. The coursework was presented in diverse ways such as learning logs, Socrates Cafés, and Wikis, and all of the assignments addressed and catered to different learning styles. I had to diversify how I completed each assignment and had to think differently for each assignment...
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...d respect for others and their differences, but when I thought about what the word value means, I wonder if I have actually done it. I asked myself “What is the worth have I placed on diversity?” The answer is this: I regard diversity with esteem. I believe that valuing diversity is equivalent to valuing a person. Diversity is not an obstacle to overcome but an advantage to human growth and positive change. Without diversity, the advances we know in technology, medicine, art, and the many other aspects that make up our lives, would not exist today. Diversity is not to be feared or ignored; it should be welcomed and embraced.
References
Cushner, K., McClelland, A., & Safford, P. (2012). Human diversity in education (7th ed.).
New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Wong, H.K., Wong, R.T. (1991). First days of school. Sunnyvale, CA: Harry K. Wong Publications.
Culturally responsive teaching is very important in today’s day and age. Classrooms are filled with students from different backgrounds, races, and ethnicities. Teachers need to put into consideration those differences when building curriculum and creating a classroom atmosphere. Subcultures might also need to be considered when teaching, such as the culture of the disabled. The culture of students with disabilities is one that may appear within many classrooms due to the increase of students with disabilities. Teachers who are able to maintain a culturally responsive classroom and curriculum will provide ideal learning opportunities for all students and encourage them to succeed. (Darrow, 2013)
Wong, H. K., & Wong, R.T. (1991). The first days of school. Sunnyvale, CA: Harry Wong
Not only did my parents instill the importance of accepting people’s difference but they also taught me to love everyone regardless of their skin color, religion, or their culture. Education wise, I went to a very diverse school. Up until 6th grade, I was surrounded by people who came from the same background as me. Most of the people I grew up with came from African American, Cape Verdean, and Native American backgrounds. It was not until middle school and high school that I started to experience how much of an impact being “different” has on you. As I got older, I noticed my community becoming predominately Hispanic. Old neighborhoods and local stores were now run by Puerto Ricans and Dominicans. Often times, society groups minority races into this bubble, failing to realize how relevant diversity is within our own social
Every individual in society and in a community is unique in their own ways, and their diversity shows up in many ways. Some of these ways include: religion, race, socioeconomic status, lifestyle, and so on. Everyone’s backgrounds are different, and this is what creates diversity in people. Even though everyone might not be the same, only by uniting everyone can we create the big picture. It’s like a puzzle—even though people are different, we can come together to create a big picture that couldn’t be created by puzzle pieces of the same shape. To me, diversity symbolizes the unique backgrounds that we come from. Every individual in their communities and in their society are influenced by their background—and this can come from various reasons. If someone comes from a different socioeconomic background, or lifestyle, their thought processes and their view of life might be much more different than mine. Their reaction to a certain situation can be much more different than mine, and it is important for me to see all these viewpoints in order to be a more informed member of my community. Everyone is diverse in their expression, style, and
Diversity refers to the ways people differ from each other. These ways are significant and plentiful. Culturally, people vary in gender, age, ethnicity, race sexual orientation, educational background, religion, lifestyle, as well as veteran and/or immigrant status. Functionally, people vary in the ways we think, learn, process information, respond to authority, show respect and reach agreements (Pollar & Gonzalez, 2011.)
I really enjoyed listening to Sarah Salguera’s talk about cultural diversity. She made various points throughout her talk, that greatly intrigued me. One being how we should not be blind to color. It is important that we recognize the differences among people and embrace them. We need to teach our children that it is ok to be different. We all have different cultural backgrounds that bring unique aspects to the table. It as also important to ask the question “what if?”. What if a person of a different cultural background did not feel included? If a person felt this way, they may not embrace the cultural they are in, or share their cultural differences.
When people hear the word 'diversity', they often think in terms of black and white. I believe the true meaning of diversity is not simply about skin color, economic background or the face value of any other characteristic, rather it is the increased knowledge and sensitivity gained from unique experiences. The strength of diversity then comes from having many points of view and trying to reconcile them by finding common truths or resolving differences amongst people. Being a person of mixed heritage, my father is black and my mother is white, has definitely affected my life and contributed to the development of qualities that enhance my ability to embrace the uniqueness of those around me. Being raised in a single parent household and the values passed on to me by my mother have also been strong influences in my life. My greatest contribution to my community is the ability to create relationships between people of diverse backgrounds and a desire to understand others' beliefs.
I believe that it is important to recognize that there is diversity not only in the world, but also here at UW-Whitewater. To me, an important part of diversity is acknowledging that everyone is a unique individual. Each person comes from his or her own background and are shaped by the experiences in his or her life. Differences can come in many forms whether athletic ability, cultural background, intelligence level, religious beliefs, or personality. It is essential to be aware of the differences in society so that you may live a lifestyle that is considerate of everyone. However, this may prove to be more difficult than it seems as diversity is such a broad ranging scope of differences. Something you may find harmless might be offensive to someone else, for instance,
There are many challenges that teachers encounter when teaching children with learning disabilities, learners that are English language learners, or learners who are culturally and linguistically diverse. As a nation we are faced with the challenged that our schools are becoming more diverse. The majority of our schoolteachers are still predominately white females, but our student population is slowly changing. We are seeing more minority groups in our schools that are facing different challenges. The scary part of it all is that our teachers do not have the skills to accommodate those differences. “The nation’s changing school demographics are creating a demand for new teaching skills” (Utley, Obiakor, & Bakken 2011, pg. 5). Our student population
I would like to consider my cultural heritage as diverse, but this is far from reality. Over the years as I matured through my teenage years, I was exposed to different cultures by life experiences and travel. I struggled to create both a personal and cultural identity while trying to adjust to my sight loss and with the support of my family I traveled overseas to experience other cultures for the first time. My family opened up their home to a foreign exchange program in turn allowing me the opportunity to travel over to Europe at the age of 16 years old. This opportunity started the slow progression of experiences that would open my mind to others who are unlike myself, especially traveling to a strange place and feeling different in a mainstream culture. It was not until the past 5 or 6 years until I fully accepted my disability that changed my view on being different, whether it’s race, class, gender or disability. Before this time period, my own fear of being different was so intense that I thought my weakness (disability) made me inferior of not only other cultures, but also my own family members.
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.
As a new teacher preparing to embark upon what I hope will be a long-lasting, rewarding career in education, I want to create an inclusive, stimulating and collegial climate in my classroom. I plan to make sure that all my students feel valued, and contribute actively to the knowledge, interactions, learning and interests shared by the class. However, I appreciate that as a new, inexperienced teacher I could encounter or unintentionally create barriers that undermine my vision of an inclusive classroom. Although systems will operate in any school setting that can help or hinder inclusive practices, I believe it is my responsibility to ensure that every student in my care has high aspirations, and experiences success at school regardless of the school context.
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.
When most people think “Diversity” they think of the most communal characteristics: such as: Age, race, gender, sexual orientation, body type, ethnicity, and a person’s
I can identify with the multicultural concept of the classroom because I am African American, a woman, and a soon to be a teacher. This subject is one that is of extreme importance. The multicultural classroom is a learning environment that should be most effective because of the simple fact that it should encompass everyone. As a future teacher one of my goals for my classroom is to make it as diverse as possible. Not only because it should be a standard operating procedure, but because I feel students will be able to learn more effectively in an environment where they feel that their heritage is included.