Diversity Statement
This program has taught me the importance of gaining insights into the personalities of our students through learning surveys, interest surveys, demographic data, and even previous academic data. In order for us, teachers, to truly support our students, we need to know them as a “whole” child, not just a score. To maximize the engagement of our students, authentic learning can be achieved if teachers know who their students are and what their interests are. Additionally, we will need to meet students where they are and bring them up to high expectations. Technology is the perfect platform to facilitate meeting the needs of diverse learners.
Further, there is a high level of importance of making content accessible to all learners. This is one area that this program has taught me a great deal. The resource that helped me the most with this was the WATI checklist when creating online materials. This is especially helpful to our students with disabilities. From this program, I learned that there are so many ways to accommodate by providing different means of engagement and allowing for different means of expression. Technology allows for this differentiation to happen with ease in the same learning environment. Gone are the days where students had to be removed to do a different assignment- now all students can learn and collaborate within the same four walls.
In conclusion, this program has taught me about programs that are pre-designed to help teachers differentiate for all learners, but I also learned how to be innovative and develop my own materials that provide differentiation in order to scaffold, support, and challenge students.
Some activities that I have completed during my program to address the needs of diverse students include:
Further, there is a high level of importance of making content accessible to all learners. This is one area that this program has taught me a great deal. The resource that helped me the most with this was the WATI checklist when creating online materials. This is especially helpful to our students with disabilities. From this program, I learned that there are so many ways to accommodate by providing different means of engagement and allowing for different means of expression. Technology allows for this differentiation to happen with ease in the same learning environment. Gone are the days where students had to be removed to do a different assignment- now all students can learn and collaborate within the same four walls.
In conclusion, this program has taught me about programs that are pre-designed to help teachers differentiate for all learners, but I also learned how to be innovative and develop my own materials that provide differentiation in order to scaffold, support, and challenge students.
Some activities that I have completed during my program to address the needs of diverse students include:
- Leading professional learning experience with a focus on personalized learning
- Leading professional learning experience with a focus on developing tech-rich activities with multiple means of engagement and/or expression
- Leading professional learning experience with a focus on moving past “substitution” in the SAMR model
- Collaborating with the Assistive Technology Specialist in professional development for special education and general education educators
- Collaborating with the Assistant Superintendent and Curriculum Director to design professional learning for both instructional and assistive technology