What is your definition of diversity?
What impact do you think your definition of diversity will have on your teaching?
Monday, March 26, 2007
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Welcome to the Your World, My World, Our World blog. Thank you for your participation.
15 comments:
‘Diversity’ is a positive term of inclusion. It implies a conglomeration among people with physical, religious, racial, economic, social and/or cultural differences (though not limited to these).
As far as teaching is concerned, diversity plays a major role in classroom management. We will assuredly encounter students that are different from us and from one another with lots of different ways of learning. If we support diversity in our classrooms, if we can avoid negative assumptions or biases toward any student, we can reinforce a positive environment for students to learn.
Counterpoint: If we define ‘diversity’ racially or culturally, as the immediate knee-jerk reaction seems to be, are we not just perpetuating a homogenous worldview by looking at people as only, for example, a black person or white person in a larger group of ‘diverse’ people?
Name: BANJ
Grade Levels: K-6, 9-12 English, 9-12 English, 9-12 Biology
University of North Carolina Asheville
Typically, diversity is seen as differences in race, gender, class, sexuality, religion, etc. However, diversity goes beyond the immediacy of the major cultural differences recognized by society. These immediate differences influence individuals’ basic interests and philosophies to create unique, personalized cultures. Appreciating diversity as an educator means embracing the individuality of every student.
The Recycling Bins (UNCA)
English 9-12
Social Studies 6-12
Comprehensive Science 9-12
Reading K-12
Diversity is a very, extremely, completely, thoroughly, vague socially constructed term, which seems to have been developed in an attempt to recognize and embrace the inevitable variations in populations, while simultaneously maintaining the integrity of individuality. So, in a global community within which there exist a myriad of personal identities and experiences, "diversity" represents the discrepancy between an ideal world unity, and a reality of perpetual conflict based on those differing experiences and identities. These conflicts may arise on the basis of ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, or any number of other perceived differences.
We as teachers have a responsibility to use our influence on future generations not only to teach tolerance and respect for these differences, but also to promote the importance of individuality at every level of society (i.e. personal, local, and global). Practically, this means fostering unity, and individuality in the classroom by modeling compassion.
FRESHMEN CLASS
Elementary K-6
Livingstone College
Diversity deals with different views and experiences related to race, gender, sexual orientation, personality, disabilities, religion and ethnicity. Diversity can enhance how we view the world around us and how we feel about others.
Diversity can impact the way we teach our classes. Some of us may have to learn a different language or culture. The different cultures and religions of the students will impact how we teach our classes. For example, we will have to use activities that will involve all the cultures of the students represented in our classes. Our definition of diversity will impact the decisions we will make as teachers.
KCCC
Elementary K-6
Livingstone College
Diversity includes people of different ethnicities, cultures, languages, and religions.
Diversity will impact us as teachers. We have to be aware of language and religious barriers. We will have to understand that every child is different. Not only will we teach all of these different children, they will be teaching us. For instance, we may have a student who speaks French and this student may teach us some of the French language. Diversity will impact us and our classrooms positively if we have an open mind and a willingness to learn how our differences help us all to grow.
We are "Beyond Zebras", students at UNCA in Intro to Education :)
Diversity is a collection of different people from a variety of cultural, racial, geographic, religious, ethnic, gender, sexual orientation etc. coming together. Our definition is broad and encompasses our philosophy of teaching in that it perceives people as individuals rather than a label. By not acknowledging the differences in our classroom and between our students but rather being aware of diversity evident everywhere we will achieve an equitable educational environment.
UNCA
BK K-6
K-12 Theatre Arts
9-12 Theatre Arts
9-12 Creative Writing
Kudos to the Recycling Bins for recognizing the difference between the vague, lofty ideal of diversity and the practical notion of constant, inevitable differing of people who are not the same. Diversity, while a noble thing to strive for, is really already there for us all the time. By virtue of two people being two people, diversity exists between them. Are we really looking to mix a bunch of people up together just for the sake of demographic contrast? Is diversity for diversity’s sake really that great of an idea? Not to say that we are anti- diversity or anti- any group of people. But we wonder; is it the best idea to create a goulash of humanity for any reason other than to perpetuate the idea of “Look how different we are, all hanging around together!” Is it even possible to achieve this idealization of a diverse populace, this perfect nirvana of diversity? And if so, how will we know when we’ve arrived?
Licensure areas: K-6 elementary ed., Art ed., Foreign language ed.
University of North Carolina Asheville
Our definition of diversity includes the differences that make us unique ethnically, racially, culturally, religiously,and economically. It also includes each student's individual learning style.
Our teaching will embrace diversity by honoring each student's unique differences. In a diverse classroom, students and teachers learn from each other.
Beyond Zebras
There are obvious similarities between responses. We especially felt that the recycling bins response surpassed most by its irony in trying to define a socially constructed term. We agree it is ironic to define a term that tries to not define humans. good job, and nice interpretation of prompt.
The very nature of definitions leads to exclusion. Diversity in itself is any characteristic that makes us individual and unique.
Livingstone College and UNCA posts include disabilities and sexual orientation in their definitions. We cannot ignore these facets of diversity but also must realize that the list itself is infinite.
Thaumaturgists--well said. We like your style.
BANJ
Everyone has valid definitions of what they feel diversity is. The minor differences between these responses can be collected and used to affect our current beliefs on the subject. We hope to learn and grow as educators.
The Recycling Bins thought that the comment made about the reciprocal nature of learning between teachers and students was most impactual. As teachers it is very important to be open to learning from students, especially if we aim to promote the benefits of diversity.
Our group defined diversity as differences in ethnicity, culture or relgion. Our definition of diversity would have a strong impact on our teaching. Schools themselves would have to start early, actively busing in minority students to try to create a broad school. In our classrooms we decided it would be easiest to start early with diversity learning. In Elementary school we would use art, music, and theatre to show influences of culture.
Ex: Native American Study: Music, Art, and Theatre focus- having children learn about the culture. Actively participate. Do a small project comparing Native American Arts to US. Discussion of what the students liked about Native American Arts.
As the children get older they are asked to draw more conclusions and do more independent work. Entire schooling isn't focused on how DIFFERENT other cultures are- but how they are similar, and what aspects they enjoyed learning about.
1) Our definition of diversity; a mix of ethnicity, cultures, beliefs, and ideas within a group of people. OR the differences among any classification.
2) We agreed that diversity would have the following impact on teaching: A better understanding and accomodations to the various needs and ideas of others. It will create an ability to eliminate racism, understand differences in all people, and create the ability to avoid any expectation theory of any student. With diversity the teacher ultimately becomes aware of the many differences of others and therefore understands others better through respect for all.
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