Diversity in the Classroom:
A Tool for Teachers
This web page
is a resource for teachers both new and experienced. It is designed
to help teachers become more aware of diversity and have a better understanding
of what it is, how to deal with it in the classroom, and provide information
and activities for incorporating diversity into the classroom.
What is Diversity???
The condition of being different from one another
(Webster's Dictionary)
Important Definitions
Inclusion – The act of including or state of being included
Mainstreaming - To place a handicapped student in a regular school classroom
Giftedness - Individuals who perform, or who show promise of performing, at high levels in creative behavior, leadership, personal and/or interpersonal skill, or visual and performing arts
Acquisition - Skill building; focus of special education programs
Handicapped - Having a physical or mental disability that substantially limits activity especially in relation to employment or education
Public Law 94-142 - The Education of All
Handicapped Children Act, enacted in 1975, mandates that appropriate public
education be provided for all handicapped children regardless of degree
of severity of handicap; protects rights of handicapped children and parents
in educational decision making; requires that an indivdualized education
program be developed for each handicapped child, and that handicapped children
receive educaitonal services in the least restricted of environments
(Children & Their World)
Research Related to Practices in
Inclusive
Early Childhood Programs
Children in inclusive programs have an advantage in social and behavioral areas over children in segregated programs.
Barriers to providing inclusive
services:
1. Lack of leadership.
2. Lack of adequate training/experience
3. Lack of consultation with experts
4. High child to staff rations
5. Lack of resources (materials,
teaching assistants)
To start a successful program:
1. Adapt ongoing activities and
routines to address high priority goals.
2. Add new activities as needed.
3. Monitor implementation and effects
and make needed adjustments.
*More about Inclusion.
Patterns
By: Jean Warren
Too soon
The patterns
Tell us how
To move
Too soon
Leave your dreams
Outside the door.
All sit!
All stand!
Listen now!
The sky is blue.
Cut the line.
Make a star.
Stop!
Storytime.
Too soon
And soon
The patterns
Tell us how
To think
To feel
Too soon
The originals are gone
And in their place
The pattern of a single face.
*The poem emphasizes the importance of celebrating differences and the value of individuality.
Incorporating Diversity
With Games
Nummernspiel (Numbers) – from Austria
(Played inside or outside)
How To Play the Game:
One player is chosen to be IT. The rest of
the players sit on the ground in a circle. Each player in the circle
takes a number starting from one and going up to as many players as are
seated in the circle. IT blindfolds his eyes and stands in the center
of the circle of the seated players. IT calls out two numbers at
random, and the players whose numbers are called must change places as
quietly as possible, so that their movements will not be detected by IT.
IT will try to catch one of the players changing seats using his auditory
skills. If the players change seats safely without being caught by
IT, the rest of the players applaud, and IT must try again. If a
player is caught while trying to change seats, he becomes the new IT, and
the original IT takes his place in the circle.
(Fletcher, Helen Jill. (1960). Games Around The World:
Fascinating Games From The four Corners of The World. Baltimore:
Ottenheimer Publishers, Inc.)
*Games like this integrate multiculturalism and special learning needs. The nummernspiel game helps children to rely on their auditory skills and it takes away their visual usage.
Multicultural Education
Multicultural education is
“an educational thrust whose focus is cultural groups in the U.S., especially
those that experience prejudice and discrimination in American society.
The objectives of multicultural education include reducing discrimination
against stigmatized cultural groups and to provide all cultural groups
with equal educational opportunity. Multicultural education seeks
to create a school atmosphere that has positive instructional norms toward
a range of cultural groups in the U.S.”
-Jim Banks
(Teaching Strategies for Ethnic Studies)
The purpose of this portion of the
web page is to help teachers become aware of the importance of multicultural
education in the classroom and to have many resources in which they can
use to encourage multiculturalism in the classroom. It widely consists
of links to other web pages that we have found to be quite useful, as well
as multicultural literature that can be used with students.
One way that teachers can incorporate multiculturalism in the classroom is by having a wide variety of multicultural books available for students to read or for read-alouds. Click here for recommended children’s books from different cultures:
People of all ages can relate well
to music. A great way to incorporate diversity and multiculturalism
in the classroom is by using music. Students can find songs dealing
with multiculturalism and diversity and bring them to class to share with
their classmates. For a list of multicultural songs, click
here.
There are various other activities
that can be done with students in which they explore multiculturalism.
To learn about some practical activities that can be used, click
here.
Many teachers have found that the
best way for students to learn about cultures other than their own is to
correspond with students from other cultures. A great way to do this
is by e-mail. Click here for more
information.
