EDPC 610: Diversity
Help us celebrate & teach diversity among our students!
Diversity
According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Diversity is the condition of having or being composed of differing elements, variety, especially the inclusion of different types of people (as people of different races or cultures) in a group or organization.
Why do we need to address Diversity in our classrooms and as an educator?
Our classrooms today, no matter what subject area or age level, consist of students varying in culture, language, abilities, levels and many other characteristics. Teachers must employ culturally responsive instruction and personal attributes in order to create a classroom culture where ALL students, regardless of their cultural, race or linguistic backgrounds are welcomed, supported, celebrated, treated as equal and provided with the best oppurtunity to succeed and learn. If Teachers value diversity and model this attitude to their students then the students will recognize and respect the fact that people are different and that these differences is a good thing. For example, when attempting to solve a problem, it is better to assemble a diverse group with many skills and many different ways of approaching the problem than it is to assemble a group that has all their strength concentrated in one area.
Teacher Resources
In today's Technological world it is easier than ever for teachers to collaborate and share ideas online. Here are a few great sites that offer teacher resources on the topic of Diversity.
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/diversity/teacher-resources/33631.html
Teacher Vision offers a huge selection of lesson plans and resources organized into categories based off of subject and grade level, and offers suggestions for specific holidays.
www.scholastic.com
The scholastic site has amazing resources for Diversity lessons. It offers help on "how to connect with kids and parents of different cultures", and includes links to activities and internet field trips.
http://www.diversitycouncil.org/midActivities.shtml- Check out this website to find great lesson and activity ideas to incorporate into your classroom to address diversity and multicultural education topics.
Tolerance.org - This site includes activities, teaching kits, and professional development resources to promote equality. They also have a section for magazine archives that include great articles on topics related to diversity education.
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/thismonth/religiousdiversity/index3.html
PBS offers a huge variety of websites about thematic teaching. Use the
Destination America - Teacher's Guide - to find lessons and activities for use with the Destination America website from PBS.
http://www.racebridgesforschools.com/lessons.html
This site includes lesson plans that use audio files with recorded personal stories that will allow your students to explore the lives of Americans with different ethnic backgrounds.
http://gng.org/ (Global Nomads Group) - This site has video stories to provide personal insights for a wide range of diversity and equality topics.
http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/ - This “Multi-cultural Pavilion” has a Teacher's Corner for lesson ideas and activities to address multicultural issues in your classroom. You can also find Equality & Diversity quizzes, awareness activities, songs, speeches, and quotes related to social justice.
http://www.theworkinggroup.org/niotresources.html
This site by “The Working Group” provides resources to help educators address hate crimes in their communities.
http://www.42explore2.com/migration.htm
Explore Immigration includes links on immigration to help your students understand how America has changed through US history.
http://1000voicesarchive.org/
1000 Voices- Another site that gives first hand accounts of Americans with various ethnic backgrounds
More sites for Diversity Resources can be found in my Diigo Library:
http://www.diigo.com/user/jcafarchio/Diversity?type=all
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/diversity/teacher-resources/33631.html
Teacher Vision offers a huge selection of lesson plans and resources organized into categories based off of subject and grade level, and offers suggestions for specific holidays.
www.scholastic.com
The scholastic site has amazing resources for Diversity lessons. It offers help on "how to connect with kids and parents of different cultures", and includes links to activities and internet field trips.
http://www.diversitycouncil.org/midActivities.shtml- Check out this website to find great lesson and activity ideas to incorporate into your classroom to address diversity and multicultural education topics.
Tolerance.org - This site includes activities, teaching kits, and professional development resources to promote equality. They also have a section for magazine archives that include great articles on topics related to diversity education.
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/thismonth/religiousdiversity/index3.html
PBS offers a huge variety of websites about thematic teaching. Use the
Destination America - Teacher's Guide - to find lessons and activities for use with the Destination America website from PBS.
http://www.racebridgesforschools.com/lessons.html
This site includes lesson plans that use audio files with recorded personal stories that will allow your students to explore the lives of Americans with different ethnic backgrounds.
http://gng.org/ (Global Nomads Group) - This site has video stories to provide personal insights for a wide range of diversity and equality topics.
http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/ - This “Multi-cultural Pavilion” has a Teacher's Corner for lesson ideas and activities to address multicultural issues in your classroom. You can also find Equality & Diversity quizzes, awareness activities, songs, speeches, and quotes related to social justice.
http://www.theworkinggroup.org/niotresources.html
This site by “The Working Group” provides resources to help educators address hate crimes in their communities.
http://www.42explore2.com/migration.htm
Explore Immigration includes links on immigration to help your students understand how America has changed through US history.
http://1000voicesarchive.org/
1000 Voices- Another site that gives first hand accounts of Americans with various ethnic backgrounds
More sites for Diversity Resources can be found in my Diigo Library:
http://www.diigo.com/user/jcafarchio/Diversity?type=all
Can teaching Diversity help create a global learning commmunity and cooperation?
Evidence of Diversity in the Classroom at ALL Age Levels!
Below are a few videos compiled to demonstrate how diversity and cultures could be celebrated and taught at various age levels from Pre-K to High school, as well as, how the student reacted to it.
Supporting cultural and linguistic diversity in early childhood
Culturally Responsive Teaching and Learning.flv
Students Teach Students to Stand Up to Bullying: Embracing the Dream edition (MLK)
Projects you can use in your classroom to embrace diversity
Our students come from various backgrounds and that should be celebrated and recognized throughout the year.
Here are some ideas you can use to embrace diversity:
- Family Trees: Students love designing and displaying their family trees.
- Timeline Projects about the student
- Classroom World Map: Students place a pin on the country their parents or family members come from and where they live now. It shows our common ground and our differences.
- International Day: Students can bring in dishes, music, and other cultural customs or artifacts from their place of heritage.
- Essay: Students can write a report interviewing a family member asking questions all about the family history.
Who are we?
Melissa Audain
M.S.Ed in Special Education
Sara Axelrod
B.A in Childhood Psychology
Amanda Brideson
B.S. in Earth Science & Adolescent Education
NYIT
M.S. in Instructional Technology
Email: smcphers@nyit.edu
Website: http://nyit.edu/education/
Location: Old Westbury, NY
Phone: 516-686-7777
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/NYIT-School-of-Education/219754371372029?fref=ts