In a classroom setting, diversity can present itself in a number of different ways. Model the behaviors and attitudes you want children to develop. Weve compiled tips from experts, lesson plan ideas, and readytogo activities that speak to the backgrounds of all your students. These goals translate into actual classroom practices or preferences for teaching courses that address diversity and service to the community. I was able to come into contact with some truly wonderful. However, we may believe that most people are comfortable with the primary mode of communicating in america that is primarily verbal. The more diversity is a topic of discussion in your school, the less students and teachers will hesitate to address it. The growing diversity in todays classroom digital promise. Activating the benefits of classroomlevel diversity journal of diversity in higher education 20, 6, 158 173 doi. Diversity in the classroom an article by michael soon. Jul 01, 2005 cultural diversity has become a major issue in the united states. Children follow the leaders and learn to behave in the manner that is acceptable in that setting. Cultural diversity in the classroom is on the rise.
Aluko, olabisi onabanjo university, nigeria abstract. Garibay has co authored several scholarly research articles, including. Linguistic and cultural diversity is an asset, not a deficit, for young children. Observations began early in the fall of 2009 and were conducted every. Teambuilding games are a fun way for youths and adults to deepen their understanding of cultural diversity. Broadly speaking, diversity refers to a state in which there are many different forms present. Research shows that students, especially boys, benefit when teachers share their race or gender. For the most part, national data show that the majority of faculty support diversity goals hurtado et al. Create a classroom management plan although creating a classroom management plan is a short activity it is crucial in establishing how the classroom with function. Apr 17, 2019 part of supporting diversity in the classroom is creating a space for students and educators to talk about how issues of discrimination affect them on a personal, classroom and schoolwide level.
Diversity management, challenges and opportunities in. The goal of this teaching module is to highlight a few of the key challenges and concerns in promoting diversity, and illustrate ways to incorporate an. Sep 10, 2018 does teacher diversity matter in student learning. This article expands awareness of diversity issues in the workplace to classrooms. Explores differences among esl students and challenges they may face in the classroom, combined with effective and practical techniques for working with esl students. Issues of cultural diversity are more focused, especially in the classroom setting. Against this backdrop, this article analyses the handling of cultural diversity in a. Pay particular attention to situations that can either promote prejudice or inhibit a childs openness to diversity. Teachers must be aware of the fact that there are different learning styles among students in the classroom. Effective diversity practices in the classroom diversity, from a multicultural stance, deals with a broad band of differences in human beings in general. Diversity in the classroom essay 888 words bartleby. Diversity in the classroom poorvu center for teaching.
Students today are more diverse across many categories, including linguistics, culture, geography, and socioeconomics. One recent study found, for example, that college students in diverse settings exhibited less racial and ethnic prejudice than students who interacted mainly with those of similar backgrounds. Within that context, teachers can model appropriate use of english and provide many opportunities for children to learn and practice a new language. However, once these students and workers are in the field, their diverse traits are often ignored. This article wants to address diversity in the classroom and how racial and cultural diversity are valued and what can be done to improve it. The importance of diversity in the classroom in todays everchanging culture and political climate, diversity is a topic on everyones mind and in just about every media outlet on any given day. Use restorative practices to promote selfawareness, selfmanagement.
Invisible diversity such as political opinion, sexual orientation, ethnicity when it is separate from distinct racial characteristics, teaching and learning styles, regionalism, class, family, history, and religion have more to do with an individuals own selfper. Interculturalism is the sharing and learning across cultures that promotes understanding, equality, harmony, and justice in a. It is based on a crosscultural comparative study of the attitudes of secondary. Esl students in the university classroom pdf university of colorado, boulder, faculty teaching excellence program. Focus on students diverse learning progress article pdf available september 2012 with 43,072 reads how we measure reads.
As a result, it is particularly important for the school culture and the classroom culture to reflect, acknowledge, and celebrate diversity. One way to do this is by becoming cul turally proficient, as author anthony moyer details in his article. Classroom management strategies classroom management. Diversity in the classroom an article by michael soon lee.
