Review Section IV. Recommendations for practitioners on page 9 of the Ruggs and Hebl reading, Literature overview: Diversity, inclusion, and cultural awareness for classroom and outreach education.
Three strategies to increase diversity, inclusion, and cultural awareness in classroom settings are summarized. Reflect on one of the strategies described in the reading.
As a teacher, where do you recognize an opportunity to include greater attention to any of the strategies across your curriculum? Is there are an area of diversity, inclusion, or cultural awareness you feel is neglected in any part of your teaching approach? In your reflection, consider why this omission might exist. Is it a function of time constraints, discomfort, or perhaps a lack of resources to improve the situation? How can the issue be helped or at least minimized?
(new to teaching), think about your personal educational history. Overseas graduate English education system on a small island. Do you remember a time when a teacher did not address or make an attempt to redress an issue of diversity, inclusion, or cultural awareness in the class? Drawing from the Ruggs and Hebl reading, how do you think the teacher should have improved the situation? What strategies do you know about today would have likely improved the educational experience you had?
Rubic:
Self-improvement –
Demonstrates clear
understanding that
self-reflection is a key
component of
improving both a)
her/his own teaching
practices and b) the
growth, development
and learning of one’s
students. Clear,
applicable details and
examples are
provided in the
reflection.
Connection to
outside
experiences –
Engages in detailed
analysis of aspects
of her/his own
experiences and
those of others that
centrally relate to
the topic. Makes
substantive
connections
between these
experiences and
their application to
teaching practice,
and cites texts,
scholarly journals,
and other resources
to articulate their
meaning.
Submission
demonstrates
understanding of
the importance of
reflection on
experiences as a
critical tool for selfimprovement and
effectively employs
it
Connection to
course readings
(videos,
presentations, etc.)
and discipline
specific literature –
Synthesizes those
aspects of the
readings that relate
to the topic. Makes
substantive
connections
between what is
learned from the
readings and the
topic. Includes
references to other
sources to
demonstrate the
ability to extend
one’s own learning
through
independent
discovery.
Readings:
Reading Assignment
1. Ruggs, E. & Hebl, M. (2012). Literature overview: Diversity, inclusion, and cultural awareness for classroom and outreach education. In B, Bogue., & E, Cady (Eds.). Apply research to practice. http://teach.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/ARP_DiversityInclusionCulturalAwareness_Overview.pdf
- Read pp 1-16. Classrooms are becoming more diverse and yet, some barriers continue to stigmatize and disadvantage a host of students. The document examines how teachers can achieve greater diversity, inclusion, and cultural awareness in the class with a specific focus on gender and race. The article also offers an overview of research-based strategies to incorporate inclusive learning activities into curricular design.
2. Schunk, D. H. (2012). Learning theories: An educational perspective (6th ed.). Pearson. https://www.researchgate.net/file.PostFileLoader.html?id=53ad2847cf57d75c068b45c5&assetKey=AS%3A273549456019456%401442230680395
- Read from Ch 10: pp 465-474 & pp 477-487. This portion of the text addresses major influences on student characteristics such as parental involvement, SES, student-teacher relationships, and electronic media. In addition, the reading will address learning styles and the importance of field dependence-independence.
3. Strangman, N., Hall, T., & Meyer, A. (2004). Background knowledge instruction and the implications for UDL implementation. National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum. https://web.archive.org/web/20210224031539/https://aem.cast.org/about/publications/2004/ncac-background-knowledge-udl.html
- Read pp 1-35. “This document examines the research on instructional approaches to support students’ use of background knowledge and explores points of intersection with Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a curriculum design approach intended to lower the barriers that traditionally limit access to information and learning for many students…By aligning the implementation of background knowledge instruction with UDL, teachers can make a greater impact on student literacy, improving the learning experience for every student in the classroom” (p. 1).
Optional Video
1. TEDx Talks. (2015, April 2). Learning styles & the importance of critical self-reflection, Tesia Marshik, TEDxUWLaCrosse [Video]. YouTube. (18:14)https://youtu.be/855Now8h5Rs
- In this video, Marshik reviews research that debunks the deeply ingrained myth that teachers must customize instructional practices to the learning styles of individual students. Marshik reminds viewers that learning involves multiple areas of the brain and teachers can emphasize some areas more than others depending on the content.