Diversity
Our world, more than ever, is globally connected and our students need to learn how to be a contributing part of that world. Technology serves as an amazing tool to help our students better understand and respect the diversity of the world in which we live. Before the Internet was so widely available to our students, their primary method of obtaining information about other cultures was done through textbooks, and maybe the news on television. Now, it is so much easier and faster to obtain information utilizing technology. Students can connect with people from around the world through blogs, social media, websites, and news reports that they may not have had access to in the past. These outlets of information can help our students see that there is so much more out there than what they see within their small world on a daily basis.
Within our own classrooms, there are many diverse students, many of whom require unique accommodations. During this program I have learned a variety of technologies that can change the way students learn, such as providing text to speech software, Web 2.0 tools, and calculating software. Students can communicate and collaborate by using blogs to post their writing and having others such as community members or even parents read and comment, perhaps giving ideas for improvement or praise for a job well done. Students can also have discussions on a book they are reading or a topic they are learning about in social studies, or even ask for help on their math homework. Having an outside audience can make the learning seem so much more authentic while providing a real-world connection, and students may be more willing to put in the extra effort if they know they have an outside audience.
Through the Instructional Technology program at Kennesaw State University, I have developed a deeper understanding of what knowledge, skills, and dispositions are required to create and foster a diverse classroom and how to utilize technology to promote the needs of all students. I have learned how to utilize Web 2.0 tools to engage students in formative assessment, thus determining student strengths and weaknesses, which then allows me to differentiate and remediate as needed. I have utilized translation websites to allow ELL students the opportunity to thrive in a classroom where they may have struggled before without the use of technology. I created a web quest that allowed students the opportunity to choose from a variety of topics, processes, and technology tools therefore appealing to the diverse learning styles of students. Through technology implementation in my classroom, I have learned more ways to utilize technology to differentiate within the classroom to meet the diverse needs of my students. Through these experiences, I have been able to share my knowledge of implementing technology with other teachers in my school which has opened their eyes to the amazing things technology can allow us to do for our students.
Below is a list of activities that I have completed which demonstrate by ability to successfully address diversity found in today’s schools.
Within our own classrooms, there are many diverse students, many of whom require unique accommodations. During this program I have learned a variety of technologies that can change the way students learn, such as providing text to speech software, Web 2.0 tools, and calculating software. Students can communicate and collaborate by using blogs to post their writing and having others such as community members or even parents read and comment, perhaps giving ideas for improvement or praise for a job well done. Students can also have discussions on a book they are reading or a topic they are learning about in social studies, or even ask for help on their math homework. Having an outside audience can make the learning seem so much more authentic while providing a real-world connection, and students may be more willing to put in the extra effort if they know they have an outside audience.
Through the Instructional Technology program at Kennesaw State University, I have developed a deeper understanding of what knowledge, skills, and dispositions are required to create and foster a diverse classroom and how to utilize technology to promote the needs of all students. I have learned how to utilize Web 2.0 tools to engage students in formative assessment, thus determining student strengths and weaknesses, which then allows me to differentiate and remediate as needed. I have utilized translation websites to allow ELL students the opportunity to thrive in a classroom where they may have struggled before without the use of technology. I created a web quest that allowed students the opportunity to choose from a variety of topics, processes, and technology tools therefore appealing to the diverse learning styles of students. Through technology implementation in my classroom, I have learned more ways to utilize technology to differentiate within the classroom to meet the diverse needs of my students. Through these experiences, I have been able to share my knowledge of implementing technology with other teachers in my school which has opened their eyes to the amazing things technology can allow us to do for our students.
Below is a list of activities that I have completed which demonstrate by ability to successfully address diversity found in today’s schools.
- Held professional development sessions for teachers on how to use a Learning Management System to differentiate instruction based on the diverse needs of all students in the classroom.
- Completed an unstructured field experience where I worked closely with an elementary level student who utilized assistive technology in the form of text to speech software to find success in independent reading time.
- Developed a technology action plan for Adairsville Middle School to implement with a variety of methods and tools to meet the needs of the diverse population at AMS.
- Completed a SWOT Analysis of Adairsville Middle School which allowed me to identify how technology was currently being used and ways for improvement.
- Created a Data Overview of Adairsville Middle School to find areas of targeted school improvements to ensure all the diverse subject areas and students were accounted for and that technology use was an integral part in the improvement process.
- Modeled the use of technology within the classroom through higher order thinking lessons, such as web quests, that focus on meeting the needs of diverse students.
- Participated in several coaching sessions with a colleague to improve her use of technology integration in the classroom to increase the engagement of all students including diverse groups.