Issues of

DIVERSITY

BY: ELLAINE F. SEE & ROWELL C. DIWA

“It’s time for parents to

teach young people early on

that in DIVERSITY

there is beauty and there is strength.”

It 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.

It is the state of having people who are different races or who have different cultures in a group or organization.

What is

DIVERSITY?It is the quality

or state of having many different forms, types,

ideas, etc.

DIVERSITY is a multidimensional, broadly inclusive concept that acknowledges and embraces the richness of

human differences.

People diverse in the following aspects:

The Impact of Diversity in Education

Diversity is a topic that comes up time and time again when discussing the state of education and the ever-increasing diversity in our schools and communities. But are the demographics of our nation really so different from what they were 20 years ago — or are we just becoming more aware of other cultures as technology brings the global community into our homes?

“We are moving toward a society in which individuality is retained and valued and a cultural mosaic is created from millions of unique pieces.”

In recent years there has been much research on diversity and its impact on students. Our campuses/schools are laboratories for diversity issues and they continue to evolve over time. Some of the impacts of Diversity on Education are the following:

• Diversity contributes into institutional characteristics such as high expectations, belief in students’ capacities, models of success, institutional mission, link between the value of education and service to larger communities.

• Campus climate has been an important theme. Conversations about campus/school climate engage numerous issues related to gender, race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, physical ability, and religion.

• Efforts to enhance access and equity on schools through diversity initiatives have numerous implications for campus/school climate. Indeed, a perception among students that the institution is committed to diversity increases positive perceptions of the climate of the campus.

• Studies on cognitive development show that critical thinking, problem-solving capacities, and cognitive complexity increase for all students exposed to diversity on the campus/school and in the classroom.

Approaches in Addressing Diversity in Education

What we usually see…

What intelligences they actually possess…

What are my responsibilities in terms of addressing my students' needs?

How do I cope with the broad range of differences between my students?

What support is out there for me?What do we mean by diversity?

Studies and researches are some of the major approaches that are being done in order to address diversity in Education. Through these procedures, problems relating to diversity are being addressed, remedied and are provided with a wide range of solutions that would dynamically and flexibly handle such diverse situations.

Today’s general education, classrooms are becoming more and more diverse with both students with disabilities and students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. In order for teachers to effectively teach a classroom of diverse students, meeting each student’s needs individually and successfully, effective research based strategies must be implemented. Some of the strategies are as follows:

1. Acknowledging students’ differences2. Connecting with students’ families 3. Establishing school-wide “cultural” collaboration.4. Implementing culturally responsive teaching.5. Establishing mentors for students.

These strategies, when implemented in the classroom and at the school level, can positively affect each student both

academically and behaviorally in the inclusive diverse classroom.

The Role of Education in Addressing Issues of

Diversity

As young children start to recognize human differences, teachers can help them develop a foundation of respect and inclusion. What are the best practices to implement in an intercultural approach? What is the role of Education to mold these children on how to react on these differences?

Diversity literally means 'difference' and in the educational context diversity relates to the differences between Faculty and other staff, between students, and between teachers and students. The reasons for differences are numerous and may include personality, culture, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age and so on.

The 'diversity agenda' in education sets out to address issues that lead to inequalities in practice. It has its roots in the legal framework that underpins the provision of equal opportunities and which acknowledges that our social identity impacts on life experiences and opportunities. Equality aims to create a fairer society, where all can participate and have the opportunity to fulfill their potential. Part of this involves identifying patterns of experience based on group identity, and challenging processes which limit individuals' potential life chances. The diversity agenda also relates to a wider aspiration to widen participation in education as a whole, reflecting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The broad 'diversity agenda' includes consideration of issues relating to gender, race/ethnicity, culture, age, domestic circumstances, prior educational achievement/attainment, sexuality and sensory, psychological or physical disability/impairment.

Teachers need to be aware of the diversity issues that relate to quality teaching practice, benefits for community, law, equal opportunities, human rights, and education. In order to address diversity principles and approaches, teachers also need to know how to design, deliver and evaluate learning opportunities to help meet the needs of a diverse student body.

One of the ways in which teachers can determine the learning needs of diverse student groups is by thinking about how different students learn. Here, we do not just mean how student learn in terms of individual learning styles. We are referring to students' learning patterns and preferences relate to their earlier and current educational and cultural backgrounds.

For example:

Different cultures have different perceptions/understandings of the role of teachers and other students with expectations differing accordingly.

Students who hold very strong views about race, politics, religion or sexuality may find it difficult to cope with an objective, open discussion or with students who hold opposing views. This may cause potential conflict in the classroom.

When Calvin Asked a Question

The Ten Different Types of

Teachers

The Strict OneThese teachers are hardcore about their job. They don’t smile at all. One mistake and boom! You’ll end up being screwed.

.

The I-don’t-give-a-damn-about-your-life TeacherThese teachers just don’t give a damn about you and your life. They like to give tones of homeworks and projects.

The ComedianThese teachers are one of the best teachers, they turn the classroom into a standup comedy bar. You laugh and laugh but actually don’t forget about the lessons.

The Noob TeacherThese teachers are still new to the game and are very very nice, later in their life they will be consumed by the reality of being a teacher.

The Almost Retired TeacherThese teachers are a year away from retirement.

The Talk Show Queen/King TeacherThey are like the Oprah of the classroom. They talk about something that aren’t related to the lessons at all.

The Teacher that tries to hard to be coolThese teachers act as if they are cool, did not-so-cool moves that they think they are cool.

The Cool Teacher Everyone LovesThese teachers get to have the most cards and gifts during Christmas and Teacher’s day.

The MMK TeacherThese teachers talk about themselves, about how awesome or awful their lives are. They talk about the decisions in life that matter to them and why you should follow them.

The Almost In Time TeacherThese teachers are always late.

EXAMPLES OF DIVERSITY inclusive pedagogy

Racial Diversity

Race is a population

that can be distinguished from other populations within a species by genetically transmitted physical characteristics.

Racism consists of both prejudice and discrimination based in social perceptions of biological differences between peoples.

Colour Written by an African child

nominated for Best Poem of 2005

When I born, I Black,When I grow up, I Black,When I go in Sun, I Black,

When I cold, I Black,When I scared, I BlackWhen I sick, I Black,

And when I die, I still Black…

When you born, you Pink,When you grow up, you White,When you go in Sun, you Red,

When you cold, you Blue,When you scared, you Green,And when you die, you Grey.

And you calling me Coloured??

Cultural Diversity

cul·ture

noun \ˈkəl-chər\: the beliefs, customs, arts, etc., of a particular society, group, place, or time

: a particular society that has its own beliefs, ways of life, art, etc.

: a way of thinking, behaving, or working that exists in a place or organization (such as a business)

“You have to taste a culture to understand

it.”

– The main job in the classroom is to teach the subject.

– We need to create classroom culture in order to teach more effectively

– We need to be open to our students’ personal cultures as well.

Cultural Diversity

What is the role of recognizing cultural diversity in our classrooms?

As cultures blend, it is important to clarify which parts of our culture we will not sacrifice:

•Freedom of expression

•Civic responsibility

•Respect for individual rights

SUMMARY:

Students who attend schools with a diverse population can develop an understanding of the perspectives of children from different backgrounds and learn to function in a multicultural, multiethnic environment. Yet, as public schools become more diverse, demands increase to find the most effective ways to help all students succeed academically as well as learn to get along with each other. Teachers are faced with the challenge of making instruction "culturally responsive" for all students while not favoring one group over another.

DIVERSITY

Thank You!!!