Children in a classroom benefit by learning to make friends with others who may look or sound or behave differently and to interact without fear or judgment. The dimensions of diversity include race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, language, culture, religion, mental and physical ability, class, and immigration status. Nov 25, 2014 overall, though, nearly 37% are nonwhite, suggesting a surge in diversity in coming years. Each classroom represents and reflects what the school stands for and what they think of families and children. The growing diversity in todays classroom 4 compounding this situation is a centuryold, industrial age educational system with the goal of graduating large numbers of students based on the needs of an average student. Throughout the duration of this course, i have been introduced to many different ideas, concepts, and philosophies that have impacted my initial understanding of the teaching profession. Download this article pdf article archive need to know more about multicultural marketing, multicultural sales, multicultural training, multicultural consulting, let speaker, trainer and consultant michael soon lee of ethnoconnect give you the tools to help you culturally competent and allow you to navigate through diverse cultures and increase your business. Kdl refers to an understanding of diversity of students in terms of their abilities and interests and how they respond to diverse situations. He is the author of a series of books on culture and marketing. Lee, csp, has been chair of the diversity professional experts group of the national speakers association nsa and speaks around the world on how to bridge differences between people. Thanks to harvard graduate school of education researcher, todd rose, author of the end of average.
Diversity in the classroom promoting diversity is a goal shared by many in american colleges and universities, but actually achieving this goal in the daytoday classroom is often hard to do. Overall, though, nearly 37% are nonwhite, suggesting a surge in diversity in coming years. Research shows that students, especially boys, benefit when teachers share their race or. This could be in terms of people, ideas, preferences, styles, etc. Because handling diversity in education is so complex, it is proposed that educators need to recognise the validity of differences. The challenges of gender diversity in the classroom can lead to challenges that we see in the workplace. Focus on students diverse learning progress article pdf available september 2012. We know it to encompass the dimensions of ethnicity, race, gender, socioeconomic status, religious beliefs, etc. Aug 27, 2015 in fact, diversity in education has been shown to promote tolerance. Gender diversity in todays classroom and workplace. Reflective essay on multicultural diversity in the classroom. Jun 27, 2018 in todays classroom, teachers encounter a diverse student body.
Karen serves on the executive board of njtesolnjbe. This study examined literature on the research of students diversity in order to seek a theoretical support f or conducting this research. Articles office of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The importance of diversity in the classroom drexel university. K12 public school student population has changed dramatically over the last 50 years. The persistence of a diversity deficit in the science, technology, engineering, and math stem fields has motivated much research and discussion aimed toward creating a more representative student body and workforce. Taking advantage of diversity within the classroom.
The field of education includes diverse professional job categories ranging from classroom teachers to education support professionals to higher education faculty to retired. Dont let racist and prejudicial remarks go by without. Making learning personal for all the growing diversity in. An antibias curriculum adds an emphasis on the individuals actions in response to discrimination and prejudice. Lee, mba dean, school of management teachers must be aware of the fact that there are different learning styles among students in the classroom. Multiculturalism in the classroom these teaching tips and resources focus on the topic of multiculturalism and diversity.
American classrooms are becoming more diverse every year, which means cultural diversity in the classroom is becoming an increasingly important issue for educators throughout the education system. Diversity in the classroom poorvu center for teaching and. In todays classroom, teachers encounter a diverse student body. Benefits and challenges of diversity in academic settings. Be explicit about the way your class will be respectful to each other. It requires firstly a reappraisal of educators own personal and of institutional ideologies and perceptions, and secondly a frank conviction and dedication to facilitate and manage learner diversity. Make sure your program reflects diversity in books, magazines, dolls, puzzles, paintings, music, and so on.
