Diversity
“All Students have different interest, backgrounds, learning styles, and ability levels. The best teachers recognize this and provide students with a tailored education to ensure their students a successful future. Technology enables educators to differentiate instruction more effectively, efficiently, and easily” (Smith and Throne, 2009, p.28).
As a Special Education Teacher, my primary concern is how to teach students with diverse needs. Often the term diverse refers to students who learn differently than students in the general education setting. There are two distinct sub-groups of students apart from the whole student population and they include English Language Learners (ELL) and Students with disabilities (SWD). Although, these two groups are not the only diverse groups of students in educational settings, these, however; are the two groups of diverse students that I have taught during my teaching career. I credit much of my view about working with diverse groups of students based on my personal experience- on-the-job-training, and trial and error.
The Kennesaw State University (KSU) Instructional Technology program has equipped me with the knowledge, and necessary skills needed to teach students from diverse groups within the school setting. I recall several classes (ITEC 7305, ITEC 7430, ITEC 7445) that included modules (SWD, ELL, AT) where I was required to read, study and practice exercises that were geared towards acquiring knowledge specifically for ELL and SWD. I recall one course, that included a training: Technology in the Content Areas, Special Education, and English Language Learning, that I used to later apply to a lesson planning activity. I learned how to use technology that supports the indicators of Engaged Learning and Higher LoTi Levels that I was able to apply to a specific content area. I chose Math. I had to create an Engaged Learning Lesson that included examples of how technology supports ELL and SWD.
At the conclusion of the module, I gained the necessary dispositions to design and share an extended learning experience that demonstrated my ability to incorporate many of the indicators of Engaged Learning and LoTi 4-6. I gained the skills and the disposition to coach others in how to improve the implementation of the indicators of Engaged Learning and reaching a higher LoTi in their own lesson planning. I engaged in several field experiences where I worked with groups of students that included one or more students from a diverse subgroup. When I coached colleagues, I focused on how to use technology to engage ELL and SWD. I spent time with Special Education teachers like myself, and I shared digital tools with General Education teachers to assist them with making their lessons more accessible, authentic, and relevant for the diverse groups of students that they served. Below are some specific examples of how I successfully demonstrated my ability to address diversity issues in the school’s where I worked during my participation in the KSU Instructional Technology program.
Diversity Activities:
As a Special Education Teacher, my primary concern is how to teach students with diverse needs. Often the term diverse refers to students who learn differently than students in the general education setting. There are two distinct sub-groups of students apart from the whole student population and they include English Language Learners (ELL) and Students with disabilities (SWD). Although, these two groups are not the only diverse groups of students in educational settings, these, however; are the two groups of diverse students that I have taught during my teaching career. I credit much of my view about working with diverse groups of students based on my personal experience- on-the-job-training, and trial and error.
The Kennesaw State University (KSU) Instructional Technology program has equipped me with the knowledge, and necessary skills needed to teach students from diverse groups within the school setting. I recall several classes (ITEC 7305, ITEC 7430, ITEC 7445) that included modules (SWD, ELL, AT) where I was required to read, study and practice exercises that were geared towards acquiring knowledge specifically for ELL and SWD. I recall one course, that included a training: Technology in the Content Areas, Special Education, and English Language Learning, that I used to later apply to a lesson planning activity. I learned how to use technology that supports the indicators of Engaged Learning and Higher LoTi Levels that I was able to apply to a specific content area. I chose Math. I had to create an Engaged Learning Lesson that included examples of how technology supports ELL and SWD.
At the conclusion of the module, I gained the necessary dispositions to design and share an extended learning experience that demonstrated my ability to incorporate many of the indicators of Engaged Learning and LoTi 4-6. I gained the skills and the disposition to coach others in how to improve the implementation of the indicators of Engaged Learning and reaching a higher LoTi in their own lesson planning. I engaged in several field experiences where I worked with groups of students that included one or more students from a diverse subgroup. When I coached colleagues, I focused on how to use technology to engage ELL and SWD. I spent time with Special Education teachers like myself, and I shared digital tools with General Education teachers to assist them with making their lessons more accessible, authentic, and relevant for the diverse groups of students that they served. Below are some specific examples of how I successfully demonstrated my ability to address diversity issues in the school’s where I worked during my participation in the KSU Instructional Technology program.
Diversity Activities:
- I provided individual coaching to one special Education teacher. We focused on using technology to engage students, communicate with parents, and collaborate with colleagues.
- I presented a one-hour training on how to adjust the settings on Google Chromebooks for ELL and SWD to give them more access to use technology tools (read-to, magnification, etc.) more efficiently and successfully.
- I created a Weebly site for my one-hour training. Teachers can refer to it as often as necessary.
- I complete an ELL Field Experience.
- I completed a SWD Field Experience.
- I completed an Assistive Technology (AT) Field Experience (FE). The following semester, artifacts from the FE assisted me in getting AT services for a student with limited verbal abilities. This module helped to set up a reliable system for referring students for AT services.
- I completed a Data Overview that highlighted the proficiency levels of ELL and SWD students in comparison to general education (GE) students on the CRCT and GMAS over the past four years (2014- 2017).
- I shared the findings with my Principal and with the Leadership Team at a school level Leadership Conference prior to pre-planning. The Principal has made several references to the data I shared and the level of knowledge I exhibited about the diverse groups and about data.
- The Data Overview was presented in the form of a narrated power point and a video.
- I completed a Capstone Project- Going from Zero to Google. I worked with one Special Education teacher with using Google Tools.
Reference:
Smith, G. E., & Throne, S. (2009). Differentiating Instruction with Technology in Middle School Classrooms. Eugene, Or.: International Society for Technology in Ed.
Smith, G. E., & Throne, S. (2009). Differentiating Instruction with Technology in Middle School Classrooms. Eugene, Or.: International Society for Technology in Ed.