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3 - Understanding Diversity in Classroom

The document discusses diversity in education and effective approaches for teaching diverse students. It covers understanding group differences based on factors like culture, ethnicity, gender and SES. It also addresses individual differences in students and categorizing exceptional students, including gifted students. The document emphasizes the importance of being culturally responsive and avoiding deficit perspectives when teaching diverse classrooms.

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Matt Dynn
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8K views31 pages

3 - Understanding Diversity in Classroom

The document discusses diversity in education and effective approaches for teaching diverse students. It covers understanding group differences based on factors like culture, ethnicity, gender and SES. It also addresses individual differences in students and categorizing exceptional students, including gifted students. The document emphasizes the importance of being culturally responsive and avoiding deficit perspectives when teaching diverse classrooms.

Uploaded by

Matt Dynn
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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2

Understanding Diversity
In Malaysia, the multiplicity of racial and
ethnic groups and immigration patterns exists
but not as complex as in the United States
Whether it is one student, or a large group of
students, or the whole class that differs from
the teacher as well as from other students
teachers must bridge the gap:
i. Overcome biases
ii. Provides supportive environment for all
every
student is respected, feels comfortable and
confident, and can learn

Understanding Diversity:
Diversity as an asset
Teachers who respect their students cultural
strengths, life experiences, and community
resources, and are able to draw on this
knowledge to strengthen connections to their
students and families are better positioned to
meet their students needs
When teachers legitimize their students life
experiences and see them as essential to the
success of the educational process, they increase
their students opportunities for educational
achievement and future success
One of the first steps in this process is valuing
students diversity as an asset in classrooms and
schools

Group Differences
Culture, ethnicity, language,
socioeconomic status (SES), and
gender.
Variation within groups
Stereotypes

Group Differences
Culture : the knowledge, attitudes,
values, and behaviors that characterize
a group of people.
Ethnicity : common place of origin.
Race : category of people who share
biologically transmitted traits such as
skin color or hair texture
Mainstream culture
Culture shock
7

Group Differences
Language differences
Communication differences
Cooperation vs. competition
differences
Time orientation
Family and world views

Approaches to Teaching in
the Culturally Diverse
Classroom
Cultural deficit model
Achievement gap
Self-fulfilling prophecy
Multicultural education
Culturally relevant pedagogy
Culturally responsive teaching

Approaches
to
Teaching
in
Understanding Diversity:
the Culturally Diverse
Diversity
as
an
asset
Classroom

An irrelevant teaching approach in a diverse


classroom: deficit model

Teachers or other professionals who adopt this model


may believe that students bring nothing of substantial
value to their formal schooling they believe that
students need to be taught everything, and have no
resources within their families or communities that
can support or be connected to their schooling
Deficit model of diversity places the focus on what
students and their families do not have and cannot
do.
When this perspective prevails, teachers and others
who work in schools may fail to see the assets
children and families do possess that form the basis
for their future learning

Approaches to Teaching in
the Culturally Diverse
Classroom

Achievement gap is the term commonly used


to describe the difference in academic
achievement between African-American or
Latino students and white, middle-SES
students
Once the low expectations for cultural
minority students have been set, the result
can be a self-fulfilling prophecy: Lowexpectation minority students perform poorly
and confirm the teachers original bias against
them

Characteristics of Effective
Multicultural Teachers

Show deep caring for all students


Provide clear learning objectives
Communicate high expectations for all students
Monitor progress and provide immediate feedback
Explain the rationale for instructional methods
Embed instruction in culturally meaningful
contexts
Provide opportunities for active learning groups
Are committed to their students during and after
school hours
Use materials and practices that are culturally
relevant -- examples from different culture, race,
and religion
Have several years of experience teaching diverse
13
students

Understanding Diversity:
teaching as a culturally responsive
profession

The negative experience of students who are devalued in school


because of race, class, culture, or language, as well as the persistent
achievement gap between middle-class students and many students
from these groups, make it crucial for teachers to be responsive to their
students

Villegas and Lucas (2002) identify six characteristics of teachers who are
responsive to student differences in a way that fosters success in school
characteristics that constitute what is known today as culturally responsive
teaching

Should embrace the importance of contextualized teaching and learning,


and also emphasize the personal commitments teachers must make
regarding issues of diversity and interaction across various groups

Culturally responsive teaching = teaching that is continuously


responsive to the race, class, culture, ethnicity, and language of each
student

handout

Gender and Sex Diversity


Gender : traits and behaviors that a
particular culture believes to be
appropriate for men and women
Sex : the biological differences of
men and women
Nature versus nurture
Gender socialization

15

Gender Differences in the


Classroom

Emotions and behavior


Physical performance
Technology use
Cognitive abilities
Achievement
Gender bias effect on students

16

17

Individual Differences
Intelligence
Ability grouping
Between class
Within class

Differentiated instruction
18

Cognitive Styles and


Learning Preferences
Cognitive styles
Impulse / reflective

Learning preferences
Environmental preferences
Sensory Modality : Audio, visual,
kinesthetic
Processing : deep, surface

Temperament and Personality


19

20

Exceptional Students
PL94-142
IDEA
Free and appropriate education
Least restrictive environment
Individualized education program

21

Classifying Exceptional
Students
Disturbances
Disabilities and impairments
Focus on students, not on the
disability
Student with a learning disability, not a
learning disabled student

22

Classifying Exceptional
Students

Learning disabilities
Speech or language impairments
Mental retardation
Emotional disturbance
Sensory and physical impairments
Multiple disabilities

23

Classifying Exceptional
Students

Autism spectrum disorder


Traumatic brain injury
Developmental delay
Other health impairments
Attention deficit disorder
Giftedness and talent

24

Characteristics of Gifted and


Talented Students
Ability to learn at a much faster pace than
peers
Processing of information at a much deeper
level than peers
More and better organized knowledge than
peers
Ability to think independently, flexibly,
critically, and creatively
Willingness to entertain complexity and to
thrive on problem solving
25

Characteristics of Gifted and


Talented Students

The need to seek challenging activities


A tendency toward perfectionism
Above-average social development
Above-average verbal skills
Keen observation and abstraction
power
Intensity in energy, imagination, and
sensitivity
26

Instruction for Gifted and


Talented Students

Unfunded at federal level


Pull out programs
Cluster groups
Special magnet schools
Acceleration
Enrichment
See Table titled Classroom Tips for
instructional suggestions for exceptional
children, pages 55-57.
27

The Role of the Teacher in


Inclusive Classrooms
Identifying exceptionalities
Modifying instruction and
collaborating
Developing acceptance and
belongingness

28

PROBLEM SOLVING IN THE


CLASSROOM:
A THINKING FRAMEWORK

1. Identify the situation


2. Evaluate the teachers approach
3. Propose a plan of action given the
variables and constraints defined by
the issue.
See flowchart on page 60 and Three
Steps in the Problem Solving Process
on page 61.
29

Summary
Group differences SES, culture,
race, ethnicity, gender
Individual difference IQ, learning
preferences, cognitive styles,
temperament and personality
Exceptional students disabilities,
impairments, disturbances,
categories, giftedness
30

Test Your Knowledge


1.

Why is understanding diversity in the


classroom important for teachers?
2. What are the main group differences
studied in education?
3. In which ways may students from
diverse cultural backgrounds show
differences in the classroom?
4. What are some approaches to
teaching in the culturally diverse
classroom?
31

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