Diversity
The late Maya Angelou said, “It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.” Indeed, schools that embrace diversity are strengthened as beautiful relationships form and increased learning follows. In today’s schools, diversity is not limited to students of different genders or ethnic and cultural backgrounds, but also encompasses differences in socio-economic status and special learning needs. Students have different learning abilities, learning styles, levels of experience, and learning backgrounds that they bring to the classrooms each day. Similarly, the schoolhouse is staffed with teachers from diverse backgrounds and with different instructional styles and experiences.
As an educator, one must be ready to embrace and encourage diversity, showing students and schools leaders that diversity can be one of a school’s greatest strengths. Furthermore, technology leaders are tasked with understanding how technology can be employed to personalize learning, as well as enhance cultural understanding. In many ways technology can serve as a means of tailoring instruction and learning environments to meets learners’ social and academic needs.
Throughout my experience in the Instructional Technology program at Kennesaw State University, I have developed the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to leverage technology in order to meet the needs of diverse learners. I have created lessons that capitalize on students’ unique cultural backgrounds, differentiated instruction using technology to afford all students the opportunity to learn in a way that meets their needs, analyzed data to determine achievement gaps, and created strategic plans for addressing these gaps using technology and digital tools.
Other significant learning experiences related to diversity include:
As an educator, one must be ready to embrace and encourage diversity, showing students and schools leaders that diversity can be one of a school’s greatest strengths. Furthermore, technology leaders are tasked with understanding how technology can be employed to personalize learning, as well as enhance cultural understanding. In many ways technology can serve as a means of tailoring instruction and learning environments to meets learners’ social and academic needs.
Throughout my experience in the Instructional Technology program at Kennesaw State University, I have developed the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to leverage technology in order to meet the needs of diverse learners. I have created lessons that capitalize on students’ unique cultural backgrounds, differentiated instruction using technology to afford all students the opportunity to learn in a way that meets their needs, analyzed data to determine achievement gaps, and created strategic plans for addressing these gaps using technology and digital tools.
Other significant learning experiences related to diversity include:
- Facilitating professional development for teachers on how to use technology to differentiate instruction, promote higher-order thinking and challenging tasks, and create authentic learning experiences that address the diverse needs of all students.
- Advocating for the fair distribution of technology in the school building and collaborating with county leaders to secure access to technology for low-income families in the community
- Suggesting technology resources and instructional initiatives that can be implemented to enhance students’ cultural understanding and increase their global awareness
- Identifying and employing assistive and adaptive technology resources and strategies for students with physical and learning disabilities.
- Identifying technology resources and learning strategies beneficial to English Language Learners and their families
- Collecting student achievement and demographic data, identifying achievement gaps, and creating research-based, technology-infused strategic plans for targeted school improvement addressing student-learning problems.