Many model multicultural schools
exist in the United States. One of these is Presidio
Hill School in San Francisco, California.
The Latin American Youth Center
promotes multiculturalism. Click
here for more information.
Teaching diversity
and multiculturalism
in the classroom.
Three excellent books for teachers dealing with diverse learners and multiculturalism are the following:
Cultural Awareness for Children.
Allen, Judy. Earldene McNeill.
Velma Schmidt (1992).
New York: Addison-Wesley
Publishing Company, Inc.
Educating for diversity:
an Anthology of Multicultural Voices. Grant,
Carl(1995). Boston:
Allyn and Bacon.
Effective Teaching Strategies
that Accommodate Diverse Learners.
Kameenui, Edward. Carnine,
Douglas (1998). Upper Saddle
River: Merrill.
Learning Styles
VISUAL:
Bulletin boards
Experiments
Television
Graphs
Role play
Maps
Transparencies
Posters
Timelines
AUDITORY:
Records
Discussions
Audio Tapes
Slide Shows
Oral Reports
TACTILE/KINESTHETIC:
Touch objects
Experiments
Temperature
Pantomimes
Drawing
Charts/graphs
Games
Paintings
SELECTED GRADING TECHNIQUES
When working with learning disabled students:
1. Grade by achievement level
2. Grade by progress
3. Multiple Grades (achievement, ability, attitude)
4. Alternative Grades (Pass-Fail, Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory)
5. Extra Credit
6. Task Mastery Grading
7. Contract—student/teacher agreement
8. Vary Test-taking Procedures
9. Student-Teacher Evaluation
10. Chart of Progress
11. Project options (work-study in community)
12. Bonus Concept
13. Advance Warning System (facsimile report card
given)
14. Credit Grades—work to keep grade
OTHER FACTORS AFFECTING LEARNING:
1. Climate
2. Time
3. Sound
4. Seating Arrangements
5. Class Procedures/Organization
6. Group Size
7. Attention Span
8. Pace or Rate
LINKS ON DIVERSE LEARNERS
Office of Special Education—Information on Learning Disabilities
Management for Processing Disorders
Teaching Students Process Awareness
Auditory-Visual-Tactile/Kinesthetic Learning Styles
Discouraging Prejudice in the Classroom
Appropriate grade levels: 2-4
Subject Area(s): Social Studies
General Topic(s) or Theme(s):
*Multiculturalism
*Prejudice
Objectives:
1. The students will be able to complete a KWL chart about
prejudice as a class
2. The students will be able to list at least two types
of prejudice
3. The students will be able to write a paragraph about
a form of prejudice thy have
witnessed and explain how the situation might have been handled differently.
Introduction Activity:
Place several kinds of apples in front of
the class. As you present each apple, ask the students what it is
you are showing them. They should say that each is an apple.
Ask the students how that can be (because they are all different).
Aren’t all apples red?
Body:
1. Create a KWL chart. Distribute Post-it papers to each student. Ask them to write on the pot-it note something they “know” about prejudice. Attach these to the “K” column. Ask them to write on another something they want to know about prejudice and attach these under the “W” column. The “L” column will be filled at the end of the lesson with what the students have “learned.”
2. Begin a discussion about the different types of prejudice. For second, third, and fourth grade, focus on Racial, Religious, and Sexual discrimination. Read Mrs. Katz and Tush by Patricia Pollacco and ask how that story might have been different if the characters had treated each other differently?
3. Ask the students to pair up and talk about some form
of prejudice they have witnessed. How could the situation have been
handled differently so that it might not have been an issue of prejudice?
Conclusion Activity:
Children will share their suggestions with their partners and then share with another partner group. After sharing, each group should discuss prejudice and be able to name at least two types of prejudice. Go around the room to get two types from each group. Fill in “L” on the KWL chart.
Vocabulary Terms:
- Prejudice
- Discrimination
- Racial
- Religious
Evaluation Activity:
The teacher will have a good idea
of what the students have learned by looking at the “L” on the KWL chart.
Also listening to the groups and getting ideas from each group will give
the teacher a feel for the status of the class.
Lesson from http://flado.atmos.uiuc.edu/CLA
Other Links for Diversity in the Classroom:
Lesson Plans using trade books
Mexico, Latin America Lesson Plans
Instructional Materials in Multiculturalism
Curricular Resource Materials in Multiculturalism
The International Journal of Multiculturalism
Sixth Grade Social Studies Multicultural Unit
Resources for “Global Connection”