Diverse Learners

There are many ways in which our classrooms can be diverse. There can be cultural, learning styles, learning abilities, and digital diversity. Each of these bring a unique dynamic to the classroom.

Cultural diversity is looking at the variety of cultures within the classroom. In Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use, a “culturally responsive teacher is one who understands and capitalizes on the unique cultural attributes of students, including their experiences, as resources for promoting student achievement” (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2010, p. 266). These teachers embrace the backgrounds of their students and use this to enhance the learning taking place within the classroom. My classroom is primarily made up of Caucasian students.  This past year, I had two Hispanic students, two African-American students, and two who were biracial. I have two units that come to mind when I think about teaching cultural diversity within my classroom. The first one is “We are all alike. We are all different.” I do this unit toward the beginning of the school year. We talk about how we are the same and then we talk about how we are different. This gives the students a chance to talk about their families and things their families do. They also present their “All about Me” posters which give the class another insight to who the student is. Another unit I do is “Holidays around the World”. I do this unit around Winter break. The kids really enjoy this unit in which we “travel” to different countries and learn how the people in those countries celebrate the holidays. I always try to include the countries from which my students come. When we come to their country, I allow them to share what they do with their family and at their house. I have even had parents come to share and do activities with the kids. In his article, Incorporating Cultural Diversity in the Classroom, Dr. Stephen Jones states our culturally diverse classrooms are “a prelude to the world of work, where many students will encounter diverse cultures.” Teachers who have an understanding of cultural diversity are more likely to understand there is diversity in student learning styles.

There are many different types of learning styles within a classroom. Dr. Stephen talks about how bringing different cultures into the classroom can also meet the needs of the different learning styles within the classroom. An activity that a visual learner would benefit from would be looking at maps and finding the countries where different cultures are from. They would also benefit from looking at pictures of what these areas look like. These pictures could be provided by the students within the classroom or by researching the country on the Internet. Another activity would be listening to the music from that culture. This would be beneficial for the students who are musical learners. Along with the music, the students could teach the class a traditional dance for the students who need to be moving around.

In addition to the different learning styles and cultures, we have students who have different ability levels. As teachers, we need to be able to meet the needs of all our students and be able to tailor our lessons to the different levels of our students. Some of our students do great with the lessons we create and can move at the speed we want our students to move. Other students need a little more time with a topic before they are ready to move on. As teachers in diverse classrooms, we need to remember we use authentic learning to “promote students’ deep understanding of subject matter content through the process of doing” (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2010, p. 269). We differentiate our lessons so each of our students can be successful in their learning. When thinking about this, I think about my students who are in the life skills program. I need to tailor the activities within my classroom to meet their needs so they feel a part of the class. Even though they have cognitive delays, they can still do what the other students are doing.

The last diversity I have considered is digital diversity which can be found not only among the students in my classroom but among the schools in our district and even within the state. I work in a Title 1 building so I know many of my students do not have computers within their homes. Their chance to use a computer is at school, a friend’s house, or at the public library. It is my job as a teacher in a diverse classroom, to help these students have an understanding of how to use the computer and give them the opportunity to use it. I think about how many computers I have in my classroom (2 laptops for students to use and 1 teacher computer) and then I know of a friend who has 13 laptops in her room for students. We do not teach in the same district but we do teach in the same state. There are districts that provide technology tools for their students and faculty members to use. Not only do we have to look at the access our students have but we need to look at how “up-to-date” these pieces of technology are. Not all families at my school have $500 or more to spend on a computer for their house. They need that money to pay the bills or to put food on the table. Cost plays a major role in the digital divide of students. Some districts have the money to update their technology tools while others must cut their budgets because of state funding. Many teachers are using iPads in their classroom. This is the newest and greatest technology craze. To place one in a classroom would cost approximately $499. To afford this, many teachers are writing grants to underwrite the cost of purchasing these for their classrooms. There are many things teachers can use these for that would benefit the students even our lifeskill students. Many lifeskill students, whom are nonverbal, are using these to communicate with the people around them. A Kindle (wireless reading device) would be another piece of technology that could be incorporated in a classroom. For $139, a teacher could purchase a Kindle to use in their literacy centers. A teacher would be able to purchase children’s books for the Kindle. Some of these could be downloaded for free! Teachers always like “free” things!

Diversity is everywhere in our classroom and in our schools. As teachers in the 21st Century, we need to accept the differences within our classroom and use those differences to enhance our students’ knowledge. Our students learn to accept these differences when they see their teacher accept and embrace the diversity within the classroom. I cannot imagine teaching in a classroom where every student was the same. To me, that would be boring. I love the unique person that each of my students is. They each bring something special to my classroom and help make it an exciting and fun place to be.

Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2010). Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

Jones, Dr. Stephen, Incorporating Cultural Diversity in the Classroom, Teachers of Color. Retrieved from http://www.teachersofcolor.com/2009/04/incorporating-cultural-diversity-in-the-classroom/  on June 3, 2011.