Pdf an action research case study on students diversity in. Effective diversity practices in the classroomregina williams. To address the growing diversity in school classrooms, beginning teachers. Find helpful articles, rich lesson plans, and a variety of books to promote cultural sensitivity and introduce students to cultures other than their own. More than ever, students come from different racial, ethnic, religious and linguistic backgrounds. Diversity and complexity in the classroom academic journals. In other words, teachers need to be aware that their students in a classroom are and always have been different from one another in a variety of ways. Even if the adults in the classroom are not bilingual, each childs language and culture should be reflected throughout the classroom espinosa, 2009. The growing diversity in todays classroom 3 the need for personalization is growing the makeup of the u. Teachers must first be aware of stereo types, ethnocentrism, and prejudice. Karen is a writer and consulting editor for naeyc, and is the dual language learning advisor for teaching young children.
Diversity in the classroom liu major reference works. The additional theme articles included in this issue are. Taking advantage of diversity within the classroom journal. Spread the loveschool climate and school culture directly impact student success. Drawing from the faculty survey, figure 3 shows how a selected set of goals for undergraduate education differs by faculty raceethnicity. Taking these feelgood ideals and making them a reality can be tough for educators, especially with so many other initiatives on their evertighter schedules. Why cultural diversity and awareness in the classroom is important embracing cultural diversity can help you succeed as an educator. Journal of speech, language and hearing research, 50, 1079 1092. Diversity and inclusion in the college classroom features 20 articles from faculty teaching at a wide range of institutions throughout the united states and canada.
Indeed, diversity is the only constant feature of l2 education. There are several techniques that may be applied to teaching to accommodate students of diverse backgrounds. Students are being exposed to diversity more and more, in both good ways and bad, due to recent happenings in the us that have been heavily. How students benefit from school diversity greater good.
Practice and critique 10 data collected consisted of field notes of classroom observations and interview transcripts. Diversity of experience, age, physical ability, religion, race, ethnicity, gender, and many other attributes contributes to the richness of the environment for teaching and. Effective management of cultural diversity in a classroom. Learning empathy, flexibility, and how to work with people from different. While diversity is the essential property of the l2 classroom, and so has been historically easier to recognize in that classroom, the ideological problem resulting from the conflict between the individualist and multiculturalist approaches remains maitzen, 1997. The article considers initiatives that the teacher education program. The articles tackle some of the trickiest challenges in creating an inclusive and respectful learning environment for a community of learners that is growing increasingly diverse. How to bring diversity in the classroom excite education. An important part of promoting equity and diversity is setting norms in your classroom that promote inclusion and openness. Classroom materials including displays reflect the children and the teachers in that classroom. An action research case study on students diversity in the classroom. Diversity articulate a culturally proficient vision for the district and the site establish standards for holding teachers and staff accountable for the vision teach all subjects from a culturally inclusive perspective insist on classroom language and behaviors that value differences having the capacity for cultural selfassessment. In fact, schools that are internally segregated even if they seem integrated from a distance can actually experience more interracial tension and feelings of unfairness, as.
The studys methods extended previous work by showing inclass diversity has a stronger impact on fairness and crossrace friendships than schoollevel diversity. Cultural diversity has become a major issue in the united states. Part of supporting diversity in the classroom is creating a space for students and educators to talk about how issues of discrimination affect them on a personal, classroom and schoolwide level. Minority groups are known to be less likely to pursue more. As recent immigrants arrive, many are struggling for a place in the middle class. Benefits and challenges of diversity the diversity of a universitys faculty, staff, and students influences its strength, productivity, and intellectual personality.
Classroom diversity and teachers perspectives of their workplace. Creating and celebrating diversity in preschool classrooms. Diversity management, challenges and opportunities in multicultural organizations patrick a. Y oung children and their families reflect a great and. Pdf an action research case study on students diversity. Terms to know multiculturalism focuses on the creation of equal educational opportunities and positive attitudes toward differences. Teambuilding diversity games also can help participants appreciate the advantages that result when people with a variety of skill sets and personalities work together to get something done.
Why cultural diversity and awareness in the classroom is. Karen nemeth contributor the investigator club 225 language and cultural diversity in the classroom diversity. A journal of educational strategies, issues and ideas. A place to begin two early childhood experts share tips on teaching.
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