Diversity
Stephen Covey, American educator and author, once said, “Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.” This statement beautifully outlines the value of diversity in our educational system. Today, our classrooms are filled with wonderfully diverse students. Students with unique learning abilities, students with different experiential knowledge, and students from different cultures enter our schools, ready to learn, each and every day. Our schools are composed of teachers from diverse backgrounds and with unique experiences that make them incredibly valuable facilitators of learning. Each individual brings an undeniable resource, diversity, to the education system.
Being prepared to embrace and cultivate this diversity is a critical role of an educator. Furthermore, learning how technology can be utilized to enhance the learning of all students and teachers is becoming increasingly important. As time progresses, the levels of diversity in a traditional classroom are increasing along with the reliance on an expanding realm of technological resources. As a technology teacher leader, I find that the most effective preparation for using technology to embrace needs of all learners is to apply and implement that which I learn.
Throughout my experience in the Instructional Technology Graduate Program at Kennesaw State University, I have been afforded many unique learning experiences which prepared me to capitalize on the value of technology to meet the needs of diverse learners. The list below highlights five of these significant learning experiences.
Being prepared to embrace and cultivate this diversity is a critical role of an educator. Furthermore, learning how technology can be utilized to enhance the learning of all students and teachers is becoming increasingly important. As time progresses, the levels of diversity in a traditional classroom are increasing along with the reliance on an expanding realm of technological resources. As a technology teacher leader, I find that the most effective preparation for using technology to embrace needs of all learners is to apply and implement that which I learn.
Throughout my experience in the Instructional Technology Graduate Program at Kennesaw State University, I have been afforded many unique learning experiences which prepared me to capitalize on the value of technology to meet the needs of diverse learners. The list below highlights five of these significant learning experiences.
- Facilitating a professional development for teachers on using technology to facilitate higher order thinking, student-centric learning experiences
- Identifying, researching, and sharing assistive and adaptive technology resources to support the learning of students with disabilities
- Developing and facilitating learning experiences for students with limited computer/technology related experience
- Identifying and sharing how technology can be utilized to expand students’ cultural and global awareness
- Ensuring minority and low-income students have equitable access to and use of technological resources at school
- Facilitating a professional development for teachers on available technological resources to support language acquisition of English Language Learners